NEWS & ARTICLES : We Interrupt...

We interrupt our ongoing discussion, "Learning a New Language", to answer the following question: (originally published in PetFolio magazine)

I have always liked riding my mares.  My favorite is a middle aged Thoroughbred who is in training off and on for a variety of types of riding.  She has very good stable manners and gets along well with other horses. Lately, for the past 6 months, she has become "mare-ish".  Sometimes pinning her ears when I apply leg, giving naughty looks to other horses when they get near us, threatening to kick, and just looking rather ugly at times.  This behaviour occurs with no easy explanation -- not weather related, happens in different riding arenas, and with differing riders on board.  Do you have any insight?
---"HAVING TROUBLE WITH MY GIRL--IN RENO"

Dear "Trouble",
My first inclination is to look for sources of discomfort.  Keep a record of exactly what is happening and when, every time she displays this "ugly" behavior.

Does it occur at certain monthly intervals?  Ovarian cysts, hormonal imbalances or other 'female' things may be going on.  Have her vet-checked. Mares in particular can get moody at certain times, and it wouldn't hurt to rule out anything of that nature.

Does it occur whenever someone inexperienced rides her?  You may find that it corresponds to inconsistent cues, rider instability or insecurity, or unfair or poorly timed demands.  I have seen unusual behavior stem from a horse's perceived need to "protect" her rider (like guarding her own herd members jealously, and acting as the leader of the herd of two).  I have also seen horses who are hurting somewhere become defensive when ridden by someone who is inexperienced.  There are subtle or obvious imbalances, roughly applied cues and so forth that can actually make the horse more uncomfortable.

If you carefully evaluate when this behavior occurs, you will likely find something to help you understand what your mare needs now that she didn't six months ago.  Look at yourself, also, to see if you have had changes in your life that could be affecting her.  Sometimes, if you have been experiencing any emotional or physical difficulties, your horse will sense that and respond accordingly.  For example, if you have been injured in the last six months, it's very likely you ride differently (in an effort to protect and compensate for your injury) and your horse is reacting to that change in your behavior.
Mood changes in horses are almost always caused by some physical discomfort.  Look at her weight; it is possible that the saddle you use isn't fitting her as well as it used to (and check your saddle anyway -- it could need some repair work).  Have her teeth checked; look in her mouth for sores, or check her ears for bug bites.  Evaluate your shoeing; if you have changed farriers lately she could be out of balance or uncomfortable. Feel along her ribs and back, and look for pinned ears or other reactions; she may have a rib out of place or have a muscle knot and need some sort of therapy or adjustment.

This is a partial list of things for you to look at.  Just remember to give your horse the benefit of the doubt -- she's just trying to tell you something.  It's up to you to decipher the message!
Next time we'll continue with "Learning a New Language - Part 2".

Just because horses don’t speak English doesn’t mean they don’t communicate! – (originally published in PetFolio magazine)

This will probably rub someone the wrong way, but that is standard fair for ideas isn’t it? The neat thing about horses is that they don’t seem to care about our politically correct or incorrect viewpoints!

So what’s this all about, anyway, you ask. Well, I’ll tell you. If I could do nothing more than to help someone understand his or her horse, I’d be happy. More than that, the horse would be happy! And that’s the point. No longer do I simply consider the best way to win, or the fastest way to get the work done.  Gone are the days of tie-downs and tieing up, bigger spurs and bigger bits. I finally found what I’ve always been looking for and just didn’t know it. The horses have told me that I finally found it.

“It” is a better way of thinking, a way of reading the horse and understanding what the heck is going on with him rather than just forcing the issues, demanding results and getting ticked off when it didn’t work. As a teenager I worked for a reined cow horse trainer in California and became quite accustomed to cleaning up after him. I learned how to check up a horse in its stall and leave it for a few hours to “figure out” where its head should be. I learned how to doctor the spur wounds, cinch sores or bit galls he put on a horse, too. I learned how to spank a horse into a trailer, how to tie up a foot if the horse didn’t want to lift it, and how to whip or spur a horse through “the trouble”.  I learned how to dominate the horse and “make him know who is boss!” It never occurred to me that maybe there was a better way. That was all I’d ever seen.  It produced performance horses who were quiet and compliant, great headsets and good performance (I thought). And if there was ever any trouble, we just went back to cranking down on the horse and demanding, getting progressively more
severe in our methods until the horse gave in. And it worked most of the time. If it didn’t work, the horse was sold as quickly as possible because he was a bad horse.

Interestingly enough, as I grew up this philosophy just didn’t make sense anymore. Besides, I had already seen enough to conclude that there were good horses out there who didn’t take too kindly to the dominance theory of training -- and they weren’t throw-away horses. But I couldn’t figure out what else to do. Sometimes I’d sit and watch the interaction between the horses, completely fascinated, but it didn’t occur to me that there was a way to bridge the gap in our communication
styles.

Finally in 1992 I discovered what is now commonly called “natural horsemanship”, and the real fun began! Suddenly everything made sense to me. I could see what I’d always been missing, and my appetite for more kept growing until I was completely immersed in the “natural way”. My horses started looking me up, instead of running off when I came with
the halter. The performance I’d been able to get from the horses before suddenly came easier. There was some brilliance there that had previously been missing. There was trust there and I started to believe the horse would “come through” for me, and he would. Instead of bolting from the halter after a workout, my horse would stay with me, comfortable in our camaraderie. The feeling deep inside my belly when I ask my horse something and he replies with an exuberant “you betcha!” is practically indescribable. And when he says something to me in his own horsey way, and I get it right, I could almost burst with pure joy at his amazing confirmation (that I got it right).

Okay, you say, that’s really sweet -- for you. But what are you really talking about?!  I’m talking about learning to understand the language of the horse. Not just understand it, but respond appropriately to it and develop a relationship with your horse through it. I’m talking about not letting the drive to win be the point in your horse life. I’m talking about realizing that your horse has a brain, and is more than just a physical means to an end.  He has emotions, however simplified they may be. He has, therefore, emotional and mental needs, just like you and me. With my students, I occasionally liken it to having an exchange student in your home who is not familiar with modern appliances
or facilities.  Would you smack the student if he left the refrigerator door open? Or would you shout at him if he stood there flushing the toilet over and over in fascination? Would you raise your voice in irritation and then lash out at him if he didn’t pass the salt when you asked for it? NO! You’d know that he’d never seen a refrigerator or a toilet before and that your language barrier prevented you from  simply telling him about them, so you’d take whatever measures possible to
kindly demonstrate to him what you wanted. And when he didn’t pass the salt, you might take the salt and show him what it was, how it tasted and repeat the word “salt” several times all the while. And you’d be so happy with  him when he said the word salt, and passed the salt when asked. You’d lavish him with excited words of praise, even though he
didn’t know what those words meant. And he would know he’d done something right, for a change.

Okay, maybe that’s pressing it a bit. But the analogy can be useful. When you ignore your horse’s body language, his primary means of communication, you deny his identity and his value as a being. When you don’t take the time to give him a “yes, you got it” answer when he does something right, then you can’t exactly expect him to know what to do
next time, can you?

Wait! you say. How am I supposed to be able to do all that? I can’t even get my horse to give me his attention long enough to figure out what is going on! Ah, but that’s the beauty of it. Because once you figure this part out, getting his attention (and his respect) is so much easier, you’ll be amazed. Let’s put it this way. When you go to another country, you take the time to learn at least rudimentary communication skills, don’t you? You’d like to be able to ask for a restroom or a restaurant, and you’d like to be able to ask directions or order a meal.  Horses are no different, you just have to understand that there is a language you can learn. You have to believe that these things are possible.  After that, it’s a piece of cake. But don’t take my word for it -- ask your horse!

Next time: Learning a new language!

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