Natural Riding
Welcome to NaturalRiding.com We will update news, tips, tricks, and upcoming events as well as any other useful information that strikes our fancy.
Sunday 11 Feb 2007
Wednesday 24 Oct 2007
What to do with the horse that kicks when startled?
I have a two year old appy who has kicked out a few times. It’s when he is eating and has his head buried in his feed bin. It’s pure instinct, and it’s a doozy when he kicks, he means it. When he realizes what he did, and sorta gets that ‘oh shoot!’ look about him. It’s happens when he gets ’startled’ only it shouldn’t be a startle, because we talk to him, and open the stall door (not a quiet door either), so he knows we are there, he’s just not expecting to be touched. It has happend three times since I have had him, end of July. It’s dangerous because if he connected any one of those times, one of us would have been in the hospital. He is jumpy in general but I’m working on that with him, and he is getting much much better. Now instead of a whole body jump and flee, he just throws his head up and then relaxes and walks up to me. He doesn’t care about being touched, asked to move over, and such. Is it possible he truly doesn’t hear us over his chomping on his grain in the feed bin? The feed bin is large, puts his whole head in to eat. Even so though, the kicking thing is unacceptable in my world, and would appreciate any suggestions to nip this habit in the bud and make him realize, he can’t do that!! Thanks in advance.
~Colleen
Hi Colleen,
The first thing I would do is not feed this horse in a feed bin so he could not see or hear when someone is coming in. Second there really is no excuse for kicking at anytime in the human environment, though it may serve him well in the wild.
Have him stand and play friendly game with the stick and string till he knows the difference between being ask to move and being ask to stand. The main thing is that he not be afraid in any way of the stick and string.
Then I would set him up in a situation such as the circling game on a 12′ lead rope and use the training stick and string to send him forward at a trot, carefully wrapping the string around his hind quarters just above the hocks and all the way around to the other side to send him forward. I would suspect he will kick at the string used in this manner.
When he kicks just keep sending it around his hind quarter till he no longer thinks of kicking and just thinks forward instead. Then when he is comfortable with the cue I would take him into the corral or round pen and do the same thing with him at liberty. Being careful not to scare him but just get across to him he needs to go forward not kick. This may take days or weeks depending on your horse. Be sure to let him have some thinking time when he gets it right. Learning comes during that thinking time. This is not a assertive or aggressive plan. He should not be afraid of you, the stick or string.
Then open the door to the stall when he is eating and softly touch his legs with the string as in the friendly game, I repeat SOFTLY. Just to get him use to things happening around his legs and in the environment of the stall till he understands he does not need to worry about it.
If none of this works we will have to take a more assertive approach. But this would be step one. Please let me know how this works for you or if you have questions.
Barb Apple
Monday 15 Oct 2007
What do you do about a horse that spooks?
In the wild the horse that is always alert to changes around them, always watching for danger… is also the horse that survives longer than the calm, laid back individual who doesn’t react quickly. However, in this human environment that we care for and ride horses, that same instinct for quick reaction often gets them and us into trouble. Riding or leading a spooky horse is not much fun and can get us both hurt.
The first thing I do with a horse like this is let her know where “I” am and that she should watch out for “ME” if she has to spook. You can do this in a very simple way by just jumping up and down and sling you arms in the air. This is a quick fix when needed, it may sound and look silly but the horse will stop what she is doing and look at “you” right away. Also they are not keen to walk on something that appears to have just gone “of its rocker” so to speak or resembles a “Tasmanian Devil”. If you have the lead rope in your hand when you do this, be careful not to jerk it. Once you have her attention go quiet, stand still and look around you but not directly at her. I call this “Phase Think”. Give her time to process.
Most spooky horses are just very insecure and letting them know you are a trustworthy leader for them who will help them watch for predators, will build confidence. Building “Trust, Confidence and Respect” are the most important building blocks. Be careful when you show them new things that you stay just on the threshold of their fear. That way you will not ask more for than they can deal with. Reward their try often. The only way they know they have done the right thing is if you release the pressure and let them “Think”, take a BIG Breath and just “Be”.
Start out with things they can handle such as tossing the lead rope softly over their back starting at the wither then move as they get comfortable to other areas of the body, including the legs. When you introduce new items (rain slickers, plastic bags, noise, etc.) start by having her follow it. Things are much less frightening if she is chasing it away, so to speak. NEVER tie anything to a horse or saddle until they are comfortable with it. We are trying to develop she curiosity and bravery not scare her to death. Also be sure “you” are nearest the “scary thing” not the horse… as she may jump on “you” to get away from it but she is not likely to jump toward the threat.
As she gets braver let her catch up with the scary item and check it out. You can also set up an obstacle course to help build confidence on the ground then use this same course to ride through.
Start with simple things first and build from there. In time you could even have people help you by walking around with an umbrella, riding a bicycle, rattling noisy things, having a backpack on, etc. Use your imagination to simulate as many experiences as possible so that when you and your horse go to a new place things will not seems so threatening.
A spooky horse can get braver with time, patience and exposure to many sounds, places & things, but learning how to become an effective leader and partner for your horse is paramount. A spooky horse will never become brave if the person riding or leading it is also spooky and unsure.
Take some time to just sit with your horse and read a good book aloud to them. Let them get to know you when you are just “being”, no pressure, nothing expected. It is a very special experience and one that your horse may not even like at first because she will think you have an agenda, but once she realizes you are just hanging out with her she will come to love being with you. One more step toward building a braver partner who can trust you.
Our goal is to achieve Confidence and Respect gained by clearer Communication with the horse through Understanding, which in turn may create a pathway to “Living Your Passion”.
Enjoy, Smile and don’t forget “Phase Think”!
Wednesday 03 Oct 2007
My horse is lazy and won’t move out. Can I use spurs to get him to go?
I really do not recommend spurs for impulsion. They are for asking your horse to move laterally. The problem is much deeper and is NOT a quick Fix. Your horse needs to be motivated by something that interests her not by punishment. Spurs used for speed may cause her to buck, kick up, ring her tail, shake her head, or begin to resent or fear you, her partner.
Horses like this do well with rewards at the end of a straight line. there are ways such as: point to point exercises that end in a rest, a nice patch of grass, or even a treat that you have planted. She will get more motivated to move forward if there is a reason that interests her. The slower she moves from one point to another the longer she gets to rest there, after a few times she will hurry to that sweet spot to rest or get her treat. You don’t have to use this method forever. Gradually mix it up and over time she will go because you asked. This can take a week or two, maybe longer depending on the horse, but it does work wonders if you are PATIENT.
Also there is always saddle fit to consider. A horse is not inclined to want to move out if the saddle is pinching and spurs will only cause more discomfort.
I hope this gives you some ideas, I wish I could tell you there was a faster way, but if you want to develop a long term relationship with your horse, using psychology is always better that using force.
Barb
Wednesday 19 Sep 2007
Why Does My Horse Buck When I Want to Canter?
When I ride my horse and ask him to trot he is crabby and will crow hop. This happens from the walk into the trot and especially from the walk into the canter. How can I make it so he finds comfort going into the trot and maintaining it there?
The first thing I would want to do is check to be sure my saddle is not hurting my horse’s back: too tight at the shoulder, setting down too close to the wither so it rubs or bumps and are my saddle pads clean with no hay seeds (a sticker can hide easily in fuzzy pads).
Then I would want to know if my horse had a sore back. Pushing along the back muscle about 4” down from the back bone with reasonable pressure will let you know if there are any sore spots.
If all that checks out OK then I would go to my own mind & body. Do I really want to canter? Am I comfortable with the speed? Or am I pulling back on the reins at the same time I ask for forward by squeezing with my legs? Maybe I am asking to “loud” with my legs by kicking or squeezing too hard? I may be leaning too far back and unbalanced in the saddle which really upsets some horses and they try to buck up to get me forward? Being off balance is very upsetting to some horses, they may get scared when they are not in balance.
Having a good “forward cue” on the ground first such as a kiss or click will often help when I am ready to ask for forward impulsion from the saddle. Circling games in a round pen or on line playing with the trot & canter with good clear voice cues can be helpful. It is amazing how many horses are not very forward thinking. I also make sure the rope length is adequate for the horse to canter without leaning too much and I walk and turn with him while he circles.
So looking at all of the above possibilities may give us some good tools to help the horse and I work as a team and achieve success at the trot to canter. Balance of the rider is an important step that is often over looked. The Sally Swift Centered Riding techniques I teach along with Horse Play on the ground will help to achieve a partnership with balance and lightness in the rider and horse which leads to the confidence needed to have fun and “Live Your Passion”.
“Take your time (horse time) and have FUN”
Barb
Sunday 05 Aug 2007
How Do I Motivate My Lazy Horse?
Barb,
Thank you so much for attending Horse-Around-Days. I learned a lot in the short amount of time I watched you. I look forward to coming to some of your clinics. Good news report– I worked both my horses on the concepts that you showed and it generated a question that I have for you. My Standardbred did a wonderful job. He was amazing!! My Quarterhorse did good but I am running into the problem of him being really, really lazy. I noticed that you didn’t poke, jab, or snap the horses with the reins at
all. It seems like my lazy horse needs a wake up call every once in awhile and then he will behave just fine. Is there something that you recommend to wake up lazy horses like mine that is no contact? Or is it ok to smack him with the lead rope when he is being lazy and acting like he doesn’t know anything (it is a total act too cause he is very smart). Please give some advice.
Hi Erin,
I am so glad you were able to take some pearls of knowledge home with you and be so successful. That is what sharing is all about.
As for a lazy horse, I can sympathize with you I had a Quarterhorse gelding like that. You are on the right track in that it is OK to smack ‘um, so to speak, when necessary… But it MUST be fair. If you go to my web site under the News tab, scroll down to an article called What is Phase Think? I think that may be helpful to you.
When I ask my horses for movement they know that I will ask at phase one but they also know that if I have to go up in my phases I WILL TAG them. So when you are riding for example and squeeze with your legs, that should be enough to get the result you are Wanting and Thinking. If your legs have to go to more than 4 oz. of pressure then up your phases. That might be a light tap with a dressage whip or a Smack with the reins. But go light first and see what it takes to motivate YOUR horse, all horses are different. When riding, I usually apply phases right at my leg.
If you are asking for something on the ground. The same idea applies, ask at Phase 1 or 2 then if it is something your horse already knows, skip Phase 3 and go to 4, then Phase THINK. If you are not effective you will know you have not found Your horse’s phase 4 so try again. ALWAYS STARTING AT PHASE ONE then make Phase 4 a little stronger and be sure your Phase THINK is there. Horses need time to soak.
Let me know how this works for you Erin. Thanks for dropping me a line.
Take Care
Barb
CHECK OUT www.nwhorsesource.com See Mica and Barb and read about the Ranch!
Thursday 07 Jun 2007
3 Year Old Start
I started my 3 year old last summer (as a 2 year old). I rode him mainly�
bareback-I included a lot of ground work under-saddle though. Now that I�
feel a little better about putting a few miles on him while saddled, I’m�
confused at the way he acts as I am cinching him up. I really, really�
feel I’m doing the cinching phases right. I give him lots of time between�
tightening the girth. He gets kinda’ ticked-pins his ears, throws his�
head, reaches around to eat me, kinda’ dances around some too. Should I�
make him work a bit, and then see if he’ll stand? Also… When I go to mount-I use a mounting block, he wants to get annoyed and DOES NOT like the shifting of the saddle as I bounce up and down. It’s so weird because he doesn’t care if I just pile on from a tall tree stump or the bed of the truck… once I’m in the saddle he’s fine, but it seems to all be related to the cinch??? I want to address this before this grows into something bigger and badder 
I want to approach this as natural, and fair as possible!!! This horse is�
quite bold. He challenges me for the number one spot on a daily basis, so�
I’m sure you can imagine what a treat he is during this cinching and�
mounting episode. At the same time I cannot express in words the super�
star that he his. He makes me melt Thank you for your time and help, Julie
Julie,
There is more than one possibility going on here. I will start with the basics and then saddle fit. One way you can sort out if it might be the saddle or cinching is to use a ring rope around his girth. The ring ropes I use are 22’ long and have about a 3” or 4” ring at one end that allows the rope to tighten and loosen easily.�
When I start colts I have the halter and a 12’ lead to hold and guide with then put the ring rope around the girth starting very loose while the horse walks in a circle around me. Always throw the “ring” away from you over the back and under the belly to you. That way the ring will loosen and tighten correctly as you would do with a dog choke chain collar. I then gradually tighten the rope till it is softly caressing him, if his response is OK then I release, if he objects then I maintain the “same” tension till he is soft again. I repeat this procedure increasing the tension as we go.
Sometimes they will buck and/or kick, allow them to have their say but keep them going forward if possible trying to maintain the same tension on the belly rope. The minute they stop, release the tension on the rope. They will learn if they stop and are soft they are more comfortable. Work the rope gradually toward the flank as he accepts it willingly at the girth repeating the same process each time you change the ropes position. The tension would also increase as he accepts it till it would closely simulate the actual girthing process being considerate of his sensitive sheath and flank area but he should accept the rope there as well with medium pressure.
The response I am looking for is that when I put pressure on the rope I would like him to just stop and look to me (ears forward) asking what to do next. Standing quietly while the rope is squeezed and released, squeezed and released, is the body language that tells me he is ready to stand quietly while being saddled.
To rule out sore back issues I would check with a good chiropractor/message therapist. Example: A year ago my mare Feather flipped over backward. After tightening the cinch for the third and last time I started to walk her out again before I stepped in the saddle (an excellent habit I might add) and she literally reared up and flipped over. Now this is a very well trained mare so I knew right away we had a problem. The chiropractor checked her out and found 3 ribs out. I remembered her colliding with my gelding as they were playing several weeks earlier but this was the first time I’d had a saddle on her since then. The chiropractor adjusted her in two sessions then she was great again.�
Horses only have body language to tell us there is something wrong. Granted we have to interpret correctly and that is not always an easy task.
The other common issue I see so often at my clinics are saddles that do not fit well. Also some horses have a real issue with certain blankets or cinches. Feather is a wool aficionado! For example I have a single wool blanket I use on top of my saddle pad just for looks. The blanket touches her only in two places, on each side near the girth about 3 square inches. She will reach around and bite at it, then at me if I ignore her. On this one I have finally told her to just “Put on your BIG GIRL panties and Get Over It!” She did…! I once put a wool pad on her she liked just fine then changed to a different, more course wool and she walked down the rode sideways till I took it off.
I have set saddles on horses with no pad under them to see how they fit and the horse would not stand still even though the saddle was not cinched they would try to avoid it. Then when I tried a different saddle they stood perfectly still, that saddle fit. Another horse acted up with 3 different cinches then the 4th an unusually wide one he was very happy about.
I am just throwing out possibilities. You may have tried them already but I like to rule out discomfort before I go to behavior. It sounds very much like a poor saddle fit that is causing him to let you know as best he can that there is discomfort when it moves on his back. You could try working him just a little to see if he would then stand without attitude. Like you pointed out he seems to have some respect issues and I agree that it is possible that those issues are coming into play here as well.
Not being there to see him puts me at a disadvantage to help out, but hopefully I have given you some ideas to try if you haven’t already.
Please drop me a line and let me know if any of this helps or… “not”.
Take care, I look forward to hearing from you.
Barb
�
Friday 25 May 2007
Thanks for your email.
Showing Leadership
Question:
I am a member of a yahoo group (riding with confidence) and a member
recently attended one of your clinics. I am very impressed with what she
learned and I’m wondering if you could please elaborate on something for
me. I have two horses, a 5 yr. old and a 10 yr. old. I am trying to
understand exactly how you show leadership without being too heavy handed.
I am suffering from the “puppy dog” problem and trying to find a middle
ground that is fair to my horses and fair to my heart! I completely
understand and agree that a horse must respect you but how do I insist on
it properly? Can you elaborate exactly how you do this? Example: leading,
the younger mare leads but constantly tries to lead me or crowd me, what
exactly do you do about that? The older mare will ride out beautifully
one day and then the very next rear, spin, and even buck at times….she,
however is a puppy on the ground (never crowds, follows well, etc.). What
exactly should you do when a horse pulls the rearing, spinning and, or
bucking on you? I’m not young, I don’t bounce, I break and I really want
to get this right. I love the horses both dearly and want to be fair. I
feel like I am being very unfair as they obviously do not see me as a
worthy leader. Please, please answer in a detailed manner so I can
understand what to do! Thanks so much!
Thanks for your email.
I totally understand your reluctance to the idea of having to be “heavy handed” with a horse to get respect. I think there are a few cases where going to that approach might be necessary as a last resort in a safety situation, i.e. it’s the horse or me, but that is not the norm in my way of thinking. In reality you have to match then go just a little more than the horse
I appreciate that you understand that the “puppy dog” approach doesn’t seem to quite work with horses. We want them to like us and to have a close loving relationship with this magnificent creature. We do however need to respect “the horse”. Meaning, we need to understand who she is by understanding how she thinks, how she communicates, how she learns and what motivates her. �
I have found that being “fair” is critically important to the relationship between me and my horses. But “fair” does not mean being a door mat. I want to give my horse plenty of time to know what I am asking her to do, but I also need to be consistent with the follow through so she will be motivated to join me in the task, thus team work. This does not happen over night or in one session, but over time and with consistency.
Understanding how horses communicate with each other is very important. They play by kicking, biting and pushing each other around, they fight in the same way. They make limited vocal sounds and tune it to the vibrational frequencies of others around them. These vibrational frequencies tell them if the horse or person is confident, unconfident or passive, etc. They themselves play a pretty “heavy handed” game. But the game I like, as a human, is trying always to do “less” but get “more” in a way that the horse thinks it was their idea.
I play a game I call the “tag game” with the horse to be sure she understand what the task is and the “tag game” is a way to be fair but clear about my intent. Refer to my web site under News on the menu then scroll down to the article “What is Phase Think?”
Overall I could write a book on this subject. I’m sure I know what is happening with your 5yr. old mare I see it daily and I suspect what might be the cause for your older mare rearing, etc. It may be a combination of how you are using your reins and the energy or tension in your body. I teach Sally Swift’s Centered Riding techniques as well as natural horsemanship so I can help people understand what part their body plays on the horse as well as off.
I hope you can attend one of my clinics in the near future so we can have fun learning games that will give you leadership and respect at a level you would be OK with. However, sometimes we have to get a bit out of our comfort zone to communicate at a level that is effective and that some horses ask us for. It sounds like you are ready to expand your envelope and become a leader for your girls. Trust me… if your leadership is fair (meaning as firm as necessary but only what it takes) they will love you even more and become true partners as well. This is a safer way for you and your Girls to enjoy each other.
Take care and “Have fun with Horse-Play”
BarbFollow Yours Dreams, if You don’t Who will do it for you?
Tuesday 27 Mar 2007
My horse is normally mellow, but he shakes his head and flattens his ear when I approach with food. How can I keep this from escalating?
If your horse is in a pasture or paddock then I would suggest carrying a lead rope or training stick & string with you until he understands that he can not play dominance games with “you”. When you approach with feed and he lays his ears back I would STOP in my tracks or even back up. Run him off if he approaches you at all. He must learn to stand back with his ears up or he will not get fed.
My mare was an ear pinner when I got her. If I walked across the paddock to open the gate to the pasture she would shake her head and pin her ears as she walked behind or beside me. I would stop or even back up away from the gate and run her off. She learned in short order how to get me to continue on to the gate. She would walk beside me, ears forward and neck in a soft position. Even if she pins her ears at the other horse I will stop abruptly, run her off and refuse to go forward till she is soft and non-threatening. Today, she will actually walk back to me and put her shoulder to mine and wait for me to put my hand on her withers, then she walks calmly forward taking “Me” to the gate. No ears back and no head posturing.
If your horse is in a stall, I would suggest you again stop with the feed in your hand. When he gets curious as to why you stopped he most likely will put up his ears. When he does walk forward, if he pins them or shakes his head back up and just stand go to “Phase Think”!. This may take a bit of time at first so plan for it, but it is amazing how fast most horses get the drift.
Be consistent and patient.
Enjoy, Smile and Don’t forget “Phase Think”!
Tuesday 27 Mar 2007
How can you tell if your horse is a Partner?
When your spouse or significant other starts complaining that you are spending too much time with your horse you are probably getting close to a true Partnership.
There might be another sign or two, so let’s take a look at some others. I will just list a few here that I think would be important observations:
· When your horse wants to be with you - you don’t have to catch him, he catches you.
· When your horse is at liberty if he leaves you to go run around, play or check out another horse but he comes back and hangs out with you.
· When you suggest a task and your horse willingly does it with very little help on your part and with increasing enthusiasm.
· When he is respectful of your space and doesn’t push or rub on you or bump into you when you are leading him.
· When he stands quietly when you mount, pick up his feet or when he is being saddled.
· When he greets you with ears up and positive.
· He moves up to the mounting block or stump and waits for you to get on.
· When the unconfident horse becomes more confident and looks to you as a leader.
Having a horse that is a partner is a real pleasure as they are much safer to be around as well as more fun. If you are not having FUN yet check out a clinic with Horse Play! I would love to help you with your partnership.
Enjoy, Smile and Don’t forget “Phase Think”!
Barb Apple
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