Friday’s Opinion

Dr. Robert Miller (http://www.robertmmiller.com) popularized imprinting foals with both the term and practice. He’s famous now and deserves credit for the time, research and material he’s put out there to encourage breeders to interact with foals at an early age.

Granted, Miller’s convictions concerning early handling makes first encounters for vets, other service providers and trainers easier, but is it less traumatic for the foal? Does his immediate repetitive approach produce a trusting foal, or one who has been conditioned to capitulate? It doesn’t include the foal’s input – or permission – in the process; let alone the mom. Some may view obedience as the ideal permanent state of a horse, but, provided alternative approaches, most who seek a partnership with a horse would probably opt for a more cooperative strategy.

Desensitizing is overdone

Desensitizing has become the buzz word of late in the horse industry. The way people are interpreting the concept – including imprinting techniques that assault the foal before he can see, stand or react – seem to go too far. Horses that are exposed to sensory overload, presumably designed to teach them to ignore instinct by dulling their reactions to reasonable concerns, tend to lose some of the spirit that makes them a special animal. This includes the bevy of techniques designed to scare the fright out of the horse in the starting under saddle process. It’s sad to see how some of these rituals are scrambling the horse’s brain.

There seems to be too much focus these days on practices aimed to disengage the mind of the horse. Wouldn’t you rather engage a foal in a way that gives him permission to contribute to the conversation? Sure, it may take a little more time and some give and take, but the lessons learned (by both of you) may mean the difference between good and great.

Imprint later and more kindly to include the foal

Simply postponing ‘imprinting’ for a few days and doing it in a way that honors the foal can have a huge impact on how your baby approaches future challenges. Sure, you can immobilize the foal at birth, repeat poking 30-40 times in each place and produce a compliant pet, but if you wait a few days to start interacting with the foal once he can stand, see and consciously respond to your activity, you might find a responsive and interactive process more rewarding as you strive to encourage this foal to become a willing, eager and participatory partner. This begs the question – do you seek to condition a submissive steed, or one who feels welcome to contribute to solutions? There’s no right answer – it depends on what you want. Personally, in working with performance horses, I’ve found the stand-out performers talk back a bit – and usually have good reason for their objections.

Encouraging a trusting, thinking horse

If your aim is a thinking and contributing horse, it’s probably better to start messing with him at about day two or three of age. Of course, you’ll want to ensure adequate transfer of IgG (done with a blood test – learn the hard way once and you’ll never skip this needle again) and it’s a good idea to have your vet do a foal exam at this time, so they’ll be some handling at 18-24 hours of age, but this can be done quietly and easily.

By postponing your ‘training’ of the foal until he’s aware enough to express himself, you set the stage for mutual respect and a foal that regards humans as fair and accommodating leaders to be enjoyed and trusted. Foals are curious anyway, and if you proceed with patience, they’ll come to you. If the mom trusts you, she’ll usually help.

Horses know more than most people give them credit for. Establishing trust can be huge in laying the foundation for future training. That doesn’t happen by immobilizing a frightened foal and forcing repetitive acts on him to ‘desensitize.’ Instead, consider spending some quiet time in the stall or pasture and letting the foal approach you.

At some point, you’re going to want to put an arm around his chest to get him to stand still for some touching and petting, but this should be after he’s decided you’re not a threat. Even at three days old, you’ll rarely have to flip a tail and can always position his hind end near a wall if you’re working alone to hold him still until you chose to release. One calm and kind lesson teaching the foal to stand when you need him to for as long as you require (keep it short, but make sure you decide when it’s over) will probably suffice

With most foals, you’ll be able to find a spot that they love to be scratched. It’s a good idea to start each handling session rubbing that itch. Teach your foal that your approach means pleasure and he’ll appreciate your presence and be more likely to try to understand your requests.

Early foal training goals

Sometimes, you’ll get a precocious foal (it’s usually a filly) that needs to be taught to lead almost immediately. We’ve had a few that have literally headed for the hills alone at day two or three of age as mom went crazy on the end of a lead rope.  Usually, it will take less than five minutes to teach those foals to accept a halter and lead (a butt rope helps, but is rarely necessary with these bright critters). For most foals, though, it’s not necessary to start this training for at least a couple of weeks – or a couple of months – it depends on the foal.

The basics at only days old are to be able to approach and touch the foal without him panicking (so you can at least dunk the umbilical cord without trauma), stroking the back, shoulders, ears, face and legs and to encourage the foal to come to you and appreciate your presence.

By three to four weeks of age, you’ll probably want to be at a point where you can pick up all four legs and have a blacksmith pretend to work on a hoof. Of course, haltering the horse should be a non-issue at this point. The foal should be excited to see you and welcome the attention and turnout freedom you provide.

Happy foals make it more fun for you

If you’re in a hurry, you can always capture and immobilize a baby with force. This will set you back, though. Foals that are handled with patience and kindness as the training process begins are a lot more eager to please. They also become more well adjusted performers as serious training ensues.

Anyone can take short cuts to dominate or desensitize a horse, and sometimes, it’s necessary to do so for safety sake. But, most of the time, you can engage a foal so he gets excited about the new game you’ve planned for the day. Allowing the foal to participate in the process produces eager learners and more determined performers as time passes. At least, that’s been our experience.

The next time you embrace the fad of the day (or guru of the decade), ask yourself if what they are advocating allows for customized approaches. Each horse is different and there’s rarely a solution that works for all. Usually, it’s best to take bits and pieces of ideas offered with an open mind so you can test what works for you and your horse with a bit a scepticism applied. Horses are usually born happy but it’s humans that make or take their glee with the domesticated crew. If you’re passionate about horses, why not help your foals develop an attitude that includes a zeal for learning from you? You’ll likely find such an experience a lot more rewarding than developing a dictatorship aimed at mindless obedience.

What have you learned from the foals you’ve worked with? Please leave a comment below so others can learn from what’s worked, and what hasn’t, in your experience.

Last year we started a new worming protocol at Halcyon Acres. In fact, the subject was a blog topic here and included a promise to report back on our findings.  Here they are:

Opting for fecals over standardized worming practices

Basically, we decided to stop systematic worming in deference to a plan that is safer for the horses – both now and into the future. Research is increasingly sounding the alarm about parasite resistance to equine products. Studies have shown horses can be kept healthier and infestations better controlled with customized approaches based on manure examination. The recommended approach is to take fecals twice annually – in the spring and after a good couple of killing frosts in the fall (horses with issues may need to be checked more frequently until they are resolved). The findings determine customized future worming regimens for each horse. The results, including cost savings, were surprising.

Because we tend to get a lot of traffic through the farm with client horses coming in for short-term training, we were pretty aggressive about worming – covering the entire equine resident count monthly with a rotational approach. These wormers ranged from $4 – $15/ horse, per treatment. We stopped all worming about mid-year in 2009 and took stool samples of the twelve horses that were here in April. Three had high counts. All, but one were a surprise. Those we would have expected to be vulnerable came back clean.

The three with high counts were wormed twice, eight weeks apart (in April and June). Given the findings, we were able to use an inexpensive wormer ($4) that addressed the present parasites. There were a number of horses at the farm that were mid-range, and wormed once. All nursing mares will be wormed once after the foals drop, now and in the future. Four of the twelve had such low counts they did not require any treatment.

Surprising findings with the herd

One of the strange revelations in all this was that the healthiest looking horses with the least stress on their systems accounted for two of the three high count critters. The low count horses included our maiden broodmare who suffered a terrible time recovering from injuries, weight loss and despondency after coming home from a live breed fiasco; a two-year-old who’s spent much of his life on antibiotics as an accident magnet; a ship-in client horse that travelled cross country with some existing health concerns; and a mare in training who acts out aggressively with the herd due to some clear confidence issues. The three high counts were all turned out in different areas. Ditto for three of the low counts.

Are you wasting money on your worming program?

While the number of horses are never the same here with the influx and departure of client horses coming in for training, since there were twelve for the April fecals, this serves as an easy figure to work with in determining costs. Each fecal was $25 (this can be done much more cost effectively and with more refined conclusions if you’re willing to do your own collection, labelling and shipping out of state – we’ll probably do this next year). So the total cost this spring (we didn’t do fecals in the fall) was $300 for the service of putting manure under a microscope. We’ve determined our average worming cost per month, per horse is $10. That’s $120 per month to worm twelve, or $1440 a year. Because we had test results in hand, we were able to use a $4 wormer to address the concerns (instead of a $10 or $15 product). We wormed nine once (including a nursing broodmare who did not register a parasite count of concern, but worming was advised to transfer through to the foal’s milk) and three twice, for a worming cost this year through fall of $48. So, assuming costs and results are the same in the fall (it’s likely they will be reduced now that we’re on a knowledge-based treatment plan), that’s $696 for the year, a $744 savings (or more than 50%). Plus, we’re increasing the likelihood of healthy horses, doing our part to reduce future parasite resistance to wormers and probably helping the environment in more ways than we realize.

Take better care of your horse

So, if you’re on the fence about springing for the cost of fecals on your horse, or your herd, think again. It’s likely you’ll save a good deal over the course of the year in funds, stress and potential horse health issues that may arise from unknown parasite residents. We didn’t embrace this new approach blindly or spontaneously. These studies have been going on for years. You should be alarmed at the prospect of parasites in your horse that cannot be controlled. We now have our own success story to add the mix, at least at an anecdotal level on a smarter, safer and visionary approach to horse health maintenance.

What’s been your understanding of worming? Do you have protocols that have worked for you that you’d like to share? Horror stories? Questions? Please comment below with your ideas, resources, concerns, queries and experiences. Thanks.

Want to bring along a young horse that loves to train so much he nickers when he sees you coming? It’s not that hard if you’re willing to hear the horse. Below are some easy ways to ensure your horse is excited about performing the jobs you request.

1. Keep the sessions short. When starting young horses, 10-15 minutes is plenty. Five minutes is fine too. Pick a lesson they can easily understand, enjoy and accomplish quickly.
2. Hear your horse. Sometimes they don’t want to train. With a young horse, it’s better to recognize this and offer a day off rather than forcing a session when they’re not receptive. Other days, it might be best to choose a simple (or complicated) request as a goal. The more you get to know what your horse is trying tell you and the better you are at reading such cues, the easier it will be to end each day with an accomplishment that makes you both proud.
3. Customize lessons. No two horses are identical (contrary to some of the popular ‘horsemanship methods’ of the day) and offering flexible training approaches that incorporate his proclivities will help your horse appreciate and respect you and his job immensely.
4. Include the horse in the conversation. Too often, trainers (professionals as well as novice experimenters) craft a lesson plan that’s all about them and then wonder why the horse objects. If you let your horse participate in the learning strategy instead of trying to apply formula approaches, you’ll be amazed at how quickly the horse gathers, retains and applies what you’ve requested. Plus, you’ll find you’ve helped create a partnership that’s richer, safer, more rewarding and more fulfilling than you might imagine.
5. Always be confident and clear while recognizing the horse with kindness and understanding. Horses melt when they find a leader and a teacher who sees respect as a two-way street. Sadly, some have interpreted the herd mentality using bossy, aggressive and demanding Alphas as the behavior model. Watch and you’ll see these horses aren’t the leaders – they’re avoided. Leaders of the herd are followed by choice, not according to water and feed pecking order. These are the heralded Alphas.
6. Stand your ground. While combative or aggressive behaviour doesn’t usually encourage a horse to enjoy training, backing down once you encounter an issue often leads to a difficult and obstinate horse that views you as a pushover and/or inappropriate guide. There’s a big difference between unflappable insistence and ‘teaching a horse a lesson.’ If a horse turns into a drama queen over a simple request, keep your cool but make it known that in a battle of wills, you have the staying power to quietly continue asking for cooperation until it happens. Some young horses (particularly strong-willed fillies) will test your mettle to see if they can intimidate you (and if they are successful, your productive training days are probably over).
7. Ask your horse what he likes to do and reward him at the end of the training session with a task he relishes. You might be amazed at what you discover. There’s no right answer to this one as it depends on the horse. Some view the trails with joy; others want to jump; maybe there’s an area they love to be rubbed; it could be time with a special companion; or a grazing place that’s not usually available. Funny thing is, most horses who love to train want to do something they find fun under saddle. Figure out what that is and you’ll have a horse that gets excited about doing right so they can continue the riding time.
8. Be patient. When young horses act out, it’s usually because they don’t understand. If you react to this with escalating pressure or demands, they’ll learn to resent you. Give them the time they need to figure out what you are asking before you punish them for confusion or move on to another lesson.
9. Appreciate the smallest attempts to respond to your requests. Don’t expect the horse to be perfect the first time. If you’re asking him to move forward and he takes a step, recognize and praise the effort. If you’re working on steering and he turns his head or moves off your leg for a moment, stop pushing and give him a reward and a break.
10. Strive for fun. If you make training something your horse anticipates with joy, you’ll have a ball. As you work with your young horse each day, remember that anything you do to make his job interesting, engaging and enjoyable will encourage him to want to please you and come running when you call. Include him in the process and you’ll be awestruck by his eagerness to learn and perform.

Last night presented a number of surprises and challenges that ultimately had a very happy ending. Our poor maiden mare went into labor around 8 p.m. and dropped the biggest foal ever on the farm (much) later that evening.

Fortunately, we have a wonderful vet (Dr. Janet Wilson) who we were able to reach and get to the farm within minutes when things got dicey. Long story short, the birthing process went on for well over twenty minutes with still no signs of a head. Luckily, our mares are usually predictable, quick and independent with their deliveries, but this was a maiden mare bred to a stud we had not used before and she proved to be all but. It became very apparent why she was having so much difficultly when we finally got the entire monster foal pulled out of her petite body more than an hour later. Remarkably, the foal was not only alive, but proved to be quick to stand, strong, adorable and surprisingly correct out of the womb. There are so many things that should have gone wrong with this difficult mix of circumstances, but a light was shining on the farm yesterday evening and we’re grateful.

This mare couldn’t carry the burden of this foal any longer as she had been trying to founder for the past 48 hours. More time in the womb would have likely created some serious health concerns for the mom. Although the mare was turned out at the time (we decided to leave her there as she was in a fair amount of distress and the dense grass paddock provided a cleaner environment for birthing than a straw stall), we spotted the foal coming immediately and were able to monitor her from the start and recognize the birth was becoming a problem. The incredible size and weight of this foal crammed into a 15.2 dainty mare should have created some leg problems or other issues, but apparently he was positioned perfectly and it didn’t. He was so big, he couldn’t figure out how to make his body lower, neck twist and body angle to grab onto a teat. It was 4 a.m. (as we were gearing up to bottle feed) before he latched on. Blood work apparently came back OK as the vet didn’t call (and indicated she only would if there was an issue). Wow! Luck sure came our way on this one.

Of course, you’re always a little biased about the foals you help bring into the world, but this one is very special. He’s coordinated, smart, strong, friendly, unflappable – and fun.  In fact, one might mistake him for a foal 30 days his senior.

Doubtful? Here he is at 22 hours of age getting a welcome from some of the (canine) farm hands. Our mutts seem to get more excited about foal arrivals than just about anyone. How cool is that maiden mare (and she’s is very protective and possessive of this baby) to allow this?

Do you cringe when you see what some people do to young equine minds? You will. Common sense should prevail when a horse starts acting out to be heard so dramatically he becomes dangerous, but sadly, it doesn’t in many cases. Usually it’s ego or ignorance that that leads to such stupidity, and unfortunately, it’s the horse that suffers (and future owners who must undo the damage).

Horse training done wrong

Recently a gal was staying at Halcyon Acres (when Hyde showed up in this Jeckle it was clear goodbye was the best response) who ultimately revealed she viewed animals as possessions to be neglected and then punished when they became confused about intense intermittent demands. The occasional time she was able to wrestle away from her self-proclaimed busy life to devote to ‘training’ was fleeting, cruel and unappreciative. Regrettably, her self-centered perspective seems to be more the norm in our youth today than the exception. If this is representative of the new generation of ‘adults’ we’ll be seeing coming into this world, we’re in trouble – and so are the horses.

So, if you want to know what creates a fearful, miserable, uncooperative and leery horse, let her behavior be a lesson for you.

Teaching a young horse to misbehave

Watching this ‘horse breaker’ in the round pen one day with a two-year-old Thoroughbred that was starting under saddle was frightening. The trench that recently appeared around the perimeter should have been a signal that one of her ‘methods’ included chasing the horse to exhaustion.  Join-up precepts aside (and there’s a lot about embracing a process to create a submissive horse that should be questioned by those who want a horse that’s engaged and enthused), it’s hard to see how ‘sending’ a horse until he’s wobbly-legged helps create a solid and safe steed. This little gelding already had some trust issues and while making him too tired to react might seem like an effective approach – it wasn’t.

The moment of truth occurred after she hopped aboard. It wasn’t enough to go for a quick win when the horse complied with her demands and gave the wanted response ten minutes into the lesson. She had to extend it for another hour or so and end on a ‘lose’ (it was the horse’s fault, of course) because she had family watching and waiting for dinner.

By the time the ‘lesson’ was over, the confused and unappreciated equine (he tried, but his efforts were met with escalating demands instead of recognition for his kindness – funny how that seems to extend to people interactions with this youth too) was so frustrated, bewildered and fearful, his instincts told him to react with avoidance tactics.

During the combat hour, the horse reared, tried to flip, attempted to rub her off on the fence boards and crashed through the round pen after she hopped off and continued to punish him for ‘misbehaving.’ She escalated the conflict by failing to recognize and reward correct responses, ratcheting up the punishment with hands, legs and then a stick with no praise for his efforts while pushing this young mind way too far to be able to process or comprehend what he was being asked to do.

Horse head cases are usually created

He’ll be a head case for the rest of his life if this approach continues. Of course, he’ll be blamed for bad behavior even though the early under saddle conditioning taught him to distrust and dislike humans.  It’s funny how quickly horses who aren’t given a chance to be heard get labelled ‘bad actors’ when they apply and act on what they’ve been taught.

Great equine performers contribute to the conversation

Some horses will shut down and comply with such methods once tortured enough to decide it’s easier to simply tune out and acquiesce.  Rarely will such tactics encourage a horse to excel in people requested disciplines. Others become dangerous in their effort to avoid pain, misery and a human species they have been conditioned to hate. Sure, usually with the right breed (TBs are tougher), you can intimidate and force a horse to comply with your demands by teaching him to be submissive and compliant, but don’t expect him to like it – or give you the extra effort to make your relationship and performance achievements special.

Young minds (and older ones too – even the bipeds) need to be given the chance to be heard, recognized, appreciated and understood. Make it all about you and you may get a compliant horse – but not a happy one. Partnerships need give and take. Few thrive with dominance. Think about how you respond to a person who keeps demanding more without appreciating what you’ve already given. Imagine how the young horse might interpret such actions. The next time you decide you’re going to ‘teach your horse a lesson,’ think about how he may perceive your actions. Is that going to help you get to where you want to go?

Please share you stories and comments below. Thanks.

Horse Quick Tips

Whether you are a novice or professional, there’s a lot the horse you are working with can teach you about communications. Keep it safe, fun, engaging and interesting for both of you and you’ll be amazed at how much more effective short and collaborative lessons can be than long sessions you dictate alone. Below are some tips for drawing out your horse and making the process easier and safer for you as you begin the challenge of preparing your horse for tack and a rider while you forge a foundation for an exciting human equine/partnership that encourages performance beyond expectations.

1. Stay away from formula approaches – customize a program – and each day – to respond to the horse’s proclivities with collaborate strategies (listen to your horse) designed to move forward vs. get you stuck in combative behavior.
2. Know your horse – recognize her moods and be ready to alter the day’s plan to strive for a good and quick end to the lesson. Choose approaches that your horse can understand and enjoy given his particular issues and personality.
3. There’s no such thing as too much ground work – the more you do prior to hopping aboard to gain the confidence, trust, understanding and cooperation of your horse before you begin to ride him, the easier this next phase will be for both of you.
4. Limit time in the round pen – drilling or exhausting a horse in a small circular pen will not only lead to frustration and boredom, but can also create permanent soundness issues.
5. Hit the trails – hills, varied terrain, wildlife, water and interesting scenery provide a great venue for building the confidence, trust and dependability of a young equine. This can be a wonderful early training approach once you have basic stop, steering and go cues understood.
6. Go it alone – while company can be an easy early training crutch, this tends to create a horse focused on other equines for direction and confidence, taking the focus off you. This can lead to later challenges with barn sour or herd bound behavior.
7. Patience and kindness trump egocentric demands – most horses will react better to someone who offers the time and understanding to process requests, responding to horse feedback over one who bullies them into compliance.
8. End quickly and on a good note – it’s best to keep early lessons brief (both on the ground and under saddle) in a way that encourages the horse to follow requests, rewards them for their effort and ends with a quick win prior to pushing the horse too hard toward frustration.
9. Belly over a horse for the first day or two – this keeps you safe and delays the added concern of you towering over the horse’s head (instinct can cause the horse to view you as a predator in this position). Getting your young horse used to carrying weight at a standstill and walking off with a moving load (many horses will react more dramatically to a person on their backs once they start moving than when they are still) in a way that is less threatening and easy for you to dismount unencumbered can ease the horse into harder lessons and save the time required to settle a horse that’s been traumatized.
10. Get them away from the herd – you want to set the stage for your young horse to view training time with his focus on you. This can be tougher if the herd is in sight. Find a place on your property (or move the other horses into the barn or further away from your working area) where you can reduce the distraction buddies provide.
11. Establish a training area that’s designated for work – don’t use the pasture you turn your horse out in as an arena for training. Conversely, don’t use your work area for recreation. Horses seem to appreciate a specified area that allows them to relax and another that signifies it’s time for your job.
12. Try to stick to a schedule – horses thrive best (because they’re most comfortable) with a routine that they can expect and embrace. Pick a time to train and try to stay consistent. If you make training fun, you’ll find your mount waiting at the gate excited about the expected training lesson.
13. Discover what your horse enjoys most – use this as a reward (try to avoid the temptation to offer treats for tricks) as praise for good work or an activity to end a session.
14. Show your horse you care enough to return the respect – respect goes both ways and that means you need to be able to show your horse you hear him, even if you don’t agree. Give him the courtesy of listening and acknowledging before you levy demands.#
15. Enjoy the ride – if you work toward trust and understanding in early lessons as you customize strategies to reach your horse in ways he understands and appreciates, you’ll be shocked at what he’ll do in return to please and protect you. Sometimes just a simple acknowledgement of the horse’s perspective can turn a frightened, frustrated or belligerent horse into a steed excited about pleasing and exceeding expectations. Pause the next time you have a ‘failure to communicate’ with your horse and consider the possibility he simply doesn’t understand. Corrections are fine when warranted, but most are too quick to blame the horse. Most equines will embrace your request if posed in a way that makes sense to them. Horses allowed to contribute to solutions will make you proud. Respect goes both ways.

In the United States, Memorial Day (today, May 31^st) was created as a poignant holiday to remember and recognize those who have sacrificed their lives to help maintain the freedoms and safety we enjoy in this country. Regardless of your political leanings, feelings about warfare, ethnic background or apathy, the men and women who have died trying to protect your rights deserve thanks. Those killed in conflict weren’t there because they towed a party line, didn’t decide to wage war, were of many races and cared enough to put their lives on the line for a country even those who don’t seem to appreciate enjoy. While the holiday now includes advertising overload for picnic food, cars, vegetable plants, sales and all sorts of diversionary activities and purchases, planning a barbeque should not be the primary focus of this day.

What does this have to do with horses? I could go off on a tangent about how horsemanship seems to have been forgotten with the popular training precepts of the day, but I won’t.

Please spend a few solemn moments today to remember and appreciate those who were killed because they cared. And since Veteran’s Day seems to be a mostly overlooked holiday of late, how about going a little further and thanking a vet who made it home alive?

For my part, I’d like to not only send a message out to surviving families of those who lost a loved one that I deeply appreciate the sacrifice and feel for you, but would also like to send a huge hug to all those still alive who were willing to leave behind their home, family, friends, job, a living wage and in many cases, their sanity, in an effort to serve so others could relax. I’m not sure I’d have the courage to do what you did, but hold you in high regard for your selfless and patriotic perspective. Thank you!

Friday’s Opinion

It seems the older I get, the more I’m inclined to ask the horse how he wants to proceed. Years ago, I’d relish the opportunity to engage a horse in a battle of wills that demonstrated my mettle and glue.  Granted, it’s hard to know how much of my collaborative approach comes from the wisdom of age, or the pain of aging injuries borne from younger and dumber years, but I have found the changes in my technique over the years seem to make training a lot more fun for the horse.

Of course, there’s the occasional alpha that’s already had a good deal of mileage schooling humans who chose to confront them with demands vs. understanding that requires staying power and athleticism, but most horses will choose to be agreeable if you listen to their concerns, spend the time required to ease them into new lessons and fortify your riding time with ground work.

Short is better with early horse training

One of the things I’ve learned when it comes to starting horses under saddle (or working through issues that have developed as a result of an initial bad start) is brief is best when it comes to the duration of lessons.

Sadly, most seem to feel the more time you spend riding a young horse (or, even worse, round penning him to exhaustion in preparation for carrying a mount), the faster he will learn. It upsets me to see people pushing young equine minds past engagement and enjoyment toward a resentful and frustrated state of resistance – or a mindless submissive obedience trance.

Ten to fifteen minutes of training time seems to be the sweet spot for most young horses being introduced to a rider (and this includes ground work done in preparation for this moment too). Usually this can be an easy goal to reach if you spend enough time getting to know your horse so you can gauge his mood, choose lessons that will appeal to him and quit after a request is met. Sure, there are horses and days when your quick lesson plan turns into hours of persistence when wilfulness and attitude surfaces, but these are rare situations once you learn to hear the horse.

Some horses respond better to daily lessons; others need days to absorb what they learned so they can start the next training session ready to progress. Professional trainers and novices who try to make every horse fit into their formula training regimen create unnecessary roadblocks to building a happy partnership and an eager performer. The learning process accelerates exponentially when you customize your plans to respond to the horse’s input. Done right, this reduces the time in the saddle and makes each session a fun and collaborative game for the horse (this doesn’t mean you allow the horse to do whatever he wants – but does require a process that shows you are listening to what he is trying to tell you). Babies just don’t have the mind or body to handle hour-long drill sessions. If you can make each day fun, easy and rewarding for both of you, your horse will come to relish the opportunity to work and you’ll be amazed at how eager he is to learn and please as a result.

Longer prep time leads to better equine performers

I cringe when I hear people boast they “broke a horse in seven days.” These horses fear new situations, don’t trust people and expect every new experience to be traumatic. Who can blame them? Or, with some of the colder breeds, they’ve had their heart yanked out and have succumb to a life of submission and servitude.

Common sense should say that early preparation done patiently and thoroughly makes for an easier and better horse when performance training begins – but that doesn’t seem to prevail with many focused on the clock or calendar.

If you start the training of a young horse with the aim of building trust and rapport, most will strive to please you with responses that exceed your expectations. They also handle new situations with a confidence and interest that you don’t get from a horse that has been rushed or forced. Whether you’re a trainer seeking to put the basics under a horse as quickly as possible to please your client with your speed or a novice following a rote agenda prescribed by someone who’s never even seen your horse, you’re missing out on rewarding opportunities to engage and excite your project. If working with a horse that loves to train doesn’t grab you, you’re also putting early barriers in place for the horse to be the best he can be in the future.

It’s not a matter of losing a few weeks’ time with a slow and easy initial approach, but instead, a method that saves you months or years of time and sometimes a lifetime of frustration for you and/or the horse when you adopt a training approach that incorporates the horse’s particular penchants and responds to his expressed issues. Of course, you can’t get there if you don’t consider the horse as a participant in the process and allow him to give input.

How long is too long with a horse?

If you’re staring a young horse under saddle and he’s done what you first asked then becomes belligerent with subsequent requests, the lesson went on too long. Don’t be tempted to push harder because you’re having a good day (or a bad one and you just want to turn that screw a little further once he’s answered your initial request because you want to establish who’s boss).  Take the win and quit early, knowing you’ll have a willing and responsive horse tomorrow for giving him immediate credit for his efforts.

Foundation work for horses intended to be great performers takes time. A quick early start usually leads to problems later. No horse should be expected to be ready to start career training in a day – or a month. If you’ve spent 60 days with a horse, however, and are getting nowhere, that’s a bad sign. In fact, if you spend a few weeks with a horse and aren’t making any progress, you should probably look for another who may be more adept at reaching the horse. Each horse is different and some come with issues, are slow learners or cannot adapt to your style. Most, though, won’t be able to retain what you’ve taught them with comfort, confidence and the understanding to move on to more refined training demands in much less than a couple of months.  Rush them in the early starting training and you’ll usually pay later.

Make horse training fun

I’ve had a ton of fun lately having the luxury of letting the sport horse farm-bred horses tell me when they’re ready to start training and taking a leisurely approach to lesson frequency and demands. This is rarely an option with client horses, but it’s been a great learning experience to watch how this has played out with the herd. It’s been amazing to see how eager and interested these horses are when training begins when they say they’re ready and are allowed to express how frequently they’d like to train. In fact, all the young stock (along with the older horses in career training) are so eager to train, they express their annoyance with my busy schedule and associated inability to train them all daily. It’s a competition each day at the gate as to who gets the call. The chosen ones are eager to perform and learn and often ask to continue the lesson after its intended end. I’m having a ball working with horses that relish training so much they are determined to progress faster than asked. They seem to appreciate the fact that I’ll skip training plans on a horse if she doesn’t seem eager to come in.

If your horse (or horses) aren’t eager to see you coming and excited about the opportunity to work, you’re probably making the lessons too long, too structured, too demanding, too formula or too about you. Once you start responding to your horse’s requests, you’ll be floored by how eagerly they comply with yours. Try it. And let me know how it goes.

If you have a challenge with a current horse you’re starting under saddle, have questions about young horse issues, ideas to add to help others starting a young horse or want to shout about one of your proud successes, please comment below. Thanks.

This 16.2 HH TB gelding is happy to lower his head and safely share the love of an assisted living resident without the need for "my space, your space" training.

Friday’s Opinion

It’s troubling to see so much being put out there offering formula approaches to reach every horse. The latest mantra seems to be “respect my space” and is often used as an excuse to dominate a horse into submission. This is especially prevalent among novices, who spout the term with conviction, nod in agreement to the need, yet fail to really understand what they are doing to the horse. Sadly, they’re getting this belief from some self-proclaimed professionals. Novices are sponges when it comes to learning, and I think we need to get a better message out there to ensure future happiness – and safety – for horses and their human handlers.

Do you really want to teach a horse to learn through fear, exhaustion or pain to surrender to you? Wouldn’t it be better for both horse and human if space was shared and respect was mutual?

Sure, there’s a time and a place to send a horse off, curtail rude behavior or demand compliance, but for the truly happy partnerships, this is rare.

Smart horses with heart make the greatest competitors if allowed to chip in to the team effort (although they’re certainly not the best mounts for novice riders). Given the opportunity to contribute to the conversation and goal, these horses will outperform more able equines on heart alone. They’ll also turn into eager pleasers once introduced to a human they can respect on their terms. Sadly, the respect conviction some hold, practice and promote that encourages an “alpha” persona (another misunderstood concept see http://horsesenseandcents.com/blog/559/alpha-mares-how-do-you-define-them/ ) can rob these horses of their spirit as they are demanded to conform to a process that doesn’t consider their input.

Additionally, young horses in particular (now often in novice’s hands) need to be heard, understood and considered individually in training regimens. Putting rote boundaries in place to teach the horse to avoid you until called doesn’t give him a lot of confidence (in himself or you) during the learning process. Some horses are timid, frightened or leery.  Such horses usually thrive when offered a kind, helpful and patient approach “in your space.” Using formula programs that discipline him for having the courage to approach you is counterproductive if the aim is a well-adjusted horse.

Those of you who follow this blog know we had a group from an assisted living facility visiting the herd at Halcyon Acres this month (see http://horsesenseandcents.com/blog/645/therapeutic-horses-can-merely-be-happy-ones/). None of these horses have been programmed to “respect” an invisible perimeter around people. It’s a good thing too, because the experience for these residents would have been far less rewarding – and probably more dangerous.

Three-year-old TB taking care of a first-time, tiny rider in 30 MPH winds - no "respect" training here, just early work to encourage rapport and cooperation.

Instead, these horses are all asked to follow a few simple rules (get along or you’re out of the herd; go into your proper stall without a lead when you’re brought into the barn; no biting, kicking or aggression toward humans; I decide who’s coming in first – and last; and a few other basic requests to help keep all safe and farm operations running smoothly). They’re allowed to be friendly and sociable with humans, and relish the opportunity to approach known and unknown people for a pet and a visit. Of course, each gets customized training in ground work and under saddle training and because they are offered a say in the process, they are eager to have a job to do and choose to watch for and respect requests. Consequently, they can be trusted to be smart, safe and responsive when any human comes into the mix. It’s not about dictating compliance – it’s a mutual trust and understanding that develops from two-way communications.

I have to say, I don’t get this “my space, your space” approach. Of course, there’s a lot to body language with horses and with this arsenal, you can usually put a horse just about anywhere you want. So, it’s hard for me to see why training a horse to avoid you makes any sense at all. I certainly haven’t encountered a horse (at least not yet) that shines when respect is a one-way street. For me, I’d rather encourage horses (both client and farm-owned) to join the conversation and tell me how to make the experience fun, exciting and engaging for them. If that means the herd expresses their excitement at training time and jockeys for position to be first in line, I’m OK with that. In fact, it’s rewarding to have horses that not only enjoy training, but also anticipate the joy to the point they’re competing for the attention. If all were forced to succumb to a formula approach and were “trained” to “respect my space,” I don’t imagine they’d be so eager to saddle up.  Different strokes, I guess.

It seems you can’t follow an online group thread pertaining to horses, read an equine blog or talk to a horse trainer these days without a comment that references pressure. Those who use the term seem so clear in the meaning (most don’t really get it – but have adopted the buzz word others have coined or watched a DVD to make them experts). The idiom is used so freely these days, it’s become the catch-all to most horse problems (simply apply or release). I don’t like the term pressure because it implies force and is too nebulous in its overuse. A better concept to grasp (and it accomplishes a better end) is listening.

When trainers or product pushers use the word pressure with horses, they’re usually referring to space or contact issues. The problem is, solutions tend to be given as pat answers for every horse, and that just doesn’t work. The only way pressure is effective with horses is when it’s coupled with quick responses that consider your horse’s reactions and needs. Pressure is such a dictatorial term and seems strange in a horseman’s vocabulary.  So, if you don’t like listening, how about parlay?

When most use the term pressure, it involves negative reinforcement that causes the horse to seek to avoid the experience. Whether it’s getting in their space in an uncomfortable way, applying leg, seat or hand to encourage the horse to do what you want so the annoyance stops or sending him away, it’s a process that relies on avoidance for results. That’s fine when the end goal is positive reinforcement, or the release. Unfortunately, few seem to recognize that you get the response from eliminating the pressure as the reward and incentive.

Thinking horses shine with approaches that make training a game you and the horse play together. To do this effectively, you need to hear the horse in ways that show him you recognize and consider his input. Wouldn’t you rather have a horse that can jump in to contribute to solutions when you screw up (it happens to all of us) than one who has been conditioned to shut down and wait for your instructions on all decisions? This doesn’t happen when pressure is applied as a means to teach a horse to conform to your will.

If you look up pressure, synonyms include force, anxiety, demands, burden, coerce and bully. Ironically, while this term is thrown out there as a kind training tool, these words accurately describe what you do to a horse when applying formula training techniques offered as pat answers to all problems. This doesn’t usually make for happy horses or humans. It’s a bad term for what is used by most horsemen to describe body language, but is understandably misunderstood by the novice masses. Let’s say we start a movement to replace the term pressure with a better word more easily interpreted by the uninitiated? I’ve thrown out listen and parley as possible alternatives, but imagine there are better alternatives. What ideas do you have for a clearer way to describe guiding a horse in training?