Spooking on the Trail

On Facebook recently, a poster described a spooking incident and wondered what the horse learned from the rider’s response. In this case, the rider dismounted for safety’s sake, then later, worked the horse vigorously back at the barn. The post sparked some good answers, most of which were dead on: The dismounting served to reward undesirable behavior and the later workout would not be connected by the horse to the spooking incident.  One rather snarky response poked fun at the idea of dismounting for safety’s sake, saying he’d never heard of such sh*t. That set me off.

Anyone who says or implies that he or she has never been hurt by a horse has simply not ridden much. Do not listen to anything this person says, especially when it might inspire you to ignore your own self-preservation instinct. Furthermore, the full context of the event makes all the difference in the world when it comes to the proper course of action. If the rider is confident about staying on the horse’s back, spooking is a training opportunity. If not, getting through the incident safely is the top concern.

Let’s take the first situation. It is the nature of horses to spook at things that surprise or frighten them.  The primal response is to move the feet, a manifestation of the flight instinct that has served the species for eons. The good rider does not react emotionally – with fear, anger, or embarrassment – but simply gets to work dispassionately applying an aversive consequence such as disengaging the hind quarters repeatedly, rolling back repeatedly, trotting tight circles, and so on. Why are these aversive? Because the horse instinctively wants to preserve his energy, his straightness, and his air. These maneuvers also require the horse to pay attention, which takes his mind off the spooky object, and reinforces the rider’s role as a benevolent leader who will protect the horse from danger. Two practical tips: Move away slightly from the spooky object to do this and try to keep the object in the horse’s field of vision. When the horse gets winded, let him rest near the spooky object. Voila, the spooky object becomes a place of rest. This is a well-accepted strategy among teachers of natural horsemanship.

Now, for the second situation. Don’t worry about doing any of the above. If you don’t feel safe, get off the horse and forget about training entirely. YOUR SAFETY IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE. The worst thing for you and your horse is for you to get hurt, especially if it undermines your future enjoyment and interest in riding. You will continue to get better at the physical aspects of riding a horse and understanding equine behavior. One day, you will be that confident rider who calmly puts the horse through a training exercise when he spooks. Someday, you may even look forward to those opportunities and the little rush of adrenaline they bring. Someday, you may even be able to share what you’ve learned with an inexperienced rider struggling to do what’s right in a difficult situation.   

Use What You Got

Recently I was asked in a podcast interview what a young person should do if he or she wanted to make a career in the horse industry. My answer surprised the host, I think. It had more to do with what the person already had going than how to become something else.

I used myself as an example. In 1997, when I started my first syndicated radio show about horses, I had no expertise in the subject. I mean, zero. What I did have was 20+ years of experience in audio production, an understanding of how syndicated radio works, a studio, a staff, and an entrepreneurial spirit. By starting a radio show about horses, I applied my expertise to a subject I found interesting and created a product for which there was a demand. I had incentive to make it work because I needed the money. In time, I developed a fair amount of expertise about horses, but that did not contribute to my radio success; it was a byproduct of my success.

So back to you or any person wanting to work in the horse industry. Instead of starting with where you’d like to be and working backwards to figure out how to get there, start with where you’re at today, and look for ways to use your current skills and predispositions to create something really great that people really want. Don’t pattern yourself after a person you idolize. Be honest about who you really are and what you might be able to offer.

What if nothing comes to mind? Then do something to stimulate your imagination! Read articles, watch videos, talk to people, network. One great thing about the times we live in is that there are truly endless ways to kick start yourself. 

Five Reasons I Don't Publicly Criticize Horsemen I See Online

1. I’m not in their shoes. Interacting with a horse is a private conversation with a sentient being.
2. I don’t know the history. What came before the clip I observed might be relevant.
3. We all make mistakes. Some just happened to be caught on video and put online.
4. Horses adapt to different training styles. So what if I would do it differently?
5. Judging others doesn't elevate me. I have plenty to do working on myself.

Speaking of which, I’d better get back to it.     

Here's how to use alfalfa in your horse's diet

Horses need forage and lots of it. If you buy hay, you have a choice between grass hay and alfalfa hay. At certain times and places, you may also have the option of a grass/alfalfa mix. Here’s how to make sense of these options.

Different plants. First understand that grass and alfalfa have different properties because they are different plants. Grass is … well, grass. Alfalfa is a legume in the same class as clover and soybeans. Compared to grass, alfalfa has more calories per pound (i.e., it is more “calorie dense”), more minerals (especially calcium), and more protein. Digesting alfalfa generates more body heat so your horse will be hotter in the thermal sense when he gets alfalfa. He may also be hotter in the behavioral sense because he will have more energy from the extra calories. This seems to be especially true for horses that are already hyperactive by nature. Horses find alfalfa more palatable than grass and will always eat it first if given both.  

How to use alfalfa. The default forage for horses is grass. You should have a reason to feed alfalfa. Think of it as higher-octane fuel for your horse. If your horse stays outside in very cold weather, you can feed alfalfa to help him stay warmer. If your horse expends a lot of energy and breaks down a lot of muscle tissue in his training or daily work, alfalfa is a good choice as the primary forage because of its higher levels of calories and protein. For horses with a medium work load, a combination of grass and alfalfa – either grown together as a mixed forage or purchased separately – works well. By the way, feeding too much alfalfa will not burn up a horse’s kidneys. This is a myth. In the words of equine consultant, Patrick Cassady, you’ll just get “more sweat, more urine, and sometimes more attitude.”

Alfalfa and ulcers. Alfalfa can help if your horse has stomach ulcers because of its higher calcium content. Calcium is an antacid; it buffers stomach acid. However, the main management strategy with ulcers, both in their treatment and prevention, is to have regular forage feedings throughout the day. The exact combination of grass and alfalfa hay that works best for your horse is for you to figure out as you monitor his behavior and body condition. If you do need to make a change, for any reason, be sure to do it gradually. Take a week to 10 days and give the beneficial bacteria in the hindgut time to adapt to the changes in their environment.

When not to feed alfalfa. Some serious horsemen feed nothing but alfalfa to their horses and seem to have no problems. However, there are still some good guidelines to observe. Feeding alfalfa to a hard-working horse in hot weather can lead to excessive sweating and overheating. This is a good time to switch to a grass hay and an alternative source of calories, such as a modern low-starch mix. If a horse has too much energy for its rider to handle, alfalfa is not the right choice for forage. Finally, be very careful about feeding cattle-grade alfalfa to horses. Cattle-grade alfalfa is typically coarser and more difficult for the horse to process. More important, it may contain mold, which is fine for cattle but can be deadly for horses. Always keep in mind that horses and cattle have very different digestive systems. If you buy alfalfa, make sure it is meant for horses.

Final thought. Alfalfa is an important tool in the equine diet. Don’t be afraid to use it. Just be sure you’re making the best possible deal for your horse when you do.

Special thanks to Patrick (Pat) Cassady, equine consultant for ADM Animal Nutrition, for his input on this article. If you found it useful, please like, share, and comment.

Your horse probably has ulcers. Here's what to do.

The majority of domestic horses have stomach ulcers. So odds are good that your horse does, too. It’s not a big mystery as to why this happens and it is avoidable.

The stats.  There are two common stats you see: 60% of performance horses and 90% of race horses have ulcers. A veterinary friend of mine refers to university studies concluding that 80% of all adult domestic horses have ulcers. Even foals can have ulcers. Often there are no external signs that a horse has ulcers and the only way to be certain is to look at the stomach lining using endoscopy. Before you can deal with your horse's ulcers, you need to understand why they happen. 

Natural eating. Horses are grazing animals. They are designed to take in small amounts of forage continually and their stomachs generate gastric acid continually to initiate digestion. Acid is generated in the lower part of the stomach, which has a glandular lining tough enough to withstand direct contact with acid. Forage in the stomach mats up and absorbs acid. Saliva generated by chewing coats the stomach wall and has a buffering effect on the acid, as does the calcium present in the forage. As long as a horse is grazing, he’s okay.

Enter domestication. Many things about the horse’s natural life are changed by living with humans: his freedom of movement, his social life, his eating patterns. Feeding twice a day has become a tradition, along with the use of simple carbohydrates in the form of grain to provide energy.

The empty stomach. The twice-a-day feeding practice results in long periods – hours at a time – when the horse’s stomach is empty. This is when ulcers get started. Acid is still being generated but there is nothing in the stomach to absorb or buffer it. The pH of the stomach becomes very acidic. When the horse moves around, the acid accumulating in the lower stomach splashes onto the wall of the upper stomach, which has a different, more fragile lining. The chemical burns that result are ulcers. In extreme cases, the gastric acid can score tracks in the stomach lining as it runs down the wall. The endoscopic image above shows this clearly.

Outward signs of ulcers. What’s incredible is that horses can cope with ulcers at all. But they do and we may not even know ulcers are present until there is some outward change in behavior. Horses may show signs of pain. They may stop eating and drinking. They may not give their all in performance. These outward signs often become visible when the horse is put in stressful situations.

The vicious cycle. Stress sets in motion a vicious cycle the horse can’t handle.  Stress causes an increase in production of gastric acid and a lessened desire to eat and drink. Without food coming into the stomach, the increased flow of acid results in increased burning of the upper stomach wall. The discomfort this burning produces causes more stress and the cycle continues.

What to do. If your horse has been diagnosed with ulcers, your vet may prescribe omeprazole to inhibit production of acid.  Non-prescription natural products are also available that help by balancing stomach pH.  These can provide relief from the discomfort of ulcers and set up the conditions under which damaged tissue can begin to heal. The same medications can be used in lower doses as a preventive strategy. However, a more natural diet is the real solution. The key thing is to feed more forage more often. The ideal is full-time pasture turnout. The next best thing is free choice hay. After that, a slow hay feeder is a good choice. At the very least, you need to give your horse an additional forage feeding in the middle of the day. Note that there are challenges with some of these strategies. For example, you have to be careful with full-time pasture turnout during periods of warm days and cool nights. It’s also possible that your horse will become obese if allowed to eat all the time. The bottom line is that managing your horse’s diet requires paying attention and making adjustments as needed.

The rest of his diet. Forage must be the basis of the diet. But no forage contains all the vitamins and minerals a horse needs, so you'll need a supplement. Look for low-starch mixes. Avoid grain entirely. Overuse of grain sets the horse up for many problems, including ulcers. Modern low-starch mixes, whether vitamin/mineral supplements or complete fortified feeds, have all the advantages of grain and none of the dangers.

Final thoughts. We can’t make the lives of our domestic horses exactly like those of their wild cousins and we wouldn’t want to. Life in the wild is brutal. However, we can commit to making the way we feed our horses as natural as possible. Even small changes, like adding a third forage feeding per day or hanging a hay bag in addition to the flakes put out at meal time will help. We owe it to our horses to make the effort. Fortunately, it's easy to learn about this aspect of horse care. There are many great educational resources online. 

If you found this article helpful, please like, share, and comment.    

Cure for the Cinchy Horse

If your horse bites or threatens to bite or even swings his head around in a threatening manner when you tighten his cinch strap, you’ve got a problem. Today you learn a simple fix that requires no equipment and works every time.

How to start. Stand in the usual position, facing the near side of the horse, right hand on the latigo strap, left arm crooked slightly so your elbow is pointing in the direction of the horse’s head. Tighten the cinch a little at a time, always while the horse is exhaling (Parelli style).

What to do. If your swings his head around, the first part of your body he’ll encounter is the point of your elbow, the hardest part of your body. If that alone doesn’t deter him, you can flap your arm like you were having a muscle spasm.  Practice this right now. It’s amazing how quickly you can move your elbow, far more quickly than you could jump out of the way or raise your hand to the horse. Before long, you will instinctively flap your arm when you pick up head movement in your peripheral vision.

Your attitude. Other than flapping your elbow, don’t react at all to what your horse has done. Remain relaxed and focused on the cinching as if nothing happened. If he comes around again, flap your arm again. If he’s persistent, you may have to adopt an animated style of cinching where your left arm is flapping almost continually. Once the problem goes away, you can go back to being calm and quiet during cinching, occasionally reassuring your horse with a touch or soft word.

Why it works. Your horse experiences an unpleasant (but not painful) consequence to the action that he chose to take. In a scientific sense this is called punishment, but don’t get hung up on the word. It’s unpleasant to him because 1) it surprises him, 2) if he makes contact with your elbow, it is a bit uncomfortable, and 3) he finds himself moving into commotion or energy. It also gains him nothing because you kept right on with what you were doing as if nothing happened. He will try again but it will be with less enthusiasm. Finally, he’ll just give up.

Where I got it. I saw a video clip once in which Tom Dorrance was demonstrating this technique using a dowel rod tucked under his arm. I found I could accomplishment the same thing with my elbow. However, if you don’t feel safe using your elbow, use a dowel rod or training stick or anything else that’s handy. The important thing is that you have something sturdy between you and the horse’s head.

Why it’s good. The big advantage of this technique is that the horse doesn’t realize that the punishment has come from you. He believes he did it to himself. Some of the best old-time training techniques were like this. I like this sort of technique because it cures a dangerous behavior without putting the relationship at risk.

Before you start. There’s always a chance that the horse has a medical issue that is causing him pain when you tighten the cinch. Examine the girth area and call your vet if you see or feel anything unusual.

If you found this article helpful, please like, share and comment. Thanks! 

The Sad Truth about Negative Reinforcement

You love your horse. Why in the world would you use negative reinforcement in his training? It sounds horrible!

Yes, it does, which is too bad because negative reinforcement isn’t horrible at all. In fact, you are probably already using it. The worst thing about negative reinforcement is its name. But more on that later.

Here’s the real meaning of negative reinforcement: rewarding a desirable response by removing an aversive (unpleasant) stimulus. Read that sentence again. “Negative” means a stimulus is removed. “Reinforcement” means that the horse sees this as a reward. Negative reinforcement is used to increase the likelihood that a given behavior will be repeated.

In plain old English, it’s what we call pressure and release training. Any time a trainer puts pressure on a horse and releases the pressure when the horse gives an acceptable try, the trainer is using negative reinforcement.

But back to the name. Negative reinforcement is a scientific term coined by American psychologist, B. F. Skinner (1904-1990). Skinner used the labels “positive” and “negative” because they invoked the ideas of adding and subtracting stimuli in response to behavior demonstrated by a subject.

Negative reinforcement has an identity crisis today because the public doesn’t use positive and negative this way. To us, these words are synonymous with good and bad. We say, “She has a positive attitude” or, “The movie got negative reviews.”

It is truly ironic that Skinner’s naming convention made it seem like rewarding the horse was really punishing him. This is an epic fail! It’s also a bit sad. Skinner was absolutely brilliant and is considered the father of Behaviorism, one of the big three learning theories of the 20^th century. But words matter and he was a lousy wordsmith.

Your Horse Doesn't Love You. Get Over It!

Your horse doesn’t love you. 

Them’s fightin’ words to some people. Now, I’m not saying that’s you, but since you’re here, let me lay this out for you. There’s a point to this, I promise.

We all know that there are different senses of the word “love” in English. I can say I love ice cream and I love horses and you wouldn’t be confused by either statement. Get out of our shared culture and there is more opportunity for misunderstanding. I would be very careful how I talked about loving all things equine when ordering in certain European restaurants. It only gets worse when we try to translate a nuanced concept to another human language, and it’s a complete disaster in inter-species communication.

The human and the equine are as opposite as can be. Dr. Miller and I coined the terms “ultimate predator” and “ultimate prey animal” back in 2004 to drive this point home. That a relationship of any kind can exist between these two polar opposites in the animal kingdom is amazing on its face. That this relationship can be taken to the highest levels of mutual trust, respect, and communication is … is … well, it’s why I’m writing this and you’re reading it.

Why can’t we use “love” to describe how a horse feels about his human partner? Two words: It’s dangerous. It’s dangerous because it feeds the notion that the same thought processes and mental structures are in a horse’s noggin as in yours. Your horse has a more primitive brain than you. He lives in the moment. He has no principles or values. His perceptions of the world around him are those of a highly successful prey animal. His first instinct when there is any question about his safety is to move his feet. Yes, you can train him to look to you for leadership when he’s worried, but the instinct to survive at all costs remains. Every horse is capable of spooking and running right over anything in its path, including you. Your belief that he loves you won’t stop that.

Now think for a moment about your essential nature. Humans are tool users. Our hands, not our feet, are our first lines of defense. We can imagine things we haven’t seen, we think about the future, we have the capacity to read and write, we have empathy, and we can reason. And since I brought it up, is it reasonable to think that this already-complicated concept of love that occupies our thoughts can also exist in the horse’s very different mind? Hmmm?

So, if it’s not love, what exactly does your horse feel when he’s around you? When he bats those big brown eyes, when he nuzzles you, when he nickers at the sound of your footsteps approaching? He feels safe. That’s it. He may like what happens when you’re around. He gets fed or brushed or ridden. But none of that would matter a whit if he didn’t feel safe. Pat Parelli used to say that a horse’s priorities are safety, comfort, and play (food has since been added to the list). Safety is first for a reason. It’s more important than you.

This truth may stick in the craw. You may fear it will ruin what you love about horses. Take a deep breath. Accepting this essential truth about horses is a rite of passage on the horseman’s journey, and you know what? It won’t change a thing for you. Horses will still be wonderful and they’ll still be the most perfect vehicle for human fulfillment and self-actualization that has ever existed on God’s green earth.

You love your horse? I’m happy for you. Really! Just don’t tell me your horse loves you back. Because he doesn’t.   

Five Tips for Needle-Shy Horses

Sooner or later you’ll have to give your horse an injection. Yikes! You can do it and here are five tips to make it easier. The first four apply to any horse and the last one is especially for the horse that has developed a phobia about injections.

Visualize success. Horses take all kinds of cues from us. If you’re nervous about giving injections, your horse will pick that up and reflect it right back at you, which, of course, will make you more nervous. The solution is to not act nervous. You do this using positive visualization. Put a vivid picture in your mind of giving the injection calmly and your horse accepting it calmly.  Note that I said vivid.  Imagine how this experience looks, how it feels, how it sounds, even how it smells. The more senses you involve in visualization, the more effective it becomes. You’ll know you’ve done this enough when the first picture that comes to mind when you think about giving the injection is this positive picture. It’s almost like you’re remembering something that really happened. In fact, in a nutshell, that’s why this works. You’re programming your subconscious mind.

Desensitize injection site. First, let’s be clear that I’m talking about intramuscular injections, not intravenous injections. IM injections such as vaccinations or antibiotic shots need to go in a large muscle. Some people prefer to inject in the middle part of the large neck muscle a couple inches forward of the shoulder blade. The skin here is loose, so you can pinch it and create a little numbness in the area. Inject at the base of the pinched area and rub it when you’re through. All better!

Other people prefer the butt area for injections. As a reference, think halfway between the top of the tail and the point of the hip, and four inches off the center line. Anywhere in this general area is fine. The skin is tighter here so you’ll desensitize by thumping firmly with rhythm - one, two three - and injecting on the fourth beat. I’m going through this quickly because there are several YouTube videos where you can see techniques for injecting in the neck or butt. These videos also show how you load the syringe, get rid of air, and back the plunger slightly after injecting to be sure you don’t see any blood. Do all that stuff.

Safety position. In the positive visualization I mentioned earlier, be sure you visualize standing in a safe position. If you’re injecting in the neck, I recommend facing the side of the horse so your left elbow can come up quickly if your horse swings his head around. This is the same position I recommend for the cinchy horse. In either case, when the horse makes an aggressive move toward you, he runs into the point of your elbow, the hardest part of your body. He teaches himself that’s not a good idea! If he’s tied or his lead rope is being held by a helper, having your elbow at the ready isn’t as important but it’s still a good habit to develop. For injecting in the rear end, face the rear but stand as far to the front of the horse as you can, and  and lean toward his butt. This makes it harder for the horse to “cow kick” you. Again, see the YouTube videos if this isn’t clear.

Jabbing. This may be counterintuitive, but you need to inject with a bit of a jab. Don’t belabor this part. Just stick it in and move on! Remember, you’re acting like this is no big deal. You’ve been rubbing, pinching, thumping or otherwise desensitizing the area. If the horse does feel a prick, it’s over so quickly he thinks nothing of it, especially when you don’t telegraph that it’s coming..

The needle-shy horse. Okay, here’s that special technique I promised for the needle-shy horse. Do all of the above. That’s it. That’s the fix. Pay really special attention to how you act around the horse. Remember, you are the calm, confident, highly experienced horseman your horse dreams about. This is just another day at the office for you. There is nothing the horse can do that will surprise, frighten, or hurt you. You have your syringe ready, you’re in the correct position, you’ve been touching the horse and projecting your own calmness on him. Giving that injection is just another task on your to-do list.

You want something more? Okay, spend a little more time on the desensitizing. Rub, brush, scratch, pinch, inject, rub, brush, scratch, pinch, and so on. More? Go through the whole thing with a dummy syringe (no needle) before you use the real one. This is totally about you getting comfortable with a procedure that is really not that big a deal to the horse.  

Three Tricks for Better Behavior at Feeding Time

Horses love food. I can relate! But too often a horse’s behavior becomes annoying or even dangerous when he’s obsessed about eating. Here are three tricks I’ve found that transform a horse’s behavior at feeding time. I call them tricks because they work like magic. By the way, these aren’t all that advanced but they’re not for beginners, either.

Back before eating. Backing isn’t natural for a horse. Psychologically and physiologically, he’s a forward animal. But you’re going to teach him to back away from food upon your command. Teach this with your horse in a rope halter and lead rope so you have some control. Bring him to his feed and make sure he sees it. Now ask him to back up. You’ll need to use the standard natural horsemanship techniques of pressure and release, rewarding the slightest try and progressively raising your expectations. When you get something you can reward, you will not only stop asking but also invite him forward to eat. Yippee. Some horses catch on to this game so quickly they will start anticipating your cue and backing away from the food before you’ve asked. If that happens, do nothing until he stops backing. Then ask him to back some more and reward with feeding. Our Icelandic Horse, Fidla, would start backing when she saw us coming toward the barn. It was like she was saying, “See? See? Can I eat now, already?”

Pretend you don’t want it. This is a little game I’ve taught several horses. But I need to reiterate that this is not for beginners. Hand-feeding treats is a good way to get hurt if you haven’t established boundaries of space and behavior with your horse. So don’t attempt this unless you are absolutely certain you can do it safely. Start with your horse in a halter and lead rope. Stand a few feet in front of him. Make sure he knows you have a treat and is looking directly at you. Then say, “pretend you don’t want it.” At first, he won’t know what you mean, so you may have to say it again, and again. At some point, however, he will move his head slightly to one side or the other. It’s just a random movement. Instantly praise him and give him the treat. Try it again. He may get worse before he gets better, but eventually he will respond by turning completely away from you, just like he’s saying, “Take it away; I’m not interested.” Again, he is showing a willingness to put responding to your request above his primal desire to eat. By the way, don’t repeat this trick too many times. A rookie mistake is to keep repeating something until the horse fails or refuses. Don’t be that guy. Look for a good place to end as soon as he gets the hang of it. When you stop on a good note, your horse will likely be better next time.

Vary feeding time. What happens when a horse gets used to being fed at precisely the same times each day? Right! He freaks out if you’re even a few minutes late. So don’t be so predictable! Vary the time by up to two hours. If you normally feed at 6 am, make it 6:45 or 7:58 some days. He’ll get used to it, I promise. And remember, multiple small feedings throughout the day are healthier than two big feedings. There’s a bonus to this strategy, by the way. You have more flexibility in your own schedule. You can actually finish dessert before leaving the restaurant with that apologetic, “Sorry, I have to feed!”

Final thought. Food is a powerful motivator for horses. Yes, a horse can be taught without the use of food rewards. No, you can’t always get a treat to a horse at the right moment to reinforce his behavior. But food is still useful in training because it is completely unambiguous to the horse. He doesn’t have to wonder if you’re really happy with him. If you give him food, life is good.

Shoeing my Barefoot Horse

Steward clog

When I got my Quarter Horse, Candy, in 2001, she was five years old. I was determined to give her the best care I could. There was a lot of talk at the time about the value of keeping horses barefoot. I bought in. My brain told me that barefoot was the natural state of the horse and my heart told me there was something wrong about nailing a piece of metal to an animal’s foot. The clincher was that slip-on hoof boots could be used in rugged terrain. For some reason, the fact that horses had been shod for centuries did not strike me as important. 

 

Ten years later, Candy started showing signs of lameness. No amount of natural trimming or boot wearing relieved her discomfort and I couldn’t in good conscience ride her in that condition. Seeing her limp around her turnout area tore me up. About this time, I got to know farrier and inventor Gene Ovnicek. We had many conversations about lameness, how it can be analyzed, and how it can be treated. I realized that helping a lame horse is different from maintaining a healthy one. I thought enough of Gene’s approach that I did a TV episode about it, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iPDOZITaPeU

 

Gene suspected that Candy's soreness came from soft-tissue strain but he couldn't be sure. This is often the case with lameness since the structures involved are buried deeply inside the hoof capsule. Even without a definitive diagnosis, he was able to find a position in which Candy was comfortable and he built an appliance that would allow her to use her foot in that orientation. Sometimes it was a shoe. Other times it was a Steward clog. He told me something I’ve always remembered: “You can’t fix a problem while the conditions that caused the problem are still present.” By unloading the strained tissue, he was not only giving her pain relief, he was creating conditions under which healing could begin. In time, I was able to ride Candy again and she rarely showed signs of discomfort. There was something else I liked about Gene’s method:  he relied on Candy’s body language to tell him when he had a found a comfortable position for the foot. I saw him use this leverage-testing procedure on numerous horses and was always impressed with how he tuned in to what the horse was feeling and how grateful the horse was when relief came. Some went to sleep almost instantly.

I still believe that barefoot is the ideal state for a horse. Gene feels the same way, as do other fine horseman such as veterinarian Bob Miller. But we are all committed first to making the horse comfortable. Sometimes that means using shoes, at least for a while.  

Showing a Tired Horse

Marilyn recently asked my opinion about the following scenario. I later found out that she was talking about her horse and her trainer,

"A Reining horse is hauled 13 hours to a big Reining show.  Once he is unloaded and put in his stall, the rider and trainer ties him in his stall so he can't lay down.  When questioned about his reasons for this, he replies he wants the horse to be tired so he will be more relaxed and listen to him as he runs the reining pattern. This seems to border on the side of cruelty to me.  Wouldn't you think after 13 hours in a trailer you would want the horse to relax before he is scheduled to show?  And isn't it true that horses are more likely to get injured when they are tired?”

Thanks for the question, Marilyn. First, remember that you are not only the customer, but also your horse’s number one advocate and last line of defense in a world where his natural self-preservation tools are largely denied him. You need to be ready to jump in and take charge if you see something happening that doesn’t seem right to you. That could mean changing barns or even pulling him out of a show at the last minute.

Second, let's be fair to the trainer. Trainers aren’t mind readers. When you hire a trainer, you need to be clear about the goal of the training and what is acceptable to you in reaching that goal. Don't assume anything. A frank conversation might still preserve this relationship. If not, pay the trainer’s bill, wish him well, and move on.

Third, horses adapt to unnatural conditions and treatment remarkably well. On the scale of unsavory training practices, showing a horse in a tired state ranks relatively low and your horse will probably be just fine. But again, this is your horse and you need to be comfortable with how he is being treated. Making sure your trainer’s values align with your own will go a long way toward avoiding this problem in the future.

Rick

A Force for Good

Richard Meredith Lamb, Jr. died October 20, 2015 at the age of 89. He went peacefully in his sleep with family at his side and his wife of 67 years holding his hand. I’m convinced that Dad’s final experience on earth was a gift from above for a life well lived. He was a force for good and the world would be a better place if more people were like him. The most I can hope for is that somebody says the same about me some day.

Like so many of his generation, Dad served in two wars. It’s hard to imagine him as a warrior, but less than a year out of high school, he was trudging through Europe fighting the prevailing evil of that time. Two years after returning home, he was called again to serve in Korea. The rest of his life he did battle with evil in more subtle ways through his good works and the example he set in day-to-day life.

The photo shown is one of my favorites. Dad seems optimistic about the future even as he prepares to fight for it. Miss you, Dad. I’m proud to have your name.

The Real Gene Autry

Gene Autry's grave

To wrap up the shooting of our TV episode on the famous singing cowboy, Gene Autry, Diana and I visited his grave at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Los Angeles. I guess I was expecting something different. The marker is small and lies flat on the side of a grassy hill, not far from the road. On the day we visited, I had to brush away some leaves and dirt to read the words. When I had asked for directions at the visitors’ center, the lady who helped me had not recognized Gene’s name.

Gene Autry 1907-1998

Gene Autry is the only entertainer to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, symbols of his achievements in radio, recording, motion pictures, television, and live theatre/performance. He was a 33rd degree Mason, pilot, songwriter, recording artist, broadcaster, baseball team owner, and entertainment industry visionary. He was a generous friend, a courageous patriot, and a role model for kids. At the height of his fame, he may have been the best-known American in the world. It’s hard to imagine a more perfect man.

But Gene Autry was not perfect. As I dug into his story, I learned that he had a drinking problem that led to embarrassing public incidents. His long affair with Gail Davis, star of the Annie Oakley TV series that Autry produced from 1954 to 1957, was well-known around Hollywood.  Like all of us, Gene Autry was a flawed human. That he managed those flaws successfully is suggested by his myriad contributions later in life.  

Our 2008 TV episode, "Gene Autry and the Seven Champions," tells Gene’s story lovingly and honestly using impeccable sources. I’ve prepared a special commercial-free version for your viewing pleasure. I’ve also brought back a two-part radio interview with Gene’s official biographer, Holly George Warren. Enjoy!

Gene Autry and the Seven Champions (TV)

The Gene Autry You Don't Know - Part 1 (Radio)

The Gene Autry You Don't Know - Part 2 (Radio)

Video Shorts

You may have noticed a new link on my home page: Video Shorts. These are two-minute educational videos that have appeared on my TV show. To date, I’ve produced about 200 of these. Eventually, they will all be in this section of the web site. Watch a few and I think you will find they are fast and painless ways to learn.

I developed this format in 2009 and it caught on immediately. Now I know why. These videos are optimized to the way humans learn from multimedia. The goal is to keep the learner “in the zone,” fully engaged and effectively relating new input to prior experience. Key to reaching the goal is the length and pace of the presentation, and how the important takeaways are identified.

If your eyes haven’t glazed over by now, you may enjoy reading up on the cognitive theory of multimedia learning here: http://theelearningcoach.com/learning/learning-theory-and-multimedia/

I can easily geek out on this subject; I recently completed a Ph.D. in educational technology (that’s what I’ve been up to in my absence from this blog) and concentrated my research on multimedia learning. Fortunately, I get to apply what I’ve learned every day in helping folks do better with their horses.

Hope you enjoy the videos!

Rick

Hard to Catch

Annelisa listens to The Horse Show on Rural Radio Channel 80 (Sirius/XM). She wrote to ask for more information on catching the hard-to-catch horse in a round pen. Normally, I would expound a bit on what the guest on that particular program said. Problem is, I can’t figure out which guest Annelisa heard.  So, Annelisa, these are my thoughts on the hard-to-catch horse.

First, a basic principle: If you want your horse to make a change, you have to give him a reason to do so. The hard-to-catch horse is happy being away from you. To change that, you need to convince him that it’s better to be with you.  The round pen is a great place to do this because, in order to stay away from you, the horse has to keep moving, and eventually he looks for an alternative to wasting all of that precious energy.

So here’s the basic technique. With the horse loose in the round pen, bring up your energy and focus it on the horse’s hindquarters. Mentally push on them, move toward them, throw a rope at them, whatever you need to do to be sure the horse feels that energy pushing on his hind end.  One of two things will happen. Either the horse will squirt away from you and exercise his flight response or he will disengage his hindquarters, which is a fancy way of saying he will swing his rear end away from you and face up. If the horse runs away, keep the pressure up until you see that he wants to slow down. Let him stop and begin the session again.

The facing up is what you want from the horse because that is an act of submission, an offering of sorts. What you do when he begins to face you is critical.  You instantly turn off the pressure and start backing away him. Remember, you began this session by pushing energy toward the horse’s hind end; now you’re pulling energy from his front end. Pushing energy has a driving effect and pulling energy has a drawing effect. You want the horse to continue this change he has made in turning toward you by actually taking a step toward you, then another, then another. It’s easy for him to do this as long as you are backing away. When you begin to see other signs of submission such as licking and chewing or lowering the head, you can stop moving backward and let the two of you rest in that position.

So where are we now? The horse has decided that, at least for the moment, it is better to be with you than away from you. The pressure to move his hindquarters is gone and he’s felt this urge to move toward you.  This is an important mental shift and the moment it occurs is called joining up or hooking on. It’s a fragile moment and getting greedy can undo what you’ve accomplished, so go slowly. If you are still getting these offerings of submission, such as lowering the head, licking and chewing, softening the eye, or blinking, it is a good time to give your horse a gentle scratch on the forehead.  Don’t dwell there; just get in, scratch, and get out. Turn and walk slowly away from the horse. Feel the invisible connection between you. The horse should follow. Turn and scratch him while he’s still mentally connected to you . When you’ve both gotten comfortable with this little dance, you are done for the day.

Whaaaa? That’s right. You are not going to do anything further with the horse on that day. This is called ending on a good note and it may be the hardest part of training a horse. Think of it as an investment in the future, a way of patching up the foundation of your relationship. To continue that metaphor, the mortar needs time to set. You are going to leave your horse on a good note in order for things to firm up in his mind. Remember, you’ve rocked his world a bit. You are not the same person he thought you were. He needs time to process that. The idea beginning to form in his mind is that being with you could be his first choice rather than his last resort.

Tomorrow, you can repeat he whole thing again, paying special attention to how you use your energy and how he responds to it. You’ll be better and he will probably respond more readily. But maybe not. Horses always test us and progress isn’t perfectly linear. Don’t let that upset you because that negative energy will also be felt by the horse and will interfere with the other signals he’s picking up from you.  The time will come, maybe on that second day or maybe later, when you can put his halter on him and walk him around a bit. As before, don’t get greedy about this. Surprise him by ending on a good note, when he’s relaxed and willing to do more. In the future, mix it up like that. Some days, you’ll catch him to go do something. Other days, you’ll catch him just to give him a good scratch or a carrot. You will keep your horse engaged and interested in you – and easier to catch – if you are just a little unpredictable in your daily activities with him.

Rick 

The Adaptability of Horses

Looks like it's been about two years since my last blog post. I didn't fall off the planet and was using my time wisely, I promise! More on that later. Here's something that's been on my mind.

In the early days of my radio show, I interviewed a well-known farrier who advocated natural living environs for our horses. Big pastures, varied terrain, lots of other horses around, emulating the aspects of life in the wild that he felt were important. Working with the nature of the horse instead of against it is fundamental to enlightened training and horse keeping, so I was eager to find out how this gentleman translated his ideal to the real world. I asked a simple question: “What about those of us who don’t have big pastures?” His answer has stuck with me for more than a decade: “You need to get one.” 

I’ve encountered this sort of dogma about horses elsewhere and it always irritates me because it casts horse ownership as some kind of exclusive club for people with a lot of money, and land, and time.  Trust me, you can have horses in your life with modest amounts of those commodities, and you can do it responsibly. But let’s start with what the farrier got right. It’s good for horses to be outside where they have room to move around, even run around if they want.  It’s good for horses to have forage-based diets and to spend at least part of their time grazing. It’s good for horses to be with others of their own kind and interact freely with them. All of that is absolutely true. But the most defining characteristic of the horse as a species is its adaptability. The fact is, horses do quite well with a scaled-down version of the ideal as long as certain principles are respected.

For 14 years, I’ve practiced what I consider to be natural horse keeping on an acre and a half in a big city. It’s a great setup for two horses but we can easily accommodate another three equines when friends are passing through. Why does this work? Because the essential principles of horse keeping are respected: freedom to move, natural diet, and socialization.

As if on cue, our two horses are at this very moment nibbling at each other’s withers, standing in the shade near the water trough in our sandy arena.  Their grass hay sits half-eaten on rubber mats, in their covered, open-air stalls probably fifty yards away. They’ll get back to the hay when they feel like it. Later in the day, I’ll open a gate and turn them out in a grassy paddock where they can nosh for the entire afternoon. Our quarter horse mare has a very thin hair coat and our Icelandic has a very thick one but they both do just fine in triple-digit and single-digit temperatures. We don’t blanket them and we rarely bathe them.  In fact, we make a point of leaving them alone as much as we can.  

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saying this is how you should be keeping your horses. This is how I adapted the principles of good horse keeping to my particular situation. If you show your horse, or have horses that are genuinely incompatible (more than the little tiffs that are normal when horses are together) then you might need a different arrangement.  The important thing is that you make your choices with a solid understanding of the ideal. There’s an old saying: You have to know the rules before you break them. That’s how I feel about horse keeping. Fortunately, your horse is a willing accomplice when it comes to making intelligent compromises.  If you listen, he will tell you how to fine-tune his living arrangements. And I doubt that he’ll demand a big pasture.

Rick

Spurs

Recently Greg emailed the following question about spurs: “Why would a Natural Horseman need such a cruel aid??”  Greg gets triple his money’s worth because I’m going to treat this as three questions instead of one.
 
First, are spurs cruel? Well, the simple answer is no. Spurs are tools and the effect they produce is entirely in the hands – or, in this case, feet – of the user. A more complex way of looking at this is to consider their potential for misuse. The rider who becomes angry or frustrated or embarrassed may use spurring as a convenient way of punishing the horse. This is where the effect becomes cruel because the horse feels under attack; an even-tempered rider might arrive incrementally at a similar amount of pressure and never produce the mental state that goes with cruelty. So, maybe a better answer to the question is … it depends.
 

Second, why use spurs? Clarity, pure and simple. Without spurs, you still have numerous aids available to you: seat, legs, hands. Even weight, voice, and the picture you’re holding in your mind could be considered aids in communicating your wishes to the horse. But with the spur, you have precision. It’s like you’re saying to the horse, “Move THIS part of your body away from the pressure you’re feeling.” It’s a very specific request. Incidentally, spurs are most useful for 1) lateral (sideways) movement of some body part, and 2) collection, which means elevating the back, getting the hindquarters more underneath the horse, and lightening the front end. Note that I’ve said nothing about spurring to get a horse to go faster. Horses can learn to go faster when spurred but it’s an unnatural way to ask for speed since moving away from the pressure causes the horse's back to elevate and stride to shorten.   

 

Third, how do spurs fit into natural horsemanship? The natural horseman is committed to working with the nature of the horse and communicating in ways the horse instinctively understands. If you do this, you’re a natural horseman whether you call yourself that or not. Horses understand and respect pressure exerted by a more dominant horse. It doesn’t scare them even when it makes them uncomfortable. Natural horsemen use this knowledge in all they do. A rider using the same level of pressure emotionally or without regard to the horse’s nature triggers a very different reaction, which is not only cruel but dangerous and counterproductive, as well.

 

I would sum it all up like this: Spurs are useful and humane tools when used by riders committed to the principles of natural horsemanship, whether they embrace the term or not. For everyone else, spurs are not appropriate. My hope is that the “everyone else” group is shrinking all the time. My hope is that one day we can drop the adjective “natural” and just talk about horsemanship. We’re not there yet, though. The distinction is still important.

Black Riders

Black riders. Even typing those two words makes me feel a bit uneasy. It's a shame. We could talk all day about senior riders, or female riders or beginning riders or trail riders or gay riders. (Look up gay rodeo if you doubt me on that!)  But introducing race as a qualifier makes white folks nervous, no matter the context.
 

This week on radio I had the opportunity to confront that demon headon. A delightful horsewoman by the name of Tassey Kennedy joined me to talk about riding in the black community. It's a big deal. Some organized rides draw tens of thousands of riders. My white guilt had me in a fog of stupid at first. I thought she wanted to expose a social problem that needed fixing. Turns out, we think exactly the same on such matters. People are drawn together by what they have in common. Sometimes it's interests or values or beliefs. Many times, a shared culture figures into this. Black riders enjoy riding with other black riders. Tassey feels the only problem that needs fixing is the lack of awareness that a black riding community even exists. The web site blacktrailriders.com should help in that regard.

  

Tassey says she's fine with the terms black and white. Everyone understands them, and we just need to lighten up when race enters the conversation. Tassey is actually biracial. Her mom is a white Canadian, and her dad is of African/Caribbean descent. So she’s really an African-Caribbean-Canadian-American. I think.
 
I confess that I slipped and called Tassey "dear" at the end of the interview. What can I say? I find her endearing. Somehow, I think she's fine with that, too.
 

Radio interview with Tassey Kennedy on black riders. Click to listen.

Curiosity

My home office looks out on our backyard. I have an unobstructed view of our two horses all day long. They can also see me. In fact, some days they get as close as they can and just stare at me for what seems like hours. If it’s feeding time, I get the message. But this also happens at other times. I say “they” but, to be honest, I’m really talking about my Quarter Horse mare, Candy. Fidla, our Icelandic mare, has such a massive forelock and phlegmatic personality that you can hardly tell if she’s awake or asleep, let alone what’s going on in her brain. Not that there’s anything wrong with that …
 

Candy, on the other hand, is somewhat transparent. You can really tell when the wheels are turning. She watches me with bright eyes, ears forward, and head slightly lowered, even if I’m just typing on my computer. So, what’s going on here? Slow day in Horseville? Actually, I think that, for whatever reason, her curiosity is piqued.

 

In one of our first radio interviews many years ago, Pat Parelli told me that curiosity and fear are mutually exclusive states in a horse. If Candy is curious, she can’t be afraid. As Clinton Anderson would say, she’s in the thinking side of her brain. It’s a good state for a horse. I want my horse spending as much time as possible being calm, confident, and comfortable, thinking rather than reacting. Then when I inject myself into the situation, I just try to maintain that. There may be some health benefits, too. About 60% of domestic horses (and nearly all race horses) have ulcers and experts tell me that stress is the biggest cause. When curious, a horse is not feeling the harmful effects of stress.

 

I used to feel that I needed to do something when Candy was staring at me. Feed her, pet her, entertain her. Something. I don’t think that way anymore. A difficult lesson for most of us to learn is that smart horsekeeping often demands that we do nothing at all. Simply leave the horse alone. For me, this is one of those times. I’ll keep doing what I do at my desk and hopefully, Candy will continue to find that curious.