Last night i found a video of a horse that behaves just like spice can when out hacking...
The only difference between this horse and Spice is that Spices motives tend to be fear based rather than just plain laziness which seems to be the case for this horse as (as julie goodnight comments) she has 'a calm look in her eye' indicative of the fact that she is thinking her behaviour through. However, regardless of the reasons why, the behaviour is the same so i have had a quick look on the trainers website to see if i can find out what she suggests will be of help...
http://juliegoodnight.com/q&a.php
Here are some of the bits i found particularly helpful...
Does my horse respect me?
Question:Dear Julie,
I have a 5 year old Tennessee Walker that I have had for almost a year. I am not sure if some of the things that he is doing are disrespectful, or if it is his personality. He is a very playful horse, loves to pick up cones, chairs, and anything else he can get into his mouth. He is always trying to get my other horse to play with him also. When I go to see him at the barn (I board him), when I open his stall he comes over and places his head on my shoulder and just lets it rest there. He moves out of my way when I ask him and stands still when I put his halter on and waits for me to go out the door before he goes out. I have been told I shouldn't let him do that, but I feel it is his way of showing affection and I don’t feel it is a bad behavior to punish him for. I don’t want to discourage him from being him, but I also know he is a big animal that could hurt me without meaning to. Should I discourage him from this? Also, I have noticed in the last month or so, he likes to lick my hand and will sometimes lip my shirt. He has never bit me, but this does concern me a little since I don’t want him to start biting. How do I stop this? I know I am suppose to be the boss mare in our group, but also we are to be partners and I don’t want to stop his personality from coming out.
Thank you,
Diana
Answer:Diana,
Thank you for your question; it is a VERY important one and I think many people that read this will be able to relate. It sounds like you have a wonderful horse with a great temperament and that you have to potential to have the ideal relationship with the horse, but right now you are headed down a slippery and slimy slope.
As for the head resting behavior, there are two critical facts of horse behavior you must know and understand. First, space. The horse should NEVER be allowed to come into your space uninvited by you. If he does, he controls your space and is therefore dominant over you. Secondly, horses display dominance over their ‘playmates’ by reaching over the subordinate’s withers with their head and neck. That’s why when you are stroking your horse in praise, you should always take that opportunity to reach over his withers as a ploy of dominance (not with your head- that would be stupidly dangerous, but with your arm). I would never allow my horse to put his head on me. Besides, it is dangerous to have your head that close to a horse’s head. Biting is the most dominant behavior of horses and biting is the end result in a series of progressive behaviors. The first in the series is lipping behavior, then comes nipping then comes biting. All of these are progressive tests of dominance and so far you are failing this test. I would not allow any horse to ever put his lips on or near me. If I want to show some affection to my horse, which I do, once he has become totally and completely subordinate to me, I will rub him vigorously in his sweet spot (look for puckered lips) and/or rub down his face. While I will not let the horse reciprocate this affection, these moments can be very close and intimate with the horse. However, these grooming sessions are initiated entirely by me and ended by me (the dominant member in our herd of two).
You should dispel yourself of the myth that you and your horse can be equal partners. That is not possible because of the linear hierarchy. One of you has to be dominant; it is either you or him. Your horse needs and wants you to be dominant; the benevolent leader of the herd; the captain of the ship. Horses are comfortable and happy when there is a true leader in the herd to keep order, offer guidance and keep them safe. Then and only then can you truly have a partnership with a horse, and that is what you are looking for, right? You just need to readjust your thinking a little so that you can think form the horse’s point of view.
There are numerous articles and Q&As on my website about all of these behaviors and how it relates to your interaction with the horse. Please read up and that will help you get a better understanding and enhance your relationship with the horse.
JG
Horse testing rider
Question:Hi Julie,
I am a beginning rider, and have been taking lessons twice a week for about three months now. I have wanted to learn to ride since I was a little girl so this is a dream come true for me (I am 37 now). Initially I was very nervous approaching the horses, but more frequent visits have helped. I'm no longer afraid to get on the horse, but after we've walked around the ring a couple of times the horse will start testing me (either that or I'm not giving good cues but she parks at the barn and sidesteps across the ring). I end up yanking on the reins to get her back on track. Then I get tense and the whole thing makes me frustrated and I want to give up. I don't want to jerk the horse around by the mouth to teach her who is boss but I can't make her do what I want if I don't. She is a 9-year old mare and an experienced trail horse. I want to move to faster gaits, but I can't even get her to trot around in a circle. The men I ride with are naturals and don't understand why I can't just get on and ride. I can't just "get on and ride" because I know I can't control the horse and that makes me very anxious. I know if I could gain confidence through experience I could relax because then I would feel safer, but I can't do that if I have to fight the horse every time. I wrote to you because I have read many of the articles on your web site and I think you are brilliant. I hope you can help me realize my dream of cantering across a field unafraid. Thank you so much.
Rachel
Answer:Rachel,
You have a lot of different issues in your question and they are all very common issues that beginners everywhere are dealing with. I will attach another Q&A that I just wrote along the same lines (Gate Gravity), which may help you with your issues of control.
Without fail, the biggest mistakes I see people make when having control issues with a horse is two things that come instinctively to the rider but are the worst things you could do for the horse and only exacerbates the problem. The mistakes are:
1. Pulling back with both reins at the same time,
2. Turning the horse in the direction he wants to go and then circling him back,
When the rider feels like she is losing control of the horse, she instinctively pulls back with both reins, sometimes with a turning motion. When the horse feels that much pressure on his mouth, he locks up, leans into the bit and generally does the opposite of what you want-- if you want him to slow down, he speeds up, if you want him to turn right, he turns left. It is known as “running through the bridle” or “running through the shoulder” and are common responses of the horse when he feels steady and unrelenting pressure on both sides of his mouth at the same time. This horse becomes very defensive of his mouth and sticks his nose out and begins to feel to the rider like he has a steel pipe down the middle of his neck.
Sadly, this horse is often labeled "hard mouthed," like it is his fault. In my opinion there is no such thing as a hard mouthed horse and I have never yet found a horse that could not be rehabilitated to become a very light and responsive horse, and we get a lot of these horses in training. Also, I have seen many school horses learn that all they need to do is get the rider riled up emotionally so she freezes up with both reins and then the horse knows he can have his way with the rider and go where he wants. When you lock up into a tug o' war with the horse, he will always win because it becomes a pound-for-pound race.
Always try to use your reins one at a time and in rhythm with the horse, in a pulsating or dynamic fashion, not a static white-knuckle pull; always be quick to offer the release. Learn to ride through problems, not lock up on the reins. Your horse mirrors your emotions so when you feel frustrated, you horse is feeling the same thing. Try to keep your emotions in check. Some horses learn that all they have to do is challenge you a little so that you get emotional and lock up and then they know they can do anything they want.
When turning right, first slide your hand down the right rein, then slowly pick up on the rein toward your chest, releasing with the opposite rein. The slower you move your hands, the softer the horse will become. The outside rein should be totally slack-- do not try to turn with that rein too, because as soon as you start pulling with both reins, the horse stiffens and you lock up. Keep the horse moving forward in the turn by reaching forward with your hands and closing both your legs on the horse's barrel in a pulsating fashion. Don't pull BACK on the rein to turn, that will interfere with his forward motion; gently lift the rein up or to the side.
The second problem is that when the horse becomes nappy and will not turn in the direction you are asking, most riders will give up before the horse does and turn the horse the other way, planning to circle back around to that spot you wanted to go to begin with. Although it often works long enough for you to get the horse positioned where you wanted him to begin with, you have just trained your horse to be disobedient by letting him turn the way he wanted to go and he most certainly will do it again. In the horse's mind, he only knows he got to turn the way he wanted; he will not make the association of having to go back to where you wanted because too much time has elapsed in his brain. He was rewarded for refusing the rider.
The other problem you mention is with confidence on your part, which exacerbates the control problems that you have with your horse. This is a huge issue and I guarantee there are thousands of people out there that know exactly how you feel. There is an article on my website on dealing with fear that should be helpful for anyone. There is also a book coming out soon called "Ride with Confidence!” in which I am one of five contributing authors. The book is being published in England and should be out this fall and I think it is going to be a good one. I'll be sure to publish it in my newsletter when the book is available.
One of the most important components when dealing with fear is to surround yourself with understanding, empathetic and supportive people that can help you reach your goals. Also, you should pick the company that you ride with carefully. If you do, you'll gain confidence more quickly, with more good experiences. I hope you can find a riding instructor or friend to help you work through this control problem. Read through all my Q&As because you'll probably find other issues that relate to the problems you are having. Don’t worry, you’ll get there, just be persistent.
Julie Goodnight, Clinician and Trainer
Should I sell my horse?
Question:Hi Julie,
I met you at the 4 day clinic at the Winding River Resort in June 2004. I have the sorrel with a wide blaze and 3 white socks. He had some problems with bridling and using clippers. Also you showed me how the saddle I had did not fit him and was causing the white spots on his withers. We had lots of rain and mud to play in. I am hoping that this will jog your memory of that clinic. It truly was the best time I've spent in learning and relaxing more with Tucker and he with me.
About two weeks ago I was riding in a park here in Colorado Springs with a friend. We'd been out on the trail for about two hours and were about 20 minutes away from my trailer. That's when we saw a beautiful young doe standing in the grass and scrub oak next to the trail. I was leading and we almost had passed the deer when I noticed her. She was standing still and we had stopped to watch her. As I had turned slightly to the right, looking back over my right shoulder, I was beginning to turn Tucker toward the doe. What I think happened was that the doe flicked her tail and Tucker saw it out of the corner of his right eye and took off. I was (stupidly) off balanced and ended up falling off hitting my head. According to my friend, I got up and told her that I would ride Tucker to the trailer. I do not remember anything from the time I saw the deer until we had gotten back to the trailer and Frances called the paramedics.
I am getting pressure to sell Tucker. Two days after the accident and after I got out of the hospital, I was able to spend some time riding with Martin Black (of Idaho) at Tee Cross Ranch. I had asked if I should use a different bit on him. He found Tucker's neck real pliable to both directions, giving really well to the one way stop. He's not the problem... it's me. Tucker just needs to be ridden long hours most every day. I was able to take Tucker to a friend's ranch over the weekend and we rode several hours mostly loping along the grasslands. Tucker never tired out. He thoroughly enjoyed it out there. I believe that I am finally getting a clearer picture of what this horse needs and what I am able to do or not to do.
I have made this longer than I needed to and I'm sorry. At this time I am not sure where and what to do. I'm sort of lying low to let the fury of my family's feelings about this horse calms down. I am limited to a small space at home to work him. I have a 60 foot round pen and can trailer him to an indoor arena that charges $10 to use it if not already booked. I need help setting up a plan and schedule to work Tucker and possibly test the waters out there to sell him, even though I don't want to.
So now my question is with this little bit of information, what comes to mind in a game plan to work this horse and for me not to get hurt!! :)? Thank you for taking time to read through this and I am anxiously awaiting your reply.
Sincerely,
Vicky
Answer:Vicky,
Sorry for the long delay in getting back to you. I have trouble keeping up with my Q&As and am answering you whilst on a plane somewhere over the Atlantic, on my return from England. I remember you and your delightful young horse well and I am sure sorry to hear of your accident. I would agree that the horse did nothing wrong and is not a "dangerous" horse, but he is young and does need some miles and life experience on him before he is a reliable mount. Your family only has your best interest in mind and they are frightened of losing you. You can't blame them and perhaps should consider every one's best interest.
It will take a few years of solid riding to get your horse as seasoned as you and your family would like him to be. Selling him is certainly an option and may not be the worst thing. You can afford to be particular about who you sell him to and there are many people that can give him a good home.
Another idea would be to lease him out to someone that will put the miles on him. You may be able to find a rancher that would take him to use as a ranch horse for a year or two. Or, you might be able to find a competent rider that would take him for sometime. In either situation, you would probably have to offer a free lease and in order to find the situation you want, you may even have to pay the horse's board and upkeep.
He is a great horse, although young and flighty, and I can understand your reluctance to part with him. But life is too short to get hurt when you can avoid it and lord knows, we don't heal like we used to.
If you do sell him, look for a horse that is 12 years old or older and has “been there and done that.” My personal horse is 24 and she is an awesome ride and it is wonderful to have a horse that can stand in the pasture for a year and you can walk in, saddle up and go like you rode every day. Age and experience is not only nice, it is invaluable.
This is a tough decision for you to make and I am confident you'll make the right one. Good luck to you.
JG
How to deal with a spooky horse
Question:Hello Julie,
I was glad to see you are doing a clinic in my area in NH. I have a 10 year old who was born on my farm who from day one has been an ADD/spooky horse. He has been a challenge and although we have made progress, I'm always back to square one. I have done so much with him, my background is in dressage, but I do a lot of ground work, some round pen, longeing, I take him places, clinics and shows now and then, but I still struggle with getting his attention. Is it possible that he doesn't like ring work, he does like trail riding with his buddies, but is still spooky and inattentive most days, once in a while he's kind of relaxed. Progress is very slow. He knows all the Pat Parelli ground exercises etc. But I can't get beyond the inattentiveness to really start being able to school him. Any suggestions?
Answer:Holly,
It sounds like you have already tried a lot of different things with this horse with some success, but the progress has been slow. At 10 y/o he ought to be getting pretty mature and reliable especially with all the work you have done. I would like to have an opportunity to see your horse and work with him a little, but in lieu of that, here are a few things I might try with a horse like this.
I like to teach spooky horses to face their fear and as long as they face it they can stop and relax, with lots of reassurance from me. So the first cardinal rule is that when the horse stops and faces when he is afraid (instead of spin and bolt) he gets a reward. He gets a rub on the neck and gets to stop and relax. Then I will gently encourage him to move toward whatever he is afraid of; I ask him to move forward one step at a time, stopping him with each step (so that I remain in control, issuing the orders) and rewarding him. This eventually becomes a game to the horse and he loves to work for the reward. He gets the ultimate reward when he will actually walk all the way up to the scary object and reach out and touch it with his nose. You can practice this on the ground too.
One big problem with a horse like this is that they do not focus on you and do not look to you for leadership. This kind of relationship (focused and obedient) is best accomplished with groundwork, both lead line and round pen. It sounds like you have done a lot of this already, but in my experience, I have seen a lot of people do the ground work but without succeeding in getting the horse's total focus. For instance, the horse may run well around the round pen and do turns and stops, etc., but if his total focus is not on you almost all the time, then the round pen work may have been meaningless chasing of the horse.
Once the horse is moving away from me well in the round pen and I can control which direction he goes, then I want to establish a line of communication with him so that he is constantly looking to me for directives. If his focus wanders outside the round pen, then I put him to work. Not harshly and not chasing him but asking him to do something like go faster, go slower, turn this way, turn that way, etc. When his focus is on me because he has to see what I am going to ask him to do next, I let him stop and relax. This same concept can be applied for lead line work and mounted work. Just be careful that when you ask the horse for more focus, that you are not getting fast and reactive to him and escalating his tension but just quietly issuing directives to the horse and reinforcing what you ask of him. It is very important that you have and keep control of the horse's nose, both on the ground and especially in the saddle. Most people let their horse's nose wander all over the place and look at whatever interests them. This is a root cause of many behavioral and obedience problems. Usually, the very first indication that a horse is thinking about doing something he shouldn't is when the nose leaves its position from in front of his chest. We work very hard with our colts and any older horses that come for training with behavior problems to teach this very, very important rule, "Thou shalt keep your nose directly in front of your chest at all times that I am working around you or riding you." If you set this very simple rule with your horse and then enforce it 100% of the time, within minutes, your horse will become obedient.
I think it is important to master this rule on the ground first, but I also work on it riding from the get go. From the ground, all you have to do is ask the horse to stand (that is another very important ground rule we set right away, "Thou shalt not move thy feet unless I tell you to move them.") and then step back away from the horse. He should stand there on his own volition, not because you have a choke hold on the halter rope. Correct his nose with a gentle bump of the halter rope every time he moves his nose away from you and point at his nose or twirl the tail of the rope toward his nose every time he moves the nose toward you. Just put his nose back where you told it to stay every time it moves; be slow and calm with your corrections but always consistent and firm when necessary. If he moves his feet when you correct his nose, put him back where he was and tell him whoa (standing still is another rule that must be reinforced in the same way). Work on nose control standing in an open area for 5-10 minutes and the horse will learn his parameters. Then I want to reinforce this rule at the hitching rail and at all times I am working around the horse.
When a horse moves his nose toward you, unasked, that is an invasion of your space and an indication that the horse does not respect your space (often because he has been hand fed treats and this has caused major disrespect, see the article on my website called "Trick or Treat"). So when he moves his nose toward me that is a greater infraction than moving the nose away. Depending on the horse, that might get a harsher correction from me, especially if it is a horse that has proven his lack of respect by walking all over me or ignoring me or even being aggressive.
Carrying over this rule (nose control) to the saddle is very important for a spooky horse. When he learns to obey this rule he will not really be able to spook and his focus will remain on you. He can pick his head up and look at anything he wants to, as long as his nose stays in front of his chest. If it moves to either side, I will correct it with a gentle and slow bump of one rein (if he is turning his nose to the right, use the left rein and visa versa). Again, it is not a pull or a jerk, but a slow gentle bump up on the rein and I will keep bumping (not pulling) until the nose comes back to center. If you set this rule and then enforce it, in short order the horse will learn to keep his nose centered. He may still make the occasional mistake and you will have to correct him consistently for some time.
One common scenario I see in horses like this is a co-dependent relationship with the rider. It goes something like this: the horse is spooky or fractious and the rider gets uptight and since horses reflect our own emotions, the tension escalates on both sides. Then the riders, knowing the horse is going to do it again, keeps a tense and tight hold on the reins and begins to look for the next spooky object, telegraphing to the horse that "I don't trust you and there must be something out there to be afraid of." Again, horses reflect our emotions so the horse becomes more tense and irritated from the rein pressure, causing an escalation in the rider's tension that leads to irritation and anger in the rider. So now the rider is getting mad and frustrated at the horse and jerking and hitting, instead of calm and consistent correction, and the horse, again reflecting our emotions, gets frustrated and mad too. This is a terrible dynamic that can go on for days, weeks, months or years but at some point, either the horse or the rider will reach the boiling-over point and a major problem may ensue.
This negative dynamic must be stopped at some point, the sooner the better. When a rider is resentful, angry or emotional toward the horse, the horse is typically reflecting those same emotions right back at the rider and this is a terrible dynamic that has little chance for success. At this point, it is important to look for a way to change the dynamic and do something different. Often, the rider needs to take a deep breath, summon up some patience and most importantly, relax and SLOW DOWN your corrections and communications to the horse. Hopefully you and your horse have not yet fallen into this trap and some of these things may help you break the dynamic. To me, if I can teach the horse to respond to some basic rules and he can trust that I will enforce the rules, his life becomes more predictable and safe and he will relax and know that as long as he follows the rules everything is good and his focus will be on me as his leader. Good luck with this horse and I hope I get the opportunity to work with you both in person sometime.
Julie Goodnight
Nervous Horse on Trail
Question:Dear Julie,
I have an 8-year-old gelding that is very easy to work with on the ground and in the arena. He tends to become uptight, and nervous when he goes on the trail, even when he has ridden on the same trails and pastures for 3 years. He holds his breath and seems to be very wary of things that he has always seen. Tonight he was particularly tense. It felt as though his barrel was full of air when I got on. We casually walked around the barnyard, where there is a variety of equipment etc. I was going to go on a trail ride but didn't because a storm was imminent. This is not a new area to him. We stopped by a silo. He kept peering around the corner, and all of sudden he did a full body deep quiver/jump, he spooked in place. He continued to feel as though he was ready to spook at any moment, full of fear. I dismounted, and did some groundwork around the very same objects that seemed to bother him just a few minutes earlier. He became more comfortable. He walked over a tarp that was lying on the ground, without difficulty. When I got back on he once again became wary. Is this about me? Yes, I could sense his predisposition when I got on. He was particularly bothered tonight and we just made the same ride a few nights ago. I pay attention to my body and make sure that I am doing deep breathing etc. There are times when he is not like this at all. He is overweight right now due to all the rain that we have been having, could that have something to do with it? He also tends to chew his bit, when on a trail ride, and I know that it is a sign that he is bothered inside. He does not appear bothered when you catch him up or work with him on the ground. Often, you need to bring his life up. I know that he is holding back in some way, but do not know how to free him up. I would appreciate any suggestions.
Thank you,
Carol
Answer:Carol,
As always, it is difficult to diagnose a horse problem over the Internet ;-) As a third party observer in person, I can see the big picture and have a better idea of where the problems are originating. Nine times out of ten, the rider is contributing to the problem in ways the rider cannot see or feel or comprehend. My guess is that, at the very least, this is a problem of co-dependency between your horse and you.
Obviously your horse likes the comfort and security of being in the arena and around the barn in confined areas and does not feel comfortable out of those very controlled settings. Since horses are prey animals that live in herds, he is programmed to mirror the actions and emotions of the animals around him; this is an important survival skill for prey animals. When you go out on your own, out of his comfort zone, this behavior is compounded and he becomes even more reactive to the animals and emotions around him.
When you ride a horse a whole lot of your body is in contact with him, so it does not take much to convey apprehension to the horse. He may even start it himself by sucking his air in and holding his breath (just like humans do when they get nervous) and that is probably putting you "on guard." As soon as you start thinking that he may spook or do something, there are changes in your body that occur as you tense in preparation and to him, that becomes a prompt that something must be wrong, just like he thought. So it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Most often when I see this situation developing, the rider picks up on the reins and that conveys even more tension and fear to the horse.
Your horse gains courage on the ground because you are there, in his eyesight, between the scary thing and him. When you are on his back, he is in front and feels more vulnerable. Also, when you are on the ground YOU are more confident so he gains confidence from you (mirrors your emotion). Conversely, when you are on his back, you feel more nervous (because he is nervous) and that compounds his nervousness.
It is amazing how often horses will act the way you think they will. If you ride your horse with confidence and expect him to do something right, he'll do it. When you think your horse is going to spook or misbehave, he'll do that too. I am certainly not the first person to say that; you'll hear it from many accomplished horse trainers. I know from my lifetime of experience with horses that this is true; maybe not all the time, but more times than not.
We have a horse in training right now that is very spooky, reluctant and balky out on trail with its owner. However, for both Twyla (the trainer that works with me and runs my office) and me, he is steady, relaxed, willing and obedient and we have only had him in training for one week. Part of the problem is engrained disobedience and part of it relates to the confidence and leadership of the rider. We expect the horse to behave, insist upon it really, and we expect him to go down the road like a horse should; and that is indeed what he does. However, he does not yet have that much faith in his owner, and she does not yet have that much faith him (yes, those two things are very connected), but things are improving as 1) the horse becomes more habituated to being an obedient, subordinate horse, and 2) the owner recognizes that her horse can indeed be a good citizen. You may want to consider putting the horse in training to work through this issue and get some miles on him going down the trail. That could help both of you to be more confident.
Doing lots of meaningful groundwork that results in a more confident, relaxed and subordinate horse is always a good thing to do and should help your situation. You also need to teach your horse a calm down cue. We teach most horses that come into our barn, and all horses that are nervous and high strung, to drop their head to the ground whenever we ask, either from the ground or from the saddle. Start on the ground with a rope halter and simply put gentle down pressure from the chin knot, watching the horse's head very closely so that you can release at the first sign of the head dropping. At first, you must release when the head moves down just a fraction of an inch; as the horse comes to understand what you want and what will get him the release, you can hold the pressure a little longer so the head comes down lower. The first few inches of head drop are harder to get, but in short order, the horse's head will drop all the way to the ground.
It is physiologically impossible for the horse to be tense with his head down (and impossible for him to be relaxed with his head up). So once the horse is trained to drop his head to the ground (which in addition to causing relaxation also causes subordination) you can ask him anytime he gets worked up or "on the muscle" (which is what you are describing in your question), you can ask him to drop his head down. This is known as "putting the horse in the closet;" the closet is a calm, quiet, safe place for your horse.
Teaching the horse to drop his head from the saddle is a little more difficult but if you have him well trained from the ground, it is much easier. You'll pick up (not back) on ONE rein (not two) and repeat the steps above, releasing as soon as the horse even thinks about dropping his head. Then pick up the rein again until the horse makes the connection that lowering his head makes the rein pressure go away. Soon he should be happy to go to "the closet" and stay there when you pick up one rein. Remember, you'll have to release the reins to let him drop. If you ask him to lower his head and he does, but then hits the bit, you have punished him for doing what you asked him to do. By the way, pulling on two reins will always make the horse more anxious because now he is worried about his mouth too and that makes him a whole lot more scared. That is a real common way the rider contributes to the horse's fear when he becomes spooky.
When your horse feels spooky to you, put him t work, giving him constant instruction and directives so that he has to focus on you and think of you as the boss of him. You might ask him to turn right, then turn left, then trot right and left, then stop, then go then trot then stop and turn around, etc. Not in a harsh punishing sort of way, just in a “here’s something to keep you form worrying about that” way. This is known as replacement training; you are replacing the unwanted behavior with something else.
Another favorite calm-down exercise for the nervous horse is the three-step circling and lateral gives to pressure. I believe you'll find this on my website in the Q&A section. There are many Q&As on my website about barn sour horses and doing groundwork to establish a leader-follower relationship with the horse, and that will help with your situation too. What your horse needs most are your confidence, leadership and reassurance.
Good luck and be careful.
Julie Goodnight, Clinician and Trainer
Horse won't stand for mounting
Question:I ran across your website while searching for an answer for a behavior problem with my daughter's 7 year old quarter horse mare. We have owned this mare about 2 1/2 years. The mare is very sweet and was well behaved when we first got her and would do anything my daughter asked to do. During this past spring the mare has started stepping away from Michele (my daughter) when she tries to mount her. At a horse show on Sunday the mare would not even let her tighten the girth when Michele tried to saddle her. Michele ended up loosing her patience with her mare and I think made the situation even worse. The look in the mare's eyes was one of fear when Michele got upset with her. We did take her to the horse chiropractor in July and he said the mare's neck was sore. In August she was tied in a stall at our county fair and I don't know if the situation at the fair has somehow made her afraid of horse shows. Do you have any other suggestions? The mare has turned into a completely different horse and I want to get her back to her old sweet self again.
Thank you for any information you can provide.
Vickie
Answer:Vickie,
The first thing to do when a horse's behavior changes is to rule out any physical problems. Based on what you describe, I would look for saddle fitting problems. Even if you have not changed saddles, it is possible that the horse may have changed her shape enough to develop a fitting problem; the problem may be exacerbated at mounting since a lot of torque is placed on the horse’s back at that time. There is also increasing research being done on mares that indicates that at various points during their heat cycles the mare may be experiencing back pain when under saddle. I would have the mare checked thoroughly by an equine vet and have them check your saddle fit as well.
If you are still having difficulty tightening the cinch, most likely the horse has become "cinchy," which simply means reactive to the cinch or girth. Generally humans tightening the girth too hard too fast induce this problem. There are several Q&As on my website about how to prevent a horse from becoming cinchy and how to resolve it once the problem has occurred.
Ruling out any physical problems with the back or saddle fit, we must look to a training issue regarding the horse moving away for mounting. It is very common for a horse's training to deteriorate when being handled and ridden by novices and especially a horse as young as yours. Given that she was less than five when you got her, even though she was very well trained, she was not very seasoned, or experienced. A horse this young is pretty easy to untrain. Horses are very good at following rules and behaving in an obedient manner, when the rules are clearly and consistently enforced, as they are with a trainer or very experienced rider. When the horse is not handled consistently, it leads to small erosions in the training, which tend to get bigger and bigger over time.
If the horse is not standing for mounting, you need to first work on teaching the horse to stand when you ask her to. Then carry this over to mounting, take it very slowly and correct her when she moves. Again, there are several Q&As on my website that explain in detail the process for teaching a horse to stand for mounting.
Make sure that the horse is standing square when you go to mount and that there is not excessive torque being put on her back and withers. If you unbalance the horse during mounting, it is hard for to stand still. If you hang on the horse’s sides, it can put excruciating pressure from either side of the saddletree. If the rider doesn’t square the saddle before asking the horse to move off, the pressure can lead to serious damage to the horse’s back.
Finally, it is quite possible that if your horse had a bad experience at a show that she would have a bad association with shows. I am not sure why being tied in a stall would cause this, but horses are very place-oriented when it comes to the associations they make. In other words, if a horse has an unpleasant, frightening or painful experience, it will tend to associate the place where it happened with the bad memory. This is why it is extremely important to make sure a horse has a very pleasant experience at its first few shows. Even if it means not actually showing the horse, but hauling it to the show to simply let it become accustomed to the environment with as little pressure as possible being put on the horse. There is also a Q&A on my website called "Seasoning a Horse for Shows" that will explain this process. There will always be small setbacks to a horse's training and times when we have to back up and iron out the rough spots. In addition to consulting with a veterinarian, you may need to get some help from a trainer or instructor that can take an objective look at what is going on with your mare and help you develop a plan to counteract it.
Good luck!
JG
How to relax a spooky horse
Question:Dear Julie,
I have broken my arm from the fall. We have snow on the ground and I didn't want my horse {a forward horse} to run home. I needed to get off my horse when I saw that I was not going to be able to take control. I thought twice about getting off and walking home because of the long walk that was ahead of me. I am a new horse owner with my husband and we have a lot to learn. As soon as I am able I will be working on "drop-your-head-cue" in the saddle. He drops his head with ground work. My horse is a nervous, 16 year old, 13 hand racking horse. He loves to run home. This is not allowed of course but when the trails are narrow I cannot do the circling {relaxing for my horse} game. I am limited with my education in tight situations. I have to be careful with the circling exercise with my horse because he can dart into the turns. My friend says that he is a sports car running a race and cuts his corners well. I am now looking for your Q/A three step circling and lateral gives to pressure. I have looked but cannot find it. I have your new ground work DVD's and have learned from them. Thank you for everything...your teaching style is easy to understand.
Philly
Answer:Dear Philly,
I am attaching the Q&A on the three-step circling process to calm a fractious horse and make him more submissive and attentive to you. I am glad you are enjoying the DVDs on groundwork. There is lots of information there on the horse’s natural behaviors and how you can make him more focused and obedient to you.
Often when people use circling work to establish more control over a horse, it is done with harshness and quick jerking movements. This will only serve to make a horse more anxious, not less; faster not slower. Speed and harshness will always exacerbate a horse’s emotions and may trigger the flight response.
With any circling or disengagement of the hindquarters, it is imperative that it is done calmly and quietly, encouraging the horse to slow down and soften. If it is done with fast, reactive movements, it will cause the same reaction in the horse. Remember, horses are programmed to mirror the emotions of the animals around them. Therefore, if we let our emotions (fear, anger, frustration) get involved in training, it will always cause more problems.
Training with softness and with a calm and objective demeanor will lead to success in your horse. Also, when you are calm and objective versus reactive and emotional, it is easier to see the ideal moment for the release. Make sure that whenever you give a horse a cue, you release the cue the instant the horse begins to respond; do not wait until you get the finished result or it may be too late. Whatever the horse is doing when you release him, is what you are training him to do. When you are caught up in emotions yourself, it is almost impossible to have the right timing; and timing of the release is everything with horses.
Sounds like you have been through a lot with this horse and I admire your persistence and determination to resolve the problems. Keep the faith and be careful in the process.
JG
Excerpt from Q&A on Three-Step Circling:
“My inclination with this horse would be to use the "three-step circling" process every time you feel her falling apart on you. You mentioned that you could tell when she was going to do her thing; if you have a replacement behavior, then every time you feel her coiling up, you can ask her for the replacement behavior.
3-step circling involves a small circle at a walk, with your hand in three different positions that causes the horse to bend three different parts of her body. You will only use the inside rein; it is imperative that the outside rein is totally loose. It is also imperative that this is a slow smooth circle; do not jerk the horse into a circle or make any harsh movements. When this exercise is done correctly, the horse follows your hand with little or no contact on her mouth.
Step 1, put your horse onto a small circle (3-4 meters) and drop your inside hand down on your knee, with very light contact and with open fingers, flutter the rein until the horse breaks at the poll and you can see her eyeball. As soon as she gives, stop fluttering but leave your hand in the same position, so that she finds slack in the rein. As long as your hand is down on your knee, she should break at the poll and bend her nose toward your hand and hold herself in that position until you move your hand to step 2.
It is important to actually lay your hand on your knee so that it is in a consistent position and to prevent you from pulling back more on the rein when she gives (if you pull more when she gives, you are not rewarding her for the proper response). You are teaching the horse to give to light rein pressure and to seek out the slack in the rein. You must live up to your end of the bargain and let her find slack when she gives.
Step 1 is important because it gets your horse's attention on you. When she gives in step 1, her inside ear will be back on you and you will be able to see her eyeball. Step 1 causes the horse to bend in the poll and to give her attention to you.
Step 2, still circling, SLOWLY lift your hand straight up, still out over your knee. Now your hand is out to the side over your knee, your elbow is at your side and at about a 90 degree angle. It is imperative that you are not pulling back on the rein but gently lifting up. Make sure you keep your hand in a consistent position and let the horse find slack when she gives to the rein pressure. Step 2 causes the horse to bend in the shoulder and all of her focus will come onto you. Step 3, from the position of step 2, slowly bring your inside hand in and up toward your opposite shoulder. That is the direction of the pull, upward and diagonal; your hand will not make it all the way to your shoulder. Be precise in the direction of your hand; it is an upward diagonal movement toward your opposite shoulder (for some reason people really struggle with this movement). It is a motion like crossing your heart.
Step 3 will cause your horse to bend in the hip and disengage her hindquarters (cross the hind legs). Disengagement causes submissiveness in the horse, so step 3 will bend your horse in the hip and cause her to be submissive, even if only for a moment. You will distinctly feel the horse's back bend underneath you when she disengages.
Step 3 is very difficult for the horse, so make sure you do not ask her to hold it too long. Also, watch the tips of her ears to make sure that they remain level. If you over bend your horse, she will begin to twist in the neck and her ears will no longer be level, and you will be teaching her the wrong thing.
After you have done all 3 steps on one side, give your horse a little break and do the other side. Make certain to move your hands slowly and do not pull on the rein, but gently vibrate or flutter the rein until the horse gives; it should be very soft with very light pressure. Make sure the horse finds slack when she gives so that she learns self-carriage and so that she is rewarded for the right response by the release.
Again, this is a slow bending exercise, not a fast, harsh punishment or spinning in a circle. Make sure you use your hands in a precise and consistent place; once the horse learns this exercise, she will automatically bend into position as soon as your hand moves into position. Once the horse is responsive, you can go through all 3 steps in one or two circles; at first, you will probably be making several circles in each step.
This is a great exercise that has many, many benefits to both horse and rider. I teach this exercise in clinics all the time and 100% of the time, even beginners can get their horses to disengage and can feel the horse's shoulder and hip bend. It is also highly beneficial to the horse as it teaches her to give to rein pressure and seek out the slack in the rein. The mental benefits are tremendous too because with each progressive step you get the horse's attention, focus and submission. We use this exercise on all the colts we start; generally we begin and end every session with this simple little exercise. It keeps your horse soft and focused.
I would suggest you practice this exercise on another horse while yours is still laid-up. Then when you are ready to get back to her, you'll have a good feel for how this exercise works. You'll want to teach it to her during the good times so that when you feel her coil up, you can fall right into this exercise and she'll know what to do. Then every time you feel a spook or scoot coming on, just gently fall into this exercise until you feel her soften and focus, then let her go straight.”
Not wanting to go forward
Question:Julie,
I have seen you several times at the Equine Affaire in Columbus over the past few years and respect your training skills. I have a particular problem with one of my horses with “not wanting to go forward” & I sure could use your help. Just to give you a brief background about my horse and me, I am 44 yrs old and just start riding about 5yrs ago. For the first 1 ½ years I took lessons & worked at a local stable one day a week. I would consider myself a confident intermediate western trail rider. I have 2 middle-aged geldings, which I keep at home. The 1st one I’ve had for about 2 ½ years now. The other horse that I am having a problem with is named BJ. I’ve had him for about a year now. He is a 10yr old Tennessee Walker. Overall he is a great guy, but from time to time he can be a little stubborn and will test my leadership. When I first brought BJ home he was a lot “buddy/barn sour”. I couldn’t even get him to leave our property (we live in a rural area on a dirt road). With some ground work & a little patience he overcame the fear of leaving our property. When both horses go out together, BJ is much better. The specific problem I am having is that BJ will not go forward when we get to certain areas of our ride. We ride on the edges of all the dirt roads around us and an occasional field. Generally, he is OK when there are open fields on both sides of us, but when we get to certain wooded areas he just stops & will even back up. He does startle somewhat easily, but I try to reassure him. I don’t want to force him forward if there is something up ahead that he is afraid of (I can’t figure it out what it is). What I’ve done so far has not really been successful, and I’m not sure what I’m doing wrong & I need your help. What I have done so far is to 1st kiss to him, and then apply light leg pressure (no spurs). When that doesn’t work I apply stronger constant leg pressure, while all the time keeping him facing forward. Usually, when I do that he will even start to back up. When he backs up I tell him “whoa” & he will stop. Maybe after 30seconds or so of constant strong leg pressure he might take a step or two forward. Immediately after he takes that first step I release the leg pressure, but then he stops again. I have also tried kicking type leg pressure and even a smack on the butt with the end of my leather rein. None of which had any great success. I have also tried changing his focus by working him right there in small circles, backing him, turning on the forehand & haunches. He does all these willingly, but he still will not go forward willingly. It may take me ½ hour just to go a few hundred feet. I can feel that he is tense and not relaxed (I try to stay very calm & patient). Only when he knows that we are almost done with our ride will he drop his head, snort & relax.
Thanks for your help!
Ray
Answer:Ray,
As always, it is hard to totally diagnose a training problem, without being able to see the whole picture. I find that an objective and knowledgeable observer will always see more than the rider thinks is going on. If I had the chance to observe you and your horse in action, both when you are having trouble and when you are not, I might have something totally different to say to you. But for now, with this imperfect means of communication, I will share with you the thoughts that go through my mind, based on experience, as I read your description of the problems you are experiencing.
First, whenever a horse refuses to move forward, I always want to look to a physical cause. Is there a saddle fit problem or a lameness or chiropractic issue that is preventing or discouraging the horse from forward movement? In your case, if the horse is only refusing at this particular place and he is moving freely forward at all other times, then it is probably not physical, but I would still rule it out. For instance, a small pain from the saddle will make the horse more stressed; then when you add additional stress (like going into the scary trees) the horse reaches a melt-down point that he might have tolerated were he not already stressed.
The next thing to look at is the training of both the horse and the rider. Does the horse have solid fundamentals of training, meaning he knows how to respond to the aids to go, stop and turn and he has a strong work ethic that makes him understands that he should not question the authority of the rider, even if that means he has to do something he doesn’t want to do. Horses are such willing animals that we often mistake willingness for training; because he is willing to do what we ask of him, we tend to think he is trained to do it. He’s not really trained until you can ask him to do something he doesn’t want to do and he is still compliant. Often willing and compliant horses are thought to be trained when they really aren’t. Your horse may need to go back to some fundamental training.
Also, it is a very strong trait of human nature that makes us always place the blame squarely on the horse: “my horse goes too fast,” “my horse won’t do flying lead changes,” “my horse bucked me off.” Most of the time, it is the rider causing the problem by either giving confusing or conflicting signals to the horse or asking him to do something that is not possible like go and stop at the same time and thus forcing him into noncompliance (a very common rider error). One thing I have seen repeatedly in my career is that when horses are backing up, it is usually because the rider is pulling back on the reins (typically in an effort to stop the horse, but instead it makes the horse back up further). So always look within and try to understand what you are doing to make the horse react the way he is.
One thing that is clear from your email is that by trying and failing repeatedly, you have most likely trained your horse to be disobedient. Whatever your horse is doing when you release him, is what you are training him to do. So every time you have asked and failed and given up, you have trained your horse that by refusing, he gets what he wants. You are better off not asking a horse to do something than to ask and then fail to reinforce your request.
Two things will help you in this regard: first, make sure your horse is obedient to you in less challenging circumstances. Work both from the ground and the saddle on refining your control and improving your relationship with your horse (there’s lots of information about this on my website and in my groundwork videos), before you tackle the woods again. Part of the reason he doesn’t want to go into the woods is because it is scarier and he doesn’t trust your authority or leadership. Secondly, when you are ready to tackle the woods, at the first sign of your horse balking, get off and lead him through. I might even drive him in a circle around me as I make him pass through the woods, so that he learns that not only will balking not get him what he wants, but it will make him have to work harder. Don’t take your horse away from the woods to correct him (as you describe), continue to make him move into it because he may prefer a little hard work away from the woods, over actually going into the woods.
Finally, there is a concept in training that says that however a horse is acting at a particular time is how he is most motivated to behave. In order to change his behavior, you must apply enough pressure to motivate him to change. Depending on how motivated he is to act that way to begin with, that will determine how much pressure it takes to motivate him to change. My guess is that you are not applying enough pressure to motivate him to change. Sometimes a spanking will go a long way with a horse like this. Numerous mild corrections (nagging) are not always effective in motivating the horse to change and often result in an angry and irritated horse. I’d rather see one harsh correction than continuous nagging (and so would the horse).
There are numerous Q&As on my website that may help you with this horse, so be sure to spend a little time reading and thinking about it. You’ve made a lot of progress with this horse so far, from the sounds of your email; I think you’ll be able to work through this rough spot with your horse, with a little hard work and persistence. Good luck!
JG
My horse doesn't respect me and I am scared to correct him
Question:Hello,
I just found your website and think it’s great. I have a 15-year old gelding – appaloosa/Clydesdale cross, Copper. My problem is that I am not confident enough to follow through with things that I ask him to do. This happens mainly when I ride him – he’s lazy and doesn’t want to go, or doesn’t want to go in the direction I want to go. That is partly because I don’t have a lot of experience with horses, but mostly because I saw Copper buck someone off that he didn’t like, and I don’t want that to happen to me! I know that he knows that I am fearful and not the dominant one. I just don’t know how to turn myself into the leader in our relationship, and get that confidence so that he will listen to me, and do what I ask. He is also generally a spooky, jumpy horse, which doesn’t help. Do you have any kind of step-by-step ideas that I can use with him to have him listen to me when I ride, without compromising my safety?
Thank you,
Jill
Answer:Jill,
The problems you are having with your horse are not at all uncommon—I see them in every clinic I do. There are two issues to consider here: raising your confidence level and becoming a respected leader for your horse. While they are clearly related, I think you’ll have to deal with them as separate issues.
As for the confidence issue, you need to do some introspection and come up with a plan to control your thoughts and develop more confidence. This process is outlined very clearly in my audio CD, “build Your Confidence with Horses,” and in a book called, “Ride with Confidence,” authored by myself and four other authors. I know hundreds of people that have followed the recipe and had great success in overcoming their fear. Once you have your emotions in check, you’ll be able to work through the issues with your horse.
Because of the herd nature of horses and the linear hierarchy that exists within the herd, horses are very keen to your level of confidence and intention. He knows, probably better than you, that you aren’t willing to reinforce your commands and discipline him if needed. Therefore, he cannot possible see you as his leader.
Once you have issued a command to a horse, it is imperative that you enforce it. Otherwise, you are training him to be disobedient. If you are incapable of enforcing your commands, it is better that you do not ask your horse to do it to begin with because every time you ask and fail, you are further convincing him you are not in charge and his opinion of you worsens.
There are dozens of articles in the Training Library on my website that talk about this issue. You need to examine all of your interactions with your horse to discover the less obvious things you are probably doing on a daily basis to undermine your own authority with your horse. Remember, horses gain dominance by controlling resources (food and water) and by controlling the space of subordinates and controlling their actions. If you look at your interactions closely, you’ll find many instances in which you are giving away your authority.
The most effective way to establish leadership over any horse and to gain his respect is through ground work. I hear lots of people say, “But I’ve done that and I still have problems,” and what I know is that they’ve done it inconsistently, not systematically or ineffectively. It is not enough to just run a horse around the round pen; you have to know what behavior you are trying to affect, what the desired response is and how to get it.
I have two videos on this subject: Round Pen Reasoning and Lead Line Leadership. They both show step-by-step exercises for establishing a productive relationship with your horse. In each video I work with several different types of horses so you can see their different reactions—although the process is always the same. You can order online or by phone at 800-225-8827.
If you work through these obedience issues on the ground first, it will give you greater confidence in the saddle and also your horse will be less challenging, since he will come to respect you as his leader and to respect your authority. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to have some expert help along the way—a trainer or instructor that can help you discipline this horse and guide you through this process.
Good luck and stay safe!
Julie
My new horse is challenging me
Question:Dear Julie,
I just purchased my first horse, Toby, three weeks ago as an adult beginner. He is an 8 year old paint gelding and I moved him to my local riding school. I decided to purchase him (from a well respected natural horse-woman and he wasn't cheap) after riding him a couple times because of his unflappable temperament. He was advertised as a seasoned trail horse and had some English training (he does fine on the bit) in the arena. However, I am learning he is quite a bit more of a handful than I expected.
We have ridden out in the school pasture with camp drill team and in the arena alone. Both times he was a perfect gentlemen at first then suddenly became fitful and crow hopped or bucked to the point I felt unsafe and had to one-rein stop him. I am trying to keep a level head and give him time to adjust to his new surroundings and me, his fairly timid and somewhat inexperienced new owner.
I am not afraid of him on the ground. He has excellent ground manners when I groom, tack and lead him around the pasture. We have done some round penning where once I get him to move forward (sometimes he goes when I ask, sometimes I have to ask, tell and then promise with the stick!) he sometimes gets more and more wound-up and will start cantering and kicking out. Then he will settle down and when I turn around he will calmly stop and join-up.
I am a little confused that he can be so docile one minute and then go nutty in an instant. I have definitely lost some confidence in riding him, but feel good on the ground. What can I do to provide leadership and build respect with this horse until he mellows out? Do you think he is just testing me or am I going to have to live with his unpredictability?
I can already see signs that he is buddy sour, too. It’s not the romantic walk in the pasture I had envisioned, but I made a decision and won't give-up as long as he remains "safe."
Thanks for any advice you can give us!!
Suzanne and Toby
Answer:Dear Suzanne,
Yes, your horse is testing you and apparently, at least some of the time, he is winning. Your horse does not accept your authority and even though he may be well-trained, nothing comes free or automatically with horses. You have to earn your status with each and every horse you have a relationship with.
Sounds like your horse has had lots of training from the ground but he has figured out how to threaten you into submission when riding and undoubtedly, it has worked a time to two. At some point, you asked him to do something he didn’t want to do (leave the barn, trot, etc.) and he resisted and threatened to buck in a refusal to move forward—then you quit asking. It only takes one such reward to engrain a horse’s resistant behavior. With each successive victory for your horse, you are losing authority and credibility.
The problem is that correcting this behavior under saddle requires a pretty good rider, because you’ll have to ride him through his resistant behavior. And the old saying about horse training goes, “It always gets worse before it gets better.” If your horse has had success with these antics, he isn’t likely to just roll over and give in the first time you ride him through it—he’ll likely buck a little harder and try some other dirty tricks. But generally horses like this are just lazy so if you can stick with them they give up their antics pretty quickly, because it’s too hard to resist.
I am sure the trainer you bought this horse from will continue to work with you so that you can improve your authority with this horse and fix any riding problems you have that may be leading him to resistance (like pulling back on the reins all the time). Continue the ground work and practice getting more assertive with him from the ground, where you are confident. As long as your horse is challenging you, that means he sometimes is questioning your authority, so increase your demands with him a little. Instead of “ask, tell, command,” go straight from asking once nicely, then command with authority. If he knows you’ll “count to three” before you get tough with him, he’ll always push his boundaries.
You’ll probably need the help of a more experienced rider to work your horse through the riding issues, in case it gets worse before it gets better. But in the meantime, be aware that every time you ask your horse to do something, you need to reinforce it with the same authority that you show on the ground. Having a more confident rider “school” him through an obstacle, may help you get your horse through it, but avoid asking your horse to do something if you cannot reinforce it.
Also, analyze all of your interactions with your horse and discover the little things that are eroding your authority with your horse. Are you hand feeding treats to him? Are you letting him tug at the lead and eat grass as you walk him? Is he looking all around when you are riding him? Chances are, there are things you are doing that is making your horse question you—to be the leader, you must act accordingly 100% of the time, not just when you are doing groundwork exercises. http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=110
My groundwork videos will help you get more systematic with your groundwork, establish more authority with your horse and understand his behavior better. There are numerous articles in my training library that relate to this as well. http://juliegoodnight.com/questionsNew.php?id=67
Good luck and stay the course! You can do it!
Julie
Lead Line Leadership
Question:I know I need to teach my horse to respect me while I'm leading him at halter. He's pushy and pulls me. How do I get started? How can I teach my horse the skills he needs to behave while I'm leading him?
Answer:In this article, we’ll explore the groundwork you can do with your horse from the lead line, to refine your relationship with your horse and bring it to a whole new level.
This type of ground training is done with a rope halter and a minimum 12’ training lead (this is the one I recommend you purchase) and involves standing, leading, circling and lateral work. Lead line work is done to establish what I like to call the “Three R’s of Training: Respect, Relationship and Responsiveness.”
Lead line work is all about moving the horse out of your space to achieve subordinance and respect from the horse and establish yourself as the leader of your herd of two. Through this type of training, you will learn to control the horse’s entire body, his feet, his nose, his shoulder and his hip. As you gain more control over the horse, you will be less reliant on the halter and lead and the horse will respond to simple hand gestures.
CONTROL THE FEET
The first step is to gain control over the horse’s feet so that they only move when you ask. You’ll start by asking the horse to stand still like a statue. It is important to give a clear signal with your body language that you want the horse to stand by positioning yourself in front and to the side of the horse, with your toes facing the horse’s shoulder. This is a clear indication to the horse that you are not going anywhere. Do not stand close to the horse and do not try to hold him in place with the lead. Stand back with plenty of slack in the lead and simply correct him every time he moves.
If the horse moves any foot in any direction, snap the lead hard (do not jerk the rope, just pop it, sending a wave through the rope) and firmly say “whoa.” When you snap the rope, the halter knots will bounce on the horse’s face, giving him an aversive stimulus. If your horse has moved in a direction that he wanted to go, you need to back him up to where he was originally so that he is not gradually creeping toward where he wants to be.
In short order, with consistent, calm, but firm correction, he will learn to keep his feet still when you ask him. Gradually increase your distance from the horse so that he is not under the impression that you are holding him there, but instead he is standing voluntarily merely because you asked him to. Practice this for sometime every day until you have total control over your horse’s feet.
CONTROL THE NOSE
As you begin to get control of your horse’s feet, you can also begin to control his nose. My rule with all horses is that “you must keep your nose in front of your chest at any time that I am working around or riding you.” Horses are very good at following rules when the rules are clearly defined and consistently reinforced. As you are working on your horse standing, also insist that he keep his nose in front of his chest, by giving a simple and mild correction every time he moves it in either direction.
When the nose moves away from you, simply shake or oscillate the rope until it comes back into place. When the nose moves toward you, it is a bigger infraction because he is moving into your space, a cardinal sin. To move the nose away from you, simply twirl the tail of your rope like a propeller blade, slowly moving it toward his nose. At this point, he has two choices; he can move his nose out of your space or get hit by the propeller blade. You are not hitting the horse with the rope; you are using the rope to define your space and if the horse chooses not to move out of your space, he may get hit with the rope.
Again, with a clearly defined rule and consistent correction, in short order your horse will learn to keep his nose in front if his chest. Be sure to enforce this rule at any time that you are working around the horse or riding him. Often the first thing that happens when a horse misbehaves is that he moves his nose in the direction he wants to go or into your space. Controlling the nose will lead to a well-mannered horse that is entirely focused on you and not looking around for trouble.
CONTROLLING THE FEET WHILE MOVING
The next step in this process is to work on leading. A truly subordinate horse will prefer to walk directly behind you, but this is not a safe place for you. He who stands in front of a horse has never been run over by a horse before. We want to teach the horse to walk beside us, not behind, so that your torso is positioned halfway between the horse’s nose and shoulder. We want the horse to stay in that position, matching you step for step, without you pulling him forward or holding him back. Again, we need to set the rule and boundaries for the horse and correct him any time he is not in the right place.
There are basically two types of horses: one with too much go and one with too much whoa; push to go or pull to whoa. I am more concerned with the horse that is getting in front of you dragging you everywhere. A subordinate horse would never get in front of a dominant horse so if your horse is dragging you around, it is an indication that he does not accept you as his leader.
For the horse to stay behind you at the same time that he walks beside you, it is important that you keep your leading hand up and out in front of you. This leading hand will indicate the most forward boundary your horse is allowed to cross. Do not try to hold him back. Instead, when the horse gets in front of your hand, simply snap the rope hard and turn around and back the horse vigorously out of your space. Once you have consistently reinforced this forward boundary a few times, your horse will learn to watch your hand and you can give him a warning by simply lifting a finger up and he should slow down and back off. Soon, your horse should be taking a step back every time you stop.
If your horse is lagging behind you, simply bump the lead until he makes an effort to catch up. As soon as you see the slightest effort that he is trying to catch up, be sure he finds a release; you can always bump again but he needs to understand that if he keeps up with you, the halter knots will not be bouncing on his face.
As you practice leading, do lots of transitions from halt to walk to halt, from walk to trot to walk. Be sure to use your body language to signal the horse and take several seconds for each cue. Don’t just slam on the brakes and stop, your horse will never be able to move with you. Instead, to cue him to stop or slow down, lift your shoulders, then slow your feet, then gradually bring your feet to a stop. For the upward transition, move your eyes, shoulders and hands forward first, then slowly begin to move your feet.
You’ll also want to turn the horse a lot as you lead him, always turning him away from you, to reinforce the horse moving out of your space. Keep your hands up and in between you and the horse and poke him in the face with your fingers if he doesn’t get out of your space. As he turns better, make your turns smaller until the horse begins to pivot on his hindquarters. You should practice all of this leading work from the offside of the horse as well, so that he leads equally well from both sides.
CONTROL THE HIP
To begin controlling the hip, first you’ll disengage the horse’s hindquarters. This simply means to ask the horse to move his hip away from you and cross his hind legs. Disengagement takes away the horse’s forward motion and causes submissiveness in his mind. To disengage the horse, step back behind his balance point and ask him to move forward, then gently lift the lead to bring the nose toward you; this will cause his hip to move away from you and his hind legs to cross. Ask him to disengage from both sides.
Next, you’ll work on driving the horse around you in a circle. Step behind the balance point of the horse (see the March article) and ask him to move forward. Give him plenty of slack on the lead so that he moves off in a circle around you. You are driving the horse, so you should be moving toward his hip as he moves away from you. Make sure you are not backing up or trying to lead the horse; you are pushing him away from you.
Be very careful not to get within kicking distance of the horse’s hind feet. It would be very natural for the horse to kick out in defense if you get too close and try to slap him on the rear to make him go. If you have a lazy horse, you may want to use a stick or a flag (see the February issue on tools of NH) to keep yourself at a safe distance.
Drive the horse in a circle around you in both directions, at a walk and trot, until he is moving steady and willingly with his nose bent slightly toward you and he is keeping slack in the rope. This is also a good time to teach the horse to halt on the voice cue. While circling, take one step in front of the horse and plant your feet at the same time you say, “whoa.” If he does not immediately stop, snap the rope to reinforce your verbal and body language cue. Do not use the rope first because we want him to stop off the cue, not off the rope.
Once you can circle and stop well in both directions, you can ask the horse to change directions by switching your hands on the lead, bringing his nose toward you, then directing him the other way. Be communicative with your gestures and soon the horse will be changing directions softly, as if he were your dance partner.
CONTROLLING THE SHOULDER
By now, you have already been working on controlling the shoulder by turning the horse away from you while leading and by doing changes of direction while circling. You can gain even more control over the shoulder by asking the horse to cross his front legs and move the shoulder away from you on command.
You can either use the propeller blade pointed at the horse’s shoulder or you can ask him to move his shoulder by lifting up on the lead, directing his nose away from you and asking him to move, then give a gentle poke with your finger to his shoulder as the foot closest to you comes off the ground. Work on moving the shoulder until you can do quarter turns on the hindquarters, then half turns, then full turns. Once you can control his shoulder and his hip, you can begin to ask the horse to side pass.
It may take several weeks of consistent ground work to get your horse to the level that he is moving with you like a dance partner; then you can try all of this work without holding on to the lead. Once you are at this level, you’ll have a horse that is respectful, obedient and is your partner in all things. This level of relationship with your horse takes time and commitment, but is time well spent, as the end result is a horse that is a joy to be around.
Advance and retreat techniques for desensitizing
Question:Desensitizing a Horse to Scary Stimuli
Answer:These days, with military actions and war consistently in the headlines, thoughts of aggression and war are far too close at hand and it is easy to think of advance and retreat as an aggressive move. But in case of horse training, advance and retreat is an important concept to understand and when utilized properly, this technique can effectively train your horse to quietly and peacefully accept all sorts of scary and uncomfortable stimuli.
When training a horse to accept a scary or adverse stimulus, whether it be clippers, fly spray, the water hose, the bridle or whatever, it is important to understand the theory of advance and retreat. First, you must understand that whatever the horse is afraid of, be it a sound, a feel or a touch, that factor is considered a stimulus. A stimulus is an environmental factor that motivates the horse to action. If the horse is afraid of the stimulus, the action will likely be to snort and run away.
The advance and retreat method of horse training is a way to desensitize the horse to a scary stimulus and teach him to respond to the stimulus with willing acceptance. Let’s say, for the sake of explanation that the scary stimulus is fly spray, although this method will work with any type of stimulus. The first step, in any training process, is to determine what the desired outcome is. In the instance of fly spray, the desired outcome is that the horse stands still and relaxed while you spray him.
With the case of fly spray, as with just about any scary stimulus, there are many different sensations that may frighten the horse. It maybe the sound of the spray bottle, the smell of the chemical or the feel of the droplets on his body (or all of the stimuli combined) that causes fear in the horse. Regardless of what actually causes the fear, it is an honest emotion of the horse and he should not be reprimanded.
The theory of the advance is that you approach slowly with the stimulus, starting far enough away that the horse is not uncomfortable and advancing slowly until you reach the place that causes discomfort or a slight tensing in the horse. It may be that just spraying in close proximity to the horse causes him to tense and become frightened (helpful hint: use a bottle with water in it so you do not waste your fly spray). Only advance as far as you can until the horse becomes tense, ADVANCE NO FARTHER THAN THAT but maintain your ground.
Continue applying the stimulus, at the distance that caused the horse discomfort and let him move as fast as he wants in a circle around you. Do not try to hold him still, do not impede his forward motion; keep his nose tipped toward you so that he has to move in a circle around you. It is important that he is allowed to move his feet because that is his natural reaction to a scary stimulus.
The theory of retreat comes into play once the horse voluntarily makes the right response, which is to hold still and/or relax. As soon as the horse stops his feet or relaxes, even if it is very briefly, immediately remove the stimulus (stop spraying). Turn your back on the horse and take a few steps away and allow him time to relax and take a deep breath. Removing the stimulus when the horse makes the right response rewards him for stopping his feet. Timing is everything, as with most aspects of horse training.
Apply the stimulus again (advance), as close as causes discomfort and remove it the instant the horse stops moving his feet or relaxes (retreat). In very short order, the horse will make the association that if he holds still and relaxes, the scary thing will go away. Once he makes this association, it will diffuse his fear altogether.
It is critical in this training technique that you not advance beyond whatever causes discomfort to the horse. Once he stands still and accepts the stimulus (because you have retreated a number of times), then you can advance farther. I have seen too many horses traumatized by people advancing too far initially and overwhelming the horse, sending him into terror and panic. Then often, the person removes the stimulus when the horse is reacting poorly, thus rewarding his behavior.
Advance and retreat, when applied with good timing and a calm and humane approach, will help the horse learn to stand still and accept scary stimuli. Furthermore, once a horse has been desensitized in this way to a number of stimuli, he learns to carry over this response to new stimuli as well and to think his way through a scary scene.
Rearing Horse
Question:Dear Julie Goodnight
I am writing to you in regards to my horse’s problem with rearing, as someone that is experienced in horse behaviour I can not find the cause that is triggering the behaviour, it's like one minute is his normal self which a good natured, relaxed and laid back and the next minute he is running backwards then twisting himself inside out finishing with a rear that the black stallion would be proud of and then he is back to his normal self as though nothing has happened. I can't work it out there is nothing the rider has done there is nothing in his environment that upsets him and there is nothing physically wrong. I have no reasons to explain his behaviour if I had I would be able to solve the issue. The only thing left is a neurological disorder or he is trying to tell us something but I just don't get it. Do you have any advise? I am at a total loss!
Leonora
Answer:Leonora,
The behavior you describe sounds pretty volatile and dangerous, so first I would caution you to be careful about your own personal safety and to consider getting a professional evaluation of this horse. Since you do not give much history on this horse or his training and experience, and since I cannot actually see the horse in action, I really cannot say what might be causing this reaction or what the solution might be, but I can give you some things to consider.
First, I think it is important to rule out a physical problem. It is quite possible that your horse could have a problem in his back, ribs or hips that causes him sudden pain after moving a certain way. I would have this horse checked out by an equine chiropractic or vet that specializes in performance horse problems. Once you have ruled out a physical cause, you’ll have to look to the horse’s training.
Rearing is a behavior caused by one of two things: either a refusal to move forward or when forward movement is inhibited. Regardless of the cause, the solution is always to get the horse moving forward. Most often, rearing behavior is a fear response. From the description you give, it sounds to me like this horse is refusing to move forward. Horses don't do anything without a reason, particularly when it comes to moving. Are there any common factors when the behavior occurs? Place, time, weather, tack, other horses? Does it happen every time you ride or only occasionally? Does he ever display this kind of behavior from the ground? If he doesn't, I would want to check his saddle fit carefully to see if there could be some physical cause. It is hard for us to appreciate the level of awareness, the keen senses and the hyper-vigilant state that horses live in as prey animals. Their sight, hearing, smelling and instinctive survival is so much keener than ours that we are often tempted to say that the horse is acting a certain way for nor reason. The truth is that they may be sensing something we are totally oblivious to. Horses don't do anything without a reason. I am inclined to think that this horse has something physical going on or that there is something in his environment or in his experience that is frightening him. I would have him checked out by an equine chiropractor (ask your vet for a referral) and have the saddle fit checked by an expert. Once you have definitively ruled out a physical problem, I would look to the horse's training history. Has he always been this way or is this something new? Was he given a proper foundation in his training or was he just rushed along by someone that didn't really know how to put a proper foundation on a horse? Has there been an incident in his experience that may have caused him to get hurt or loose his confidence? Is there something in his environment that could be causing a fear response, such as another animal or object or something he has made an inadvertent association with? When we get horses like this in training, first we will definitively rule out a physical problem, then start the horse over from scratch in his training as if he had never been saddled or ridden. We would do both round pen and lead line work with the horse and take note of any "holes" in his training. We will proceed with saddle training once the horse is solid in his ground work, again taking it one step at a time and taking time whenever necessary to lay a proper foundation on the horse.
You would be surprised how often horses just have a saddle thrown on their back and someone hops up there and starts riding without ever really teaching the horse what is expected of him. Modern horses, for the most part, are so willing and kind that they will let you do just about anything that you want, as long as it doesn't hurt them. They will gladly go along with you and will try to figure what you want them to do. But when the horse is not systematically taught to respond in a certain way to various cues and if he is not given the time and consistency needed to truly absorb the training and generalize it to different places and situations, his training can unravel in an instant. I am sorry I cannot give you more specific advice. I know from my years of working with horses and riders that sometimes what the rider describes is not at all what I would see, if I were able to watch. But hopefully this will give you some food for thought. Be careful with this horse.
Julie Goodnight
Question Category:Why one rein is better than two
Question:My riding instructor and I have a question regarding using one rein while riding. I've seen it mentioned in several different articles and books. John Lyons discusses using one rein when starting a young horse. My instructor learned the technique from Karen O'Connor. When we use it on any of our horses - lesson horses to upper level eventers, it seems to calm them and refocus their attention. Can you help explain the equine thought process here and why it seems to be so effective? Also, in what situations would you recommend using it and why?
Thanks,
Sarah
Answer:Any horse will work better when the reins are used one at a time as opposed to using both reins at the same time. There are several reasons for this. First, when you pull on both reins at the same time, it causes a horse to clench his jaw, stiffen his neck and lean into the pressure. Secondly, using both reins at once puts you and your horse in a tug-of-war that he will always win because he out weighs you by so much.
We want our horses to stay soft in the jaw and loose in the neck and that will only happen when you use one rein at a time. The mechanics of the bit are such that when you pull on both reins at the same time, it creates pressure all over his mouth, jaw and palate; it is too much pressure and the horse's only concern will be to get away from the pressure however he can. You also lose any ability to be articulate with the rein aids and use the reins to influence certain parts of his body, because the pressure is every where. But even in a hackamore, rope halter, side-pull, etc., you'll get the same response if you pull on both reins. It simply gives the horse something to brace against and lean on. He cannot do that with one rein.
You'll have much more control over the horse when his neck is slightly bent than when it is straight. It is when the horse stiffens his neck straight in front of him that we lose control. Using one rein to stop or using both reins alternately for collection is the ideal. Even when using both reins, you always want to keep a rhythm in the reins so that you are not pulling on both reins at the same time.
There is a well-documented behavior that I think helps explain why horses are more responsive to one rein than two. When a horse eats or drinks (from the ground) he is very vulnerable because his vision is so poor at that point that he can only see the ground immediately around him. Therefore, when a horse eats or drinks (in the wild) he will eat a few bites, slowly lift his head, swing it to one side, go back down for another few bites, lift his head, slowly swing it to the other side. It is theorized that this is an instinctive behavior of horses that helps keep them safe from predators when their head would other wise be down in that vulnerable position. Therefore, if we can move a horse's nose from side to side and keep his neck loose and relaxed, he stays soft and calm.
When a person pulls relentlessly on both reins in an attempt to bring the horse into control or to get him to come on the bit (something I see in every clinic that I do) it tends to lead to the horse getting more and more out of control and agitated until he begins to "run through the bridle" in an attempt to escape the confusing, painful and relentless pressure on his mouth. The more you pull back, the faster the horse goes. It is hard for people to understand that they need to release the pressure before they can get the horse to stop or be responsive at all. Using the one-rein stop, you'll never have this problem, even if your release is not as good as it should be. By and large, the biggest problem that people have riding is not releasing the horse from bit pressure enough.
Finally, using the one rein stop will lead to a disengagement of the hindquarters (occurs when the horse crosses his hind legs) which will always cause the horse to calm down, focus on you and become more submissive. Again, this is a natural behavior of horses but one that is only seen in neo-natal foals (foals under one month of age). If his mother disciplines the young foal, he will sometimes drop his head and cross his hind legs in submission. When a horse crosses his hind legs it takes away his flight response and so he has no choice but to submiss. Just like kids, once they get a little older. they are not quite so submissive and they no longer voluntarily disengage, so we ask them to do it, to achieve a calm focus and submissiveness.
When you lift up on one rein toward your belly button or opposite shoulder, it causes the horse to disengage as he stops. As soon as you feel the horse's back bend as his hip comes under you (it is a very distinctive feel) you release the rein entirely. With practice, a slight lift of one rein will cause the horse to stop. We use the disengagement any time we lose a horse's attention or anytime he becomes nervous or fractious. We use the one rein stop on young horses or any horses that are very forward and/or resistant to pressure from the reins. It is really a general practice that you can use on any horse at any time.
Julie Goodnight
Question Category:De-Spooking
Question:I recently went to your clinics at the Ohio Equine Affair and love your techniques. I have a 4 year old Belgian that I ride. He is pretty solid, but as a young horse he does spook occasionally. I have been trying you method of leading him up to a scary object a step at a time and it works very well (especially with the horse eating manure spreader!). My question is, if he spooks and wheels out away from me do I just continue on with what I'm doing as if nothing happened or should I stop and try to calm him down and back him up to a safe spot? He has some space issues which we are working on and he has come along way, so at least if he gets scared he moves his back end away from me instead of into me. We just started him under saddle last year, so we both have a lot of work to do.
Once again I would just like to thank you for all the great information I learned at your clinics and especially you clinic on fear management. When I got this horse I had not worked with horses for a very long time and was very leery of just jumping back in and have learned to control my fear and not let it take the enjoyment out of owning a horse. What I heard in your clinic solidified some of the things I was already doing and helped me see that I was on the right track.
Thanks again
Ann
Answer:Ann,
I think it is really important, whether dealing with a spooking horse or any horse, that you learn to control the horse's nose. If you have seen one of my ground manners presentations, you have heard me talk about the horse keeping his nose in front of his chect when you are working with him. Whether on the ground or in the saddle, the horse should keep his nose in front of his chest, unless you ask it to move elsewhere.
Twenty-three hours a day he can do whatever he wants with his nose, but when I am around, it must stay in front of his chest. In order to be in total control of the horse, you must control all of his body: his nose, his feet, his shoulder and his hip. Nose control is a very fundamental part of groundwork and riding work. My horses learn in very short order that when I am around or I am riding, his nose must stay in place. They learn them because I give a gentle but persistent correction with the lead rope or one rein every time the nose moves from center.
Once you gain nose control over the horse on the ground and riding, then when he spooks, you should make him face what he is afraid of. Never let him turn away because if he does, his flight response is likely kick in and he may bolt. To de-spook a horse, I use a multi-faceted approach, first, he must face his fear; secondly, I will stop him before he stops himself so that I maintain control over the horse's actions and I give him a moment to settle, relax and take a deep breath. Third, I will ask him to approach the scary object, taking only one step before I ask him to stop again for the same reasons as above. The worst thing you can do is force a horse up to a scary object too soon and overwhelm the horse so that he starts taking actions on his own and you lose control.
In very short order, this routine becomes a game to the horse. Because every time he takes a step toward what he is afraid of, he gets a big rub on the neck and a big fuss made over him. Gradually he gains courage and his ultimate reward comes when he actually reaches out and touches whatever he is afraid of; then he can depart.
There are more Q&As on my website about spooking horses, so you might want to give them a read also. I am glad you have enjoyed my presentations and found some usefulness.
Keep up the good work!
Tuesday 9 March 2010
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