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February 2007 |
Dear Friends: Winter has set in at the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center here in Blacksburg, Virginia. Our horses have grown their winter coats nicely and are settled in comfortably for the winter duration. With the colder weather upon us now, we have taken this training downtime opportunity to put together and launch a program we have long been envisioning, to allow for people all over the country and world to learn natural horsemanship from us -- no matter where they live! One-To-One "Remote Coaching" Support Program As my Whispering Way™ 12-Step Total Training System has evolved over the years, I have always kept one key goal in mind: to develop a safe and easy training program that people can actually do themselves to achieve a dramatic improvement in their horse's behavior and in their overall relationship and goals with their horse. I have helped people around the world accomplish this goal using the system, and have found that horse owners can often be their horse's most effective trainer -- especially when backed-up with some personalized guidance on how to address any unique issues with their horse. Due to the time, travel logistics and expense involved, I have found that it is often impractical for many people to actually bring their horse to our location for this kind of training. So, to better assist you in training your horse, I have developed a unique approach to supporting you, regardless of where you are located, in the application of the my program: the Whispering Way "Remote Coaching" Program. Remote Coaching is a crucial element of successful horse training that works like this: After you have watched our training DVDs, and have begun to apply these techniques with your horse, you may e-mail me directly with specific questions that may come up about applying this system with your own horse and I will work right alongside you via e-mail to make sure that you successfully move through these training steps with your horse. I have helped thousands of people over the years with my personalized coaching support, and have found it to be a very effective approach for helping people achieve their goals with their horses -- wherever they might be located -- and we are now steering in the direction of formally offering this service for everyone, no matter where they live. In order to best serve the large number of people around the country and around the world who are actively training their horses and wishing for our personalized help, and to learn natural horsemanship in a very user-friendly program designed for anyone at any level, Remote Coaching is evolving into one of my primary approaches for helping people train their horses, because via this route so many more people can be helped effectively. Ultimately, you are always your horse's primary trainer, whether you realize it or not, because every time you are with your horse, the horse is always learning something. You just want to make sure that they are learning what you want them to learn, not what you don't want them to learn! By applying my Whispering Way training methods, with free direct personalized backup support when needed through Remote Coaching, you will find that you can quickly improve your horse's performance and behavior, while also building renewed confidence in yourself as well as your horse's leader -- You Can Do This! I'd like to share a typical letter I recently received thanking us for our videos and backup support program: Dear Sylvia: I would like to thank you for offering such support to all of us out here who are wanting to learn about horses and how to cope with any problems we may be having with them. Nearly ALL of the trainers on the internet just give a taste of advice as a hook to get people to buy DVDs and videos that may well be beyond them, and then are not interested in helping further via email - they just expect one to buy yet another DVD. All ego, no personal touch. Your web site is extremely informative and in depth on all problems we may or may not have - for free! And amazingly enough, in this age of most trainers only caring about the dollar, you give total ONGOING support and caring by email to whomever contacts you! You worry about complete strangers and their horses, and turn yourself inside out helping them, a very rare thing in today's world! I bought your Round Pen Leadership DVD as soon as it came out, and it has helped me immeasurably with my horses. Sometimes, pictures are needed to get a point across rather than words. I also bought your Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set as soon as it was ready and that was amazing as well! It is articulate, addictive to watch and fascinating to see how the experts like yourself handle things. It was just like you were here with me, advising me whenever I wasn't sure I was handling certain things the correct way! I have watched it over and over again, and get something more out of it every time! My horses are all the better for your training and I get a lot of comments from other people on how well behaved they are. I have even more people wanting me to work with their problem horses now, as well as train their young ones. It's certainly an inexpensive way to have a world famous trainer at your beck and call! I salute you! Regards, S. F. - Queensland, Australia With so many natural horsemanship videos and programs out there today, I know how difficult it can be to figure out what to buy, who will follow through with helping you in the end, and what will work best with you and your horse. Rest assured that my program works with every horse every time, because it is designed to fix the real underlying problems, rebuilding the horse's foundation from the ground up safely -- safest for you and safest for your horse! -- creating a quieter, more compliant, more bonded-to-you horse, and your own confidence in being your horse's leader soaring. I invite you to read more about our Remote Coaching Program here and start your journey for creating your Whispering Way trained horse!: www.naturalhorsetraining.com/Training.html Check out and order today the Sylvia Scott Whispering Way™ 12-Step Total Training System! Or think about getting my Complete Package, which contains: my Round Pen Leadership DVD, my Whispering Way™ 12-Step Total Training System 3-DVD set, and all the tools (natural horsemanship halter/12' lead, extendable-retractable training wand, training string, and the handy pocket card that lists the 12 steps) that you need to train your horse yourself, the natural horsemanship Whispering Way!
We all can learn from each other! Sylvia Scott
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These Out! Let's All Send John Lyons Our Support!! - As some of you may or may not know, on January 8, "America's Most Trusted Horseman," and one of the world's greatest leaders in natural horsemanship, John Lyons, underwent double knee replacement surgery. You can follow updated reports on John's progress on his web site here: (www.johnlyons.com). I would like to take this opportunity to enlist all of you to think about sending John a "Get Well" card, with your heartfelt message of support. John has contributed so much to the natural horsemanship world and he deserves our immense love and encouragement right now. You can send your get well cards to: John Lyons Let's together flood John with our love and support, and he will be on the road to fast recovery before we know it! Check Out This Amazing Video - A Unique Experience in Equine Partnership - A number of people have sent me this link to quite an amazing streaming video you can watch, from France, "Lorenzo Spectacle Cheval Chevaux Camargue Dressage Equitation" - watch it, it's breathtaking, and shows what we can accomplish when we have a true partnership with our horses!: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xqvvn_lorenzo If you want to learn more about the amazing Lorenzo of the above video, check out his web site here: http://www.lorenzo.fr/page2.html Watch Road to the Horse Live--on your computer! - The following is a press release from the producers of the Road to the Horse trainer challenge: MURFREESBORO, Tenn., January 22, 2007—Road to the Horse Owner/Producer Tootie Bland (of Noodle, Texas) announces the March 3-4, 2007 event will be broadcast live via webcast—opening the event to an unlimited number of horse enthusiasts. The event officially sold out in December--selling more than 6,000 seats in the Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tenn. “We’re excited to know people all over the world can log on and see Clinton Anderson, Stacy Westfall and Chris Cox live as the event unfolds,” Bland says. “We know many people want to see the event however possible—we currently have a waiting list of more than 800 and one lady told us she’s driving 7 hours to do anything to get a ticket. She said it’s like trying to get into a Mick Jagger concert if you’re a rock fan or a George Strait concert if you’re a country fan. Having the webcast will help us introduce, educate and entertain people around the world—whether or not they are able to find a ticket.” The webcast will be available for $25 per computer connection. The Webcast will show the two-day event in its entirety. Computer owners with a high-speed connection may log on to www.roadtothehorse.com for complete purchasing and download directions. Purchasing and downloading details will be posted on the web site by mid February. Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) Announces Over $5,000 in Prizes for Natural Horsemanship Contest - The following is a news release from Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH): Friends of Sound Horses (FOSH) is pleased to announce that it will award $500 each to ten finalists in its Natural Horsemanship Challenge and additional prizes to ten semi-finalists. To be eligible, youths between the ages of 8 and 18 residing in Tennessee or Kentucky must show off their natural horsemanship skills with their Tennessee Walking Horse. FOSH is interested in demonstrations of how Tennessee Walking Horses can excel with natural horsemanship techniques. Youths are encouraged to use their creativity to highlight their horse’s special talent or skill—something unique, humorous or imaginative that was developed using natural horsemanship. To enter the challenge, interested contestants must submit a completed FOSH application form and a DVD, video or 1,000 word essay and photos demonstrating their natural horsemanship expertise with their Tennessee Walking Horse. Examples might include riding at the running walk with only a rope halter, dancing to music with a horse or teaching a horse a trick or pattern. To be eligible, horses must be light-shod or barefoot, and participants must be between the ages of 8 and 18 as of June 30, 2007. The postmark deadline for submissions is June 30, 2007. A free motivational DVD with examples of natural horsemanship training and a listing of over 100 natural horsemanship clinicians is available from FOSH by emailing contest@fosh.info FOSH is a national leader in the promotion of natural, sound gaited horses and in the fight against abuse and soring of Tennessee Walking Horses. For more information about FOSH, to become a member or obtain a contest application form, please visit http://www.fosh.info or call 800-651-7993. Horse
Problem Questions From You & Question - Therapeutic riding program horse kicks out at handlers and other horses: What would you do with a horse that is used in a Riding with Disabilities program here in Singapore that is kicking out at sidewalkers and other horses in the program? I will be working with him next Friday and need an answer fast! He is blind in one eye, so the sidewalkers are not allowed to walk on that side, but last week he was removed from the program and the rider was taken off (she was frightened). I told them I would like to help him with his behavior problems. By the way, most of the horses in this program are really old and cranky at times! D. J. - Singapore Sylvia's Answer: Hi D. Thanks for writing. Let me see what I can do here to help you get this horse past that kicking out behavior now. What I'd do with this horse would be a twofold approach to rid him of this problem: 1) desensitize him more (to raise his fear/irritational bar) and 2) after that, start disciplining him for kicking out if it still continues. In that order. Let me go over both those here. 1) First, I would do some deeper desensitizing so that he's not so sensitive on that side, or anywhere. I'm going to direct you to some links here on my web site that should help with that. Do the desensitizing in this order: a) First...Plant this exercise in the horse's foundation before moving on to desensitizing -- you'll need it & it's important: Leading Problems - Horse runs over human/How to teach horse back-up cue on ground b) Desensitize the horse to ropes: Rope Fears - Horse fears ropes on and around the body - how to desensitize
c) Desensitize the horse to plastic in hand, then plastic on the end of a training wand: Wand-Training Fear - Horse fears training wand with plastic/How to desensitize Note on this one: as you step-by-step your way to desensitizing with plastic on the end of a training wand, like I teach in that link, if he kicks out at the wand with plastic, keep the wand there by his back feet, and just move him in an inside circle (choke up on the lead rope) toward you (which moves the hind quarters away from you). Keep the wand there until he stops kicking at it, and the second he pauses/stops kicking, remove it. Though do use advance/retreat like I teach there to minimize the kicking for a start. But if he does suddenly kick out at it, we're not going to remove the wand for that kicking-out behavior. All horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want/what it is they are allowed to do, not from the pressure itself, so get your release timing very quick there (removing the wand) when he stops kicking (not while he's kicking), and he'll learn to stop kicking out. d) Desensitize the horse to tarps like I teach here: Tarp Desensitizing - Horse is afraid of plastic tarps This one is going to go a long way, multi-directions there, but do it last (do the above first). It's going to accomplish a lot, including...the final step of it (after broken down into many baby steps): getting the horse to allow being lead around with head/eyes/ears completely covered by the tarp, only following the "feel" of the rope -- i.e., leading "blindly", which builds immense trust in the horse when done right. But it's a step-by- step procedure, so follow the directions carefully. 2) Once you've accomplished all the above (and it all usually can be done in just one session), you should have a calmer, less reactive, more trusting horse there. After the above is done, then you can focus in on disciplining the horse if he kicks out at anyone, though I find after the above desensitizing is done, and done well, few horses kick out around them after that. But if he does, you are going to discipline him for that now, making the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard. Here's how: The second he kicks out rudely or aggressively, have a little bit of slack in the lead rope and jerk the lead rope down hard repeatedly at the same time you walk into the horse. Use a loud "Shhhhh" sound at the same time you are doing this (the shhhh sound will soon mean "stop it" to the horse if you use this sound only to mean "stop it!" while disciplining like I'm describing). The reason this form of disciplining works -- jerking the lead rope down repeatedly at the same time you walk into them while saying "shhhh" loudly -- this makes the horse have to scoot backwards suddenly. Horses follow a prey, herd, pecking order animal instinct that goes like this: he who moves the other's feet is higher up on the pecking order and therefore the leader to respect/listen to. Horses wouldn't dream of kicking out at a perceived higher pecking order horse in their herd. So, this jerking the lead, shhhing, walking into them, all at the same time, sends them backwards quickly and reminds them: you are the lead mare in their herd there, so behave! -- kicking is not allowed in "my herd!" Horses don't like to go backwards, so...gauge your send back (like I've described) quickly but proportional to the size of the kick. Meaning: if it's a tiny kick out, use only a mild reprimand (send him back only a couple of steps with a not-as-loud "shhh"). If it's an all-out attack-like bigger kick-out, use a very dramatic reprimand (send them back with the repeated jerking downward on the lead rope and walking into him, very loud with your SHHHH, and send them back many, many steps, to make this act he's doing very uncomfortable for him now -- it does NOT hurt the horse, but it definitely wakes them up, and it is language they fully understand). Always use the Shhhhh sound (don't use "No," the shhhh sound works much better in their brains) every time you discipline as such, and pretty soon just the shhh sound alone will stop their kicking behavior, no need to discipline further. One more link on my web site I want to direct you to -- a similar horse problem: Give all that a try in your next session with this horse and you should be able to get him past this behavior. Let me know how it goes after you've worked with him doing all the above. Incidentally....all the above (and much, much more) is taught in my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. You might be wise to work with all the "old and cranky" horses in your Riding with Disabilities program there, because applying what you learn in my program is going to greatly turn them all around and create quieter, safer rides for your disabled riders and the handlers as well. You can check out/order that DVD set here (we ship everywhere!): CLICK HERE - and I'm always available for free backup help in email if you ever have any questions as you go along in my program. Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - Teaching a horse to lay down for hoof trimmings: I love your web site and your thorough answers. I do have a question for you though. I have a 16-year-old half Arab mare that I have owned and trained since birth. My horse has some arthritis and stiffness in her hocks that makes it very time consuming to trim her feet. I do natural trimming on her and my 3 other horses and I give her frequent little walks when I trim her back feet. This is working fine for now, but I was considering trying to teach her to lay down for trimming. She still gets around well and loves our trail rides. She has no vices or trust issues with me and is a very respectful mare. She will let me pet and brush her if she happens to be laying down in the corral. What are your thoughts on this? What is the best method for teaching a horse to lay down? Thanks for your time. R. S. - Riverside, California Sylvia's Answer: Hi R. Let me direct you to a link on the internet that shows one method of teaching a horse to lay down: http://www.naturalhorsesupply.com/down1.shtml Josh Lyons also has a great video, "Teaching Tricks," that will show you step by step how to teach a horse to lay down, & you might think about getting that -- you can get it here on the Lyons' web site: CLICK HERE Videos are always a good way to learn something like that, I think, because it shows you even more visually how to do things right. I'm not a huge proponent of "laying down" horses (you know...problem horses I mean) unless it's done by an expert. It can be quite traumatic to non-trained horses and done wrong by amateurs it sometimes can create worse problems. But in your case there, I see no reason why you can't teach your already-well-trained, trusting horse this behavior and see if that helps with the painful trimming process due to arthritis. That's a good application. And you're expert enough in training to do it well, I think, with the right backup educational materials, like Josh's video especially. I really respect Josh Lyons; he's an excellent natural horsemanship trainer and teacher, if not maybe one of the best out there today, in my opinion. Incidentally, my former old horse, Gabe, who passed away this past year, also had some arthritis problems for a while that made it a little more uncomfortable for him to hold up especially his back legs for trimming. What I found worked well for him there was: I used a bean bag. I taught him to rest his foot back on the beanbag for trimming and that worked really well. It raised the foot off the ground to allow for the trimming, but he didn't have to hold the foot/leg up himself, straining himself painfully. I also found that adding MSM/glucosamine supplement into his daily diet helped him a lot with the arthritis as well. I like to use Grand Complete for that because it contains not only those mentioned joint supplements, but most all others a horse needs to stay healthy -- all my horses get Grand Complete. You can get Grand Complete online here at Valley Vet: CLICK HERE -- Valley Vet's prices seem to be lower than in-store prices, I find, & it's free shipping, too, if you order from Valley Vet, so you can't beat that! Question - Horse has severe hind leg scuffing when ridden: I came upon your site and I hope you can help me. I have a three-year-old quarter horse who has been racing, but when she builds up to a high speed, she clips her hind ankle severely. I believe this horse has a lot of speed, but, cannot continue to race doing this to herself. I have had her x-rayed and everything looks good. She wears wraps, but tears right thru them. When she is out in the pasture running, there is no problem. We have tried different shoeing methods to see if it helps, and it does not. Can you please help me? Thank You! I. V. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi I. It's really hard for me to diagnose from a distance why this is happening specifically with your horse. This is in the category of gait "interference." There are a number of varieties of such interference. Depending on their specifics, gait interferences are commonly referred to as: forging, brushing, over reaching, speed-cutting, cross-firing, etc. Interference can be caused by various factors, including: confirmation problems, pain somewhere in the horse (that you might want to have an equine chiropractor check out), faulty riding, asking too much of a young horse, trimming/shoeing problems, and so much more. I want to direct you to a link that you can study more in depth to see if it gives you any insight into your specific situation: And I want to direct you to another article by Stephen E. O’Grady, DVM, MRCVS on this topic (Dr. Steve O’Grady is a veterinarian and farrier who runs Northern Virginia Equine in The Plains, Virginia. Derek Poupard, a farrier also located in The Plains, Virginia, contributed to this article): http://www.equipodiatry.com/hindlimb.htm I would suggest you might think about contacting Dr. O'Grady directly, to see if he can give further insight and advice to you there as well. He is a specialist in equine podiatry -- equine foot and leg problems, such as what you are experiencing there. Dr. O'Grady's web site with contact information is: http://www.equipodiatry.com/ That's the best advice I can give you from here. Hope it helps and good luck to you there! Question - Can ground mounting ever hurt the horse?: I am a rather heavy rider for my size and age, and I was wondering if ground mounting on a horse for me, or in general, can hurt a horse's back? A. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Yes, it indeed can hurt the horse. Which is about pulling the horse's spine too hard/off to the side, when mounting there, and can lead to back problems in the horse. Use a mounting block and/or teach your horse to get next to anything that helps with your mounting there. I myself use a mounting block (or other objects like fences, logs, anything, etc.) as often as I can because I think it's just better for the horse and is respectful mounting. I'm short and my legs are very short (hence the stirrups are set up high) and since many horses I train are pretty tall for me/my short legs, I teach all horses to stand quietly next to mounting blocks and other objects to allow for mounting them from there so that their spines are not pulled too far to the side. Using mounting blocks (and other objects on the trail) for mounting is not being wussy; it's being very respectful of the horse!
Question - Disrespectful new horse needs leadership: I recently bought my first horse. He's a Quarter/Morgan cross. When I first got him, he was wonderful. But after about a week, he started being disrespectful and showing slightly aggressive behavior. Now when I go into the pasture, he holds his head up high, arches his neck, tilts his head and looks at me with one eye, while nickering, and pawing at me with his ears forward and alert. Several times he has reared up (about a foot high) when I try to get him to back up. A few times when I tried to get him to go forward (I was just leading him through the gate) his back end tensed up, and he turned it toward me as if he was going to try to kick. And sometimes when I'm leading him (when we are in the pasture) he starts turning his front end into me and trying to paw at me. And he nibbles at me when I'm close to him. He's never bitten me though. I've been trying everything I can think of for the past three weeks and have made some progress, but not much. Last week, he was the worst he's ever been. I couldn't even go into the pasture, because he started the pawing thing before I even opened the gate, and I didn't know what to do. I realize now that it was a challenge for leadership and he's winning. How can I establish my dominance over him now? I've been reading your responses to other people's questions on your web site and hope that you can help. Thanks! A. R. - Buffalo, Minnesota Sylvia's Answer: Hi A. Thanks for writing. I see that after you wrote this you ordered my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. That is going to help you out a lot there! It will be going out to you today. Your new horse has decided he's the leader, but you can turn this around with the right methods. Horses have a way of requesting that we show leadership before they turn themselves over to us, to become our willing, follower partner. Believe it or not, your horse is screaming loud & clear that he doesn't feel you know how to lead him, so...he's just "being a horse." I want to pass along a link for an exercise you can be working on in the meantime -- make sure you do this in a natural horsemanship halter with 12 foot lead rope -- very crucial training tool (and to keep you safest): Leading Problems - Horse runs over human/How to teach horse back-up cue on ground That one particular exercise is going to go a long way respect-wise, multi-directions. You'll see it taught visually in the DVD set as well. Horses follow a prey animal instinct that says: "He who moves the others feet is higher up on the pecking order and therefore the leader." Your horse perceives now that he can move your feet and therefore he's the leader of your "herd of two." That exercise I directed you to, for a start, will begin to turn his perception there around about who is in charge of whom's feet there. Also...if you have access to a round pen, I would suggest round penning him the way I teach how here: Effective Round Penning Techniques I want to direct you to another link, to help you step onto the natural horsemanship learning curve, I think it'll help for a start, too: What Is Natural Horsemanship? When he paws at you, shows signs of aggression when you enter his territory like you described, SEND HIM. Bring with you a 12-foot rope that you will use to toss at him or spin vertically to send him away. If he's doing it at the gate, before you even enter, spin the rope to smack the gate to send him back. That is "lead mare" language saying, "That is not acceptable behavior, therefore you must leave." And he will fully understand that language and will want to renegotiate the deal after that. Again, this is why I think a session or two of round penning the way I teach it would serve you well there, too (for both of you). Horses let go of that kind of behavior when you convince them that it is YOU who moves his feet, not the other way around. It's pecking order language they greatly understand and follow every day within a herd. Show him the black & white zone. Black zone is when he crosses over the line to unacceptable behavior and that's when pressure is put on him. White zone is when he's behaving and pressure is not put on him. All horses learn from the RELEASE of pressure what it is we want, not the pressure itself, so get your release timing (stop the pressure) very quickly for right answer behavior. Nibbling you is not acceptable behavior. If/when he does that, jerk the lead rope down repeatedly and make a loud Shhhhh sound as you walk into him. This will scoot his feet backwards. Then pause, stare at him. That's pressure. When he shows signs of compliance (licking the lips, head dropping, etc.) release all pressure, eyes off him, reapproach. Stay consistent there and he'll stop thinking he's allowed to put his mouth on you. All of this and much more will be taught to you in my Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System DVD set. If you have any questions as you go along applying my program, don't hesitate to email. Happy to help! Question - How should I build a proper natural horsemanship training round pen out of wood?: Hi Sylvia. What I want to ask you is how big do I have to build a round pen? I have decided to get one constructed this spring, as I know my horse and I can benefit from your instructions. Please give the size across and around, so I can get it done properly. How high should it be? And can I use boards to make it from? Thank you for your help. Take care and have a nice day. E. C. - Frenchman's Cove Fortune Bay, N.L., Canada Sylvia's Answer: Hi E. I prefer a 60-foot diameter (60-foot across/from one side to the other) and 6-foot high round pen. That's the ideal size to keep you and the horse safest. If you want to build one out of wood yourself, go to this web site and you can get really good detailed instructions in the form of an e-book, on how to make exactly that size/dimension round pen, out of wood, with all the details/supplies you need listed there, and step-by-step how-to instructions, everything you need to build yourself: http://www.roundpen.info/index.php As for footing to put into the round pen, read this link on my web site: Round Pen Footing - What's the best footing to put into a round pen? Question - Horse suddenly won't accept saddle pad/saddle: Hey Sylvia! I'm facing a problem with my horse, and I didn't seem to find the exact problem in your Q&A list. First, I'll give you some history on my horse. I bought my horse (an Appendix Thoroughbred gelding) when he was 8 and I was 13 (now I am 18 making him 13), from a rescue centre. He started with many problems, well most problems: impossible to catch, would not accept being tied up (would pull back terribly), was incredibly headshy, would not accept tack or blankets, would not accept a human's touch, and would never in a million years accept a rider. (You may ask why a 13-year-old would buy this horse, but if you know any thirteen year olds, you'll know that they will overlook the perfect horse and buy the one that nobody wants). Anyways, for the first two years I spent quite a bit of money on training, both for my horse, and myself! I even participated in Peter Campbell clinics. Well, after the first two years, this horse was an angel. The second I get out of my car and I whistle, he will instantly begin walking towards me. I barely do any of the walking when catching him in the pasture. If I wanted him to, he would stand while tied without moving for hours. He loves everyone and is definitely no longer headshy as he would never want to miss out on between the eyes and behind the ear scratches. He enjoys being groomed and won't budge when I pick his hooves. He gives a very soft feel when being lead and under saddle, it takes but moving my pinky to have him respond to the reins. He will back up right away, in a straight line or in a circle. BUT, this was before the move to a new barn. I moved him to a new barn three months ago, and the first day I tied him up (after a few days of leading him around the new property, and simply holding him in the barn without tying him), he flipped, and I mean literally flipped over. I had untied him and he was standing patiently, stricken with curiosity while the farm cat rubbed against his nose. I had put the saddle on him and he was fine, but out of the blue, about a minute after the saddle was on and cinched up, he reared up, smacked his head and flipped over. He couldn't regain balance and repeatedly flipped over for about 30 seconds, which trust me, felt like an hour. Once he got up I just stood and rubbed him until he relaxed, and took him outside for a walk, then bringing him back to the place of the accident, to make sure he didn't have bad memories there. He seemed fine after about half an hour, and was playing with the cat again. This all happened a minute after having the saddle on, without showing any discomfort prior to flipping, but I thought I should tell you exactly what happened in case you notice something I don't. This is where my problem starts. My horse won't stand still when I go up to him with a saddle pad anymore. I don't know if it has to do with the accident or just being in a new place. Here are the things I've tried: -Moving to a different area to saddle him up. -Letting him sniff the pad over and over. -When he moves, I'd move him back to where he was and where I wanted him to stand. -I'd back him up and move his hind quarters a bit to loosen him up a bit so he wasn't as tense. -I'd try walking from a slightly different angle, but he would walk away no matter how I came, and I'd still have to move him back into position. -When he does stand still and I get the blanket on him, I quickly rub him and immediately take it off so he knows he did well. But the next day it would start all over again. -I won't lose patience, I never put the saddle pad on until he completely stops moving. I have no other problems with my horse. He is a sweet, kind hearted animal whom I consider my very best friend. He is not aggressive, he is such a pleasure to ride and a pleasure to be around. But for some reason, getting the saddle pad on (the saddle isn't too bad because he realizes he's already got something on his back) is very hard. I'm sorry this was such a long question but I wanted you to know every single detail. Thank you very much. J. A. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi J. Thanks for writing and for the very good overview. First...I want to applaud you for all the wonderful work you've done with this horse over the years (clearly an abused horse before he came to you). How lucky he is to have you in his life. You're a true testament to what love and the right natural horsemanship methods can do to turn a horse around. I'm not sure what's going on there exactly now. I can only guess. I'm wondering...because you gave a few clues there....since he's at a new barn now and since horses do a lot of pecking order tussling at first sometimes with new arrivals...if he might have gotten injured by another horse there. Like a bad kick to his back, or side or something like that, which can remain hidden sometimes. That would be my first line to investigate. Since he's been fine and suddenly turned like this, that's almost always a sign of hidden-to-us pain somewhere. Not always, but nearly always, when something like that happens out of character suddenly and so out of the blue. If this were my horse, I think I'd like to call in a really good vet/equine chiropractor to have a complete examination. Often those experts can detect pain areas that we might find difficult to nail. Why don't you try that first. Have a feeling they might find something there and then fix it. The fact that it's involving the saddle especially, I think your horse is screaming as loud as he can that he's got pain somewhere there. Give that a try, call in a good equine chiropractor (and it wouldn't hurt to have a thorough vet check as well, I would!). So often...and I'd go as far as to say maybe 70%-80% of the time, sudden behavior problems like that are actually pain/discomfort based. Go to lengths there now to have a thorough vet exam (including mouth exam) and an equine chiropractor exam. Got a feeling that's what's going on. He may even have thrown his back out in the fall, it happens a lot. Turn to those two medical professionals now and see what they can flush out. That's my best advice. Keep me posted how it goes! Reply from J. A. (above): Wow, that's all I can say! I got your e-mail and drove out to see my horse. I brought him in and before I called the vet I checked to see if there was any evident pain I could see myself. I first started to run my knuckles softly over his rib cage because that will usually show if he feels sore. Well, right away he started moving away from me when I got to a point that would be about 2 inches behind the cinch. I checked the other side to see if it was just a newly found sensitive spot for him, but it was just his left side (probably why it was worse for him with the saddle pad seeing as I was approaching him from his left side). At first I felt guilty because I kept trying different ways to get the pad on him completely oblivious to the fact he was hurting, but in all honesty, an injury never crossed my mind! He never showed any sign of pain or being lame. I called the vet, and he said that if he was fine with gentle rubbing and grooming, then what he was doing was probably just remembering that it hurt there, which is why he wasn't showing any sign of serious bruising, and then I should simply rub him softly in that spot so he realizes it doesn't hurt. It seems he was right because after I touched the spot a few times he stopped caring, and you know what? He let me put the saddle pad on without a fuss! I'm not sure how it'll go tomorrow, but for now I don't care, this progress was amazing. I am so glad I found your e-mail because I would never have thought of an injury, and within a few hours of receiving your e-mail, my horse was happily accepting the saddle pad! (He seemed confused once I didn't take him out riding, but I think he enjoyed the strictly-grooming and playing visit more!). I was really running out of answers and within 24 hours I asked for a solution and I got one. I can't thank you enough. (And I'm sure my horse thanks you, too, because saddle pads aren't scary anymore!) J. A. Question - Racehorse retraining: Sylvia, I am looking at a retired race horse as an eventer/jumper and have a quick question. She is a great jumper. Really takes care of her rider, but after a jump she has about 3 strides of being calm and then takes off and begins laps. What needs to be done to slow her down? At the beginning of a course she is collected but gradually begins to speed up until she is like a bullet. I have another horse that was like this and it took hours of circingle ground work at a trot until he realized he could be slow and it was okay, but I have never worked with a racehorse and am unsure this is the right thing for her. Thanks, N. M. - Chesapeake, Virginia Sylvia's Answer: Hi N. Thanks for writing. I have found that former racehorses come with very specific foundation holes, which luckily you can plug up yourself with the right methods. And the foundation hole you described is very common with them! Let me direct you to a link on my web site that goes over in more detail what you can do to fix this now: Racehorse Retraining - Can you/how do you retrain a former racehorse for a new life? Read that link and the sub-links I refer to there and you'll see what you can be doing to close this foundation hole now. Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - Proper/safe trailer loading/unloading etiquette: First of all, thanks for your training tips. It confirms that I'm doing a lot of things right and has given me a few more tools for my bag. I grew up with horses, didn't have a horse for some of my adult life, and now have owned and trained for almost 5 years. During this time I've relied occasionally on borrowed trailers, but recently I've acquired a front-load 2-horse trailer (I know, not ideal, but it was all I could afford) and plan to get out on the area trails in these upcoming years. My question is this: Once the horse is in there, what is the proper or most safe order to secure them? Close door first, then go around and tie? Have someone else ready to tie them (after I've driven them in from the rear)? Is a butt-chain necessary/recommended? Also, how loose/short do you tie? And, in what order do you proceed when unloading? I'd appreciate any insight you could give. Thanks!! M. G. - Jewell, Iowa Sylvia's Answer: Hi M. Good questions! When loading a horse into a trailer, you want to load them first (on this page I show how to: teach a horse to trailer load), then secure the butt bar or divider, then close the back door, then go around and tie them, in that order, if you can. Always secure the butt bar/chain/divider before tying the horse. If the horse were to pull back before the butt bar was in place you don't want the horse breaking the rope, halter, hurt his neck or have the horse fall down. Do not stand directly behind the horse when hooking the butt bar in case the horse flies backwards; always stand off to the side. The reason for this order is safety of the horse. If a horse ever exploded in fear when in the trailer and the door is open, you wouldn't want them tied just yet and pulling back on that rope dangerously. You want them "free" until the door is closed. You can toss the lead rope over their back after they're in and go around to the side to grab that rope, then tie them (depending on what kind of trailer you have), but you don’t want to tie them until the door is safely closed behind them, as a general rule, and definitely don't tie them until the butt bar or divider is fully secured. When ready to unload them, it's the same safety concept concerns as above, just the reverse order: First untie them, then open the back door, then undo the butt bar, in that order. I prefer to tie horses for trailering in a quick-release knot, and with enough rope length room for them to permit head movement for balance, but not enough length for them to get a leg over the rope or for them to reach a horse traveling next to them. FYI -- Here are some links for how to tie a quick release knot: http://horses.about.com/od/basiccare/ss/quickrelease.htm http://www.cowboyway.com/HowTo/QuickReleaseKnot1.htm http://www.newrider.com/Starting_Out/Getting_Ready/quick_release_knot.html Another additional safety-feature route you can go is to install Blocker Tie Rings inside your trailer and secure the rope in that. It's a pretty neat device and we have Blocker Tie Rings all around my training center here. What's appealing about using those in your trailer, if a horse ever went down, the rope would give enough slack to not hang them up there. You can check out/order Blocker Tie Rings here: CLICK HERE Here are a few other general trailering safety tips:
One last note: On this page on my web site, in the left sidebar, I have some additional links for trailering tips/safety issues that you might check out as well: http://www.naturalhorsetraining.com/HorseTrips.html (let the entire page download there before clicking on links) Hope this answers your questions and thanks for asking! Question - How to get a horse parade-ready to carry a flag: Hello Sylvia. I have a little problem. I have been working with a green 5-year-old mare for the past year and so far everything has been going great. This is my first real horse to start on my own, and it was going downhill. But recently things have been clicking for her since I started her on a drill team. She has learned to trust me more, and has learned some things aren't as scary as they were. But as our team is going to start in numerous gymkhanas and parades, I have been asked if we would carry the American flag. This is where the problem starts. My mare will not tolerate anything that flaps near or on her. In the arena, I went to put my jacket on and she freaked out. Then a friend of mine started to hand me a spare shirt I had brought along and my horse started to get jittery. Is there anything I can do to start helping my horse to feel comfortable to carry a flag? I'd hate to see all of her hard work not pay off because of one little issue. Our first parade is in February and I have been working continually with her. Any advice will be very appreciated! Thank you, J. C. - Mesa, Arizona Sylvia's Answer: Hi J. Thanks for writing. Yes, you can fix this problem. The trick is to break it down into smaller baby steps. Let me direct you to some links on my site that should help there. First…do rope desensitizing, which I go over here: Rope Fears - Horse fears ropes on and around the body - how to desensitize Then...desensitize your horse to a plastic bag, then plastic on the end of a training wand, which I go over here: Wand-Training Fear - Horse fears training wand with plastic/How to desensitize Then do tarp desensitizing (is going to go a long way multi-directions!): Tarp Desensitizing - Horse is afraid of plastic tarps Also, read these links on my web site about desensitizing spooky horses: Spooky Horse - Horse spooks at things in saddle - how to desensitize spooky horse Spooking Horse #2 - Horse spooks in saddle/how to desensitize spooky horse
Incidentally, all of the above, and much, much more is covered in my (even beginner user-friendly) DVD Set, The Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System I think my program is going to help you out tremendously there, because there you can see visually how all this desensitizing is done, turning the horse into a quieter, more fear-free horse. And if you ever have questions as you get going in my program, I'm always only an email away for quick answers. Those (above) combined will get your horse ready to carry the flag, and you'll follow the same break-down procedures as you learn in the above to desensitize the horse to that flag. But by that point, because you will have done all the above foundational work & then worked up to riding the horse with the training wand with plastic tied to the end, it is going to be easier for the horse to then handle the flag (and anything else up there like you described she has problems with). It's all about step-by-step baby steps foundationally, and how to relax the horse as you go along in desensitizing lessons (taught in all the above links and in my video) as you teach that progression. Try all that and you'll have your horse parade ready before you know it! Horse Problems Solutions in General - If you haven't discovered already on my web site, check out my Q&A/Horse Problems/Training Tips section for solutions to common horse issues. The problems are listed in alphabetical order by problem, and I add to the list regularly. You can check them out here: Horse Training Tips and Solving Common Horse Problems - Q&A - If you have a horse problem that you do not see listed up there, feel free to email me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. Training Success Letters of the Month - Read latest success stories with our Natural Horsemanship Training Program - Click here: Letters of the Month Past Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center Newsletters Are Archived Here: News & Press |
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Natural Horsemanship Trainer & Clinician Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center, LLC Blacksburg, VA 24060 Email: sylvia@naturalhorsetraining.com Web Site: www.naturalhorsetraining.com Phone: (540) 953-3360 Fax: (540) 953-3370
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