Ross' Soap Box

29 March '10

Yesterday Michele and I took an extra day off and spent almost 6 hours at Farm World. It's an annual farm field day over 4 days and it attracts the largest number of vendors in the agricultural business in Victoria. We had a really good day and could have spent 10s of thousands of dollars if we had it to spend - including a new stock trailer for floating the horses.

Riding Green Horses

Over the years it has become apparent the difference between riding a green broke horse and an established trained horse. A significant proportion of clients over many years have been people who like the idea of having a young horse to work. Either because they could only afford a young unbroken horse or because they didn't want to inherit training problems from previous owners or because they had a nice mare they they felt would be good to breed from.

I find many of them have been riding a long time and have considerable experience around horse. They often have been serious riders and even competitors with many years of riding behind them. But only a handful seem to have a lot of experience with green broke horses. Some people don't appreciate there is a big difference between riding a young inexperienced horse and riding an "old hand."

One of the biggest difficulties we see when people first come to ride their horse when it is being broken in by us, is in getting their horse to go forward. I think partly, this is because the horse's only experience with a rider is either Michele or I. The feel their owner offers them when asking for forward is almost always very different from the feel we offer. This inevitably leads to some initial confusion for the horse and can result in a lack of forward. This usually happens for the first ride or two and doesn't seem to last long. But it is an indication of the other bigger issue for people with green horses.

When a horse is broken in he is still learning the ropes. Nothing is concrete in him and he has a long way to go before all the things he needs to know is established in him. It is the job of the rider to build on making those things a way of life for the horse and to impress on him with absolute clarity the foundations that he needs for the rest of his life. But people who have very little experience with anything but older trained horses seem to struggle to be able to adapt to helping the young horse. They have ridden many years on horses that are fairly predictable about their responses and when they push button A they expect the horse will give response A. If they don't get response A they either do it stronger or give up and call in a trainer.

People do what they know. If they have only ridden older horses, then the only thing they know is how to ride that older horse. They find it difficult to riding differently. But a green horse needs to the rider to fill in what the horse doesn't understand and to make life clear. He doesn't know - especially if the owner is not the same person who broke him in.

Let's look at an example of what I mean. A horse is just broken in and the owner finds the horse struggles to take the right canter lead when they take him home. Some riders might think they have to work at training the horse to take the right lead. They might insist on him yielding to the rider's outside leg. But there is a good chance that this could end up in a fight between the two of them. But somebody with a lot of experience with green horses may be aware that the problem is not an inability to take the right lead, but a crookedness caused by tension when the rider asks for a canter. In this case, lots of soft bends and lots of canter transitions from a soft forward trot - without using canter aids - might be the solution for a time. Let the horse fall into the canter from a soft trot rather than use the canter aids to demand a canter without hesitation. When this becomes smooth and relaxed the horse might offer the right lead on a right curve all by himself. Then a person can start introducing the canter aids and the horse will find the right or left lead as asked. This is just an example and probably doesn't relate to any specific case any of you might find yourselves, but it does illustrate my general point about adjusting your riding and training the suit a green horse rather than riding the way you always ride.

I think this point seems self evident when you explain it to people, but somehow it is not so self evident when you learn to ride. I have read many books on riding and training and even the great classics and modern masters still describe riding a young horse in the same way you might ride a finished horse. This has never made sense to me and it is easy to see why people don't give a lot of thought to riding green horses differently to older horse - if that's what the masters are teaching.

The only way to be a good rider on a green horse is to ride lots of them. Experience will soon teach you. But it helps to approach a young horse with an attitude that you are there to help explain things to the horse in the clearest terms possible and that any discontent is the result of either confusion or a lack of focus. Riding a young horse with the attitude that "he has done this and therefore should know it and he had better get his act together" is only going to cause conflict. If you view trouble in a young horse as a cry for help rather than as a challenge to your leadership you'll be on the right track.

Here are two owners having their first rides on their breakers. Both worked hard to feel of their horses and did a great job. I don't expect either of them will have too many problems with their horses at home.

Sarah and Cotton

Hi Ross,

Just wanted to thank you and Michelle for the wonderful lesson on Saturday. Turns out there was a lot more going on with Cotton than I realised. I had thought that him behaving so 'quietly' lately was a good thing, but now its pretty clear that he had just shut down. Quiet aint always good hey. Which also explains why he has become increasingly difficult to get moving, and I have had to use more leg than I ever used to when riding. Never realised he was so worried about going forward. Didnt think he was as worried as you guys pointed out actually! I've always known he is insecure and can get worried, but didnt realise he was so worried about almost everything! Luckily for me he is so tollerant. I feel rather guilty that I have probably been putting Cotton under far too much pressure with riding club etc and everything I want to do, without addressing his needs/education properly first, but I guess I can at least start fixing things from now on. Anyway, this weekend I will be getting out there with him to play around with the things you guys taught me Saturday. Will see how we go.

Please do pass on my thanks to Michelle too, she was great, and you guys make a brilliant team. Hope you didnt think I was too hopeless hehe, but I have a bad habit of getting self concious in front of new people, particularly in a learning situation. Takes a little while for things to sink in with me too, I dont tend to pick up things instantly, but go away to digest the info and figure things out on my own. So hopefully next lesson I can show you some improvement in both of us. I only wish I had the ability to study with you guys full time, and absorb all your knowledge quicker! Its inspiring when I can see the instant impact you guys have on a horse. There is just so much to learn and achieve with my horses, yet only seeing them weekends makes for slow progress! Shame one has to work to pay for it all :p

Will no doubt be in contact again with questions - Im sure I will end up with plenty once I get working with Cotton. So exciting though to think what might be possible for Cotton and I now that we have some decent help! He may not be anything particularly fancy or talented, just a bush horse, but he has a heart of gold, and is a saint for putting up with me :)

Sarah

Thanks so much for your very generous praise of what we do. I'm glad you enjoyed the lesson and learned something new about your horse. As we said on the day, Cotton is a super horse with so much try. It's fun to work with horses like that. I hope we can continue to help you and inspire you to even more rewarding relationship with your horses. We look forward to seeing you in April and feel free to write with any questions that come to mind.

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25 March '10

Foals Behaving Badly

It seems to be the season for troubled foals. In the last week we have been asked by 3 different people about their troubled foals. It has been the same story with all three foals. People are reporting the foals charging them in the paddock or biting and kicking at them. I think some people understand that their foals are being defensive when they behave like that. But people are intimidated by such aggressive behaviour and don't know what to do. Part of the problem seems to stem from not wanting to be too assertive to a little baby horse and the other part is not being sure how much to do without over handling a young horse.

I think over handling can only come from poor handling. I can't recall ever seeing a foal that was handled well where I thought the owner had done too much. There is nothing wrong with teaching a newborn to be caught, lead, pick up its feet, load onto a float, tie up, walk over poles and tarps, ponied from another horse, accept being hosed etc. The damage only comes when these things are done in a way that instills a worry in the foal.

The other part about being firm with a foal is understandable. But in allowing a foal to walk all over you, nip at you, invade your space, threaten you at feed time etc, you are setting your horse up for a life of being beaten up when it grows up. It is easy to instill in a foal that treating people like they were play things and low in the pecking order is a way of life. Behaviour that may have started out as the foal being worried and defensive can become habitual long after the worry has gone. Now you have a 400kg monster who doesn't believe there is any other way to behave with people. You wouldn't tolerate it in a grown horse, so don't allow it to develop in a foal either. Don't let this happen to your foal. If you are unsure what to do or how to do it, seek good help. How you start your foal off in life is going to have a very strong influence in how he grows up. If you do it correctly from the start you are making life a lot easier for both you and your foal.

Geldings and Those Funny Noises

Hi Ross,

My name is Bree and I am 12 years old. I have been riding horses for nearly 2 years at a trail riding school in Sydney. I got my first horse for my birthday last month from mum and dad. He is wonderful and I really love him. He is 14 years old and nows a lot of things. But sometimes when he trots he makes a funny sqeeking sound in his stomach. I don't know what it is. My girlfiend that I ride with said it was air inside of him. I thought you might know. Shoyuld I call a vet?

Thank you very much

Bree

Thanks for your question Bree and I am very glad you have a terrific horse that you love so much. You are lucky to have him and I'm sure he is lucky to have you.

I am going to try to keep my answer as simple and clear as I can for somebody of your age. I think I know the sound you mean. In my experience it is only heard coming from male horses after they have been castrated. When I was a kid I was also told that it was caused by air in their scrotum after their testicles had been removed by the vet. I am pretty sure now that isn't true. There is no trapped pockets of air inside your horse's guts. What I think causes the sound is the fluid and connective tissue that is bouncing around as a horse trots. When the horse had testes, they would keep all that tissue and fluid scrunched up into a smaller space, but by removing the testes there is much more room for them to bounce around.

The interesting thing about that sound from a training point of view is that I have only heard it from geldings when they are tense. You rarely hear the sound in a relaxed horse. When you hear that sound next time, have a look at your horse and see if you can tell if he is a little tucked up. By that I mean is he holding his stomach a little higher (like he was sucking his guts in) or does it hang low like he had a belly full of grass? Look especially at where the stomach curves upward towards the hind leg. You might have to get a second opinion from somebody on the ground watching as you ride. The good news is that your horse is okay and you don't need to call the vet.

I hope you keep enjoying your horse and he teaches you everything he knows.

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23 March '10

Lessons on the Weekend

We had an excellent weekend of lessons. There were a few new students which is always a welcome. It's great to have returning clients, but for a business to stay healthy you always need a trickle of new business. Here's an e-mail I got today from one of them.

Hi Ross and Michele,
Thanks again for your help on Sat arvo. I've just come in from having a short play with Dale and there is a big improvement already in the way he is going - no skipping in the whole session and smooth trans throughout and he was starting to come through nicely with the HQ when I stopped. Still a long way to go, I know, but I'm working on it. Didn't get a lot of 'speed' up today as my 'arena' is a mown square on the (flatter?) side of a hill so I need to be very careful re slippery etc as he gets anxious in that situation.
Your recent article on the blog page re the 'lazy' horse, and indeed you were both referring to that type of horse on Sat, has helped me immensely to understand that I have misread Dale all along - that he is afraid to go forward. Now that I have seen that I have a totally different focus on how I work with him. I was literally brought to tears watching what he was going through with you Ross, (my dark glasses hid it well) and I was embarrassed that I had taken that path (lazy horse) with him but I guess that is all part of the very steep learning curve that is horses!
A little while ago I wrote an article for Steve's website re horse's and pain and I have attached it here for you to read. You may think that it's all excuses but Dale has been through his fair lot in his short life and due to his great nature I guess that is how he has coped with it all. He is a sweety!
Also I have attached a few pics that I took of Harry's clinic, one of Melissa Crowl and her 'henny penny' friend!
I have booked in to Des' clinic at Seville (closer to home for me) as I'm anxious to continue on our new path.
Thanks again,
regards Helen

Thanks for the photos and the article. I think we all need to be mindful of our horses comfort and eliminate physical problems as the cause of training or behaviourial problems as a first step.

I'm glad you found the session on the weekend worthwhile, but I'm sorry you found it so upsetting. You have a really nice horse and you've done some good work so you have nothing to feel badly about. I think forward issues are often misread by people as lazy issues and the treatment of the problem can exacerbate it further. In truth forward problems can have a variety of causes including fear, lack of care and lack of clarity. But most people jump to the conclusion that it is just plain laziness which it rarely is.

I look forward to seeing you at the Seville clinic next month and hope to see your progress.

Mud Fever Treatment

Hi Ross. I'm going to try your recipe for mud fever. Excuse my ignorance but is the sulphur you mention, the blue copper sulphate?
Jude.

Do not use copper sulphate - it's toxic. You can buy sulphur powder (pharmaceutical grade) from the chemist (the Garfield chemist order it in for me in a day) - it's a yellow powder. It cost me $14 for 100g - which should last the lifetime of your horse.

Let me know how it works.

Green Horse and Green Owner

Dear Ross,

Last October I got a TB gelding from my uncle who breed him. He never raced. Due to circumstances I have not been able to do anything with him until now. My uncle said he is broken in, but I wonder if it is true or if it was not done properly. For my first session I lunged him, but he bucked and reared. I then bridled him and found he was head shy. I rode him in the paddock and he bucked me off 2 times. The next day I rode him again, but this time in a smaller yard. He tried to buck, but when I bent him around to stop him he tried to rear. Eventually, he settled and I was able to ride him for a few minutes at a walk in the yard. Yesterday my uncle came over and said he would ride him for me. He bucked my uncle off as soon as he got on. Uncle got back on straight away and whacked my horse on the bum with the reins and made him gallop. He ran him for 20 minutes along the bush track in our back paddock and didn't let him stop. Today I went to saddle him again and he was better. But when I put my foot in the stirrup he reared over backwards.

I don't know what to do. I think I want to get ride of the horse, but it's tricky because of my relationship with my uncle and aunt. I've lost my nerve to ride him again, but I don't know how to sell the horse the way he is. Do you think more training will make him rideable for me?

regards

Denise

I have to say Denise that you are braver than me. I wouldn't have lasted as long as you did trying to ride your horse the way he is. One thing for sure is that your uncle is no horseman and shouldn't be allowed to handle your horse again. He's more of a bully than a horseman by what you say - the old time sort of bloke that thought the difference between a bad horse and a good horse is the amount you made them sweat.

I think you should first establish if your horse suffers a soreness that may explain his behaviour. Find the best vet or therapist you can and have him examined thoroughly to eliminate the possibility that his problem is pain related. If he checks out to be physically okay then I would re-start him from scratch again. Assume he has had no training and being again - and don't let your uncle near him.

However, I do have a concern that he may not be the horse for you. You don't say what your experience with horses is, but I get the impression that you've not had too much to do with green horses. My worry is that combined with your inexperience and your already fractured confidence that your gelding may present a bit more of a challenge than you are in a position to help. I think you need to seriously consider whether he is for you or not. However, if you decide to go on with him, get the best help you can find from a professional trainer who can also instruct you as well as your horse. I wish you lots of luck.

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19 March '10

It's been a very busy week and an even busier weekend of lessons to come. I hope the weather stays dry, despite forecasts of showers tomorrow.

We needed to replace a couple of broken door shelves in our refrigerator. I found a supplier online of spare parts and ordered the shelves. They arrived on Tuesday, but one of them was badly cracked in 2 places. Now the supplier is telling me that it is not their problem and if I want a replacement I will have to pay for it. I am really steaming about this. I have sent them photos of the damaged shelf and a polite response that if they do not send a replacement shelf immediately that I will put it in the hands of the Fair Trading Commission and the ACCC. I await their response. But it leaves you wondering what ever happened to customer service and fairness. I entered a contract with these people for them to supply me with a shelf in new condition. That didn't happen. Why are they arguing the point? Why do they feel no obligation to fulfill their part of the bargain after taking my money?

I reminds me of a story related to me the other day about an insurance claim a fellow had with damage to his house. He told me that when he submitted the claim the automatic response of the insurance company was to reject it. This fellow has dealt with insurance companies many times and he said that he has learned that they reject almost all claims as a matter of course. It's only when it is pursued vigorously by a claimant they that pay up. But the company knows they are liable and required to honour the claim, yet if they automatically reject each claim the first or second time they occasionally are lucky enough to find a customer they can rip off. I don't understand that mentality. If I owe somebody something I stress too much to try to cheat them. What is wrong with us as a society that it's okay to test the waters to see if we can get away with ripping somebody off?

Barefoot Horses

Hi Ross,

I have 3 horses that I have kept barefoot for just over a year. The Arab and the Welsh Cob are fine and seem to have no problem with being barefoot. But I have a TB gelding that I use for mainly trail riding and he has never really been right since I took the shoes off in January last year. His stride on his front left foot is shorter and he lands toe first on all 4 feet. He never raced and is only 5 years old. He was shoed for about 18 months before I decided to go barefoot with the horses. He is ridden about twice a week and lives in the same paddock as the other 2 horses. My trimmer says that the horse has naturally poor confirmation to his hooves and the prior shoeing did a lot of damage. He said the horse will be okay but will need more time. But after 12 months I'm thinking he has been in discomfort for long enough. I have been considering putting shoes back on him and consulting with a farrier my vet is recommending. Do you have any advice or experience that can help me? I feel a bit disloyal to my trimmer to be thinking about a farrier, but my horses are important to me.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Kind regards

Maureen

I think you are right to be considering alternative approaches. I understand your feelings towards your trimmer, but in the end your horse's best interest should always be foremost in your decision. I do believe 12 months is way too long to allow a horse to be sore and I would be calling my trimmer on the problem by the second trim. In my experience many trimmers are very quick to blame farriers or previous shoeing for a horse's problem, yet when they fail to keep a horse sound after 12 months they should stop blaming the last person. There are many excellent trimmers and farriers and there are many second rate ones from both camps too.

Anyone who does a good trim on a horse is okay by me, no matter their background. But the issue of to shoe or not to shoe needs to stop being a philosophical debate and start being what is the reality of keeping horses sound and comfortable. I believe I have an excellent farrier who trims most of our horses, but shoes a couple of them too. Th ones they do well without shoes don't get shod, but the ones that require shoes to stay sound get shod. I have evidence of contraction of the heels caused by barefoot trimming being reversed by 3 months in Natural Balance shoes - something that most trimmers would tell you was impossible. So if your horse is persistently in discomfort you owe it to him to explore other options. I don't know if the farrier your vet is recommending is any good, but perhaps that is a place to start. At least to have him look at your TB and give you a consultation.

Good luck.

The Lazy Horse

We seem to have a run of horses at the moment that have difficulty with being forward. A client commented that before she brought him to us she thought her horse was lazy and would get really strong about making him go on the lunge. She confused a lack of freedom in his forward with him being lazy and not caring about the pressure.

For at least two horses we have with us at the moment the opposite is true. Both these horses find it difficult to be responsive to forward commands. But it's not laziness. It's fear. I don't believe it is a fear of being forward because I see them get up quite a lot of speed in the paddock sometimes. So I don't think they are worried about the wind rushing past their ears too fast and messing up their forelock and needing more hair gel to keep it tidy. I think the fear comes from how they feel about the request to go forward. When it is the horse's idea to go for a run, he's okay with that. But when he is being asked by a person either on the ground or in the saddle he gets very worried. The more you ask the more worried he gets and when he finally does let off the brakes he takes off like a champagne cork. The forward becomes a flee and not a response.

I can see how an owner could misread the situation and feel that they need to get out the whip and spurs to break down the resistance. But this would be the exact wrong thing to do for such horses. By getting bigger to match their resistance, we would only be reinforcing their belief that there is something to fear in our request to go forward. In my experience, horses like these do much better being coaxed along with persistency and rewarding for even a slight thought to go forward. Just a change in muscle posture can be enough reason to release and to tell them they are doing great. As the horse becomes more relaxed and accustomed to what is being asked the pressure can be increased with the intention of building a bigger response. But addressing the need for the horse to feel okay about being asked should never be sacrificed for getting their feet to move faster.

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17 March '10

Tonight's entry will be short. It's late and I am very tired.

Another Way To Train

Sarah's from Scotland mentioned some things in my last entry that reminded me of some issues that I have been considering. I know a fellow who is a very nice and easy going bloke. He works in the corporate world and apparently is very good at his job of negotiating deals. I remember once asking him where he learned to be so skillful at handling people and bringing them around to his way. He said that people want to deal with somebody who thinks like they do. The secret was to talk them around to your idea while letting them think it was their idea.

I know this fellow because we use to share a house at university. In later years his daughter took up riding and he decided to join her. He joined a local riding club and started competing at lower levels. But being the sort of bloke he is, he got a taste for competing and wanted to achieve more. A few months ago I saw him training one of his horse over a jumping course. The horse has had one season at D grade and doing quite well. But I was shocked at how brutal a rider my friend had become. The horse was being a bit sluggish to the leg and my friend decided to give him a reminder with the whip. He cracked the horse few good ones, but at the same time he kept a tight rein. The horse had nowhere to go and tried to rear. My friend thought he had better interrupt the rear by disengaging the horse's hindquarters. But my friend couldn't be effective because he had a running martingale fitted which got in the way of bending the horse and at the same time he kept a very tight outside rein. The horse didn't know what was being asked, so he bucked pretty big a few times. My friend spurred him forward several times and eventually the horse cantered to the next jump. This is just a brief description of the sort of training than went on for about 15 minutes.

I really couldn't believe that my friend was riding like a torturer. He was really brutal and unforgiving of any mistake the horse made. I couldn't fathom how such a gentle, nice fellow could be so abusive to his horse for something like not being forward enough. I was very upset by what I saw and made excuses that I had to leave early.

What I saw that day is not so rare. I think many people unfairly treat their horses for the sake of teaching them something. I don't mean to offend anybody, but I do believe I see it more often in people who are serious about competition. The need to impose our will on a horse so as not to look stupid at an event seems very strong in many of us.

But what I can't work out is how somebody smart enough to convince another person to their way of thinking without force can't see how those same skills can help them in their horsemanship.

I wonder if it's a lack of respect for a horse. People are always talking about how horses need to learn to respect us, our space and our aids. It's not often you hear somebody discussing respect for the horse. I'm not convinced that horses exhibit respect or disrespect - I have doubts that they are capable of such concepts. But I am sure humans know about the concept of respect and therefore it is their responsibility to be the one to show it to the horse.

Perhaps another part of it is how much a person cares for horses. Just about everybody who has horses in their life believes they love and care about them. But in my experience this is very often conditional. My friend loved his horse, but it is on condition of them being competitive. I'm not sure he would love his horse as much if it were just a paddock ornament or a trail horse. What he loved was the kick he got from competing and his horse was a means to experience that buzz. There is nothing wrong with that. We all have our own reasons for why we love horses. But for my friend, his love of competition outweighed his concern for how his horse was feeling with the way he was being trained. I think if my friend had been able to see a video of somebody else riding a horse in exactly the same manner he would have been horrified. But when it was him, he could see no conflict. All he knew was that his horse was being disobedient and needed correcting in the strongest way possible.

Michele and I try every day to examine what we do with each horse. We discuss it with each other every day and we look to how the horses are going as the final judge. We are lucky that way. There can be no better determinant of ones horsemanship than how the horse feels about it. Compared to that, ribbons and score sheets don't matter much. I think we all need reminding of that fact from time to time. We all need a Walt and Amos talking to us in the back of our thoughts to make sure we stay on track with our principles.

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15 March '10

In the last week we have been inundated with Bot flies. They have been buzzing around the horses driving them to distraction. I saw one horse running madly the length of her paddock for about 20 minutes trying to shake a fly. Michele and I were handling some foals today and nearly got kicked by a foal that suddenly found a Bot fly trying to lay eggs on her legs. Bot flies are a total menace, but I give them credit for the persistency. It impresses me that a horse can kick, leap around and run flat out and the Bot fly is still buzzing the horse's legs. They really are amazingly well adapted animals.

Today I saddled and rode Riley. He has not been saddled or ridden since February 2009 when he fractured a splint bone after being kicked by a client's horse. He was great to saddle and was ready for work after just 10 minutes of ground work. I believe I could have worked a client's horse from Riley after only 15 minutes - he was ready. It's fun to have a horse like him.

Weaning Foals

Hi Ross,

I wrote to you a couple of years ago with a problem with my off the track thoroughbred and you were very helpful. Well now the mare has had a foal and it time to wean mother and daughter. I have never done this before and was wondering what you recommend.

Regards
Simone

There are basically 2 ways to wean foals. The most common method is to put the foal in a stable or box and take the dam away out of sight and hearing. The foal can be boxed anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks. When the foal is taken out of the box it should go in a paddock with either other foals or an older gelding or mare as a babysitter. It will still need to be kept away from the dam for many more weeks.

The second method is to wean the foal gradually over weeks instead of abruptly. This normally involves separating the dam and foal for a few minutes each day. You might put them in adjoining boxes or across the fence from each other for 10 or 15 minutes each day. As the foal and dam become accustomed to being apart for short times, you can extend the period to 30 minutes and building it up to a few hours. You can also separate them by having them further apart. Maybe move the mare or the foal to a paddock that is on the other side of a lane way to start with. As they become use to this level of separation you can put them a paddock or two apart. Eventually, the weaning is done and you won't have to put them back together.

The second method takes more time and more effort, but I think it is less stressful on the horses. The first method is the most common because it is easy, takes no thought or consideration and is over and done with in a very short time. I think the "cold turkey" method of weaning is done when people want make it easier for themselves. The second method is used when people want to make it easier on the horses.

I also have a theory - and it is only a theory - that horses suffer with less separation anxiety issues later in life if they have been weaned gradually rather than abruptly. I believe the instant separation from mum as a foal causes them such great stress that foals grow to be horses that are sometimes traumatized by being separated from paddock mates or the herd or riding companions. whereas, in the slow, gradual method the stress is less on the foal and they are given time to gain confidence at being apart from their mothers and other horses. As I say it is only a theory, but I have seen enough horses to suggest to me that there may be something to this idea.

Anyway, good luck with your foal and I hope it grows to be the best horse you ever owned.

Hello From Scotland

Dear Mr Jacobs

I just finished reading your book old Men and Horses. It never crossed my mind that I would ever write to anybody whose book I had read, but I just have to let you know what an inspirational read your book has been for me. It touched some raw nerves at times when I think of the relationship I have with my horses. In particular I was humbled by the deep love your characters have for horses with no conditions applied. To quote from page 106

"Walt don't put 'imself above any horse.... Walt believes with all his heart that every horse is just as smart, just as good and just as deservin of the same respect as he is..."

I think those sentiments sum up why I have struggled in myself to understand life from my horses view point. I have been taught that respect is something that horses must show me, but I failed to appreciate that respect is earned not taken and by expecting it from my horses I failed to show respect to them.

I have read a lot of horse books, but your book as spoken to me louder than any of them. Thank you and I hope one day you'll come to Scotland and hold some clinics. I already know enough people to fill a clinic who would knock down doors to study with you and your wife.

Best regards

Sarah, Scotland

Thank you so much for your very generous words. Both Michele and I have a warm fondness for Scotland and would love to return. It's a beautiful country filled with wonderful people.

I'm glad you enjoyed the book and gained some insight into your horses and your relationship with them. If you are interested in expanding the ideas in the book further I would suggest reading Tom Dorrance's "True Unity". It says just about everything a person needs to know about horsemanship if you understand what Tom is saying. But the trick with Tom's book is understanding what he means behind the words. It's a book everybody needs to read many times. I'm onto my seventh read now and I'm still finding new insights.

I wish you many happy hours riding in your fantastic countryside.

The PNH Video Clip

Hi Ross,

I saw the video on YouTube of Linda Parelli driving that horse nuts. I was surprised that it was included as part of the PNH training program. While I agree with you that people should be careful about jumping to conclusions and judgements if they don't know what she was trying to do, the bottom line was that the horse did not seem much better at the end. Surely, the outcome should tell everything a person needs to know when making up their mind.

BTW, I really liked the article on "It's Not About The Feet" that you put up on your Principles page. You should submit that to a magazine.

Cheers

Kathleen, NZ

I know what you are saying and I can't disagree with you. The way Linda approached the problem is not how I would have gone about it. It's funny that you mention the article about the feet because I think the video clip is a good example where the trainer was all about trying to control the feet and not change the horse's feelings or thoughts. She released the pressure when the horse moved, but didn't wait for the horse to look at her or gave her some importance. The horse would move, Linda would ease off the pressure for a moment and the horse would still be fixated on something in the distance. She was not getting a change in the horse's thoughts.

Anyway, if you are interested I understand there is a video response by Linda to the clip on YouTube and they have posted on the PNH web site a detailed response from both Linda and the owner of the horse.

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11 March '10

What Are You Doing?

There has been a lot of discussion on Aussie horse forums regarding a video clip of Linda Parelli working a horse on the ground. I don't wish to comment on the good or the bad of what Linda was doing, but it interested me that most of the criticism came from people who said they couldn't understand what Linda was trying to do with the horse. It's interesting to me because it seems very clear what she is trying to do irrespective whether or not she was going about it in a way that fitted best for the horse. Nevertheless, her intentions were obvious.

What I don't understand is why were people who did not understand Linda's goal making criticisms of what she was doing. If they didn't understand what she was doing, how do they know she was getting it done?

Ray Hunt use to say that some of the things he was working on most people didn't even know existed. Yet I have never heard anybody criticize Ray's horsemanship. I'm not saying Linda was doing a good or bad job, but I do question the legitimacy of somebody criticizing her without understand what the job was.

I think as horse trainers, Michele and I are always being subjected to critical appraisal of what we do. I believe that's fair and how it should be. But it is best when the criticisms come from people with knowledge and understanding of what we are trying to achieve. When I ask a horse to disengage his hindquarters, but am criticized by a person who doesn't understand why you would ever ask a horse to do that, is it fair criticism?

I have sometimes been criticized by people for espousing my views on dressage and jumping training when I do not compete myself. As if success in competition is the final arbiter of good training. I try to explain my reasons for my views, but so often it comes down to not being credible because I don't compete. I use to compete and successfully too, but I feel I have a lot more credibility now than I did when I was competing.

It all comes down to having an understanding of what you are trying to achieve and what the next fellow is trying achieve, so that any judgements you make from knowledge and not from fashion or agenda or ego or because your trainer told you so.

Critically appraising training/riding are important and fundamental to becoming a better horse person. But if you don't understand what a trainer or rider is trying to achieve then you either should be asking them "why" or keep your doubts to yourself. I wish every body who has ever been unsure about anything they've seen Michele or I do in our training would ask "why". I know that doesn't happen for all sorts of reasons. But it's hard to make credible judgements if you don't understand "why" something was being done the way it was being done.

Push or Pull Horses?

I was talking to an owner today as Michele worked her horse in the round yard. I mentioned to her that her horse was more likely to push into pressure as a first option than the run from pressure. I added that the greater the pressure the greater pushing. This showed up particularly when Michele was asking the horse to circle to the left. The horse immediately tried to look right and take his shoulder to the right. Michele held the rope static as if it was tied to a post, but no more. The harder he tried to pull to the right the more pressure he felt from the rope as he pushed into it. This caused him to push harder and harder. Eventually he was trying to drag Michele around the round yard to the right. She did nothing except be passive as his fight grew. Eventually he stopped and looked left. The same issue showed up time and time again. Always he pushed into the pressure more and more until he had no more fight to push against the pressure.

At the same time I have a horse in work that I am breaking in for a client. She is more likely to flee from pressure rather than push harder into it. When she first came if I asked her to circle left she would take off running to the left. She was wanted to be as far away from the pressure as possible. She is the sort of horse that can learn to anticipate pressure and try to be ahead of you if she thought you were about to ask her to do something.

I believe for both types of horses their response comes from fear and worry. And in their own way I think both are sensitive types. The horse that flees from pressure and the one that goes into battle against the pressure are the same horse but with different responses.

I think that in part their responses can be explained by the upbringing. A horse can learn from an early age how to respond when something is offered that they don't know how to respond to. Either from their other horses (including their mother) or from humans a horse can learn what works for him when confronted with pressure for which he has no clear answer. But I also think that some horses are born with temperaments that make them prone to be one way or the other. In the end the reasons do not affect how we handle them.

For me, I would rather be working with a horse that is more likely to flee than one that is going to resist the pressure harder. Where I am at with my level of skill I think I can help a horse that flees more easily than one that wants to fight everything. It's hard to work with a resistant horse whose resistance gets bigger and bigger the more you tell him "no". It's sometimes difficult to avoid getting bigger and using more pressure yourself when you are working with a horse who is going to try to run you over with his shoulder in a second. How do you stay quiet and persistent and still keep yourself safe? It's not always easy. And sometimes you just have to match him with your insistence. He says "you're wrong" and you have to shout even louder "no, you're wrong" to stop from being run over. So they can be difficult horse to work with.

Having said all that I believe most horses are mix of both types. I think the horse Michele was working with today is a rare case of being doggedly a "pusher into pressure". The difficulty or not of any horse will be determined by how strongly their sense of fleeing or resisting is instilled. A horse with strong instincts to flee may be less trainable than a horse with only a moderate propensity to push into pressure. You have to weigh up the individual horse.

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8 March '10

It's been busy the past couple of days. Yesterday I got up really early to take Michele to the airport. I got home just in time to go to work. Spent the day dodging storms and hail and clearing fallen limbs from the fences. When the hail arrived I don't think the horses could work out who was throwing rocks at them. Poor Birch could find nowhere to hide.

Mud Fever

Six has developed her annual dose of mud fever. Each year she gets badly infected on 2 legs. In the past I have tried many veterinary recommended treatments. They have all worked, but they have always been a prolonged treatment that required not only a plenty of time, but removal of the scab which caused Six a lot of pain.

A client recommended a treatment that she had successfully used on her gelding after a 6 month battle with various other treatments. I tried it on Six and within a couple of days the improvement has been dramatic.

It requires a concoction of vaseline (petroleum jelly), sulphur and tea tree oil. It is applied thickly daily on top of the scabs - no need to remove the scab. Keep the area dry - don't let moisture near the scabs - which means either stabling, yarding or paddocked on short grass. Six is in a paddock with short grass so the legs are not affected by dew.

This is the recipe that I have been using.

Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) - 100g
Sulphur Powder - 1 teaspoon
Tea Tree Oil - 30 drops

It needs to be mixed well because the sulphur will clump in the vaseline. I used a small dish and mixed it up with a spoon for about 10 minutes. Don't use a good silver spoon because the sulphur will tarnish the silver. Make sure you use disposable gloves when you apply it to the leg or wash hands thoroughly afterwards.

I will put this treatment on the HorseTalk page under Veterinary heading.

Horse Owners

As just about anybody who deals with the public as part of their job will tell you, the biggest headaches are caused by people. Michele and I think we are pretty lucky because we feel we have a fairly high percentage of good clients, but nevertheless when we get a bad one it's enough to make us feel like doing something else for a living.

A horse was sent to us for starting a while back. The owner wanted to eventually be able to compete in eventing. She had only owned the horse for a few months before sending it to us and told us that the horse had had nothing done with it. Then she asked that we get it use to plastic bags because he was terrified of plastic bags. When I asked what experience he had with plastic bags, the owners tell me that she had used a flag (plastic bag on a stick) to lunge the horse. So now instead of having nothing done I am learning that the owner had attempted to lunge the horse and used a plastic bag to terrorize it. She said he needed his feet shod. I asked had she had them done before. The answer came back that the horse had been trimmed, but not shod. She added the horse was terrific to trim. When I contacted her farrier, he tells me that the horse was really bad to trim and it took 3 times longer than normal. He wondered if the horse could be shod. So again the owner tells me another lie.

The farrier came to shoe the horse after he had been with us for 3 weeks of work and was amazed at how different he was to handle. During the shoeing I mentioned to the farrier that the horse had bucked when the saddle was first put on and how terrified the poor horse was of everything that was new. I added that the horse was doing much better and hadn't offered to buck when ridden. I also mentioned that the owner seemed surprised that the horse didn't buck when it was ridden. The farrier then said that he wasn't surprised that the owner was surprised because the owner had been bucked off the horse pretty badly. I couldn't believe what I was hearing.

The owner told us the horse the horse had nothing done with it and then we find out that she had tried to start the horse herself and messed up badly. No wonder the horse was bundle of nerves.

Why did she lie? What sort of idiot would lie about such things? I don't understand what would motivate her to deliberately make up stories about her horse to somebody she is trusting to break him in. This is the sort of owner who should not be allowed to have a horse. Not only does she lack the skill to not traumatize her horse, but she shows a total lack of integrity to ensure she always has the horse's best interests as a priority.

Some of you may disagree with me and some of you may think that people like her are the exception. I wish that were true. I believe that you don't have to have tremendous skill to be a good horse owner. A person can offer a horse a good home and be deserving of a horse's confidence by being considerate of the horse and having good intent. I think you do need humility. I think you need to love a horse for what it is and not for what you want it to be. You need to care about acquiring more skill and you do need to have integrity. These are essential qualities for the good horse owner and more important than being able to buy pretty bridles or expensive feeds. If any of them are lacking, then I think there is a question mark about your qualifications to be a good horse owner.

Horses deserve the best humans they can get. I was talking to a bloke a few days ago whom I have known for years and who I have always considered a bully with his horses. He said that he just bought a new horse that was terrific. He said it took him forever to finally find the perfect horse. I made the comment to him as I walked away that I wondered how long it will be before his horse finds the perfect owner?

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5 March '10

I really screwed up with archiving the February entries. The program I am using for the web site has a few tricks that I am still working out and when I duplicated the Feb page for the archive I lost all the photos that could be zoomed. I have re-installed them, but it has taken me hours to find them and adjust them to fit on the page. I sure learned a lesson about archiving photos from an asset page.

What a busy week it has been. I didn't even get around to halter breaking 3 foals that have been on the list to do for about a month. I know they will be fairly easy to get started because they are already fairly friendly. There was one really painfully frightened foal that I have already handled. The mare always throws babies with fragile minds so I try to make sure that her foals are handled early. But to make matters worse, the foal cut her flank while still at the stud and needed stitches and a few weeks of treatment. As per usual with many thoroughbred studs there was very little time put into educating the foal or handling her tenderly. Her wound was treated daily by 2 workers pushing her against the stable wall while grabbing one ear, so the third person could treat the wound. No wonder she hates people.

Next week will be even busier because Michele is going to Sydney for a few days. My aunt has been unwell and Michele is going to spend sometime with her. In the meantime, I will be home slaving away - poor me!

When A Horse Doesn't Know

The subject came up recently about how horses respond when they don't know how to respond. If you ask a horse to do something and he doesn't know what to do, what happens?

I think there are two scenarios that are most common.

The first is what happens if a horse has not already got an agenda. That is when you ask something of him, you are not interrupting or getting in the way of something he is already trying to do. In this case, it is pretty easy to help a horse find the answer. If his brain is not occupied with needing to do something then he is very susceptible to being directed. He will actively search for an answer to find a way out of the pressure. He may not know the right response, but he will search for one. Usually, there is no need to be firmer or ask louder - just allow him all the time he needs and release the pressure when he heads in the right direction. Clarity and consistency in the way you ask is what is needed to overcome the horse's confusion.

The second scenario is when a horse is already using his brain and his body to try to achieve something that he thinks is necessary. The human asking for something different is only getting in his way. He may not know how to change his mind about what he is doing and is in a dilemma about what he should do. In this case, it is really common that a horse will push harder against the pressure. If he doesn't know a way out of the pressure he will often just try harder to make what he is already thinking about work out for him. This leads to the horse's resistance getting bigger.

Now here is the problem for us. Most of us (including myself) will automatically try to match the horse's resistance. As he gets stronger, we get firmer. We may not try to be bigger than the horse, but we will try to meet resistance with resistance. I use to tell people that you should match a horse resistance plus a fraction more. This was in order to keep a horse thinking about trying something new. I use to think that if my idea was weaker than his idea he would not have a motive to change his idea.

I don't know if I agree with myself anymore. I am learning that a horse can be trying even when he looks like he isn't. I am noticing that I can use a lot less pressure on a horse than I ever thought possible and get a better result. This appears true even on some horses that appear to take no interest in anything to do with the human. I have been experimenting with some of the new horses that I am breaking in. I am really happy to to discover that all of them are making more solid changes with less tension if I just give them more time and less pressure. Far less pressure than I thought I could offer and expect a horse to even notice, let alone care. This is not to say that I haven't firmed up on the horses from time to time when I felt it was needed. But overall, by doing much less even if the horse is getting bigger is gaining me some ground.

It seems that even when a horse is putting everything he has into resisting, he does not switch off the possibility to try something new. I use to think that when he was fighting that hard he was done with trying to figure it out. But I am not so sure anymore. I do believe that if a horse doesn't know the answer often his first response will be to do what he is already doing but resist harder and fight bigger. The difference is that I am trying to not get sucked into his ever increasing resistance by adding more fuel to the fire

It's a lot of fun playing with these things. But it is very humbling to realize how little I understand about how a horse ticks and to discover that they are so much more complex and intelligent than I appreciate or will possibly ever appreciate. I feel so stupid when I discover something important about horses that I have been missing all my life.

Softness vs Lightness.... again

Hello Ross

I guess that what my thoughts were that not only was I going round in circles because her thought was always veering off but that I was driving her mad with all the disengagement of her hq, yesterday I did what you had suggested. when I would ask her to go to the right and she would move like a plank I would disengage her hq then slowly release go to the right then ask for a holt, back her up and so on, she took to it like a dream in the round yard and I did it for abit till we got some real softness then stopped because it was even driving me mad. The walk was so nice that I decided for the first time in a very long time to ask for a little trot (yeh! we're moving forward). Her trot of course only lasted for four strides before she began to pace. As soon as this occurred I would get her to go into a tight circle until the trot would slow and then slowly release. I use my neck strap a lot otherwise I grab onto her mouth and we get nowhere with that. it was amazing at how quickly she picked it up, the minute her feet would rush forward I would go to grab the neck strap so that I could ask for a tight circle and she would start to slow, I guess she started to associate the movement of the neck strap (no I was not chocking her just steadying myself) with slowing her feet because she knew the next step was a tight circle, I was quite pleased we actually got some really nice trots where iwasn't bouncing around vigorously.

I will continue with the current work on gaining her focus and see how we go, thanks

Kindest Regards,

Irena

I am very glad about your successes. Keep up the good work. It won't be long before the pacing is just a memory.

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2 March '10

I've added the February entries to the archive section - see the side bar. A new story will go up on the Story page in a few days. We are so busy at the moment that my responsibilities to the web site is taking a back seat for the moment. I'll be even busier next week because Michele is going to Sydney for 3 days. I'm just glad we don't live in the arctic circle where I'd have to work until sunset!

Softness versus Lightness

Hello Ross and Michele

Just read your blog and had an experience today that was very similar. I normally walk Nicky past an old telegraph pole that lies near the arena she sees it everyday. Today we walked past it and it had been moved to the right so you had to pass it on the otherside. it's exactly the same pole hasn't changed one bit yet she slowed her walk down to a tiptoe and snorting like it was going to get up and eat her. We proceeded to walk on as I didn't want to make an issue of it and she came along with minimal fuss but abit hesitant. What I'm wondering is how much stress does a horse feel in the wild. I mean, things may change all the time and when they move areas nothing is the' usual' so how do they survive on a daily basis? Do they trust the braver horse so much that they basically run blind?

I have been working Nicky from the side on the ground as per the lesson and it's been my new challange. It's been quite hard I must admit. Asking her to cross her forehand is hard which must confuse her because she looks at me like I'm the dumbest person in the world and gets abit agitated because I'm not clear myself I think. Getting her to backup from the side and not the front is diffucult too I wish she was just a little forgiving of my awkwardness but that's not the case. You are right Ross she is great at learning tricks maybe I should rent her out to outback spectacular she'd fit right in. When she is not soft on a rein I will as for a hind yield till she shifts her weight and is clearly not focused on the opposite side then release without dropping the rien but it's like she knows this so well that she does what she is ment to do and looks like she is paying attention to the rein and then the slightest moment she gets her mind shifts back to where it was originally. I end up feeling like I'm on one of the rides at movie world going round and round but it's no fun. Is there something else I could ask to have her soften and catch her of guard because she's learnt that trick very well.
Saying all this we have had some success. Yesterday I opened the gate to the arena which she thought was great and was trying to get out quite promptly. I did not allow this and infact spent abit of time at the other end much to her disgust till she softened. Once out of the arena we came in and out a few times because she became abit stiff. We then had to cross a timber bridge which she does well when I am one the ground but in saddle was a whole different ball game. She would go sideways which is no good as there are ditches hence the bridge so we would turn back into the arena soften then come back out and give it another go. This went on for four goes and on the fifth I think she really wanted to stay out of the arena so she walked over the bridge like it was never there. We then a a great ride in the cross country paddocks which is like out on trail but we are still on the property, lots of new things which was great but I kept it short and sweet because she was so good and called it a day.
Today we did the same thing and she crossed the bridge a treat but was very rigid there after almost on her tiptoes so I asked her to yield her hindquarters , then walk over some trot polls, backup and a few others till she was nice and soft and not rushed in her walk. We then proceeded for a nice walk where we experienced our first puddle in saddle. It took three goes but we walked right through it and I think I smiled so hard my face began to hurt.
Well that sure was a big waffle my question was about her being soft to the rein when going right or left and whether I can try something else as she knows what to do to get the pressure off when I ask for a hind yield.

Thanks irena

You really were in the mood for writing a treatise. I can't believe you wrote all that via a phone! I'm very glad about your ride out of the arena, through the gate and over the bridge. It sounds like you are really working hard and learning a lot. I'm very happy to hear you making such great progress - you have a lot to be proud about.

Anyway, your question about how do horses handle new or different things in the wild is excellent. I think part of the answer is in that in the wild they exist in a herd. Horses naturally feel more secure around other horses and the more horses the more secure they feel. So in the wild there is a sense of safety in numbers. When things are different or new and a horse feels he is pretty much on his own, he can get really worried. But if he feels secure in the herd, their sense of danger is dampened by the feeling of being less vulnerable in a herd. I think one of the biggest challenges we face as horse people is to instill that same sense of safety in us that a horse has in a herd. It's not normal for a horse to feel safe with people in the same way he may naturally feel safe with other horses. But I believe we can get pretty close to that with a horse given enough time and good training. When that happens the new or different objects or situations will not be the trouble for our horse as they once were.

I'm not entirely sure I get your question about the softness to the right and left reins. It sounds like you are confusing softness with lightness. If you ask with one rein and she is very light on the rein, but she is still not committing with a change of thought, then you are only getting lightness and not softness. Softness comes from a change of thought and effects the whole horse. Lightness comes from trying to escape pressure and the horse not committing to changing his thought. You need to maintain the "ask" long enough to get some sort of change in the horse's idea. The amount of pressure may alter constantly - every fraction of a second - as you feel your horse making more of a "try" or less of a "try". But the release does not come until you get a change of how he feels and what he is thinking.

I don't know that I have answered your question. If not try me again. Sometimes I can be a bit like a Friesian and it takes 2 or 3 goes for me to get an idea.


These new iPhones make texting a breeze, not as easy as a keyboard but def not like a mobile phone keypad.
I think with Nicky maybe I think she is softening but maybe I can't tell. When I ask her to go left and her eye and head are looking right I pick up the left rein, release the right and ask for a quarterhind yield
I thought that I was releasing at the right time but perhaps not. She feels like she is looking to the left and I can feel a shift in her hind (rocking feeling) I then release the left rein and ask her to still continue left. We do that for abit then I ask her to go right after abit and her mind fixates on that same point on the arena again so we play the same game when we go to the left she can't let go if whatever is going on there again.
Hope this makes abit more sense. At the time of her release we do go to the left very nicely but when we head down the arena again she is always fixated on this one bush day on day out. I've let her go over and stare at it the ask to go left and it is a battle. Will have a go on my lesson day as going right is nice going left is like surfing a wave on a long board.
There's another long waffle
Irena

It sounds like you are doing everything right. But if I am reading you correct, you are concerned that when Nicky gives to the rein she immediately goers back to being fixated on something else once you release the rein. Is that what you mean?

If so, two things immediately come to mind. The first is to work at being early with your request for Nicky to re-direct her thought. Perhaps she is getting too interested in something else for too long and too strongly before you recognize she is no longer with you. The stronger her mind becomes fixated on something the harder it is to change. If you can be earlier when she is just becoming interested you will have more success.

Secondly, you may have to follow one request to re-direct her thought with another request almost immediately. If she is losing focus as soon as you release the rein, you might have to immediately ask again for something else. And then again for something else etc. For example, say you ask Nicky to step back and shift her shoulders to the left and then you release. If you feel Nicky shift her weight back onto her forehand to get ready to walk forward the moment you released the rein, you might instantly (not quickly, but early and smoothly) ask her to shift back and step her should to the right and release. If you feel her shift forward again, again pick up the reins, get her weight onto her back end and shift her shoulder right or left (it doesn't matter which direction) and release. Keep repeating until she can step her shoulder across and stand quietly without leaning forward when you release the reins. You release the pressure when you get a "try" and then take up again when she loses her "try". Do this until she holds it for a bit longer. It is the same if you were asking for a hq disengagement because she is not following the direction of the rein. Ask her to give to the rein, release and ask again almost immediately if you feel her leaking away from the turn again. Try not to drive her crazy, but sometimes you might have to repeat is once and other times you might have to repeat it 20 times. It's something you are going to have to learn to feel your way through.

Play with it and see how you go. But if in doubt, do less. You can drive a horse mad with being too insistant and doing too much.

Why Does He Feel The Way He Feels?

Hi Ross,

You answered a couple of questions to my 'bitless bridle' thread on VicHorse (im Maccy13) and I was just hoping you could shed some light on something ive noticed with my horses?

The first example was about 12 months ago when i took my horse Clyde out for a trail ride. I dont ride him out on his own very often so i understood why he was so tense and looky. He then saw another horse, span and bolted towards home.
It took me a second to collect my thoughts on this massive bullet of muscle flying towards home and promptly disengaged his hind quarters. We stood there for a second, then I quietly asked him to continue on with the ride away from home as if nothing happened. He walked on quiet as a lamb, licked and chewed for a bit and then almost sooked as if he felt a bit silly for trying that on!


The second example is from today, I have recently acquired a 10yr old, 17.2hh warmblood gelding, Oscar who hasnt really been handled for about 18 months, except for hoof trimming. He has had a very good education before this and was retired to mow lawns due to lameness. He is very in your face and very boisterous, so I have started a little ground work with him to stimulate him and to understand that people are safe and enjoyable etc.
So, I asked him to move away from me and he started to lunge, so i thought, alright we'll see where this goes....
He was working well, but the occasionally would put his ears back at me and swing his head at me when i put a bit of pressure on, he would also try to turn and come in. But i continued to gently ask him to keep going at the walk. After a couple of relaxed circles at the walk i thought id ask for a trot, he cracked it again and jumped into a trot. He turned in again so i asked him to keep going and he cracked it big time! he reared up and was cantering on the spot trying to pull the rope out of my hands. I knew only he will win a game of tug-of-war, so i let him go. He had a nice big canter around but eventually stopped. So, I thought to myself - relax, dont expect too much from him - and i quietly walked up to him like nothing happened.
Then, just like Clyde, he was quiet as a lamb, licked and chewed and then sooked as if he felt silly! He was then so attentive to what i was asking and oh so sensitive and responsive.

Im just not sure what this sooky reaction is from....I am guessing that both horses were 'testing' me or something or clearly didnt think that being with me was safe or good and had a strong feeling to get the hell away from me!
So im hoping you could shed some light on why they have such a change in behaviour??

I hope i have given you enough info to understand what im talking about!!

Thanks,

Claire

Thanks for your question.

Even though the 2 situations were very different, the issue of why they changed and became mellow after the trouble is the same.

Let's look at first story where your Clydie was startled by another horse. He was on the trail feeling pretty insecure - you said he was "tense and looky". The reason he was worried was because he wanted to be back home where he thought he felt safer. Even though he was going along on the trail he was still thinking to be home. I bet if at any time you had turned him around and headed back towards home he would have walked out without hesitation and not be spooky about any of the things that he was looking at on the trip away from home. That's because his mind was back home and not think ahead where you were pointing him. A horse is always trying to be where his thoughts are. So on the trip away from home he was probably not very forward in his walk, worried and looking at everything. With all this worry inside of him, suddenly the other horse startled him. That was enough to send him over the edge and took off for home with no holding back. But when you got him stopped by disengaging his hindquarters you also got a change in his feelings. He needed to move at speed to let go of the inner worry, then by disengaging his hindquarters you brought his thought back to you on his back. It was like a release of pressure inside him. The worry was let out and he let it go. After it was gone there was no longer all that worry inside him that was getting in the way of being with you. Prior to that his worry meant you were just an lump on his back and you were getting in the way of him feeling better. But after he took off for home and you got him settled, the worry was gone and his ill feelings were no longer blocking his thoughts from listening to you. It was the change in feelings from "high alert and survival" to "mellow" allowed him to be as quiet as a lamb.

In the second scenario, your horse was having a fit while you tried to lunge him because he felt he needed to be doing something else and you were getting in the middle of ideas he already had. He was trying thinking about other things and you kept getting in his face with your idea to have him lunge around you. This caused him to have a melt down when he felt you clearly were not listening to what he was trying to tell you. But in the process of having his tantrum he felt better. He got the trouble that was biling away inside to come out, like a pressure cooker. When it was done, it was done. He was no longer totally occupied with trying to ignore you to follow up on some other idea he had. His idea and your idea of what was to happen became a lot closer to being the same idea.

It comes down to a simple fact that when a horse is thinking one thing and we are trying to make him do something that is different to what he has in mind, there is trouble. But when he is the thing he is thinking about is the same thing we are trying to get him to do, all is right with the world. Good training is all about trying to help a horse have an idea to do something that we want him to do. Poor training is simply trying to make a horse's feet do one thing while his mind is thinking about something else.

I hope that answers your question.

Hi Ross,

Thank you so much for answering my question in such clear detail. It all makes sense as to why they have behaved that way, and i guess the next task is to work out how to get them to think he had the idea of the task im asking!

I have had a good read of your website and i think your training methods are fantastic, and id reall like to come along to a clinic or lesson. I dont have a float so once i can organise transport, ill contact you again to book something in.


Thank you again,

Claire

I'm glad I was able to clear up some ideas for you. You would be very welcome to come along for some help. But until you get a float you are very welcome to come along to watch any day of a lesson weekend. The next lesson weekend is March 20 & 21. It costs nothing to watch and you only need to bring a chair, snacks and lots of questions. Details are on our web site and there are directions on how to find our place too. I hope to see you some time.

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