Steve Thompson - HorseHandler

Loading problem - unusual solution

2010-10-22T14:55:00.018+01:00

A while a ago I was asked to help Jane (name changed) with her horse Reiss and his loading issues with their lorry.

Initially Reiss was like many horses who reared, spun to the side of the ramp, backed away etc to avoid loading but after a short time he was placing his front feet on the ramp. A little while longer and he had his back feet on the ramp, I noticed at this point that he was stood on his tip toes with his hind feet and never having seen this before was a little concerned. Jane agreed to stop the session there and then and get him checked over by a physio.

The physio found that Reiss had probably taken a stumble and fall in his paddock which caused him to have pain/discomfort in his pelvic area, chest and back.

A few weeks later once he had the all clear, we started again and after a short period of time I asked Jane if she would be comfortable with taking over while I made suggestions from the side lines. Both Jane and Reiss worked away for a while and then I got the shock of my life - Reiss calmly reversed in!

It turned out that Jane had learned to back Reiss through or around things he wasn't comfortable with and over time he has learnt to trust her, so when he started to back in she didn't correct him. I have seen horses load in a variety of ways over the years but never backwards before.

After letting Reiss have a look around Jane unloaded him and then asked him to load again, thankfully Reiss chose to load in the normal manner and went up the ramp forwards. With a little bit of homework Jane has now reported that she has a good loader and that they are both exploring the big wide world that is out there.

So, keep an open mind and if your horse tries something allow him/her to follow it through, you never know he/she might just get it right even if it is in a round about way.

Sympathy and your horse or pony's behaviour

2010-06-15T13:24:00.006+01:00

I so often hear horrific stories about a horse and its past mistreatment and it's good that a new owner can tell me the history of a horse, as I need as much information as possible in order to devise a re-training programme. However, the most important information I inevitably get from the new owner is that because of the horses history, he/she has been treating the horse with extra kindness and sympathy.

This is very admirable BUT in most cases can inadvertently create behavioural issues.

Horses need EMPATHY far more than they need SYMPATHY.

Oxford Dictionary
Empathy = identifying yourself mentally with another person and understanding him or her.
Sympathy = a feeling of pity or tenderness towards someone who is hurt, sad or in trouble.

By understanding your horse and how he/she would behave within a herd we can help them overcome their past in a far better way than we can by going softly softly. In nature, softness equals weakness and your horse or pony will probably feel the need to take charge. As I'm sure we all know, when a horse or pony takes charge and behaves like our leader all sorts of issues arise (some quite painfully).

In human life isn't it much better to work for a boss who is confident, firm but fair with a smidgen of consideration? It's the same for your horse, watch a few herds and you'll see that NO herd leader is weak and watery. Some might bully their way to the top but the rest of the herd goes along with it begrudgingly, whereas a happy herd will be led by a horse that is confident, firm but fair.

Lets assume a horse has in the past had a beating with a broom (it happens). A sympathetic owner would 'make allowances' if the horse shied whenever he/she saw a broom. An empathetic owner would show understanding by carefully and gradually teaching the horse that a broom is no longer something to fear. Which approach do you think is better for the horse?

Gastric ulcers and horse behaviour

2010-04-15T15:12:00.005+01:00

Emma Hardy, PhD
Freedom Health LLC

I’ve been asked by Steve to contribute to his Blog, to talk a little about equine digestive problems and some of the issues we might just be missing in our horses.

I wonder how many of you have come across a sign or symptom of a digestive issue and missed it? It’s easily done, particularly when we frequently impart human characteristics on our horses such as being naughty, lazy or silly. Sometimes when we look a little harder at our horse’s behaviour it may be that the root cause may lie a little deeper in the functioning of their digestive system.

All of the following can be signs of a digestive imbalance – some obvious and some less so;

Poor Performance: lethargic, nervous, withdrawn, “poor doer”
Hard to Train: lacks focus or attention, objects, unresponsive, nervous, fizzy or hard to control
Stable Vices: cribbing, weaving, kicking, biting
Poor Condition: hard to maintain weight, lack of muscle development, rough
hair/coat
Poor appetite: diarrhoea, wind or bloating, poor food
absorption (in manure).
Clinical Signs: sub-clinical anaemia, low-grade or frequent colic, tying up.

As I am sure we all know the horse is a nomadic trickle feeder, designed to walk and graze for up to 19 hours a day on small but constant intake of structural carbohydrates (grass). This lifestyle (as long as there weren’t anything nearby which thought the horse could be a tasty dinner) was also relatively low stress. Now, how does this differ from modern feeding and lifestyle? We feed less structural carbohydrates (grass/hay), more non-structural carbohydrates (sugars and starches), stable them, intermittently feed them, travel, compete and train them. So even though all this has changed, there is one aspect within all of this which hasn’t changed; The Equine Digestive System.

One of the problems which affect a high percentage of horses is gastric ulceration. Did you know that up to 97% of racehorses are diagnosed with them, and even as many as one in ten leisure horses. Surprisingly, it’s recently come to light that 65-75% of brood mares kept at grass will have gastric ulcers too!

The predominant method for diagnosing gastric ulceration is by gastro scope. This involves visualising the stomach using a 3m long tube with a camera attached. However, for this to be effective the stomach must be empty and so necessitates a period of 12 hr fasting prior to scoping. It has been long known that an empty stomach contributes to the development of ulcers; however it was previously thought that this length of time would be safe. Recent research in the States has shown that this preconception is wrong, and worryingly changes to the stomach lining can actually start to occur in as little as 4 hrs of fasting, with the development of grade one ulcers occurring in less than 12 hrs.

Interestingly, the little known condition of hindgut ulceration is frequently missed or under-diagnosed, mainly due (until now) to a lack of diagnostic methods. When you consider that the hindgut makes up more than 65% of the total digestive tract, the effect on the horse when this isn’t working properly can be harmful, if not in some cases fatal. Now with a simple non-invasive test kit (administered by a vet) using a small amount of fresh manure it is possible to not only diagnose a digestive problem but to also identify the source of the problem whether it be foregut or hindgut.

You could be forgiven for thinking that gastric and hindgut ulceration is much of a muchness but this is not always the case. We know a lot of about gastric ulceration, it causes, treatments and prevention however when it comes to hindgut ulceration we are still learning. What we do know is that it occurs almost as frequently as gastric ulceration, and some treatments for gastric ulceration are not only useless in the hindgut but can actually induce or exacerbate hindgut ulceration!

Symptoms can also differ. For example, girthyness is all too frequently attributed to stomach problems but just by taking a look at the equine digestive anatomy, we can see that girthing would likely compress the large colon. This may then produce a dislike to girthing should there be existing discomfort in the hindgut.

Along with ulceration, colic, starch induced laminitis and other digestive problems, are often met with a cycle of diagnose and treat, and hopefully prevent. However, wouldn’t it be better for us and our horses if we can bypass these first two and just prevent?? In circumstances where conditions are not ideal for optimum health (which applies to the vast majority of horses) we need to support the horses digestive system in as natural a way as possible. This enables it to function normally which ultimately results in a happier, healthier horse.

To find out more about equine digestion please visit www.succeeddcp.com to find out more about the test kit please visit www.succeedfbt.com or contact me at ehardy@freedomhealthllc.com

Stable vices???

2010-04-07T15:20:00.000+01:00

I came across a so called 'horse whisperer' web site the other day which looked well laid out and professionally finished etc - BUT - I was very surprised to read the following passage:

"Any horse owner who has experienced the maddening scenario of a cribbing horse (a horse that chews and wind sucks on fences, borders, etc.) knows all too well how quickly this poor behavior can spread. If you are not careful about isolating a cribbing horse, or do not take steps to prevent the behavior, before you know it nearly the entire barn can break out in a cacophony of horse belches."

It worries me that many readers will believe the above statement to be true and unfortunately I've heard the same statement made on many yards I've visited. Usually it's said in a loud authoritative voice, by a rosy cheeked lady in her 50's wearing green or blue wellies with one of those quilted waist coats with a couple of badges pinned to it.

Vets are finding more and more these days that horses who perform these so called 'stable vices' also suffer from ulcers.

I strongly believe that horses do not copy habits from other horses. If they did surely we would all have super well behaved ones that loaded well, didn't kick the farrier (or us) that rode like a grand prix champion etc etc. We would stable our horse next to one who 'behaves' well and let it watch and learn without us having to do anything.

I believe the reason this myth has come about is down to the environment the horse is living under. I've been to a good number of yards (full livery and DIY) where I've been told that the owner has put a one hay net limit per horse per night. Obviously this is down to cost and wastage. Trouble is, a horses stomach is designed to trickle feed throughout the day for up to 22 hours. If a hay net is put up at 8pm probably by 11pm the hay net will be empty. So, the horse could be stood in a stable for 9 long hours with nothing to eat. During this time the stomach juices (acid) are still doing their bit, but because there is no food to break down it acts on the stomach lining instead, causing ulcers. By performing a so called 'stable vice' it is now believed to be the horses way of relieving the discomfort of these ulcers.

As with humans, some horses are more susceptible and will start to show signs earlier than others. So, on a yard of say 8 horses one of them starts to show signs of a 'stable vice', 2 weeks later another horse starts to show the same signs - WALLAH "copied behaviour". Wrong - as all the horses are under the same feeding regime it's far more likely that the second horse could cope slightly better but has now succumbed.

It would be much safer to put sufficient hay in so that there is some still left in the morning. If you're worried your horse will pile on the weight, change to small-holed hay nets. If you're already using small nets double the nets to make the horse works harder to get at the hay. It'll keep them busy and allow natural trickle feeding.

If you think your horse might have ulcers have a look at these links:

http://www.succeedfbt.com/

http://www.succeeddcp.com/

Are we Brits really that bad?

2009-11-07T22:02:00.005Z

In the evenings I like to sit and vegetate in front of the telly and I think I'm starting to see a pattern or I'm getting paranoid in my old age.

There seems to be a recurring theme in American TV shows and movie's these days, and it's spoiling my viewing I must say. I can now tell long before the plot gets under way just who the baddie is, purely by the fact that he talks with a British accent.

I'm sure that if the majority of British TV programs or movies always had the baddie as a Yank, Gorden Brown would be summoned to the Whitehouse fairly sharpish and told to put a stop to it.

It used to be Eastern Block accents that were the baddies but in the last few years it's us Brits. What have we done to deserve this?

When I rule the world

2009-10-10T13:54:00.004+01:00

When I rule the world there will be some changes I can tell you.

Criminals will get 'the 3 strikes and you're out' ruling upheld with a slight modification.

Strike one - A petty criminal will get a severe public telling off and branded so everyone knows to watch out for them. Major criminals will jump straight to 'Strike two' without passing go but they will receive a double brand.
Strike two - Candidates for Strike two will be sent immediately to a Siberian labour camp for a term dependant on the severity of their crime, with no parole, colour TV, compassionate visits or anything remotely pleasant what so ever.
Strike three - Any criminal who has spent any time serving a Strike two who once released then commits another crime will be sent straight back to Siberia for the rest of their life.

Any do-gooders who whine about the criminals human rights, civil liberties etc will be offered a position looking after the labour camps, if they decline the offer they will told to shut up. Failure to shut up will result in a Strike one.

As you can probably tell I've recently been a victim to crime, some snot nosed 14 year old who thought it would be fun to smash the windows of any car he happened to be passing, mine being one of them. He'll probably get a mild talking too if it's his first recorded offence or if he's already known by the police and social workers sent to Spain for 2 weeks rock climbing, canoeing, abseiling etc etc and having a whale of a time at the tax payers expense.

Sorry, I was starting to rant a bit there - back to ruling the world . . . . . .

Disease, pain and suffering will be eradicated (unless you're a criminal).

All animals will be treated with respect, kindness and compassion.

The 'haves' will educate the 'have nots' so that they can become 'haves'.

Any wars that are deemed required by politicians will be fought by the politicians themselves. (I'm fairly confident this rule will put a stop to all wars/conflicts)

Politicians will have to justify their wages, expenses, fact finding tours etc.

Pollution of any kind will be banned, thus ensuring our world for future generations.

Top quality education and health care will be available to everyone, free of charge.

Thats what I think anyway :)

A little horse knowledge is a dangerous thing!

2009-07-27T12:08:00.006+01:00

I thought I'd google 'horse behaviour' and have a look at whats 'in' and whats 'out' these days.

It is frightening the number of web sites, forums and books out there that do more harm than good. Many of them have a professional look about them that would, I imagine, inspire the reader to believe 'these people know what they are talking about'. I even found a few who had fancy letters after their name or used the prefix Dr, all of which implied learning, knowledge, understanding, experience and expertise in all things equine.

Out of curiosity I chose 6 'professionals' who used the prefix Dr. To be fair I chose three who's opinions I vaguely or strongly agreed with and the other three who's opinions I thought were from another planet.

After more hours than I care to admit researching I managed to track down the backgrounds of two of them (fortunately one of each opinion). Would you believe that one had a Doctorate in Philosophy and the other in Greek Mythology, nothing at all to do with horses and to top it all both awarded by a third world university. Agreed, they may have many years experience dealing with horses but then so do the vast majority of my clients.

Many of these so called professionals state things as fact when in reality we know so little about horses. We don't even know what colours a horse can see let alone their thought process and ability to reason.

I think the best advice I could give you is to question everything you read or are told about horses and to remember that horses are individuals (what works for one might not work for another). Whenever I read or hear something new to do with horses I try to do as much research as I can and to study both sides of the argument, only when I feel I fully understand might I try their suggestion.

If it 'feels' wrong then it probably is, if it 'feels' right then try it in stages. To me using a crop to get a horse to move forward 'feels' wrong, so I never use a crop. If you would never use a crop on a child to get a result why use one on a horse?

Horse Feed Ingredients - buyer beware!

2009-02-09T14:31:00.007Z

I called in to a local tack shop cum feed merchants today to get some shavings for TC and happened to over hear another customer talking about what to feed their fizzy horse. She was promptly directed to a 'calm & condition' feed bag, which she happily picked up, payed for and and went on her merry way.

Being the nosey type I thought I'd have a quick look at the ingredients for said product and was amazed to see it contained Wheat, Barley, Oats, Maize, Peas, Soya and Molasses in varying amounts. All of which are high in energy.

Once home I thought I'd do an Internet search and comparison for various feed stuffs. Oddly enough very few companies show the ingredients for their products, they all show the Nutrient Analysis which to me is gobbledy gook.

I did find one company which was brave enough to show their ingredients which I've copied and added here for you all to see. So, why not play 'spot the difference'.

COOL MIX
A complementary feedstuff for feeding to equines in conjunction with
forage at a rate of up to 10 kg per horse per day according to size
and work rate.
Oil 5.00% Protein 10.50% Fibre 13.50% Ash 8.50%
INGREDIENTS:
Oatfeed, Flaked barley, Wheatfeed, Grass meal, Molasses, Flaked maize,
Flaked peas, Rice bran, Sunflower ext, Hipro soya, Calcium Carbonate,
Soya oil, Salt, Vitamin mineral premix, Calcined magnesite,
Vegetable oil, Barley, Dicalcium phosphate, Sodium bicarbonate

INSTANT ENERGY MIX
A complementary feedstuff for feeding to equines in conjunction with
forage at a rate of up to 10 kg per horse per day according to size
and work rate.
Oil 4.00% Protein 12.00% Fibre 10.00% Ash 7.00%
INGREDIENTS;
Flaked barley, Oatfeed, Wheatfeed, Molasses, Flaked maize, Rolled oats
Flaked peas, Sunflower ext, Hipro soya, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium phosphate, Salt, Vegetable oil, Wheat, Vitamin mineral
premix

I'm sure you'll agree there isn't very much difference at all, which you would expect seeing as one is for instant energy and the other is meant to keep them 'cool'. I suppose my interpretation of 'cool' might be the problem, I view it as something that will NOT make your horse fizzy. Maybe the company views it as having a totally different meaning . . . . . . . sun glasses, trousers way to big and very baggy and saying "yo, be-atch". Then again to me that's not at all cool either, or is it just my age :)

Bad horse behaviour or Pain????

2009-02-08T22:02:00.004Z

More and more I'm being asked to deal with a horse's 'naughty behaviour' when in fact a good vet would be better qualified to help in the first stage.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - a horse is a horse - they do not think or behave like us humans. Generally they want a peaceful and easy life and will put up with our ways in order to get it. They don't wake up one day and think . . . .
'I think I'll start to buck just to see if she's a good rider'.

So when a horse or pony "suddenly starts to rear/buck/kick/bite/spook/barge for no reason", please take a little time and try to work out why. Nine times out ten you will probably find it is pain related. It could be his teeth, tack, shoes, diet, any number of muscles, ligaments, tendons, infections etc etc. They have no other way of communicating to us other than by being out of character.

If we think of any and all the ailments we humans can get - why can't a horse get the same. If we trip over something don't we pull a muscle or bruise or slip a disc or fracture a bone or strain a tendon? Sometimes it takes days or weeks for us to be effected by an accident and it's the same for them.

If a horse suddenly starts to demonstrate unwanted behaviour there is probably a very good reason for it. It is in our duty of care to eliminate pain or discomfort long before we consider rectifying behaviour.

Remember - bad behaviour in a horse is a symptom.

How do you lead your horse?

2009-01-27T14:29:00.006Z

How you lead your horse determines how your horse views your place in it's herd.

A very large British equine organisation teaches handlers to lead at the horses shoulder which immediately puts the handler in a subordinate position and increases the risk of injury.

When ever you see a mare running with a foal the foal is always at the mares shoulder, this gives the foal protection and allows it to follow the mare's changes in direction. By placing yourself in this position you are putting your horse in charge and many horses find this uncomfortable. If you are unable to see over the horses withers/neck how are you able to anticipate any difficulties that might arise from the blind side? If your horse takes a spook he/she will probably jump into you in an attempt to get away from the 'grab me gotcha' that has just leapt out of the hedge. When leading at the shoulder how do you perform a right turn at a junction? Usually, and I've seen it done so many times, the handler will turn the horse in a circle to the left and as they come out of the circle lead the horse forward.

Another large 'Natural Horsemanship' organisation based in America teaches it's students to lead with the horse following behind. Again this puts the handler in a subordinate position and increases the rick of injury.

We all know that the alfa mare leads from the front and the stallion pushes from behind in a herd. By placing yourself in front of the horse you are allowing the horse to drive you forward. When the inevitable 'grab me gotcha' leaps out at the horse from behind you are likely to be trampled in the rush to get away.

It is far better to lead with the horse's head at your shoulder. Your position is that of an equal to the horse. You have good clear all round vision so nothing unexpected can happen. If the horse does spook into you all that is likely to happen is his/her head will knock into you. When you come to a junction and wish to turn right all you need do is take a slightly larger step and walk towards the horses head, he/she will move their head away and the body will follow.

By keeping your hand away from the horses head you are not creating an 'in-to pressure' scenario where the horse moves forward at a quickened pace. The only time my hand goes near the horse is to indicate a signal which might be slow down, speed up, move away, come closer, get ready to stop and stop. Once the signal has been given my hand returns to it's original relaxed state.

Static build up in horse rugs?

2008-12-03T10:59:00.004Z

I recently had a very interesting telephone conversation with an owner and thought I should share it with you all. I asked the owner to post her story on my forum and here is the slightly edited version.

I hope you guys will find my story interesting - and maybe along the way it will help some other distressed horse owners !!

My 8 yr old mare lives out 24/7 all summer and is stabled at night during the winter between the months of October and April. When my mare comes in for the winter her behaviour becomes bizarre, irratic, unexplainable and inconsistent.
The main issue was always that when turned out for the first few weeks she would graze but at points during the day she would simply bolt from one end of the field to the other with no regard for her safety she would even run at gates and "forget" to stop. She lost all her herd instincts. Worried and having many sleepless nights I had her blood tested as it was suggested to me that she may have a hormonal imbalance, two weeks later still waiting for test results (her blood has been sent to the States!!). After these first few weeks of being a looney in the field she would lose all her basic instincts ie. leave the rest of the herd, not roll, but more importantly not eat, she would simply stand by the gate and refuse to move or eat. My attempts to lead her away from the gate ended in disaster (ie. running blindly back towards it) I tried to tempt her with food (my horse is food obsessed) she wouldn't leave the "security" of the gate.
My horse was only interested in my company and being safely tucked up in her stable 24/7. This is NOT normal.
I spoke with Steve Thompson who suggested that if it wasn't hormonal it was possibly food related so we agreed to gradually switch her from haylage to hay for a week or so and see if it made any difference.*
On Saturday it was too icy to ride her so I took her for a walk with her fleece rug on - on the way back it seemed to be rubbing a bit so I took it off and she walked home "naked". When I got back to the yard it was a little too early for stabling her for the night so I put her in the field "naked" just for a few minutes whilst i put the other horses beds down. When I went back to get her she had "disappeared". After everything I had been through I thought she had been abducted by aliens!!!! but NO she was grazing away from the gate.
The following morning - the coldest of the year so far she was turned out with rug - stood at gate. Rug off - Bye Bye horse she trotted off to join her friends and eat.
It was suggested to me that she may be getting too much static from her rug - which was interesting. I have 3 rugs 1 Amigo Turnout rug - which is Nylon lined and 2 Weatherbeta Rugs 1 Nylon lined and the other cotton lined. She is NOT happy in the Nylon lined rugs she is a little happier in the cotton lined one but seems to prefer to be rugless (even in the worst weather conditions). For a TB X this is bizarre, you would expect her to be shivering and a miserable wreck but I have to say she is a different horse without her rug. The RSPCA may come knocking but my horse, for the first time in weeks is a VERY HAPPY HORSE, so I am a VERY HAPPY HORSE OWNER.
So if any of you guys out there have a similar problem - bite the bullet, take off the rug and see what happens.

Once this was pointed out to me it seemed so obvious, after all there are so many people out there who can't wear certain materials because it makes them ill, builds up too much static or brings them out in a rash, so why can't it do the same for horses. I will certainly be adding this to my list of possible reasons for unusual behaviour in the future.

* I reasoned that as no previous owners had fed the horse haylage and reported no unusual behaviour that there might just be a link.

Horse cruelty - Why???

2008-10-16T10:13:00.014+01:00

I had the privilege of meeting Mick not that long ago to help him with manners and spookyness. Mick is a 15.2HH TB gelding aged 9 who has had a pretty rough time in periods of his life.

He had been passed from pillar to post on numerous occasions and on one of these occasions 'miss-behaved' for his owner who decided that the best course of action was to smash him in the face with a shovel or spade.
You can clearly see the damage that this mindless idiot caused and I can only imagine the suffering that Mick experienced.

Mick needed a number of operations to reconstruct his skull, have a dislodged molar tooth removed and also at one point a tracheostomy.

I hope and pray that the person who caused this was made to pay all the vets bills in full and then locked up in prison where the other Bigger Bully Boys could treat him in a similar fashion.

For all the unpleasant experiences that Mick has under gone at the hands of humans he has proved himself to be a far bigger man than most humans I have met. He has such a forgiving nature that he allowed me to introduce him to spookables and scarries without prejudice. At one point I was waving a stick around and touching him all over with it. Had he not been so forgiving I doubt I would have got within 10 metres of him with that stick.

I thank Micks owner 'L' for allowing me to meet him and I am sure Mick has a full and happy life ahead of him. Mostly I thank Mick for allowing me the privilege of spending time with him.

Pressure and release in horses

2008-10-07T10:51:00.006+01:00

Whether you like it or not, whenever you are with your horse you are applying pressure.

Here I use the term 'pressure' to mean getting our horse to either do, think or feel something that if left alone they would not experience unless it be from another horse.

This can be Physical Pressure - leg on, contact in reins, whip/crop, leading, asking him/her to move over in the stable, asking for a hoof/leg, grooming, loading, washing, in fact anything where you or a piece of equipment comes into contact with your horse.

It can also be Spacial Pressure - looking directly into the horses eyes, lunge whip (if used correctly), approaching, *going 'fluffy feathers'* (see below), threatening with whip (as used in horse racing), in fact anything where you or a piece of equipment does NOT come into contact with your horse.

Or it can be Emotional Pressure - isolation, separation, hunger, both negative and positive transference of emotion (whereby the horse picks up on their handlers emotions and reacts to them).

All of the above effects our relationships with our horses and their well being weather we mean to or not. What we do have control over, is the amount of pressure we use and the release of that pressure in our training of the horse.

Firstly be aware of your own emotional state, if it is contrary to what you are trying to achieve - change it.

When using both Spacial and Physical Pressure to achieve an aim start off softly and build up slowly if need be, after all, if you start off with a lot of pressure you don't have much further to go before you're stuck and many people then resort to violence. All violence teaches a horse is that his/her fear and anxiety are justifiable in a similar situation.

When you ask your horse to do something it is far better to release the pressure as soon as the horse starts to respond than to keep asking until the horse fully completes the given task. We have all seen horses that are dead to the leg or the owner is constantly having to use a stronger bit.

* I'm sure you've all seen chickens squaring off to each other with their feathers puffed out and standing tall to make themselves look bigger and more intimidating. When a horse is showing me aggression and I want them to know I'd rather they didn't I go 'fluffy feathers' whereby I approach square on, eyes on eyes and waving arms about.*

Misconceptions - Signals in Join Up

2008-09-18T11:02:00.007+01:00

Misconception - "My horse doesn't show all four signals no matter how much I send him away"

In my experience many horses will initially only show 1 or 2 of the signals, usually the 'ear locked on' and 'making the circles smaller'. A few will 'lick and chew' and some of these are barely noticeable, and very few will 'bounce their head'. While practicing your technique it is always a good idea to have an observer outside the pen, more often than not the observer will notice details you have missed and can advise accordingly, also they can point out if your timing is appropriate.

Although Monty Roberts can so easily demonstrate all four signals with a horse, please remember he has had years of practice and experience.

It is far more important to achieve a reasonable 'Join Up' with a relaxed horse than it is to constantly push for all four signals.

'Join up' is based on watching how horses communicate with each other on a daily basis, one of which is eyes on eyes and body square, meaning go away. When humans communicate with each other it is considered impolite not to face the other person and look them directly in the eye, unfortunately we carry this rule over to our horses. Over the years many horses will become deadened to our ways and then when we attempt to communicate to them in their own language we become frustrated that they don't seem to be listening or 'communicating' to us.

Please remember in all cases a horse acts and behaves just like a horse for a reason. Horses do not have a sense of humour as we do, contrary to the often heard comment "give him a good crack with the whip, he's taking the mickey out of you". They kick, buck and bite for a reason and it is our job to get to the cause of that reason, sometimes the answer is that we have inadvertantly taught our horse to react in that way. However, more often than not our horse is telling us that he is in pain or dicomfort.

Listen to your Horse

2008-09-11T09:54:00.005+01:00

As a species we humans are so good at talking, but how often do we really listen to each other let alone our horses. We all know someone who has said "my partner never listens to me" or "so and so doesn't understand me".

You would not believe how many times I've heard the phrase "my horse ??????? for no reason at all". When ever I hear this I have to stop my self from laughing out loud or rolling my eyes, neither of which are good for business.

Horses are 're-actionary', they react to events around them, generally by running away (spooking), fighting us (kicking, biting etc) or in our eyes misbehaving (bucking, spinning etc), they don't process a thought with all it's variables and consequences as we humans can.

If a horse spooks it's because it's instincts have kicked in and gone into survival mode. If a horse fights (as described above) it is generally either in pain or discomfort and gone into survival mode. If a horse 'misbehaves' (as described above) it is again generally in pain or discomfort and gone into survival mode.

If a horse spooks he/she is saying to you in the only way they can "I'm not a hundred percent confident in your ability to see me through this situation".

If a horse fights you he/she is saying to you in the only way they can "that is uncomfortable or painful please stop it now". Be aware that horses often react to 'remembered' pain or discomfort. The cause of pain or discomfort might have been taken away but the horse has now learned to expect pain or discomfort in a similar situation.

If a horse misbehaves he/she is saying to you in the only way they can "now look, I've been telling you for weeks I'm not happy about ????? and you haven't listened, maybe you'll listen to me now".

I cringe whenever I see a horse tacked up and fitted with a flash or restrictive gadget because I know at some point in the future there is going to be an issue. If I ask the owner/rider why the flash I'm usually told their mouth is open, or tongue over the bit etc. More often than not I get a blank look when I ask why their horse is doing that. If a horse has his/her mouth open they are saying "I'm uncomfortable in some way", by fitting a flash or gadget of some sort all this does is take that line of communication away from the horse and he/she will need to find another way of expressing themselves, usually by napping. A better course of action would be to eliminate the cause rather than the symptom.

As horse owners we have taken on the responsibility for their welfare and well being, we should learn to listen when they speak to us and not wait for them to shout.

Misconceptions - Join up

2008-09-09T10:18:00.009+01:00

Misconception - “Oh ‘Join Up’ - that’s that thing where you chase a horse around a round pen until it’s exhausted and gives up isn’t it?”

Within this post I am only talking about 'Join Up' as practiced and taught by Monty Roberts and Kelly Marks. I am well aware of the numerous derivatives i.e the Parelli 'catching game', Pony Boy and others, but do not feel inclined to comment on these at this point.

Anyone who knows what they are doing and what signals to look for in a ‘Join Up’ will ask the horse to trot for about 15 laps in a 16 metre (50 foot diameter) round pen unrestricted. This gives us a circumference of approx 50 mtr. As the horse will keep its self away from the wall/fence by about a metre we can say he/she will actually trot a 44 mtr track. 44 mtr multiplied by 15 laps = 660 mtrs. Here the horse is not encumbered by the weight of a rider and tack.

Now lets take a look at a standard schooling arena 20 x 40mtrs. Again if we subtract a metre for keeping off the fence and cutting corners this gives us an actual 18 x 38 mtr track. 18+18+36+36 = 112mtrs. Here the horse has the added weight of a rider and tack.

So, in only 6 laps of the arena the horse has covered the same 672mtrs, I have yet to see a single rider do only 6 laps during a schooling session. Generally the horse is lunged for 10 mins “to get the beans out of him” and then ridden for half an hour covering walk, trot and canter. In that time the horse may have covered 20 laps = 2,160mtrs, in comparison to the 660mtrs asked in a ‘Join Up’.

Having done the maths, it seems far more likely that a horse which is being traditionally schooled is more likely to be “exhausted and give up” than a horse asked to do ‘Join Up’.

BHS - Stuck in the dark ages

2008-09-08T12:20:00.004+01:00

I once visited a yard to help someone with a horse who lacked manners, individually a lovely person and a fabulous horse, together a nightmare. As usual during the session I explained things from the horse’s point of view while showing the owner how to lead and progressing through various issues they were having.

At the end of the session I gratefully accepted the offer of a cup of tea and during our conversation I could see that the owner was gradually getting more and more bitter and angry. Thinking I had somehow inadvertently offended her, I apologised and made ready to leave. For the next 5 minutes I received an embarrassing string of compliments, including what a breath of fresh air my methods were and her amazement that within such a short space of time she felt capable of having a relationship with her horse rather than a fight etc etc.

It turned out that once our session with her horse had finished and the owner had had time to relax, she began to resent the wasted years and expense of hiring various highly qualified BHS instructors who taught her from the human point of view and never the horses. She had believed from the outset that such a large organisation would do the right thing for both parties, horse and human, so she had never thought to question anything. Basic things had never been explained to her such as to why she was taught to lead from the horses shoulder or mount on the near side and numerous other things.

In the days of knights in shining armour (the dark ages) it was unacceptable to be left handed so they all wore their swords on their left side ready to be drawn with their right hand. Having the sword on the left side of their body meant they could only mount from the horses near side. Time progressed and Knights became cavalry with the same fixed ideas. Military horses were kept in lines and the army likes its soldiers to look the same and behave in the same manner so everyone led and mounted from the near side, held their reins in the same way etc.

Owning a horse for pleasure only became popular in the Victorian era and it was cavalry officers who taught the public, knowing no alternatives they used the methods taught to them. To this day novices are still being taught using these methods. If the reason for this is a “if it aint broke don’t fix it” mentality and we all lived by that rule we would still believe that the earth was flat, that women can’t do physical work etc etc. During their time these were common beliefs and they worked fine but have since been proven to be far from accurate.

Believe me, it is harder to un-teach than it is to teach. The novices of today are going to be tomorrows instructors, competitors, happy hackers and parents. If we can teach them now to lead correctly from both sides and to mount from both sides, and to think things through from a horse’s point of view it would be a great start. They will have a much better relationship with their equine partner and the horses will certainly be a lot more comfortable.

Instinctive horse behaviour

2008-09-06T11:14:00.010+01:00

I'm sure many of you will be able to relate to this. You are in the stable happily grooming your horse when he/she inadvertently steps on your foot. Instinctively you place your hands on their shoulder and attempt to push them off your now throbbing foot, only to find that your horse is now adding even more weight on to your dainty tootsies.
Believe it or not but there is a very good reason for this and no, it's not out of vindictiveness on your horses part I can assure you, your horse is merely acting on instinct by moving into the pressure of your pushing hands.
Horses have learnt to move 'into' pressure over the 55 million years they have roamed the earth in order to survive, and it is only through regular training that we can get them to respond to leg aids etc. This instinctive response to move 'into' the pressure came when a horse was attacked by a predator. If say a wolf grabbed a horse by the belly and the horse ran off it's belly would rip open and the horse would die. Horses soon learned that if they step 'into' the pressure of the bite the wolf would think "ooop's, I could get stepped on and end up with a broken leg and then I might die", the wolf would let go and the horse could then run away to live another day.
If ever you get a chance to handle a foal, place your hand on it's shoulder and you will see that the foal instinctively pushes back into your hand.
Now take a moment and think about your own instincts and how hard it is to counteract an instinctive response, and remember, we humans have only been around for approximately 60,000 years compared to the horses 55 million years.

Be aware also that pressure is not only physical it is also spacial. I have seen so many handlers taught to lead a horse with their hand on the lead rope clip and struggle because the horse is too forward going, why, because the fact that their arm is extended out to the horses head and the horse see this as pressure and so moves forward 'into' it. Horses lead so much better if the handler keeps his/her hand close to their own body rather than the horses.

Carrots and Horse Behaviour

2008-09-03T22:09:00.001+01:00

Over the years I have advised many clients who feed their horse carrots to try an experiment and stop feeding carrots for a week to see if there was any change in their behaviour.

On average 9 out of 10 horse owners would report back that they had indeed noted a change in their horse. Sometimes it would be a small change and with others it would show a definite improvement in their behaviour. An experience from a few years back highlights the above.

An owner came to see me saying his horse would nap dangerously if they ever hacked a route they had done before; he couldn’t even hack out of the yard. He would have to transport the horse to a totally new destination in order to ride. I was fully booked for the next two weeks and made an arrangement for a visit sometime after. During our conversation I asked what he was feeding the horse and he mentioned carrots to which I suggested he cut out the carrots for a week. I made no other recommendation as I felt I would need to witness the horse’s behaviour. Four days later I received I phone call cancelling our appointment as he could now hack out of the yard.

So, if you have a problem horse or he/she shows a certain behaviour pattern, try cutting out the carrots. It’s free, does no harm and you never know - it could well make a difference to you and your horse.

Memory Ride 2009

2008-09-03T22:01:00.000+01:00

A couple of months ago I received a phone call from Sam telling me of her plans to do a charity ride from Edinburgh in Scotland, to Swansea in Wales in aid of the Alzheimer’s Society. Sam gave me all the background information and then hit me with the big one . . . would I donate my time and experience to prepare her and her horse for a three week ride encountering who knows what problems on the way?
Sam’s enthusiasm drew me in and before I knew it I’d said yes. We made plans for me to visit and that was that, deal done. Over the next few days, I have to admit I was wondering what I was letting myself for. Well, the day arrived and I met Sam and her friend Laura who was going to accompany Sam on the ride with another horse. With my mind put at rest that it was only the one horse I would be working* with, we set off to make introductions to Naz the horse.
*(Point of note)
In future rather than saying ‘work’ with horses I will use the term ‘play’ with horses. I much prefer the word play; it immediately implies fun, freedom and an opportunity to learn. In contrast I feel the word ‘work’ implies tediousness, repetition and the feeling of it being a chore, and lets face it horses are far from any of those.
Naz, I had been told was not too happy about clippers, cows, and plastic bags. I decided we would play with the plastic bags and clippers and Sam could do some research with Naz as to whether it was the sight, sound, smell of cows or all three which worried him. I suggested she collect a cow pat and allow Naz to smell it and observe his reaction at a later date.
I started with some basic leading exercises as an opportunity for Naz and I to get to know each other and to form our relationship right from get go. Then it was onto the dreaded plastic bags, using that great Horse Whisperer Monty Roberts system of advance and retreat Naz’s behaviour quickly changed and he accepted a number of bags being rubbed all over him.
If a horse is known to be worried by clippers then it is unwise to start a training session using mains powered equipment. A rechargeable electric toothbrush is the best thing I’ve found so far to change a horse’s behaviour because It can be switched off instantly and dropped if need be, without too much expense.
Again using advance and retreat it wasn’t long before I could hold the switched on toothbrush against Naz’s body, he wasn’t best pleased but he was being very brave and accepting it. Naz had now accepted two scary items and rather than push his training too far we called it quits for the day. I left Sam with a list of continuation homework and a big smile on her face.
Updates on Sam and Naz’s progress to follow.

BHS Instructor - “Take up the contact!”

2008-09-03T21:59:00.001+01:00

Some time ago I had the privilege of being invited to watch a friend of mine who was a ‘qualified’ Riding Instructor give a lesson to a beginner. The rider arrived suitably attired, carrying the obligatory crop and leading her precious little pony. The rider looked excited and eager to learn, that is until things started to go wrong.
The Instructor told the rider to “take up the contact and squeeze with your legs to get him to move off”. After a number of attempts to get the pony to move off the Instructor then said “take up some more contact and squeeze harder, if he doesn’t move off give him a smack with your crop”. At this point I was starting to feel very uncomfortable and thinking of making excuses to go, the pony however was obviously feeling even more uncomfortable.
He started to move backwards, sideways, spin around in fact everything he could think of except go forward. Needless to say the lesson was a disaster with all three participants feeling very frustrated.
When the rider was out of earshot I suggested to the Riding Instructor that maybe the pony was a tad confused and was trying to do his best with the contradictory signals being given to him, to which I received a blank but brooding glare. I pointed out that ‘maybe’ the pony thought . . . . . . . pulling back on the metal in my mouth means slow down or stop BUT squeezing legs means go forward or speed up so my human must want me to do something different, ok I’ll try backing up etc. At this point I was told “what do you know anyway, have you done all the exams I’ve done to become a QUALIFIED RIDING INSTRUCTOR, I DON’T THINK SO”. I was then left with an image of my friend’s back as she stomped off muttering something under her breath. Unfortunately she has chosen to have no further contact with me since.
Why is it that there are so many people in the horsey world who wear blinkers? Why are so many of them fixed and rigid in their beliefs and ideas? If the rider had been told to give the pony the reins and not use them as a balancing aid and then squeeze with legs surely the pony would have known that it was ok to move forward?
Until people learn to think about their actions, question what they have been taught and try to think things through from a horse’s point of view I’ll certainly never be out of a job!