# Breaking the 'run for home' habit...



## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

Try waiting til you feel she is getting ready to make a run for it. Stop before she actually does. Turn around and ride the other way until she stops fighting the change in plans. Push her into a faster gait if necessary. Turn back for home at a walk. Repeat as necessary. Fair warning, this may take all day long.

Hope that helps


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## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

I suspect quite a few of the members here would suggest keep working her once you get back to the barn -- in the arena doing things like changes of direction and circles, etc., at different gaits. This will show her that getting to the barn in a hurry just means more work. Alternatively as Cordillera said. This will show that every time she starts to hurry up, it will also mean more work therefore it's in her own best interests to keep it slow.

Good luck with in.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Keep walking her back and fourth from the trail to home, then work her in the ring and take her out on trail again. Let her know that just because she is going home does not mean she gets to rest. Keep her guessing as to when she is coming home and when she finally comes home calmly then make it the final trip. Heck, even dismount and walk her home from the trail. Dismounting seems to be the ultimate "good job, your done!" Statement to a horse. 

Either way the goal is to keep her guessing. Make sure you have PLENTY of time to spend when doing this. If it takes 4 hours or 20 trips home, so be it!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I have found with my gelding to make him stop and back up a couple of steps has helped with this habit.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

Every horse, even the best trained that have been left to sit too long will want to race for home, if you let them. You will never get rid of the desire to do so bc "home"=security.
Here is an exercise that will get this horse to listen to you.
You NEED to have a fence in between the barn and your horse, and you need to have the gate closed.
Start riding circles. If you have an arena with a gate, ride the track. As soon as you get to the gate, spur to a fast trot or canter aWAY from the gate, then about halfway around half-halt down to a walk, with several half-halts as you approach the gate. You are riding so that the mare gets to rest when she approaches the gate IF SHE MOVES SLOWLY and listens to you, and she has to work HARD moving away from the gate. *The exercise isn't over until she stops fighting the rush to the gate 5x on each rein. * Then, dismount and hand walk her back as a reward.
See why you want the gate closed?
A few years a go I put my DD with a lunge whip at the opening to my shelter and every time I would ride towards the shelter I had her move forward with the whip to encourage my gelding to never think he could come tearing back from my other pasture and duck inside of the shelter. You would come off bc the entrance isn't very tall.
Horses are pretty smart and they learn. =D


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## Chetak (Sep 3, 2014)

Just browsing through and thought i'd add my 2c in.

The quickest fix i have found to stop rushing for home on trails is as soon as they attempt to pick up speed instantly turn them in a slow circle (narrow trail = tight circle), at first you'll get 2 steps then circle. Even the worst ones stop after about the 3rd ride - think of it as slow motion barrel practice lol. They soon learn its gonna take them a hell of a lot longer to get home if they keep trying to speed off. Keep it to a walk at first and slowly build up until they understand trails are chill time unless you say go. Our rule is walk only, 500m from home. They pick it up pretty quickly - my TB use to almost pull your arms out, ridiculous prancing and going sideways down the trail. Now he's on the buckle and even though sometimes does a nice power walk, will not break from a walk and will slow down just from me saying u-ah.


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## Skippy344 (Sep 5, 2014)

I had this problem with Sarita. Every time she'd start thinking about picking up speed, we'd do a circle or two. Then, at the gate before the barn, we'd practice all kinds of things. When she really got responding, I'd dismount and walk her in. Then she got to stand for about 1/2 hour before her saddle comes off. 
Now all I have to do is slow her down a time or two (unfortunately it's mostly downhill to get home!) and she responds really well. 
Good luck!


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I would take a little more aggressive approach. When ever she turned and bolted for home I would turn her back down the trail away from home and make her work. I mean lope down the trail or at the very least trot. Then she will learn every time she turns back toward home it means WORK. She will stop it pretty quick.


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## ChitChatChet (Sep 9, 2013)

I rode my horse backwards.

He wanted to go home one day and I didnt. So he got to face the way he wanted but we got to go my way. After awhile he decided facing the way we where going a rather nice idea. Last time I had problems with him.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

It's not just the barn that horses want to hurry up for. Mine remember where the horse trailer is parked and speed up when ever we head back to the trail head.

A couple of weeks ago, I was in the Teton Wilderness at Hawks Rest. 300 miles from home. My horses had never been there before. We rode in taking 9 hours with some lunch and photo stops. After a week of riding every day around that area. As soon as we started back down the trail, They quickened their pace. It was rainy and cold and I was of no mind to slow them down, I wanted to get back to the truck and get some dry cloths on warm up so I let them move at their chosen speed. We got back to the truck in 7 hours, on a trail they had only been on once a week early. They remember where the truck is and know the trailer means they are headed home.


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

We always trailer our horses to ride and the trailer becomes their "home." Somehow it always seems to take longer going out than it does coming back but we never seem to have an issue with running for the trailer. We always make it a point to walk the last mile back. Their walk might be a little bit faster, but it stays a walk.  I can't say it's any great training method we used, it's just that we've ridden the same horses for so long that they KNOW. It's a habit. I think it's a good one.


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## HagonNag (Jul 17, 2010)

HagonNag said:


> We always trailer our horses to ride and the trailer becomes their "home." Somehow it always seems to take longer going out than it does coming back but we never seem to have an issue with running for the trailer. We always make it a point to walk the last mile back. Their walk might be a little bit faster, but it stays a walk.  I can't say it's any great training method we used, it's just that we've ridden the same horses for so long that they KNOW. It's a habit. I think it's a good one.


 Actually, I've only ridden Blossom for the last 2 years, but my husband has had DB for 14 years and Blossom is not about to take off and leave DB unless I were to insist...and I don't. We did the same thing when I rode Big.


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