Showing posts with label desensitizing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label desensitizing. Show all posts

Horse Training and Desensitizing: Quit Driving the Horse Nuts by Alternative Horsemanship



Horse Training and Desensitizing Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach discusses the dangers of not believing the horse's fear, defensiveness, and concern and how some training approaches can create dangerous behaviors in the animal. 

Addressing the misconceptions of "making" the horse comply versus teaching the horse how to learn. How "desensitizing" can cause the horse to become mentally defensive and physically dangerous.

Filling in the "holes"

I’ve had a new horse come in for training and in between this crazy ongoing rain I head outside to work with him.  He is a four-year old that has had a lot of handling, though his owner’s experience is limited, she has gone “slow” with him…

Real World- Having to Medicate an Insecure and Defensive Horse

Sometimes there comes a point where we don't have the option to interact with our horses in the "ideal" situation.  Below is an example scenario showing that even under less than ideal circumstances, you can still "help" your horse without making him defensive- and get the job of medicating done.
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Hello Sam,

I have a friend who speaks fondly of your experience and your approach with horses. So I am hoping you can help me. Currently I have a horse with infectious conjunctivitis (sp?) aka Pink Eye. He is not trained and rather strong willed but well natured and wants to please we just don’t seem to be able to communicate with each other.
I am currently trying to get medicine in his eye and he is refusing, so far he has been backing up, turns his head or throws his head really high. This is not my preference but his eye is pretty bad and I have to get this medicine in his eye, I think he has already lost his sight.

Here is what we have tried to get him to succumb. Twine under the lip, unsuccessful lip twitch (Romeo knew what that was and refused altogether) I am worried I pushing him too hard. So we stopped asking our neighbors for help and I am just trying to get him to relax and trust me, again. Not going well, so now that I am well aware of the fact I have truly screwed this whole thing up I don’t know what to do. Tonight he was a little sheepish avoiding me (I think he is mad at me) and he back himself into the corner of his stall (it surprised me, he actually looked rather defeated). Fortunately, he did finally let me pet him, brush him and rub my hands on his face.
If you have any suggestions or ideas that will help me I would really appreciate your feedback.

Romeo is 5 years he has not been broken, I bought him year ago, with big dreams of breaking him myself and training him. He was a rescue horse that was left in a stall to starve when the owner abandoned the home.

I have to say “my bad” I got caught up in the whole childhood “Black Beauty” fantasy, only to realize at 41 truth of the matter it is a much bigger project requiring someone who is much more trained than me. He is a bright strong willed horse with a real sweet side. Unfortunately, I am the only one who sees it. I truly believe he has so much untapped potential.Thanks M

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 Sam's Response:
Hi there… I’m sorry to hear of your/your horse’s situation. Sadly it’s become very common - the person falls in love with the blue sky potential of a dream and the horse pays the price. But never the less they are incredibly forgiving and most can “come around.”

You’ve got a lot of stuff to address- without the ideal “take your time” mentality because of his current eye condition. So this will be slightly “crash course” advice rather than the ideal long term. Trying to manhandle your horse into submission won’t work- certainly not if you’re going to try and get any ointment in his eye. The conjunctivitis would have to be really severe to cause blindness- he may also have other issues going on. I’m not sure if you’ve had a vet’s opinion- although Yuma is lacking for any quality equine vets- there is a clinic in El Centro that brings in good vets from San Diego once a month. If you’re looking to physically help the horse you want to be sure you’re aware of all possible health issues. Starvation and lack of nutrition in horses can have very long term affects depending on the severity of the situation.

Number one thing you’re going to have to attempt is recognizing pressure. There is spatial pressure and there is physical pressure. Right now I’m sure your horse has only been around physical pressure- holding on to the lead rope, rubbing on him, etc. Just as people like personal space, so do horses. I would start of with desensitizing “101” by having a halter and lead rope on him- leading him around, stopping, rubbing on whatever body part he presents- (head, side of face, under jaw, neck near head, etc.) and as soon as it seems to feel good, walk off and let him follow you. Too many times people “love” their horses and hover around them, constantly touching and “harassing” them and it drives the horse nuts. The length of the time you are rubbing him may start off at 3 seconds or less. As he shows signs of becoming more relaxed to your touch, you’ll touch him slowly increasing how long you’re rubbing on him before you walk off. I’m sure right now he’s pretty convinced that when you’re handling him it’s to do something that makes him uncomfortable, and therefore he acts defensive towards you to avoid having his eye messed with.

I also have a feeling a “pattern” has emerged in how you interact with him and how he responds to you. Horses are great people trainers. You’re going to have to establish that when you do something, it means something. Like when leading him with the rope, if you walk off, he should be right with you. If you halt, his feet should stop as soon as yours do. Too many times horses have a “teenager” attitude and only offer the bare minimum and people accept that. Until a situation like trying to get eye ointment on arises, people don’t see the “holes” in the level of respect or lack of from their horse towards themselves.

You’re going to have spend multiple short periods daily (3 to 4 minutes or less to start in each session with him) catching your horse, rubbing on him and then turning him loose again, because you’re going to have to re-establish you’re not catching him ONLY to medicate him. You’re going to need to establish being able to rub with your hand and rag ALL over his face, neck, etc. without him trying to “slam” you with his head, knock you away, or flee from the “pressure” of your hand touching him. You’re going to need to establish him yielding to the pressure of the lead rope. If you draw it towards you, he should follow the pressure of the rope, as soon as he does, you should be releasing the pressure the rope is causing, to show him you’ve acknowledged his effort. You’re going to need to establish if you draw his brain (and head) towards your left or right, he needs to lightly turn his head towards or away from you… If you send a “feel” down the rope (having the line ripple until the snap under his chin pops him the jaw) he needs to stop immediately what he’s doing.

All of these tools you’re going to need to get ointment in his eye. Because every time he tries to avoid you- you’re going to have to have multiple “tools” of communication that MEAN something to him, in order to address what he comes up with as an “alternative” to when you’re trying to medicate. After he runs through his “options” and you’ve addressed each one, he’ll finally stand and let you medicate him. Again, by the time he’s reached this point of being pretty confirmed that being around you means discomfort and stress, it’s going to take a bit to “undo” that mentality and build trust so that he can stand quietly for you. Short and multiple sessions of working with him- not hour long “harassment.” You want your horse to want to participate. Remember, always end on a good note- if your horse “tries” you MUST acknowledge it by leaving him alone. Too many times a horse finally “tries” for a person, and then the person takes advantage of the effort and demands more from the horse.

Good Luck,
Sam
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Horse Owner's Response:

Samantha,

I just wanted to give you a progress report as to how Romeo and I are getting along and the small steps I have been taking to re-establishing trust. Early this morning when I cleaned his stall I just gave him his space and feed him. He pretty much avoided me like the plague. However, after I finished with all of the horses I headed up to the house and returned about 30 minutes later to see how he was doing, fortunately, he came to the fence and let me tickle his nose and pet the left side of his face I let it go at that and left the area again. I returned again and this time walked into his stall with a halter he walked to the other end of the stall. I decided to approach he didn’t move or refuse so I haltered him we walked the field and worked on some basic commands, he was receptive. I remained only on his left side since he is very cautious of his right side. After a little while, I did push a little bit, (because time is an issue in this scenario) I tied him to the tree so I could give him a bath. He seemed receptive, I started on the left and gradually worked my way to the right, at first he was very leery and defensive then he realized this was a good moment. I am not sure he truly relaxed but it was a turning point. After he was done with his bath I rewarded him by letting him pasture for awhile and return to his stall on his own. I gave him his space.

A couple hours later I returned again, casually waiting outside his stall for him to approach to be scratched this time I didn’t have to wait so long. I gave him some affection and then moved on by using this opportunity to give my other horse a bath and check her eyes (so far so good – knock on wood). As I returned to my stock area I would take a few minutes to pet and scratch Romeo, after a few trips I could rub my hands on the right side of the face but only for a few seconds. After about an hour of grooming and cleaning Chelsea I wanted to try haltering Romeo again, so I entered Romeo’s stall he returned to far end of his stall this time I didn’t follow instead I stood, halter in hand waiting patiently for Romeo to come to me. He was puzzled but came forward cautiously trying to figure out what I was up to. I just waited until his head was practically in my chest ready for me to halter him. At this point, I placed the halter on his and we simply walked around then tied him up in his stall. This time I applied fly spray using a cloth so I had to touch his body with a cloth and my hands. The sound from the spray bottle made him a little uneasy but I backed off and let him think about it when he took a step toward me and leaned in I continued. He was fine at this point. When I removed the halter he followed me wanting more affection.

We have not attempted the medicine, however I was able to wash his eye and I figured I could attempt some medicine on a cloth tomorrow and see how reacts. I figured after three days of fighting he deserved a break. I am sure medically this may have been a bad decision but we were getting nowhere and relations were taking a drastic nose dive, so I made judgment call. If you have any suggestions beyond your prior advice or believe I am missing the point I would appreciate your feedback especially before I return to the scene of the crime.

Again, I really appreciate your feedback.
M and Romeo

Training with Reality…

Too many times I’ve encountered horses that have been forced through the “school of hard knocks” training theories- whatever situations they had “survived” equaled to the description of being an “experienced” horse. I’m always surprised how often I see advertisements for horses for sale with “a ton of experience” but who need a “confident” rider. To me this blatantly translates into the horse has been manhandled through scenarios, survived them, but because he is so concerned about what might be presented next he carries a lot of worry, concern and stress with him making him a “hot” or “sensitive” horse. So he needs a “strong enough” rider to push him through the next experience…

The idea for this blog came to me the other day as I was working with a three year old mare I’m starting. Those of us in the northwest have been experiencing quite the rainy season with the last two weeks almost nonstop rain, wind, hail and snow up in the mountains. Not exactly ideal conditions neither for starting a youngster, nor for me who prefers my winters spent in the desert warmth. But without other options one must continue.

Part of the less glamorous side to my lifestyle is the maintenance- the mowing, the pasture clean up of dead limbs, the dragging pastures, the fixing fences, clearing trails in the woods, etc. Usually there’s one big clean up in the spring when I return after a long winter, but this year with all of the blustery weather it seems to have become part of my daily routine…

Many times owners are shocked at the changes in demeanor, personality, confidence, etc. in their horse after a few weeks spent with me. Part of the change they are seeing comes from my prioritizing to spend quality time with the horse and to solely focus on creating a “warm and fuzzy” experience every time I work with them. The other part is that I always try to mesh “reality” with my horse training.

It does not matter to me what long term discipline or direction the horse may be destined for. For me, I want all horses that I work with to have a solid foundation. I always say I want my jumping horses to be able to chase a cow, and my cow horse to be able to pop over a fallen log on the trail. Basically the underlying theory of all that I attempt to do with horses is to create a mental availability to “try” no matter what scenario I may present for the horse. If the horse can mentally address what is being presented, eventually physically they will comply with what is being asked of him, without the stress, trauma and drama that is more typical when someone just tries to manhandle a horse through a situation.

So back to the young mare, bad weather and using reality to build quality experiences for her. I want to make clear that I’m not suggesting that everyone runs out and does some of the things I’ll mention below, but this more to expand your thinking for when you work with your horse. I also want to mention that there were many pieces of the “puzzle” I had to present to the horse before I did any of the following with her in order to create clear communication with both physical and spatial pressure, respect of personal space, and being able to direct her thought to something specific. Without that clear communication established, the rest of what I may want to present to her would be done with a “hopeful” feeling, rather than a “helping her” mentality.

With all of the windstorms I seem to have a continuous flow of dead limbs falling off of trees in the pasture. After proper preparation of desensitizing the horse to pressure, ropes around her body and legs, etc. I then used her to drag out the fallen limbs to wherever I needed them. Rock clean up time out of the arenas is another great “learning” experience for a young horse, them having to follow you around as you’re “focused” on finding the rocks, plus throwing them to the edges of the fencing, the horse can learn to wait, and get used to the sudden movement of the rock without all of your energy being directed towards the horse. If I have to run down to the far end of the property to fix fence I’ll pony her or just have her follow me and “hang out” while I fix fence. When she’s “just standing there” she’s not allow to eat, focus on the other horses, etc. it’s rather a great place for her to learn how to stand quietly, patiently and wait for me. As I’m moving hoses to different waterers, I use the hose dragging on the ground around her feet as another scenario to desensitize her. As I fix the hay tarps she gets to focus on the noise and movement of the tarp flapping, crinkling, etc. As I ride through my woods on a more experienced horse to cut small overgrown branches on my trails (done from horse back- no I don’t suggest this to just anyone) I pony the young horse so she gets used to noise above her head, the movement of the falling branches, and can pick up on the calm the horse I’m riding is showing about the situation. At the same time I usually have two dogs or more with me to help her with sudden movement from them “popping out” of the woods and running in front, behind, or next to her feet.

One of the hardest parts in working with a horse is staying creative enough to keep each session interesting. Depending on your facilities you may have to spend some time creating obstacles or ways of presenting scenarios with variation. Too many times the horse and handler can fall easily into the routine or “patternized” behavior. This creates the false illusion that the horse is doing “well”- until a new scenario or one that is altered from what the horse is used to has been presented. Then the “real” feelings of what the horse has been carrying around come to the surface. A lot of people and horses become really comfortable with what they know and do not like change. The problem is the day you don’t have an option and must present a change from the “norm” you’ve then opened a whole new can of worms with your horse and its usually not the time for a “training” session.

If instead you can prepare both you and your horse to view any situation as one to expand their experience, exposure and confidence you’ll be building a solid, trusting partnership for the long term. With this mentality you many not seem to “accomplish” as much as “fast” as someone else, but don’t worry about keeping up with what other horse people are doing. Go with your instinct and do what is best for you and your horse. Both of you will be happier in the long run.

Have fun,
Sam

Ask the Horse Trainer: Desensitizing My Horse TO A Plastic Bag

Question:
My question is regarding my daughter's Quarter horse gelding and plastic. We can dress him in it, rub him down, throw it over him, etc... without care. We have been doing this for over a year. But each new day is like the movie Ground Hogs Day. He will go over after a couple minutes, but the next day he acts as if he has never seen it before. This does not work in the show ring.

I have tried taking him to different arenas and areas all over the farm. It always starts out the same way as absolute shock and fear. Can you suggest something else? I know he could do very well in trail classes. He will do all objects now except this one and if it's at the beginning of the class the class is blown. I would love to hear your advice. Thank you,  Very Frustrated Trail Horse Mom.


Answer:
Thank you for writing. The behavior you describe in your horse is quite common and I will attempt to offer you some thoughts on why your horse is doing what he is. Because I am unable to see you work with him I will try to explain the "whole" picture and not just addressing his particular issue.

Horses are incredibly adaptable creatures. Take a horse that has never seen a cow, leave him in a pen next to the cows overnight, and the next morning he and the cows will be standing side by side. But if you take that same horse, after that same night, and ask him to move the cows around, the horse might become rather insecure, worried, or panicked. So as long as you allow the horse on his terms to address the cows he did, but when you asked something specific, his brain was unavailable to "hear" what you were offering, and so his reaction was worry.

Most people are satisfied if their horse tolerates what the person is offering, but many never "ask" or "hear" how the horse feels about it.

We recognize when our horses are having problems, but rarely do we do anything to influence changing how our horse "feels" about what is being asked of them.

Take the infamous tarp- leave it in one spot, take the worried horse and walk him past the tarp numerous times until he "tolerates" the tarp.

But what happens if you then move that same tarp 20 feet down the path?

You feel like you are starting all over. Why? Because you only asked your horse initially to "deal with" the tarp in one particular spot, and as long as he "survived" getting past it, you left him alone. Instead, why not ask him to change how he feels about the tarp. If he feels better or more secure or confident about the tarp, then it will not matter where you place it nor when, where, or how you ask him to address it. So, how would I do to help my horse accomplish this?

First when we come near the tarp and he starts or as SOON as he shows signs of distress, I would ask him to stop and address the tarp.

Horses' natural defense mechanism and instinct are to flee when they are worried. So let's have him actually stop and look at the tarp. (You will be amazed at how many horses are worried about something but never look [literally] at what is bothering them.) Then depending on your background with groundwork, you would ask your horse to address the tarp without being "led" you could either do this loose working him at liberty in a round pen (which I prefer) or with a lead rope (but not using it in a "dragging" manner.)

What you would like to assess is if you can direct his brain, (as opposed to his movement,) to focus on the tarp. When he "tunes in" to the tarp, his curiosity will get the best of him and he will probably display the "suddenly" overconfident (and lean in towards it) and then the "suddenly" insecure (wanting to turn and bolt away) behavior. Your goal is to build his confidence the more he addresses his fear. The more reasonable and "try" that he offers, the more you want to make him feel like he had done a great job. The best reward for horses that I have found is to give them a moment to just stand, relax and take it all in. Then they usually take a deep breath and let all of their feelings of the stress out in a calm and quiet manner. They can learn that this is a better way to "diffuse" any worry, panic, or fear, rather than resorting to their natural "brainless" reaction of running.

As you work with your horse and the tarp you will imagine that you can slow downtime, so that nothing "suddenly" occurs. You will be watching for signs from his body that will tell you how he is feeling and what he is thinking.

Where are his ears? (They are indicators as to his thoughts towards the right and left.)

Where are his eyes? (Keep in mind each eye sees independently of one another and we want both eyes focused.)

How are his stance and weight distributed? (Is he standing square or with all four feet heading in four different directions in case he needed to "bolt"?)

How is the tension in his topline? (Is his neck and back shortened like an accordion?)

How are his lips? (Are they pinched and tight, moving like he is mumbling, or relaxed?)

How are his eyes? (Are there worry lines that look like "peaks" on the lid of the eye?)

How is his tail? (Tight, held at an angle, clamped to his hindquarters, or relaxed?)

How is his breathing? (Does he sound consistent, heavy, and tight in his stomach?)

Even if you think it may only be a "slight" concern, I would stop and continue to present my horse focusing on the tarp. You will feel like when you start he is going to consider EVERYTHING but the tarp.

Eventually, you will help him narrow down his options until the only thing he focuses on is the tarp. (This is where you will hear a huge sigh of relief from the horse. Many times they need us to "help" them find the right answer, not challenge them to it.)

Horses can be incredible at the lengths they will go to try and make something "work." The problem is people get greedy, the more a horse offers, the more the people want from the horse. This starts to create anticipation where the horse associates that if he "gives" or "tries" what the person wants, instead of feeling better about his effort, only more will be demanded of him.

But if he recognizes that the person's level of awareness and sensitivity towards his feelings is raised and that there is now a two-way communication occurring, his respect, trust, and level of try will increase. The more a horse's brain thinks about something and commits to it, the more relaxed his body will be when he actually physically accomplishes or addresses the task at hand.

This manner of working WITH the horse can be applied to any situation once it is clearly established that he needs to mentally try before he physically moves. Everything else will start to "fall into place".

This is when more complex or difficult tasks can be asked of the horse.

There should be no difference in our goal or asking a horse to step into a tire, trailer, water, over a bridge, stand on a bag, chase a cow, jump a fence, or ground tie. If his brain is available to consider and try what you are asking, he will accomplish the task at hand.

My goal in working with a horse is for the long term, rather than instant gratification, so that no matter what, at any time, anywhere, my horse's attitude towards me is "What would you like?" This will make both of us feel confident in our relationship AND avoid the all too common "surviving the ride" syndrome.