# Horses that run back to barn after rider becomes separated from horse



## 1LittleAppy (Apr 15, 2014)

Several riders have mentioned that when they become separated from their steed (falling or taking a break and reins slip from grip) they see the tail as their steed gallops home.
How can someone train their horse to stick around in those situations?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Reiningcatsanddogs (Oct 9, 2014)

Ground tie.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

A fool and his horse are soon parted.


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## Incitatus32 (Jan 5, 2013)

Ground tie, teaching the utmost respect (though doesn't work for all horses lol), and having a kind mount. 

My late mare was an exceptionally kind horse. If I fell off anywhere she would stop and stand right beside me for however long. I don't know if she was taught this or it she was just a good horse. 

When I took on a clients horse who did this we practiced that when I fell off he stopped dead in his tracks and ground tied. Took a good while to get him so he did this on trails but it was well worth it.


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## 1LittleAppy (Apr 15, 2014)

I'm not sure how to interpret this comment. 

Seems as though your intentions are to call the rider who fell a fool. 

People come here to share stories and experiences and ask others questions. Your comment would not enable people to share and participate in the forum.


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## 1LittleAppy (Apr 15, 2014)

Thanks for the ground tying advise. I'll pass it along. I don't know much about it.


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## Roux (Aug 23, 2013)

I think it also depends on what caused the rider to fall in the first place as to if the horse will run home.

If you fell because your horse spooked at something really badly (like fight or flight bucking spook) they might be in panic mode completely forget about you and run home regardless of training. If you fell because you just lost your seat or something like that then the horse might just stand and look at you because they aren't freaked about it.

Either way ground tying is an excellent skill for a horse to have!


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Use a bosalito and a get down rope. (search for the terms, if not familiar) It can be modified for English headstalls, too.

<<< Hates to walk for miles when there is no need for it.


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## Clayton Taffy (May 24, 2011)

1LittleAppy said:


> I'm not sure how to interpret this comment.
> 
> Seems as though your intentions are to call the rider who fell a fool.
> 
> People come here to share stories and experiences and ask others questions. Your comment would not enable people to share and participate in the forum.



I didn't take it this way at all!! Maybe I am the one that is wrong.

It is an old saying and it doesn't have anything to do with falling off.

Originally--- a fool and his money are soon parted.

I laugh because every time I fall off Pilgrim A.K.A. the Devil. He kicks me on the way down and is halfway to the barn before I hit the ground.

I had a young man that worked for me and he was surprised that Pilgrim always ran home, I asked him, well haven't you ever fallen off? 
He replied that his horse always stays with him...but he is always in an arena. 

I did have to laugh and said, "horses staying with you only happens in the movies."


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Taffy Clayton said:


> I did have to laugh and said, "horses staying with you only happens in the movies."


Not so. Fell off twice (so far ). First time was a slipping saddle when cantering. Horse stopped, and looked at me as if to say "what the heck did you do that for?". Second time the horse (same horse!) spooked just as I was dismounting, took off running, and my friend found her grazing about half a mile up the trail.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

That's just my warped sense of humor. If you trail ride, you must take into consideration what might happen if you are dumped. When I was young, all it meant was a long walk home. I live in the city now, and a horse that runs off is a real danger. Teach that horse to ground tie, the members of this forum are very knowledgeable, and if you need any help there are a lot of good horsemen here.

I made that comment because some guy was out in the sand trying to make his horse do I don't know what - rear? levade? and the horse was doing it's darndest to stay under him, hit a sand bank and rolled, the guy rolled off, and the horse ran away. I stopped my horse at that point and waited until he was able to catch his horse, and that happened the day before I made my silly comment.


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

Back in the day, if you fell off of your horse on cross country, if you could remount withing a certain time and continue, you were accessed a penalty but you could continue on course. SO, it was important to teach your horse not to run back to the barn.

I would have my students in a round pen, bareback and with a halter. They would ride around and on cue, would vault off the horse and lie on the ground. They would then hold a carrot above them while laying motionless. Eventually, the horse would be curious and go sniff the rider and find the carrot.

They would do this, vaulting off at walk, trot and canter. The horse quickly learned that when the rider came off, there was a treat coming and go straight to the rider.

Then, we would do it in the arena. They would go over a small jump, pretend to fall off, and hold the carrot up.

Soon the horse would not only NOT run off, they would assault the rider for the carrot. The rider would be able to grab the bridle easily.

It was FUN training and I still do it, even though you are no longer allowed to remount on XC. Hopefully, that rule will change back, in the near future. There was some talk about it.


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

This is an excellent idea. And for those concerned about using treats, this is one area that warrants it. If my horse were to run home from the trails we use now, he would be running across heavily used streets.


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## karliejaye (Nov 19, 2011)

Allison, I LOVE that idea! Hilarious.

I have found that, training aside, some horses are more prone to remain in a flight mode and run away while others are more prone to stop and think. And some I am convinced are just mean and will run away for kicks (not really, but some seem that evil at times, lol)


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

OP, I apologize for 'liking' the offensive comment. It just struck me as funny (thinking of myself) and I failed to realize it could/would be taken as calling the rider(s) who come off 'fools'. We can all be in that boat sooner or later, or already have been. :lol: So...aren't we all a bunch of 'fools' for continuing to ride?? LOL 

I don't think I'm physically able to vault off and lie down for a pretend fall, I'd end up falling for real and be more likely to get tangled in his feet...you lose a good deal of strength and agility by age 64...and the knees...don't ask about the ^%^$#@! knees......but I could dismount from bareback pad as quickly as possible, then ..groan,,creak..snap...lie down...Man...getting up wont' be fun either...maybe he'll let me pull myself up by hanging onto a leg or his tail...after I've given him the carrot. 

Fay


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

mslady254 said:


> OP, I apologize for 'liking' the offensive comment. It just struck me as funny (thinking of myself) and I failed to realize it could/would be taken as calling the rider(s) who come off 'fools'. We can all be in that boat sooner or later, or already have been. :lol: So...aren't we all a bunch of 'fools' for continuing to ride?? LOL
> 
> I don't think I'm physically able to vault off and lie down for a pretend fall, I'd end up falling for real and be more likely to get tangled in his feet...you lose a good deal of strength and agility by age 64...and the knees...don't ask about the ^%^$#@! knees......but I could dismount from bareback pad as quickly as possible, then ..groan,,creak..snap...lie down...Man...getting up wont' be fun either...maybe he'll let me pull myself up by hanging onto a leg or his tail...after I've given him the carrot.
> 
> Fay


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## mslady254 (May 21, 2013)

Allison ! That's about it....LOL....

Fay


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## DuffyDuck (Sep 27, 2011)

My dad's old mare would stop.

Once, she bolted from spooking and I fell. There was no stopping her. She was seriously spooked. 

That was the only time she didn't stop.

Oh no. There was a time I dismounted at a canter during a gymkhana game and she carried on cantering, not realising my small weight was no longer there!


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## STT GUY (Apr 23, 2014)

I spend TONS of time working my horse on his way back to the barn or trailer. I don't ever want him to think that the barn or trailer means safety or rest or that the quicker he gets back the better. He needs to associate safety with me. Nothing is 100% effective but so far so good. He's never run off, in-spite of a major spook with me falling off a time or two...or.....


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## Sharpie (May 24, 2009)

Interesting. I think maybe I ought to practice this. I've been very lucky thus far- of the two times I have well and truely come off, once I still had the reins and he stopped immediately, the other was in a turnout and he was still bucking long after I hit the dirt, so I'm rather glad he wasn't on top of me! Two different friends I was riding with who had unexpected landings resulted in one naughty and not-at-all-scared horse running home, and one frightened greenie circling back to us within a minute once he realized no one else was following him.

Do you think that frequent practice just mounting and dismounting on the trail might be at all helpful? We have that part down and he's not shifty or nervous or trying to leave then. 

I'd have to brush up on my non-existent vaulting skills I guess, since stopping him first would sort of cancel out the concept I suppose? I know the theory of an emergency dismount, but thus far have been fortunate enough to never have had to try to put it into practice (though that's been a near thing a few times).


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## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

I love Allison's approach, I'll have to try that with Fiona considering anything that makes an unexpected THUMP on the ground scares the tar out of Fiona. 

I've only fallen off her once, and she took off about six feet before she turned around and snorted at me with a "WTH woman!?" look. 

I used to "fake fall" all the time with my horses, wrap my arms around their neck and then flop off. I have bad shoulders now thanks to that... However, whenever I fell, my horses would more often than not "sigh" and stand patiently. 

I was very surprised, though, when my 4 year old jacked my leg up on the trail and left me where I couldn't walk or remount, heck I couldn't even crawl because she broke my knee AND my ankle. I didn't even bother holding onto her when she came down on me and I honestly didn't hold onto her after I attempted to remount and surrendered to the flat of my back waiting for the paramedics. She stayed with me, no hands on her, nothing. She hung her head over me a majority of the time, which was neat-ish. This is the same mare I felt would RUN back to the barn if I ever fell off.

Of course a very "smart" boarder claimed "She didn't know where the barn was" which was why she stayed with me. Was everything I could do not to snort at her for that comment.


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## Clava (Nov 9, 2010)

I am almost certain - although never tested it - that my haflingers will say "yay grass, let's eat!". My small pony after dumping his rider ran a short way off but then stopped to wait or us to catch him, my slightly larger pony made a bee line to gallop home, but was stopped by people shutting a gate, this pony also ran away from the yard down the road when he though he was being left entirely alone.

In my youth we were taught to hold on to the reins when you come off (a very dangerous thing to do) but almost impossible to stop once you have been taught it.


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## paintedpastures (Jun 21, 2011)

Roux said:


> I think it also depends on what caused the rider to fall in the first place as to if the horse will run home.
> 
> If you fell because your horse spooked at something really badly (like fight or flight bucking spook) they might be in panic mode completely forget about you and run home regardless of training. If you fell because you just lost your seat or something like that then the horse might just stand and look at you because they aren't freaked about it.
> 
> Either way ground tying is an excellent skill for a horse to have!


Agree think often the reason for the spill in first place has alot to do with whether your horse runs off, at least in my experience. If it is case where you lose balance find horse doesn't run off but looks at you "what ya doing down there":lol: If he truly spooks at something scary the flight instinct often takes over,they are often gone without second thoughts of you:-(. Been a long while since a horse ditched me,last was on a grouse flying up in front/under my horse she startled & she came out from under me. she ran off down to bottom of the small hill we were on & looked back at me with the what happened to you look:shock: waited for me to collect myself up & then come collect her:wink:


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## Cordillera Cowboy (Jun 6, 2014)

whisperbaby22 said:


> A fool and his horse are soon parted.


LOL! T'weren't my hoss...

So far I haven't been tossed on the trail. I do typically ride with a halter and long lead on the horse, or long split reins. I'm more likely to need the horse to stick around while I'm on the ground for some reason or another. Most of these are other folks horses that I'm only with for a short time.

Only horses I've had run for home was our old pony when I was a kid. The other was a cavalry horse who had just summersaulted over a fence with me. 

I really like Allison's training technique!


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## danny67 (Nov 27, 2012)

I had my Avatar Arab in my 20's who would do this...I WAS a fool for not training him to ground tie and he once ran home across a busy highway!

Fast forward a few years and after a little training and trust was built up, we both took a tumble in the snow and I broke my collar bone. He just stod there and allowed me to mount up with my broken wing and ride home.

As far as 'practice falling'. That might be great for kids, but now that middle age has set in...don't think I will be trying that. LOL


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

danny67 said:


> As far as 'practice falling'. That might be great for kids, but now that middle age has set in...don't think I will be trying that. LOL


On the contrary, "middle age" provides two of the best reasons to start practicing, if you haven't before. First, if you're suffering from the effects already, you need to practice in order to learn how to minimize the damage when you do fall. And second, if you do practice, you may find that you're nowhere near as close to the middle as you might have thought


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

One of my horses is scared to death of that long snake that's attached to his halter, but only when it's on the ground. I discovered this quite by accident. The other horses started running so he yanked the rope out of my hand. As soon as it hit the ground he stopped cold, frozen in place. I spoke with his previous owner and it was nothing she'd worked with or experienced. It's come in handy.


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## Hang on Fi (Sep 22, 2007)

Saddlebag said:


> One of my horses is scared to death of that long snake that's attached to his halter, but only when it's on the ground. I discovered this quite by accident. The other horses started running so he yanked the rope out of my hand. As soon as it hit the ground he stopped cold, frozen in place. I spoke with his previous owner and it was nothing she'd worked with or experienced. It's come in handy.


I could swear you were talking about Fiona... Good gosh, heaven forbid I drop that lead line on the ground! Except she runs, quickly :?


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