Training Tips

QUESTION: Over a month ago we had a new boarder come in, one of my students had purchased this horse. He is a 17-year-old Morgan gelding (that now acts like he's only just been weaned from his Dam). I personally was with my client when she purchased this horse. Went and saw him several times, so did it all the right way. Was a very nice, sweet horse for sure!! Anyway, this horse had been by himself (no other horses stabled with him) for 9 years. I guess they went on group trails, drills, etc., but I'm not sure how often. Now he came to us here, where we have a stable of 20 horses. He is so desperately attached to the other horses he puts himself through what seem like anxiety attacks. What we did to start was we left him by himself to gain some bonding with us and his new owner - the usual thing we do. He screamed a lot, was very nervous acting and so on. The "oh my god there are other horses" reaction, but after a bit of time, we went ahead and put him with a gentle older mare. He wasn't in there for long because we thought that being with another horse could be making the problem worse. So he is now by himself once again.

This is what he is like: He will scream all the time when out of sight from the other horses. When he is in the small corral (round pen) which he cannot see over the fence, he will stand there trying to see over, pacing the fence. When you go to get him, he will panic almost about having to leave that spot on the fence that's closest to the other horses. He acts very anxious when you're leading him to the barn, too. (NONE of the other horses care about him at all, they never respond to him.) When in the barn, cross tied to be groomed, he just cannot stand still. He's always looking behind him because that's where the other horses are, but outside. And he's still screaming there, too. Acts like a major anxiety attack.

When taken away from the barn, well, here we go... He does all of the above and gains attitude with it. He will try things to start.... like refuse to go. Then he does go and won't stand still, screams, tries to turn around and go back. When you don't let him do those things, the bad attitude comes out and he will get stronger at it: kick out, and so on. We as humans are just in his way! He really does not direct the attitude towards us necessarily, but in my opinion he shouldn't do it at all.

What can we do to help him, cure him, so on? He is an excellent riding horse, but this is a major problem and I can see it getting worse the more the owner tries to work with him. Please help!! We just don't know the right way to go about this.

But first, I wanted to say, though, don't underestimate the time it takes for a horse to adjust to a new home -- takes longer than most humans realize sometimes! Horses are 10 times more social creatures than humans are (if you can imagine that!!), so being yanked from one home and into an environment with strangers, whole new ball game...well..it takes an emotional and behavioral toll on some of them at first. Like a high school kid plopped into a new school/new social order, some settle in quickly, no big deal, while others it can be quite traumatic. So...just showing you that so you'll get some insight there. How long does it take to adjust? Several months in some. Days in others. They're all unique. Like kids, some are bounce-back-quick, no big deal types, others pine nonstop for their former world, then act out. Or they glom on inappropriately, needily, to new horse friends. But you can take a pro-active roll applying prey animal psychology for turning that around to convince him, mind, body & soul, that he has arrived at the best place he could ever be in life, and you are his leader, he is to be follower, to help him get there more quickly.

One thing that really concerns me up front there (even made me flinch!) is that you said in his past home he was kept alone for 9 years. That is utterly tragic. Horses are 100% herd, social animals and can get quite neurotic when kept alone, and many lose proper horse socialization skills (if they had any to begin with if they've always been kept alone!). Nature designed horses to fear most in life: being alone. Is a survival instinct nature placed into horses as herd animals. In the wild, it is the solo horse that gets picked off by predators, and all horses have that basic fear initially, even when domesticated. One kept alone too long, they also forget how to be not-so-needy around other horses. This can be a real turn-off to other horses and this horse is showing signs there of a completely unsocialized-properly horse. It might even be said he's showing signs of mental illness, as well, if you want to think about it that way, with empathy. Can it be fixed? Yes.

To start: I would definitely not -- repeat NOT -- keep this horse isolated away from the other horses any longer. That will only make matters worse. Put him within a herd ASAP, and let the tussles begin if necessary, so the other horses can teach him how to socialize more properly, be respectful, and how to be a horse now. They can teach that better than you or I could. It will take time. That is the most humane route to go right now. It is important for his mental health right now to allow him to live life as a horse, within a "herd," outside of "working hours" and slowly he'll learn how to act there.

But it boils down to: this horse really isn't trained yet. I have started many a wild/untrained horse and this is how they act at first. Clearly this horse (set aside the buddy-sour issue for a second in your mind to separate out the problems/issues) has decided (because no one has convinced him otherwise) that he is higher up on the pecking order from you guys. Even as/when he shows complete insecurity. They indeed can go hand in hand. Bad combination! Take some time to read my "What is NH" section on my web site, if you haven't already, right now, because it covers a lot of prey animal psychology that I think will help you there. Here's that section:

One of the rules that all horses follow instinctively as herd prey animals is this: "He who moves the other's feet is higher up on the pecking order, and therefore: the leader." Make sure that this horse hasn't learned to move your feet, and turn it around by always being the one to move his feet. If he invades your space pushily, plant your feet in place, turn and face him, use this sound: "Shhhhhh!" and (if he's haltered) assertively jerk the lead rope downward as you walk into him to move his feet back. Do this every time he tries to plow over you or tries to "move your feet." This shows him, to start, that you are the leader, he is expected to be the follower. It's probably happening the reverse more times than you might realize. :-)

Once he's respecting your space there at least, approach him and begin some deep bonding. Rub on his face, neck, searching for his favorite spots to be rubbed. After he allows this, stick a finger in the corner of his mouth (no teeth there, don't worry) and "feather" his tongue to produce him working his mouth, licking his lips, then remove the finger. This is a secret horse whisperer way to relax a tense horse, so use it as often as needed to get him learning to relax when he is around you, because clearly he lacks the tools to know how to relax himself. Here are more:

Then begin to teach him to drop his head. Hold the lead rope with steady pressure downward (no jerking, just constant steady strong pressure) but RELEASE (open your hand) the second he gives even an inch downward. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want, not the pressure itself, so get your release timing split-second accurate when he gives even a tiny bit in the direction you wish. Continue this pressure/release (releasing at every baby give, never releasing if he tries to tug upward, but only when he gives downward) until his nose is touching the ground. Then stroke/bond on him down there. A lowered head is a relaxed horse; a high head is a tense horse. Where the head goes, the mind follows. This exercise and constant expectation will teach him to relax more around you and perceive you as the leader. That's a good start.

But what you really need there now is an overall program plan, and as soon as you can -- it's important! And I've got some ideas that you can even do yourself to close up those foundation holes and get the quiet, cooperative horse I know you want there.

And here's where I would suggest applying horse whispering/natural horsemanship training techniques in a very clear step by step program, which you can learn more about in my DVD set, the Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System, and you can order that here: CLICK HERE

After watching the videos, and after learning and applying the methods, you, as the horse's primary teacher will have taught the horse:

This video set will help you to lay down an even stronger, more solid and trusting foundation under your horse there that will then serve you well, tremendously, actually, when you do step up into the saddle. By the time you complete the steps, you will have a transformed horse. The final steps are in the saddle and those exercises will more deeply plant into your horse's foundation the one-rein stop/the "safety zone," and more, that will turn him into a far, far more rational, trusting, happier -- and safer -- horse in saddle as well.

And you can do this yourself if you just back up and learn a few things yourself there. This video set will get you there the fastest with your horse, which is why I'm recommending this route. It's designed for anyone on any level, horse or human, to get professional trainer-like results.

And incidentally...my Whispering Way Complete Training Package contains all my videos and training tools that you need to train or retrain your horse yourself the natural horsemanship Whispering Way. You can check out/order the Whispering Way Complete Training Package on my web site here: CLICK HERE

I'm a very strong believer that every horse owner is their horse's primary teacher/trainer whether they realize it or not. Every time you are with your horse, he is learning something. You just want to make sure he's learning what you want him to learn, not what you don't want him to learn! Natural horsemanship training techniques are gentle, effective, and powerful. Works with every horse every time!

But it's real important to back up and break down all teaching steps in a way that you are releasing baby-gives, allowing the horse to feel the release for the right answers incrementally, so that they learn that's really what you want.

I want to pass along a little story. I did a clinic in North Carolina a while ago. And I was asked to work with, among others, two buddy-sour young horses who had been pastured together and the owners felt they couldn't be separated. Or either horse freaked out. Big time. One was a formerly wild young mustang colt. When it came time for the young mustang's turn to work with me, they asked, "Do you want us to bring the other horse along, too, so the mustang won't be scared or scream too much?"

I replied, "Nope, just bring the mustang. He won't even think about the other horse after I start with him. He'll forget all about him." They were skeptical, but they managed to get the screaming/hollering young colt into the round pen. Within only minutes, the colt completely forgot about his friend off in the pasture and even though the friend hollered for him from a distance, the young mustang no longer replied. He was too focused on "following the leader": me in our lesson. And the owners were amazed. And in that one clinic, I got this colt's entire ground training done. Then I had the owner get in and she, too, could do everything with the horse now that she'd always hoped she could. And he never once called for his buddy, even with the owner working with him, and he remained compliant, obedient and quite relaxed, with a new life confidence he never had before. They were a transformed partnership (I fixed the other horse next). Is not about me, is about natural horsemanship and what it does to fix the inside of the horse first; the outside follows.

In those such cases, I often prefer to start first with round penning/latch-on work before haltering then applying the natural horsemanship ground work lessons to well establish myself as fair leader in this little "herd of two." I have a step-by-step free tutorial up on my site that teaches my natural horsemanship round penning method. I would highly suggest you try this route with that horse before going any further. I think it will help a lot. That section starts here:

Also, right away teach him this lesson which will make him much more compliant for leading and backing up on line:

Your client's horse will go a long, long way and very quickly, applying those round penning techniques I teach there and then plunge in to teach him the program in my video set. Out the other side will come a transformed horse.

Start showing this horse the black and white zones. In the white zone: all is good and calm -- the get along spot where you allow life to be easy for him. The black zone is where he is crossing the line into disrespectful behavior and that's when you apply disciplinary pressure (usually in the form of jerking the lead rope downward, moving his feet so he moves back, using the "shhh" sound to mean "stop it" at the same time). He's acting up because y'all are not being assertive/directive enough to show him you are the leader, and he is the follower, so he's feeling like he's able to test the pecking order waters, so to speak, even when he doesn't know where the heck he wants to go (except back to the other horses)! Once he digests that you indeed move his feet, not the other way around, and that you are the fair leader and he is expected to be the follower, he'll settle down and listen better. Believe it or not, horses prefer the follower spot, being directed by a confident, reassuring, knows-where-they-want-to-go-and-how-to-get-there leader!

As for the herd bound/barn sour problem in particular, you might find this problem resolves itself automatically after you've taught the horse the natural horsemanship training, and he has become more bonded to you guys and perceives you better as his proficient leader. But to help him build more confidence in the beginning on trail rides, etc., after he's been retrained, it's probably a good idea to take him out on rides with a buddy at first a couple of times. There you can begin to wean him away from that buddy gradually by, while out riding together, branch off briefly and then rejoin his bud. For example...say you're riding together and there's a hedge ahead. Split off on either side of the hedge, each horse going on the opposite side of the hedge, but then rejoin up quickly. And so forth. Look for as many obstacles along the way as you can where you can take brief separate routes, then rejoin, so that this horse learns...via "advance/retreat" (separate real briefly, then rejoin) that he can survive briefly alone with you, in smaller, more digestible baby step increments for a start when riding.

There are simply still holes in this horse's foundation. Big ones. I personally wouldn't ride him until those foundation holes are plugged up! This overall route I'm advising here will get those foundational holes plugged and you'll create a far, far safer cooperative and much more confident, quiet horse. I know because I get these types every day to retrain and it works.

Furthermore, again, I personally wouldn't keep him isolated from the other horses any longer. It's a basic need he has, to be with other horses, and that need should be met. Just work to retrain him using the above route and he'll get there, gaining new life confidence and be happier in his skin and with humans directing him. When he's not working... go let him live life naturally as a horse. The other horses will also work to school him well in "their ways" and this will only serve you.

I hope this helps, and let me know if I can be of any further help to you there. Good luck to ya! And thanks again for writing.