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September 2006 |
Dear Friends: After a very busy month in August doing clinics in upstate New York (we'd like to thank Kate Taddeo at Fisher Farms in Memphis, New York, for doing a wonderful job of hosting our clinic!) and in Amelia, Virginia (we'd like to thank Tammy Drinkwater for hosting us at the Southern States Equine Day), we are winding down to our last clinic of the year this month, this one with Ed Dabney and myself, held here at the Virginia Natural Horsemanship Training Center (VNHTC). We still have some rider openings, and unlimited spectators are welcomed. Come join us! Here is more about this exciting clinic:
We're also happy to announce that our new Round Pen Leadership DVD has been released and already is helping lots of people! Here are a few of the many comments we've received from those who have bought and viewed the DVD:
Ms. Scott: Hello. My name is R. R. and I just received your Round Pen Leadership DVD; WOW! Thanks so much for demonstrating this exercise and in using four different horses with four diverse starting places. Watching and listening to your explanations—even after reading your round pen articles—has made a world of difference. Actually watching your use of volume thinking of “thought, head, point finger to get an outside turn” then later followed by the cue for an inside turn and progressing that to a come here cue has my 3-year-old paint doing the same thing after 3 days. For me, a novice (I have only been around horses for about a year. This is my first horse, and I have had her for 8 days; she has never had a saddle and won’t for a few weeks yet) this was the best feeling, and I even have friends telling me what a smart horse I have. I also have your Gentle Solutions book and I would really love to see you do a similar DVD training video on the book. I found that your added insights and explanations are a great refresher and enhancer to my understanding. Your detailed information on what you are asking of the horse and why, how the horse is responding to your cues, and how to correct or even accept small advances (the details of the communication and horse psychology) was exactly what is missing in many videos I have seen. You are a natural teacher... Thanks again for such a great training tool and I hope to see new DVD’s from you soon! - R. R. - Cedar Park, Texas Your new DVD on round-penning is superb & I have already watched it five times! I eagerly await the next one that would include all the rope-halter & lead work, desensitization, & horse whispering techniques. -M.D. K. - Herndon, Virginia Thank you for your Round Penning DVD!!! It was a great refresher on the round penning techniques you taught us, and I look forward to seeing the next DVD on de-spooking, rope work, etc.! K.C. S. - Seaford, Delaware Your round penning video is awesome. I plan on watching it over and over. Went out and practiced after the first viewing. That reinforcement really helps me. -J. L. - Blacksburg, Virginia Love your round penning DVD!!! Watched it a million times now. Huge help actually seeing you in action. You are a clever girl, Syl!! I'll be buying your next DVD as soon as it comes out. S. F. - Queensland, Australia I watched your Round Pen DVD and really enjoyed it. I found it very helpful in which I picked up a few more cues that I had forgotten such as mowing the ground and waiting for the body language to say “I’m listening to you” instead of trying to hurry up and push the horse to join up. I found once I have waited for all the signals to line up, I get a “real” join up instead of a chase game. Patience was a good reminder for me. -M. A.-W. - Estacada, Oregon I have your Round pen training DVD and am really enjoying it. As everyone says, you make it look so easy....You have been a big help. Thanks! -P. M. - Aurora, Colorado I just bought your new round pen training video. You did a very good job of explaining how things are done in the round pen. I like your way of not putting too much pressure on the horse...I am getting much better at communicating with my horses now! -B. P. - Ontario, Canada I recently purchased your Round Pen Leadership video and enjoyed it completely and I have started reading your "Gentle Solutions" book. This is my first experience with round penning and I am training my 2-year-old colt and his 16-year-old thoroughbred mom (separately). Having my first foal and learning what I need to do to train him has made me realize his mom can benefit from some foundation training as well. I have owned her for 12 years now and she has never been through a good foundation training program. She has a nice disposition, willing and smart, but I feel I haven't always been the "leader" and now I am learning that I need to be! -L. D. - Framingham, Massachusetts I received your video and have already watched it...I especially liked how you “invited” the inside turn as that is generally the hardest part of round penning to do - the outside turn is natural for them as they are in the “flight” mode - the inside turn however requires more trust and link up for them to turn and face you - interesting stuff and know it will be a big hit for you. -B. C. - Hume, Virginia Thank you so much for sending me your new Round Pen Leadership DVD. Wow, it's great! Lots of good, practical information. I really like the way you include the quotes in text at the bottom of the screen for emphasis. I think this will help folks really understand the techniques. E. D. - Monroe, GA Here's more about our new Round Pen Leadership DVD - Order your copy today!
Notice: Since we are hard at work on producing a number of new videos in our planned series, we will not be scheduling any more clinics or appearances in the coming months, as we are on a tight video production schedule to get these videos launched and out there, to help more people. Come join us in our last clinic this year on Sept. 9-10 at the VNHTC! Trevor Scott Update For those of you who have asked to be kept updated on our son, Trevor Scott, who is serving in Ramadi, Iraq, with the U.S. Army's 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, here's a really good article by the Stars & Stripes news publication on what Trevor's unit is doing there right now: CLICK HERE. We hear from Trevor sporadically in email and so far he's doing okay, but is exhausted most of the time as he performs his really tough job there. He greatly appreciates all the care packages sent to him! Thanks, as always, for your continued support! We all can learn from each other! Sylvia Scott
Horse Training Thought For the Month - Natural Horsemanship Tenet To learn how to train your horse yourself, step by step the Whispering Way™, think about getting the Gentle Solutions book I co-wrote, which you can read more about and order here: CLICK HERE Check These Out! Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue - New Online Auction Fund Raiser/Donations - The Roanoke Valley Horse Rescue (http://www.rvhr.com/), located in Hardy, Virginia, has set up a new online auction feature on their web site to help with raising funds for their fine equine rescue organization. If you would like to donate items to be sold in this auction -- for a great cause! -- contact Patty Muncy by phone at 540-797-1999 or by email at Info@rvhr.com and visit their web site to bid on items as they appear! The first of many items to come is a very nice horse lamp which was donated. Let your friends and family know to stop in and check it out www.rvhr.com and click on the auction link there. Let's help out this worthy organization! Program Director/NARHA Instructor Job Opening - Roanoke Valley Therapeutic Riding Program (http://www.rvtrp.org/) has a job opening for Program Director/NARHA Instructor. Seek highly organized individual to manage and grow local Therapeutic Riding program. Candidate should possess strong leadership, communications, fundraising skills and grant writing experience. NARHA Instructor certification required. Supervisory experience preferred. Salary commensurate with experience; Benefits Package available. Submit resume/salary requirements by 9/15/06 to: Roanoke Valley Therapeutic Riding Program, PO Box 456, Boones Mill, VA 24065, or e-mail ridingrvtrp@verizon.net - We are accepting applications until September 15. Introduction to Acupressure & Traditional Chinese Medicine - Come join in the fun and education when Beth Pelosa teaches an Acupressure Clinic at Holly Point Equestrian Center on September 30th and October 1st! Acupressure is safe, non invasive and an extremely powerful ancient healing art. Learning acupressure will help reinforce the human-animal bond while enhancing your horse’s physical health and emotional stability. This course introduces animal guardians, trainers, and animal health care practitioners to the basics of an equine acupressure treatment, key concepts underlying acupressure including the theory of Yin and Yang, the organ and meridian systems, specific acupressure points for common equine conditions and much more. The class includes demonstration and extensive hands-on exercise with horses. The course includes Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual, by Amy Snow and Nancy Zidonis, Founders of Tallgrass Animal Acupressure. Bringing your own horse is not necessary for this event, though you are more then welcome to volunteer them for this special treat. Time is running out and slots are starting to fill. This is an incredible opportunity to build a better relationship with your horse while relaxing muscles and relieving pain! Location: Holly Point Equestrian Center (http://www.hollypointeqctr.com), Leonardtown, Maryland, Email: info@hollypointeqctr.com - Phone: 240-538-5106 or 301-994-1962 - For more information on pricing and registration, please contact us directly - Chris Bologna & Carol Collins, HPEC Owners Horse
Problem Questions From You & Question - Horse
panics on trail when sees deer: Hello.
First of all I would like to say I enjoy your web site very
much. A little about myself and my husband: We are in our
mid sixties and ride Tennessee Walking Horse mares.
Both are well trained and easy to work with. We did have
a situation when riding last Sunday that I really do not
know the answer to. Maybe just a freak accident that will
never happen again. We were on the trail riding from sunlight
into deep shade. There were 3 deer grazing on the side of
the trail. I immediately knew our horses did not see them
and did not want them startled to flight which is exactly
what happened. I yelled at the deer but they did not move,
just looked at us. Then one made a slight movement and my
horse finally saw “something” and whirled around going back
the other way for a few feet. She did not actually run away
just whirled and I lost my seat in the saddle and fell to
the ground. She then stood beside me, upset, but not running
away. My husband was having trouble with his horse because
of mine (we never did know if his saw the deer or reacted
to my horse). He managed to stay aboard. I came away with
only some bruises which was good since I fell on some large
rocks that were in the trail because of erosion. Earlier
that day they had seen some deer crossing the trail ahead
of us but they were ahead of us enough not to cause problems.
Both of our horses are good trail horses and have
seen deer before that day. We will be going camping next
week and I am thinking of deer and how to avoid a similar
situation. My only thought is to be on the alert for some
beside the trail and turn the horses around before they
are startled. Any ideas?
L. M. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi L. Thanks for writing. Ouch! Glad you're okay! It's not so much about deer appearing on the trail and what to do about them, but about: having in your horse's foundation what is missing, to draw upon in ANY emergency (even checking at the door the reaction caused by any emergency appearance of anything that could potentially spook your horse) and that is what you need to build into your horse's foundation now. It is called: a one-rein stop. I want to direct you to a link on my web site that will go into greater detail about the importance of building this into your horse's foundation, the why's, and how to build it into your horse's foundation, starting in baby steps (from the ground first): It is absolutely crucial, I feel, to build that one-rein stop/safety zone into every horse's foundation before ever riding them, or it's like driving a car on black ice -- i.e., an accident just waiting to happen!! Spend some time this week (after really reading/studying my above one-rein stop link) building the one-rein stop into your horse's foundation, safely from the ground first, then keep building it upward in saddle like I teach there. Then, next time you see a deer ahead, or your horse spooks at anything, you are going to wind the horse down into the one-rein stop/safety-bonding zone and reassure them that you have things under control and they are not to worry. Better yet, you are going to practice it many times when out on the trail ride, even before something "scary" appears, so it will be total reflex for you and the horse when a deer -- or anything potentially scary -- appears. That is what's missing in your horse's training foundation there, and you can easily build it in now, doesn't take long. I do it in one training session usually. You cannot introduce the one rein stop for the first time on the trail. It must be built into the foundation first, in the safe confines of a round pen or arena, built from the ground up, and then practiced dozens and dozens of times there at the walk, then higher gaits, until it is total reflex in you and the horse. Then and only then, take them out of the arena/confined area and practice it all around the area, then out on trails. And if you see a deer ahead and suspect your horse may have a reaction, you are going to instantly perform the one-rein stop/bond in the safety zone, to reassure your horse BEFORE anything happens, not after. In my opinion there is probably no more important feature to plant into your horse's foundation than the one-rein stop. It's that crucial for remaining safe at all times on horseback. Work on that and you'll see you have a tool to draw upon in any such future emergency as you experienced in the deer incident. Let me know how it goes! Question - Horse terrified of farrier: Hi Sylvia. I have a wonderful percheron-thoroughbred cross gelding. He stands about 17.2 and is a very big boy with very big feet. He's turning 8, and is a wonderful fieldhunter for my husband. He's kind, gentle and has very nice ground manners. He is relatively green though in lots of ways, but he's willing and smart, so he's coming along nicely. Our only roadblock with him is that he is absolutely TERRIFIED of the farrier. As soon as the farrier's truck pulls in, the horse either turns to stone in his stall or begins snorting and breaks into a sweat. We leased him before we bought him. And at that point, he didn't wear back shoes because no one could get near his feet. In fact, if you could clean them once every few weeks, you were lucky. After some time, my husband and I coaxed him into letting us lift his feet so we could pick them out. Soon after, some trust was built and he started lifting and holding them up himself when we asked. And now he'll let anyone (except a farrier) clean his feet. We've had to tranq him for every shoeing and we try to give him lots of breaks and one of us always attends and handles him on a lead rope (no cross ties), but to be honest... even with ACE, he's a handful and we've been forced to shank him or twitch him plenty of times. The last few times have been a bit better, and we've been able to use less ace and less pressure...but yesterday, he was a wreck again, and one of the groom's shanked his gum. I was immediately horrified and made them remove it, but when he struggled it tore his gum. Later, he stopped struggling so hard, but was covered in sweat and trembling on and off. My husband and I are so upset about this setback. We know the rough treatment will have ruined any slow progress we were previously making on this. But to be honest, I am out of ideas on how to keep him calm and keep the staff working on him safely. I do want to teach him to stand calmly without drugs, and we're willing to put the time in, but frankly my toolbox is bare. And with yesterday's horrible event, I know we'll have my hands full again 6 weeks from now. He is such a nice horse and doesn't show this kind of fear in any other setting. He's sensitive, smart and cares about his rider. He's respectful of all handlers on the ground, too. What can we do to help him get over this fear of the farrier? At this point, we're talking to the vet about a stronger tranq. In my opinion, I'd rather him just wake up with new shoes, than spend 3 hours terrified. I know he can't learn if he's half-asleep, but he can't learn if he's trembling and sweating in terror either. Please, any advice to help us with our horse would be much appreciated. Thanks so much, C. F. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi. Thanks for writing. I've fixed this problem many times and the route you guys are going there is only making matters worse. Your horse associates now the farrier visit with rough handling, pain, trauma, etc. I.E.: it's a well justified fear!!! Crossing into the category of abuse, you need to know. Shanking a horse's gums is one of the most horrendous abuses out there today. And I am not a proponent of twitching or shanking horses either. You need to know that, because if you are allowing such abuse knowingly, then you are (inadvertently) as guilty as the abuser. Horse owners need to be in the position of PROTECTING their horses at all times from abuse, not standing by and ever allowing it. I know you know that deep down, which is why you are reaching out for better answers. Sedation is NOT the route to go either, nor anything you've been doing there (or allowed being done), but instead, fixing the underlying problem is the route to go--- and humanely! Yesterday I had here a client whose (new to them) formerly abused horse I'm nearly done retraining (overall) who also had a massively phobic fear of the farrier and for all of his 8 years, "had to" be sedated for farrier visits, but still fought, because sedation is never the answer!! I put "had to" in quotes there because that was a grave misconception going the sedation/force route and is caused by sheer ignorance. Long story short: yesterday...his 4th scheduled farrier visit with me present (with no sedation) he stood quietly, no fear at all, the owner this time holding him (me out of the picture) easily, quietly, and the horse was trimmed with no effort or resistance whatsoever, needing no sedation, no force, nothing. Just a regular horse handling the farrier calmly, rationally, happily, like most horses do. A proud graduate of my program. It's past abusive methods used by owners or farriers or vets that causes the problem in the first place. You have to fix that problem the right way. That involves: fixing the real underlying problem -- STOP going the forced/pain/sedation route and now undo the damage! That route you are going there will only escalate the problem tremendously, and make matters get worse & worse. It's like...trying to put a tiny bandaid on a huge festering wound -- it won't work. You have to treat the real wound properly. To fix the real problem...First...you need to get a farrier who will patiently cooperate with you, NOT sedating, and allow for some proper advance/retreat desensitizing to get the horse over this fear for good. And never let a clueless groom or barn employee hold your horse again for the farrier visit, but take charge doing that task yourself. Do the following not in the horse's stall (so he won't feel trapped), but in the safe confines of a paddock or ideally a round pen. Take the farrier's apron (ask him to take it off as he keeps his distance) and wad it up small for a start, and rub it all over the horse to desensitize him to the smell, to replace that smell sensory memory with something pleasant. (Do this yourself, not the farrier). Let the apron open up slowly as you rub the horse, until he can tolerate that completely, and calmly. Do the same with some of the farrier's tools, rubbing them all over the horse, nurturing the horse through that process. If/when the horse shows curiosity and wants to smell them as you go along, let him. Curiosity is the opposite of fear. Throughout this desensitizing (and throughout the entire lesson when needed), use these relaxing/bonding techniques that I show here, to help the horse cope -- specifically there on that list: use the finger in the mouth and head down technique to relax the horse manually, for your purposes: Horses don't know how to bring themselves back down from being afraid, once they've wound themselves up. You, the owner, are going to take charge of that relaxing the horse throughout this lesson, using those relaxing techniques, to manually relax him yourself as you go along. Use pressure/release to get the horse to drop the head (lowered head is automatically a relaxed horse) & get good at the finger in the mouth technique you read there. They are very, very powerful training tools! Next....you need to have the farrier use advance/retreat for approaching the horse. And for teaching you how this is done right, I want to direct you to a link on my web site that goes into more depth on this process (this particular link deals with a horse that can't be touched -- like a wild horse, but use the same method you read there): That link there shows desensitizing a horse to touch at liberty, after round penning, but you can still do this in halter/lead (preferably a natural horsemanship halter with 12' lead rope (CLICK HERE) -- just apply the same advance/retreat principles there to work the horse past the fear of the farrier. You hold the lead and help relax the horse ongoingly, while the farrier uses advance & retreat in this exercise. It is during the RETREAT that the horse loses fear/gains confidence, not during the advance, so...it's real important as you have the farrier perform this exercise, to first perceive where the bubble space is in the horse's mind that he starts to move away afraid if the farrier "crosses that line" and have the farrier NOT cross it at first. Just have him advance to the invisible line, eyes averted, shoulder to the horse (no eye-to-eye contact!) and as soon as he reaches the line, have him turn away, his back to the horse, have the farrier walk away, stop, pause. Let the horse digest that. Repeat. As many times as it takes until the horse can handle the farrier approaching that line and the horse not moving off. When that goes well (take your time!!), have the farrier advance and step one foot over that bubble-space line, then turn and retreat instantly, walk away, his back to the horse, pause. Let the horse digest that. Repeat. As you go this route, slowly the bubble space line will be redrawn mentally by the horse, closer & closer to him. The biggest mistake people make with these kind of horse fears is being too advance (forward moving) focused, instead of being retreat focused. Be 100% retreat focused, and ideally, get the timing down so that the farrier is retreating before the horse retreats. Repeat: it is during the retreat that the horse begins to grow confidence and refile the farrier as NOT a dangerous predator after all. As the farrier advances/retreats, soon he'll be within range to stroke the horse (usually on the side or shoulder), eyes still averted, shoulder to the horse. He should stroke the horse only once with the back of his hand (never the front of the hand or it's a "predator claw" in a horse's mind), and instantly retreat, his back to the horse, walk away. Stop. Pause with his back to the horse. Wait as the horse digests this. Repeat. Once the horse can handle that one stroke with the retreat well without moving off, the farrier should approach, stroke twice, retreat, stop, pause, let the horse digest that success. And so on. Via advance/retreat, the farrier is reconditioning the horse's sensory memory to refile the farrier as safe, not something that will harm or traumatize him. Dangerous predators advance only (in a horse's mind). With the farrier retreating repeatedly there, the horse starts to refile him as not a dangerous predator, as his mind switches to, "hey...dangerous predators don't retreat, maybe he's safe, maybe he's not a predator after all. Maybe I can trust him..." After many, many advances/retreats, slowly inching closer to the horse, stroking before retreating, soon the farrier can stand still next to the horse and stroke him many times in that one spot and not have to retreat (is all about "feel" of the animal and responding with the retreat accordingly before pushing the horse over the edge). It's okay at that point for him to stroke the horse with the front (palm) of his hand now. From there....follow my above link I directed you to, for him to now desensitize the horse's entire body to the farrier's touch, but using advance/retreat even there. Stroke just once outside the "base" he's established there in that one spot on the horse, then instantly retreat to stroking back in the safe area quickly, and slowly the boundary lines will get redrawn mentally by the horse until the farrier can rub the horse all over his body. Repeat: the retreat is everything there! Don't be goal-focused, be retreat focused. Once that is accomplished, have the farrier stroke down the leg, then retreat back to stroking the safe "base" area you've established. Repeat many times until the farrier can linger there stroking the leg repeatedly longer. (Incidentally, no patting the horse! only stroke or scratch! Horses do not like patting and it only tenses them up. Here we want to RELAX the horse, so stick to stroking and scratching only). Have the farrier pick up the foot, put it down quickly, several times, until the horse relaxes and knows the farrier is not a threat there. I would also suggest you read my foot-handling problem link for you and the farrier to work on this together: Don't use force there, but use the rope and pressure/release like I teach there, to retrain your horse how to pick up his feet. Keep empathy present at all times. Force was not the route to go there, nor was sedation. Back up and take the time to fix the real problem (caused by past abusive and unproductive methods used on him there--sedation does NOT stop a horse from being afraid if the phobia is big enough! And knocking out the horse completely is not your answer either for the long run -- take the time to back up and fix the real problem using natural horsemanship humane techniques). The long way is the short way, as we say in natural horsemanship training. The time you take to back up now and fix the real underlying problem, will fix the problem for good. And please intervene if/whenever someone (farrier, vet, grooms, anyone!) tries to use forceful or abusive or unproductive methods in the future, which has created this problem in the first place. Be a strong advocate for your horse. That's part of our deal as their trusted partners. If you allow abuse or force, your horse knows it and will trust you less for allowing it. If you feel you cannot accomplish this retraining yourself, do call in a natural horsemanship trainer to help you out one-to-one. I have a "Find a Natural Horsemanship Trainer Near You" section up on my web site. Incidentally...I want to add in here that unless your horse has some serious back feet deformity or confirmation problem, he should NOT need shoes on his back feet. That's a great misconception "out there." Shoes on horses' back feet are usually not necessary. Most horses only need good trims on the back feet, but rarely ever do they need shoes on the back feet. Something to think about! I do hope this helps and I hope you take positive action now to undo the damage done to your horse and move forward positively and onto the humane path for fixing this problem once and for all. Question - Horse gets restless when tied: Hi, I am new to your web site and have really enjoyed all the great advice. I have a really sweet 8-year-old paint mare. She does not like to be tied up; she walks around constantly and paws at the ground when tied. She acts very nervous, but only when tied. Can you give me some advice? Thanks. P. M. - Aurora, Colorado Sylvia's Answer: Hi P. Thanks for writing. Teaching a horse to stand quietly while tied is about teaching a horse to stand still quietly, period. Let me direct you to a link on my web site that will show you how to teach your horse to stand still: In other words, you are going to back her up in her training and plug up the real foundation hole that makes her restless when tied, by fixing the real underlying problem: teaching her to stand still. Once you've taught her that really well (what you learn in that above link), then return to tying her. But do it in that order only; she needs to learn this stand-still skill away from the tie spot first. For this next stage for tying here (have the other exercise going really well there first!) tie a plastic bag to the end of a training wand or dressage whip (whip part cut off) -- or get one of my handy, multi-purpose extendable-retractable training wands which has plastic tied to the end, and just wait there to see if she paws when tied. The SECOND you see her start the antsy pawing while tied, shake the wand with plastic (a bit away from her for a start, use common sense here!) and make a loud "Shhhhhhh" sound at the same time (shhhh means "stop it," so it's planting a cue sound to mean stop it, any direction, for the future). The horse will immediately stop the "pawing" and will stand correctly at your sudden reaction, and this is when you release the pressure, drop the wand, go up and reward, stroke, "good girl!" Remember: all horses learn from the release of pressure what it is you want/what it is they are allowed to do, not necessarily from the pressure itself, so get your wand shaking release timing very quick there, releasing the nano-second she stops pawing, stands quietly, so she can make the brain connection that she did the right thing there to release the pressure. Then stroke, reward, back up and wait to see if she does it again. And repeat, being 100% consistent there until she finds the thought alone of antsy pawing gets this pressure put on her, and becomes not a good idea inside of her. Soon you won't need the wand with plastic shaking there, but will only use the "Shhhh" sound when needed, and she'll stop the pawing/antsy act in its tracks. I would also like to add in here that it helps (along with all the above) to feed a horse (supplement feed) and groom the horse while they're tied for a while so they can start filing away mentally that tying as a very pleasant experience. And as you're reschooling her there for this new behavior expectation, keep your tying lessons short. Don't untie her when she's acting up/pawing (or you've just taught her to keep doing this), but instead discipline her like I describe above, and when you see she's standing quietly, more relaxed, THEN untie her and end the tying lesson on that quiet positive. Do a bunch of mini-lessons like that, extending the tying time slowly longer & longer over time, but untying her when she's quiet/ending the lesson, and she'll relearn that tying is not such a bad thing after all. It's: rest time. Try all that and you should help her past this issue. Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - Horse stops dead and won't go -- on the ground & in saddle: Hi Sylvia, I would like to ask you a question concerning my horse. He is an 8-year-old standardbred gelding. We have only had him two years. He has a problem, and I'm not exactly sure what it is. When I ride him, most of the time he does great, but sometimes he can really test a person's patience. He has this habit of stopping at random places and times, and he just won't go. Whether you are on him or leading him, sometimes he will just stop and there is nothing you can do (well, that I can do) that can convince him to go. I have tried adding pressure and releasing and sometimes that worked, but most of the time he just locks his front legs and won't go. I am guessing it is stubbornness, am I wrong? Could it be that he is scared of something, or something is bothering him? He is a follower, he is always behind my other horse when we are on the trail. I know that's probably why he won't go when we put him in front, but when he is by himself, I can't think of what his issue is. Am I doing something wrong? Am I asking him/training him to do that unknowingly? I am running out of answers. It is getting really bad. Sometimes I am on the trail with him and he stops and it is 20 minutes before I can get him to go again. I can pull, push, talk to him, nudge him with the reins, anything, and he just sits there and looks at me kind of wearily. When he finally decides it's time to go, he goes again without a problem. He will do almost anything I ask of him right away, until he decides it's time to stop again. Please help me. I ride (in the woods) for roughly 3 or 4 hours almost every day, and now every time I go, I have to make sure that, with all of her stops, I still have time to get back before dark. Thank you for your time. H. E. - Coudersport, Pennsylvania Sylvia's Answer: Hi. Thanks for writing. Well...this is mostly about your horse does not perceive you fully as his leader and partly about: he's just learned to do this. He's not stubborn, he's stuck. Let me see what I can do to unstick you, but I'm going to direct you to some specific links in my Q&A section on my web site, so you can see some things there that you need to see, and you'll learn the "tools" to get him unstuck when he digs in like that. The most important thing to remember about a horse is: the engine is in the back. A horse is like a motorboat, with the motor in the back -- in the horse, that motor would be: the hind quarters. That's important to grasp, especially with a horse who is digging in, not wanting to go. We can't coax the front of the horse, because that's not where the engine is, that stalled there, sputtered out. We have to focus on the hind quarters. Okay...with that understanding now, let me direct you to some specific links you can read, to get a handle on the getting stuck on the ground, then getting stuck in saddle. Some of the links I point you toward here might not be the exact same specific problem you're having there, but the solutions are the same. Plus, these links will perhaps give you a number of choice routes to try there, and you can see what works best for you and your horse. Check out these links: For ground leading problem/horse getting stuck: Balking/Leading Problem - Horse balks when being ground led (2 problems, same solution) Leading Problems - Horse won't go/gets stuck when ground leading For in saddle problem/horse getting stuck: Horse Won't Go - Horse refuses to go/balks after being mounted Horse Won't Go - Horse stops after couple of steps into trot Horse Stops - Horse stops dead/refuses when asked to trot or canter Balking - Horse won't go forward on trail in unfamiliar areas - What to do? Read those over and you should get some insight on how to tackle this problem, even from multi-directions if needed. But do keep remembering that the body part you want to get unstuck there is: the hind quarter. Back up and return to foundation training maybe, just focusing on the hind quarters. They should move away easily when asked by an inside leg. And the head should yield softly and compliantly to the inside when you pick up that inside rein and ask for that. Together, having soft control of the head yielding (both sides equally), and having full control of the hind quarters (both sides equally), you will have better control of your horse "motor boat." Stop and focus on getting control of the hind quarters when the horse gets stuck when riding, and you will quickly gain full control of the whole horse. Hope this makes sense, but do read over those above links carefully and I think it'll all sink in, giving you "a plan" to work on now. Incidentally, when I'm training a horse and building (or rebuilding) the horse's foundation, always from the ground up, I like to start with at liberty round penning usually and toward the end of that round penning exercise, I build into the horse's foundation (again, at liberty): complete control of the horse's hind quarters. My new Round Pen Leadership video teaches how to do this, very clearly, step by step. You can order that video here: Round Pen Leadership DVD Once you've placed that hind quarter control in the horse's foundation during the round penning exercise, it goes a long, long way multi-directions, translating outward into other positive categories with the horse, including leading and riding. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes!
Question - Horse aggressive-to-humans pasture behavior: Hi Sylvia, I recently purchased a 12-year-old Tennessee Walking Horse mare, who is finished & trained well, (though I think her trainer hit her face, as she flinches when you try to groom her face). She’s great in the halter, under saddle & on the trails. She’s affectionate while I groom her also. The only problem, which is a dangerous one, is when I go into the pasture to get her, at the farm where she is currently being boarded, she pins her ears back, charges towards me and whips around & tries to kick me. She’s done this with her previous owner, and to other people who go into the pasture to get their horses. Those that aren’t afraid of her, she ignores. Yesterday, a male friend, who isn’t afraid of her, went into the pasture, he moved towards her when she showed this aggressive behavior, he didn’t show fear and within minutes, she was a calm horse, and he got the halter on her. Is your tip on your web site, Rearing Horse In Pasture - Horse rears when approaching humans in pasture the tip I should follow when dealing with this issue – and hopefully resolving this issue before I bring her home? We are scheduled to bring her home to our farm in 6 months. We are building her a pasture & barn. I do think, however, once I am her primary caretaker, this issue should dissolve completely, though I guess it would be best to establish that I am the herd lead mare soon. Thank you so very much and I look forward to your reply. D. W. - Wake Forest, North Carolina Sylvia's Answer: Hi D. Thanks for writing. Yes, your instincts are correct there and that link you referred to there on my web site is your solution. Get directive and SEND HER away when she acts like that. Horses totally understand that "send away" language as: you are the higher pecking order "herd member" that she needs to respect. I would also highly advise round penning her, too, as soon as you get her home, as that will fix the problem completely. I have a round penning tutorial here on my web site: Plus...I also have out a new Round Pen Leadership DVD that I think would help you a lot there -- we're getting immensely positive feedback on that DVD, that it's helping lots of people! - you can order it here: Round Pen Leadership DVD
Question - Horse wants to be in lead when riding & wants to get back to pasturemate: Hi Sylvia, I have a paso fino mare. I have not experienced this problem with her in the 3 years I have had her. I have recently moved her to another farm. She has been placed with a gelding and they have become quite close...literally...especially now that she is in season. I have no problems catching her or getting her ready for a ride. Upon first leaving, she gets jiggety, throws head around and tries to give me little bucks as she knows we are leaving him. She does this when we are alone or riding with other horses. Once we get away from home, she calms down and is quite pleasant. Lately we have been riding with 5 other ladies and she prefers to lead. When she is in the pack, she gets upset. I usually keep her within the group so she will get used to being with the others, but after a while, I grow tired of fighting her attitude, so we move to the front where she instantly calms down. The other day, we were in the lead and gaiting. The other horses from behind came up behind her at a trot and I kept her in gait. As soon as the other horses passed her, she threw her head around, got jiggety in place and gave a big buck. I kept her back and made her listen to me and what I wanted from her, which was to remain back and keep in gait. She settled down but was not happy being left behind. Question: What can I do when she does this? She hasn't bucked me off YET, but this is something new that she is doing and I don't care for it. Also, when this happened, we were heading towards home. Part of the problem is wanting to get back to her pasture mate and the other is wanting to get back in the lead. Thanks for your help. I enjoy reading about Horse Problems on your website. S. S. - Danville, Virginia Sylvia's Answer: Hi S. Thanks for writing and for the excellent overview -- gives me a real clear picture there. I would suggest this: Plant into her foundation the one-rein stop and from now on when she's acting up like that (at any time you are riding), wind her down into the one-rein stop/disengaging the hind quarters (this will be in the category of making the right thing easy, the wrong thing hard) and this will give you full control of her attempts at taking over there, get her listening to you better AND prevent you from being bucked off. A well-planted-in-foundation one-rein stop will stop a bucking horse, a rearing horse, a runaway horse, or a horse who has simply shut you off and taken over the leadership there. Let me direct you to a link on my web site that will show you how to teach the one-rein stop, from the ground up: I also think she would greatly benefit from you backing up and round penning her the natural horsemanship way to remind her that you are the lead mare in her herd, not herself (she thinks of herself as lead mare there, hence her constant insistence on being the leader of the herd when riding out with others) when the truth is: YOU are the lead mare -- she's forgotten that. Round penning should help her to remember that it is YOU in charge of her feet, not the other way around, and hence you are the lead mare -- I teach step-by-step round penning here: I also have a new Round Pen Leadership DVD. Round penning, done right, done the natural horsemanship way, is an excellent first foundation to put down in a horse as it sets you up as leader and the horse learning to listen quietly to your instructions, as follower at all times. Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - Aggressive stallion problem: Hi Sylvia, I just recently found your web site looking for horse training videos for my stallion. I live in Puerto Rico and it's been hard to find a trainer in natural horsemanship here. I have an 8-year-old stallion that is a cryptorchid, he gets very aggressive with other horses and with me if there are other horses in site. He normally will be crazy to come out of his stall (gets exercise Saturday and/or Sundays) and is hard to lead unless you give him a couple of hard yanks. When you tie him up, he'll start pacing and scuffing the ground and if other horses are around he will get aggressive with me. This is all ground work because as soon as you ride him he's calm. I try to exercise him before I get on by lunging him, but as soon as he can he'll bolt, unless we're in the round pen or another enclosed area. I've been trying to find a video that can help me with these things but normally nothing is mentioned about aggressive horses. If you have any video or suggestion please let me know. I am starting to get scared of him. Help! M. R. B. - Puerto Rico Sylvia's Answer: Hi M. Thanks for writing. First...I wanted to say that any stallion that is kept stalled is going to go ballistic when you take them out. All of them. Always. Stalls are very harmful (mentally & physically) ways to keep horses, but even moreso for stallions. Let me direct you to a link on my site that goes into more detail about that issue/stalling horses (just normal horses, but the problem is worse with stallions, I assure you): This horse needs to be pastured at all times, and that will help you there a lot for a start because you won't be dealing all the time with pent-up energy that bottles dangerously. If your present boarding situation doesn't allow for pasturing, I would highly recommend looking for another boarding facility that will allow your horse to be pastured, living life outdoors 24/7, more naturally. Also...I would definitely advise having the surgery done as soon as possible to correct the cryptorchid issue (more about cryptorchid horses here), or you WILL have problems of aggression with this horse probably forever. Having the operation won't turn it around overnight necessarily (because now it is learned behavior), but it will diminish the problem over time, plus will allow you to train him more easily and more safely once the hormones work their way out of his system. Until then...you ARE dealing with a stallion, and that can be dangerous. I want to direct you to another link on my site that goes into the subject of owning (technically what you have there) a stallion, so you can see that what you are dealing with there is very dangerous -- too dangerous!: Stallions are serious business and should only be handled/trained by highly qualified professional trainers, in my opinion (and in most respected natural horsemanship trainer opinions). But I would advise getting the operation to correct him into a gelding, pasture him, then get busy working with him. I would suggest starting the training with round penning, which you can read step by step how to do that the natural horsemanship way here: I also have a new Round Pen Leadership DVD that demonstrates clearly how to round pen a horse the NH way (4 horses shown in the DVD). But be careful there! Stallions can sometimes challenge (instead of flight response). That video should be able to help you a lot there, I think, for a start. Round penning is a good place to start for the very bottom of building (or rebuilding) a horse's foundation the natural horsemanship way. That's where I start with most horses myself. It sets you up as leader of their "herd" and them finding comfort in being the follower, for a start (it also fixes hard to catch horses, etc.). For the next steps after that, to fast track you there, you might think about getting my "Complete Package" because it contains all the tools and information you need for all the next steps to get all the ground foundation laid down and the horse well (better!) started in saddle, happily and compliantly, and more safely. That package can be ordered here: CLICK HERE -- it contains 1) the Gentle Solutions book I co-wrote that teaches a step by step very user-friendly program you will plug your horse into, as well as 2) the natural horsemanship halter with attached 12 foot lead and the 3) extendable/retractable training wand that you will tie plastic to for desensitizing (more about that in the book), both required for the program, and 4) the very handy training string which has 101 uses (I keep one in my pocket at all times when training because it has so many handy multi-purpose training uses). And you'll be set to retrain your horse the natural horsemanship way. And as you get going in the program, if you ever have any questions as you go along, I'm only an email away for quick answers! But unless you get the hormone problem fixed via the proper gelding procedure now (vets can go in to get that testicle, is done all the time!) AND turn him out to pasture 24/7, instead of stalling him, you're still going to have a problem forever, I fear. Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - Horse won't allow bridle removal: Dear Sylvia, I have recently gotten the chance to get a buckskin mustang gelding, which I am very excited about. I have had a chance to work with this horse before, and by his reactions to a lot of things, it seems to me that he has had a rough past. For example, he does not like men at all; if a man comes around where I am riding him, he shuts off. His eyes narrow and he is very unpredictable. Yet he seems to adore me and lets me ride easily. Whereas many people have trouble with headshy horses that won't bridle, I have a different problem with his head shyness. He will not allow me to remove the bridle. He lets you get your hand on the top of his head for about two seconds, then gets very uncomfortable and becomes irritated. He does whatever he can do to keep your hands off his head from there on, which includes bucking, rearing and anything else. He has even snapped a few lead ropes with this behavior. Please help, this is one of his many fears and I don't know what to do about it. Thank you for your time O. W. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi O. Thanks for writing. Let me direct you to a link on my web site that shows how to fix the problem of a horse who has issues with the halter or bridle being removed off of them: As for the fear of men issue, I would not duck that issue, but would get real proactive in fixing that problem. Have a kind man work with the horse, using natural horsemanship techniques, and here I would recommend him using these bonding/relaxing techniques you can read about on my site here (you guiding him to do these): This will help the horse to let go of past fears of men (probably abuse by men) and will get him to refile them mentally as: men are safe and can be kind. The more men you can grab and have them do these bonding techniques for you/with you there, the better. And the horse will let go of that deduction and start seeing all humans as kind and safe (and keep your horse protected in life from abusive men, abusive people in general, and that includes: farriers, vets, stable owners, etc.). Be your horse's protector advocate there at all times and you'll build an even deeper bond where he will, in kind, protect you when you ride him. That's: partnership. Hope this helps and let me know how it goes! Question - Horse is bucking because "ligament is out": Hi, I've been reading on your website and I don't know if you'll be able to help me but I think that you can. In the previous October I bought a 9-year-old thoroughbred gelding. He's off the track but has been off for about 4 or 5 years. I've been training him in dressage and hopefully one day jumping, but recently he has begun bucking. Our farrier noticed the problem while shoeing him and he said that his ligament in his hip is stretched and does not contract right. He said that it is catching on the bone and he bucks to get it off. He told us to get Absorbine to put on his leg and when we did that he kicked at us. When I last rode him he bucked every step just walking. I don't know what to do. Our vet is coming out soon, but I would still like a second opinion from a horse trainer. What would you do? A few people have told me to sell him and buy a more capable horse, but I don't want to do that until I know for sure that he won't be able to perform well for me. Also would there be anything I could do to eliminate this problem while I am riding him? Thank you. M. - Internet Sylvia's Answer: Hi M. I would recommend doing exactly what you're doing: calling in a good vet for a real thorough examination and assessment. That's your strongest pro-active route you can take right now. I like to tell people that there are 3 professionals surrounding your horse, all with the goal of keeping your horse sound & healthy for the long run. Those 3 professionals are: 1) a good farrier (for the hoof care), 2) a good vet (for the overall optimum health & physical care) and 3) a good trainer you can turn to (for training/behavioral issues). And because those three professionals are experts in their own fields, and what they spend their professional lives staying up on individually in their own professional categories, then...a farrier is not necessarily the best one to turn to for advice on medical or health care issues that are out of his realm, nor training issues. And a trainer is not a good one to totally lean on for all medical advice (that's what vets go to vet school to learn!), and a vet is not always as completely knowledgeable about overall hoofcare on the level that a very, very good farrier is or on behavioral issues the way a good trainer is skilled at imparting. So...all that to say: lean on the proper professional of the three, depending on the category. In this particular problem category you're having there, don't lean on your farrier for advice; he just flagged for you what he believes might be the problem. He may be right, or he may be wrong, but that is not necessarily his area of expertise. Now turn and lean on your vet, the correct professional of the three, for a proper assessment there and listen to the solutions he recommends. (And don't ever hesitate to get a second vet opinion if you ever feel the need.) Wait and hear what your vet has to say and follow his advice there, if you feel confidence in that vet. I always look at confidence I have in a vet as an "earned thing" over time. I have an awesome vet for my horses, but he's earned my confidence over time, with his excellent expert advice on medical or health issues. So...keep doing what you're doing there and turning to the vet now. Only he/she can help you decide where to go from here based on the problems they find there. Also...if you feel you've not found resolution to the problem via the vet route...you might try calling in a really good equine chiropractor, or some of the alternative medicine routes like equine acupuncture, etc., before giving up on this horse. To me, those experts are also in the category of being experts on a horse's health/body like a vet. And many vet schools (including the one here in my region) have incorporated equine acupuncture and equine chiropractor work into their overall horse health program, as options. So...keep turning in that direction and I think you'll get some answers soon! Hope this helps and good luck to you there! Question - How to tie the natural horsemanship halter on the horse correctly: I know you must think I am the dumbest person in the world when it comes to horses. But I know nothing about training a horse, but I am learning slowly but surely. You are the only person that I have found that will give me direct answers, without saying "buy my video" and believe me I've spent hundreds of dollars on dvd's, most of them not worth what I paid. I've learned a lot from your web site, and I'm sure I will learn a lot more. Anyway, to the point of this email. I bought one of your natural horsemanship halter/lead combos, now I need to know how to tie it onto the horse correctly. Also, I had a question about it. Do I leave the natural horsemanship halter on her all the time, or only when training? Again thank you so much for being so helpful. I wish I lived closer to you, so that I could come to one of your clinics, but MS is along way from VA! M. W. - Crystal Springs, Mississippi Sylvia's Answer: Hi M. Hey...there are no dumb questions in my book! Asking questions is how we learn in life. :-) I'm a prolific question-asker myself. You should hear how many questions I ask my husband every day about computer stuff/technology, because he's far more knowledgeable there than I am (the king of geeks, but he's a cute geek!). Asking him questions all the time (daily!) speeds along my learning curve there. I've added up onto my web site a new step by step instructional for how to tie the natural horsemanship halter onto the horse correctly. You can see that (and print it out) here: As for your other questions there...the NH halter has a 12' foot lead rope that is tied on/attached and you should keep it tied on. Don't take it off. That's a combo tool you are going to use every time you work with your horse. We don't leave the halter on the horse, we use that halter/lead when working with the horse only. No horse should ever be turned out in halter because leaving a halter on a horse starts causing rubbing abrasions (sores) and then the horse starts associating the halter, or haltering, with pain, and we never want the horse associating pain with anything we do with them or how we train them. Always remove halters before turning them out or putting them away after working with them. Those are good questions, by the way! 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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Proper round penning is 
