Showing posts with label dangerous horse behavior. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dangerous horse behavior. Show all posts

Fixing Dangerous and Unwanted Horse Behavior by Alternative Horsemanship

Horses don't just "do" that... 

What if we recognized and addressed the initial signs of concerned, fearful, or defensive equine behaviors before they erupted into things like:
Bucking
Bolting
Kicking
Spooking
"Over-reaction"
Biting
Fixating
Fleeing movement
Biting at the Air
Pawing
Jigging
Stomping
Weaving
and so many other moments that far too many riders respond to with, "Oh, he just does that, he's being a ____."

5 Signs Your Horse Needs a Trainer

If your horse is spooking, bucking, biting, refusing to be caught or tied up, challenging while trailer loading, or generally defensive, it might be worthwhile to hire a trainer for help. Picking the right trainer is also very important. In this video, Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach discusses 5 signs it's time to hire a trainer for your horse - and how you may be misinterpreting horse behaviors that could turn into severe or potentially dangerous responses later. Is your horse resistant to being caught, do they act fearful when encountering something new? Are they challenging to tack up or mount? Do they get nervous or anxious and display dangerous behaviors?

Watch the latest Tuesday Trainer Tips video from the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel.

Dear Sam: Horse Hep *Dangerous Equine Behavior



Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares how dramatic and dangerous horse behavior is a symptom, how to recognize the initial subtle signs of fear, defensiveness, or anticipation in the equine, and why it matters to address it early, rather than ignoring it and creating the dangerous horse.

 Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Dangerous Equine Behavior

Biting, Reactive, Dangerous Horse, or Pain Issues? Equine Ulcers

Bad Behavior or Pain Issues? One common trigger spot I see in equines who have ulcers. This mare has not been ridden or in any form of work for several years. She is often high alert, and small things trigger her insecurity and anticipation, causing her to be emotionally reactive. She does lie down and sleep, but for short periods. She's an IR candidate so the feed is specific, monitored, and offered multiple times per day. Experimenting with common dietary gut soothing supplements like Aloe, GutX 100, ulcer guard, and magnesium oxide have had effect.

Considering the Horse: Assessing the fearful and abused horse


Observing the Horse: Starting with the fearful and abused horse... by Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach

She's 2 years old and came out of a very bad situation. She's had about 6 months off to just be a horse and gain weight. Her current owner has been unsuccessful in perking the mare's curiosity to participate to any degree with the human. 

I see far too many scenarios where a horse already is fearful and reactive, and people are continuously adding pressure in a manner that is challenging to the horse. 

These are the type of horses who will climb the fence and are seemingly unable to literally see what is in front of them when extreme flight emotions are triggered. If I approach working with her in a "have to" or "make her" manner, there will be no success and I will reinforce what she's already experienced about the human. 

The goal is not about getting her close to me but rather reawakening her curiosity which will replace her fear, which then diminishes the flee and instead she can offer thoughtful, reasonable behavior. 

I will be filming much of our sessions together and creating a course on my Remote Horse Coach video catalog site for those interested in this aspect of horsemanship. 

Misbehavior inthe Horse- or Pain Issues?

 Horses and Pain

Final post of the #horsehealth theme this week. Scroll my previous posts to read about sleep deprivation, nutrition, tack fit, development/maturity & starting young horses, and now I'll finish with the topic of pain.

Horse Training: Helping the Equine that Bucks & Bolts Build Confidence...



Despite a horse going through the motions of exposure and learning, does not mean that his confidence is increasing, irrelevant of all of his new experiences.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series Humans Misinterpret Horse Behavior


Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series Humans Misinterpret Horse Behavior Alternative Horsemanship Learn how seemingly cute and encouraged behaviors can lead to dangerous scenarios with the horse. New Episodes uploaded weekly subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey Channel to not miss any. #alternativeHorsemanship #RemoteHorseCoach #dearsamseries In-person Learning www.learnhorses.com Online Courses and Distance Learning https://remotehorsecoach.uscreen.io

Horse Help: Spooking, bolting, dangerous behavior- Symptom vs Root Cause

Recently I did an interview sharing my Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach horse and riding training approaches. I wanted to share a video clip from it regarding unwanted, dangerous, behavior in horses. Scary horse reactions such as a horse that will spook, bolt, buck, or those that seem to outright ignore the rider can cause fear and anticipation in both the human and equine. 

Sleep Deprivation in Horses

Arrived  at a client's house and saw this... 


I  was very happy to see her mares were napping. 

 It took some experimenting and changes in herd dynamics for them to reach this point. 

 How often do you see your horse lie down? 

Are they always in the same location? 

Sleep at the same time of day? 

How long do they sleep? 

 Over the years I've found a major contributor to many unwanted behavioral "issues" can stem from sleep deprivation in the horse.

Many fearful and anticipative horses cannot find a "safe" time/location to sleep, this can lead to a variety of dramatic and inconsistent behaviors that seem unaffected by training methods.

I believe it is one of the most underassessed, and overlooked aspects of the horse's health and well-being.

I've lost track of how many horses I've seen transition into amazing equine partners once their health issues were addressed.

Horsemanship- Tack Fit Challenges

 

Tack fit... or perhaps I should say Mis-Fit. Probably ranking in the Top 3 challenges faced by riders. It is a major contributor to unwanted experiences in the equine partnership. 

Horsemanship Webinar Series: Self-Awareness Improves our Horsemanship


Improving our Horsemanship: The Human


Working with horses sometimes appears like a magic act. We can get distracted by their big, dramatic, unexpected behaviors, unsure of when, how, or what caused them to begin. This leaves folks unsure of how to influence a different outcome or response in the animal.

The trouble with horse training programs

 


I meet a lot of folks with dangerous horses who experienced a specific "training program." 

One Step at a Time with the Horse



 It is very easy to become overwhelmed with everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with our horses. 

Why the one size fits all "Horse Training Program" can be detrimental

Someone in this group recently shared the following comment to my starting vs breaking the horse post: "This really resonates with me. Today I tried a new trainer, something away from my usual showjumping. A ‘natural horseman’ trained in XXXX. I felt my horse was being bombarded with stressful pressures resulting in With him bolting in the arena as his only means of ‘release’, then when cornered, my horse smashed through the gate to escape. I have been informed my horse has no respect for me. I feel so lost."
So I thought I'd share my thoughts... Unfortunately, this isn't unique... I meet a lot of folks who have tried a "trained" professional who has learned through a specific "program."

The Crazy Horse- Is it really the horse, or the human?


I see a lot of animals labeled the "crazy horse." Are there some horses that due to human mishandling have reached such an extreme place mentally and emotionally that they would be unsuitable for the average horse handling skills the general equine community has? Yes.