Why risk it?
There was an article in TB Times about farms in KY using this method (note, on weanlings and yearlings) and a farm that kept donkeys to rent out just for this reason.
Recently, there were two very high dollar Quarter Horse yearlings admitted to the Marion duPont Equine Medical Center with broken necks. Both had been sent to Kentucky to be trained to lead by this method. Once was euthanized and the other’s neck made awful cracking sounds every time it turned it’s head. The surviving one was treated in hopes that she would could be retained as a broodmare, despite the injury. I don’t think money is an option for the owner, but they sure could have saved a life and a few dollars by hiring somene to handle the horses from birth.
Why would someone still believe this is an acceptable way to train a horse to lead? In my opinion, it’s the lazy man’s way to train a horse that hasn’t been started properly from the begining. I’m sure this method has worked well for many people out there with no lasting harm done, but there’s no way I’d risk the injury or life of my horse in this manner!
As for training cattle to lead this way, I do believe the flight instinct is a little less prominant (cattle are less panicky than horses) and their neck conformation much shorter and stouter. It is an acceptable way where I grew up to teach show cattle to lead, but again, I’d never teach my horse using the same method!
I think the first time I saw it was when he used it on a mustang he had gotten who was virtually wild. I don’t know where that mustang came from, but he was WILD!
Having adopted 2 mustangs a number of years ago, yes they ARE wild! Both were yearlings and took a lot of handling before being taught to lead obediently. I’m by no means a horse whisperer and I’m not a Parelli fan, but we trained them without harsh “cowboy” ways and they turned out nicely with no physical harm done. It just took more time and patience to gain their trust.
