Horse Problem - Saddling Problems/Cinchy Horse - Horse explodes after cinching/saddling

Here is the situation: I will catch him and tie him to a post and then go and get the saddle, or sometimes I have the saddle and blanket out already. I will slowly put the blanket on him and then I have been putting the girth and opposite stirrup up so that it doesn't bang on his side (which seems to cause him agitation) and I slowly set the saddle on his back, all while talking softly to him. He usually doesn't jump and buck when I cinch up, but if I walk away to get the hackamore and come back to tighten the cinch or walk up to him on that side, he starts bucking and pulling back. I really don't know what happened to him or how he was broke to saddle because that was before I got him...so what am I doing wrong and how can I correct this problem?

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips30.html

I also cinch a horse there in about 3 to 6 stages, depending upon the horse, but never less than 3 stages, and I move the horse (have him walk/move his feet) after each cinching stage. Never cinch up a horse all in one swift tightening gesture. That is extremely uncomfortable for the horse and can create a "cinchy" horse, which is what you are seeing there. Someone, it looks like from here, indeed did just that to this horse and now he associates cinching with pain and discomfort. Much better to do it in digestible, incremental stages and is far more respectful of the horse and simply more humane. And move their feet after each cinching step because this allows the movement to unpinch skin, if that has occurred. (Which is also the reason why I never tie a horse for saddling/cinching, so I can move them around after each cinching stage.). You can also help a sensitive horse there by after final cinching stage, standing in front of them, picking up each front leg one at a time, bending it at the knee and raising the knee up high; this also unpinches skin and makes the cinch then more comfortable on them.

If a horse has really serious cinching issues, back up and do some further cinch-sensation desensitizing -- without the saddle at first. Here's how: Put him in (ideally) a natural horsemanship halter with 12' lead rope -- no other tack (no saddle). Stand on the left side of him. Run the lead rope from your side over his back right behind the withers. Reach underneath (carefully!) with your left hand and draw the end of the rope underneath his belly and up toward you. Have your left hand holding the rope end that's up on his back, your right hand holds the other end of the rope that is now drawn up under his belly in the cinch area. "Saw" the rope gently back & forth there for a start so he can get used to the sensation of a cinch moving (cinches do move when we mount and that may be what he's reacting to there). As he gets used to that and remains still, stop (release for right answer there - right answer being: stand quietly) and stroke/praise. Once he's good with that, now draw up the rope tighter using both your hands on each end of the rope so he can get used to the rope tightening there. Start in baby steps and release for him remaining calm, stroke/praise. Increase the pressure incrementally, pausing for releases when he stands still. If he has issues with the cinch sensation, this will indeed flush out the problem and you'll be afforded the opportunity to work on more desensitizing there for cinching. That's the best exercise I know to desensitize horses who aren't accustomed to cinches yet.

Next thing I wanted to touch on with you: there is a very good chance that this horse is associating saddling with pain due to a poor saddle fit. Happens more often than you might think! Proper saddle fitting/checking for that is a tricky skill and if you're ever in doubt there about your saddle properly fitting, call in a professional to check the saddle fit. You can always trailer him to a big tack store that has good saddle professionals there who can check the fit for you (often for free). Also, read carefully this link I have created on my web site to learn about/check for proper saddle-fitting and what to know about proper saddle pad, as well (which is equally important!):

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips40.html

You can also check for pain on the horse's back (when unsaddled) by pressing a finger or knuckle down & running it right alongside his backbone, all the way down. First one side of the spine, then the other. If the horse noticeably reacts to that in the same spot, consistently, as you repeat, then indeed you've most likely flushed out a sore spot that could be caused by a place the saddle is jabbing/pressing on him, making him sore, or it could be caused by a past injury. If in doubt, you would need to call in a vet, an equine chiropractor or other specialist like equine acupressure/acupuncturist to help the horse to heal there while you table riding for a while. Horses are more sensitive in the back region than most people realize. And pain can be the source of "behavior" problems far more often than most people realize. In natural horsemanship, we generally prefer to rule out pain issues first, behavior issues second, in that order. Is a searching game to flush out if there is indeed pain and what to do about it (and often means: getting a better fitting saddle and better orthopedic pad). Don't scrimp on pad. It's crucial for keeping a horse comfortable and out of pain.

So...that would need to be ruled out.

Whether you flush out any of the above as present causative factors or not, you still do need to back up and reteach this horse proper ground behavior for saddling, because even with a new/better fitting saddle, or even if the present saddle fits okay, the fact is: it's now a learned behavior that needs to be unlearned, and that's what I wanted to get into deeper here (but do work to rule out the above first please, in that order).

Were I called in to check out this issue myself, would I start straight in with the saddling? Nope. I'd start at the bottom of the foundation to flush out any other potential holes before I even tackled the saddle issues. Building a proper training foundation on a horse is much like building a house. The foundation has to be built one block at a time, no holes left unplugged, so the rest of the "building" can stand strongly upon that solid foundation. Same with training a horse, no different.

And I've got some ideas that you can even do yourself without needing a professional trainer to close up those foundation holes (they're there; I see some) 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:

• How to be bonded to you more deeply so that the horse trusts you to the max and they will be far more willing to do whatever you ask, even when they are in doubt;
• That you both have a "bonding place" (a "safety zone") to come back to always, from then on, if the horse is ever upset or afraid, on the ground (or later, in the saddle); we plant a one-rein stop in the foundation of every horse, on the ground first, so that in the saddle, it is automatic. This keeps you safer and the horse more rational, and feeling supported, bonded, connected more deeply emotionally to you.
• How to relax the horse when they are tense about something before they are called upon to react negatively.
• How to have the horse yield easily, in any direction when asked -- they'll learn how to yield properly to pressure to receive the release of pressure. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want, not from the pressure itself;
• How to progress bonding to even deeper levels to the point of downright intimacy; makes a horse feel like they never had it so good being with you!
• How to move the horse from the rear, and learning to do that rationally, which is so important to teach a horse to do before you ever ride them, and which you'll be using for a lot of other things like trailer loading, going in and out of a gate, into a stall, and so many other places/situations; this also teaches a horse that you are in charge of their feet.
• How to address effectively any fears (and the horse's reactions to them) that you flush out in their behavior at any given time; my program focuses greatly on finding the fears before they find you and fixing them -- safely on the ground first! Even lay folks can do this. It's all about: safety. This then builds a far more rational, confident, happy, trusting horse, because, in essence, you have effectively raised the horse's "fear/anxiety bar." And you will have taught the horse simultaneously in the process, how to turn to you for nurturance support when/if they are ever afraid or upset.
• How to do all this first on the ground, then later in the saddle, in that order.
• How to keep you safe and the horse safe at all times, throughout all of this --- always my biggest training focus.

This video set will help you to lay down an even stronger, more solid and trusting foundation under your horse 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 the horse 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, that horse is learning something. You just want to make sure the horse is learning what you want them to learn, not what you don't want them to learn! My 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 also want to direct you to a training tips page I have on my site where I go into further saddle desensitizing techniques and exercises you would want to do there, and I would want to do myself to make sure your horse is completely desensitized to the saddle before I ever rode him. My suspicion is...he has holes in his foundation there as well -- do not ride this horse until he passes all the saddle desensitizing tests you'll read about here:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips9.html

I also want to share another training tips/horse problem page I have on my site that deals with horses that move around when cinched or mounted because these problems are all interrelated and this one may help you there as well:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/TrainingTips12.html

One last link on my site that I think might help you there -- to learn a little more about natural horsemanship and prey animal psychology in general -- my "What is Natural Horsemanship" link here:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/WhatIsNH.html

By the way... I own a tri-colored paint myself, named "Doc." :-) You can see him here:

http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/doc.html

We have had him since he was two. Having a blast with him as he's quite the character (The "Groucho Marx" of all our horses). Funniest horse I've ever worked with and he knows he's funny; born comedian, that one.

Finally...any company who gives away a horse as a bonus....WOW! What a great company (in my book)!!. That is so cool! Lucky you!

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

 

Back to Horse Problems Q&A, Click Here: