Help- My horse suddenly stops moving forward!

The theme of the past few days has been new folks asking for help with horses that are going "fine" and then the horse "randomly" or suddenly stops, or quits, moving forward.

Horse Problems- Tacking up Assessment

Most people never consider how the horse responds to just the sight of tack or notice if there are Quality Conversations while doing so.

Each part of the interaction influences the mental reasonableness and physical softness that follows.

While the norm (often out of convenience) is to tie the horse while tacking, the degree of bother or concern a horse may have while doing so frequently is suppressed.

I suggest practicing tacking the horse without tying him. The goal is not about getting tacked up.

 
It is an Opportunity to notice how your horse feels about standing while you are moving around him.

Dangerous, Dramatic, Reactive, Anticipative, Fearful Horses

 It isn't Convenient

When the horse is...

Resistant to being caught

Constantly pulling when led

Pulls back or gets stressed when tied

Always moving away when trying to tack up

Steps away when trying to mount

Walks off as soon as the rider is in the saddle

Is drifting, bracing, or anticipative when ridden

Takes "awhile" to load into the trailer

Might explode out during the trailer unloading

Is "buddy" or barn "sour"

Has the same "issue" with the same scary spot repeatedly

Offers dramatic behaviors when something unexpected arises

Paws, paces, cribs, weaves, wall kicks, bites while in his enclosure

Is aggressive towards other horses or at feed time

Etc., etc., etc.

Every single unwanted unfortunately common horse behavior above, is a symptom.

Most people try to band-aid the symptom by adding more pressure to the already fearful and defensive equine.

Then one unwanted behavior morphs into another because the root cause was never addressed.

The horse that is left living in a state of constant fear and anticipation because they are defensive toward human interaction leads to mental and physical trauma.

It isn't a matter of "if" they explode, get hurt, or injure the human, but when.

Please stop ignoring the subtle, reasonable behaviors the horse conveys reflecting his fear and defensiveness.

Please start prioritizing slowing down, breaking down the communication to offer short, specific, clear, supportive, and non-critical information that has meaning to the horse.

The horse is not trying to wreck your day, annoy you, psych you out, etc.

The only thing he is trying to do is find a safe space. If every time you show up you bring chaos, distraction, hurried behaviors, anticipation, and unclear communication, what are you teaching him?

To get the Change in the horse, first we must start with the Human.

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

 In-Person Learning  Distance Horse Coaching & Consultations  Alternative Horsemanship Video Catalog 

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.

Surprising, Overhwelming, or "all of a sudden" moments with the Horse

All of a "sudden"

Nothing is random when a horse does it. You may not know why he did it, but it was not an accident.
The equine's body is a reflection of his brain and emotions.
Is the horse's movement a problem? No.
It is the result of his asking for support that was "answered" with the use of more pressure "driving" him into complying. Which "worked," until it didn't.

Helping The Hyper Alert and Pushy Horse

Meet Moose
I did a lesson recently with Nora and Moose and thought it would be good to share. Much of what comes up in his "coping mechanisms" is very common with horses that are bigger in size.

Dear Sam: Horse Help *Re-evaluating Horse Problems by Alternative Horsem...

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach 

Dear Sam: Horse Help *ReEvaluating Horse "Problems" 

Addressing how most common problematic or unwanted equine behaviors are a symptom, not the issue(s) the horse is struggling with.


Subscribe to the YouTube Channel for weekly horse learning opportunities with new videos posted every Friday.

Assessing the Horse's Diet- Health, Unwanted Behaviors, and other Concerns

Assessing your horse's diet 

Folks often create an initial feed program with a new horse. Years later, they tend to still be feeding the same thing, without really assessing if it is appropriate for the horse's current health, work regime, health, seasonal changes, etc.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hyper Alert Horses

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hyper Alert Horses by Alternative Horsemanship Horses that lack confidence in new scenarios are often hyper-alert... This helps break down the behaviors and postures that indicate the difference between defensive fixation and curiosity in the horse. Subscribe to the channel for new weekly episodes.

Horseback Riding: Directing the Horse's Thought vs. Making him Physically Comply

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey shares a brief clip of riding Hjalmar the Fjord discussing the difference in directing the horse's thought vs. making him physically comply.

https://remotehorsecoach.uscreen.io

The Bolting Horse- Or is Pain the Source? Alternative Horsemanship

Improving our Horsemanship

Most folks approach riding with a focus and priority on the human's wants and a whole lot of emotion. 

This filters their perception of why a horse is behaving a certain way, and then they create a "story" around that usually with the plot lot line being them vs. the horse. 

Sometimes out of ego but mostly due to instruction from others. 

When the story is eliminated, the person can begin to have an empathetic approach and realize all of the unwanted behaviors are a reflection of the horse needing clear, specific, intentional communication to help him receive the same support as if in the herd. 

 The horse demands a mental presence from the rider that most people have never even considered. 

If a quality relationship is desired it takes adaptability, effort, experimenting, and follow-through. 

 But those traits are becoming less present in our instant gratification society. So our Horsemanship is a reflection of our personal choices. ❤️🐴🐴

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. 

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. 

Tying the Horse- It isn't about "making" him stay

How often do you "make" your horse stay? I don't. I often get asked about how I work with horses and when folks see pictures of videos of the horse(s) offering to stay without fleeing when in an open field. I thought I'd share this video of Chance. He came to me as a 15-year old that was deemed "psycho" by the two previous trainers that sent him home.

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."

"I have to..." vs. "I get to..." with our horses

"I have to..." vs. "I get to..."



I recently was listening to a non-horse related lecture and it reminded me of something I "knew" but I wanted to revisit more specifically.

For many people, as they experience unwanted scenarios with their horse, they start fixating on the potential unwanted outcomes. I did a #FifteenForFriday (you can sign up HERE to participate) talk on this a few months back. It is very easy to fall into the pattern of thinking negative thoughts and then acting defensively about the potential experiences that can occur with the horse.

Learning to read Horse Behavior

People tend to fixate their visual focus on one or two body parts of the horse, which limits what they see. As they work with the horse, whether the animal is loose or on the lead rope, people need to learn to be able to "zoom in" and out and scan the entire body of the horse.