Our horses go out to pasture every night and often we have to walk out to the far end of the pasture (up to a half mile away) to bring them in for working. Any suggestion how to train horses to come when called so we can avoid the hike?
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8 years ago
Our horses go out to pasture every night and often we have to walk out to the far end of the pasture (up to a half mile away) to bring them in for working. Any suggestion how to train horses to come when called so we can avoid the hike?
I never have to call my horses in , they wait at the gate about half an hour before sunrise. They know that when they come in they'll get their grain ration and , in winter, hay.
Same holds true in the evening, about half an hour before sunset they wait at the gate.
Horses are animals of habit and can get trained to show up at any time as long as it is consistent.
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
If they aren't grain fed call them up for small amounts of grain daily. If they are a flake of alfalfa will bring them up usually too. And if that don't work and your around enough to do it 3-4 times a day take their water and only water when you call them up. It only takes a little bit for them to catch on. I call mine up daily, sometimes they get a grain and sometimes alfalfa and sometimes they get worked. But every time I call them they don't get nothing till their standing by there hook tied up and caught. I tie them so they don't get wise to only coming when theres treats and run when there's a halter and rope if they makes since so long story short tie them no matter what the case is that particular time, soon enough you'll be pushing them away when they here you
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
do they water in the corral or in the pasture?
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
I started by placing a small amount to sweet feed close to them when they were out in the pasture and loudly calling their names.
Eventually, by curiosity, they wandered over, and ate their reward as I called out ocassionally.
I kept increasing the distance between the horses and feed, and used the same call, until they would come to chow down whenever they heard me. Finally ended the training at the barn. As long as this is the only place they are grained, they are ready to come, and Lord help anyone who gets in their way when they hear the "call".
Took about 2-3 weeks (mostly my fault).
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
My guys are the same as Klaus. They are there in the morning and the evening, & if they see someone outside. They know that if they come up there is more than likely going to be feed, a treat, or at least a pet coming their way.
If I happen to get outside and they don't see me, all I do is whinnie and they come running.
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
Same as many of the other posts, a reward when they are standing at the gate. I feed at the home corral and I taught mine to come at a whistle, and don't stand in their way when they hear it. Occasionally I have to go about a hundred yards to a rise so they can here me if they are in the woods, but they come busting as soon as they hear the whistle. I also always lead them the same way with three abreast and they learned to stand in the positions that they are lead in. I won't hook them up till they stand in their places, been doing it so long not sure how long it took them to learn. Had two horses and a mule , now down to one horse and mule but they still stand in their regular positions as when there were three. Allan
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
I put my mules in the barn every morning whether I plan to work them or not. They are grained according to the days planned work, but they get some grain every morning when the come in. They get fed again in the evening depending on the day they've had, and then are turned out to pasture at night. I have a set of old sleigh bells handing on my back door knob and if they aren't there when the door opens, they holler at me and come running as soon as they hear those bells when the door opens in the morning.
8 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum