Building Trust in the Defensive Horse

A moment of trust... what the picture is really reflecting

Though the rain was pouring down yesterday, the day prior was gorgeous. In this part of the world where the weather can change every five minutes from hail to sunshine, you learn to take advantage of it!

Sally, one of the desert horses that arrived to spend the summer with me had never seen trees, grass, wildlife, etc. before arriving at the farm. Though she's been settling in, everything in her world has changed.

As I was in-between my endless mowing and weed eating and spring chores, I saw a very different Sally standing out in the field. The horses were out grazing in the infield, a place she'd initially go nowhere near as the movement in the branches of the nearby trees due to the wind and wildlife had kept her on-guard eve in her opportunity for letting down.

As I go through my "checklist" of questions to owners with horses that arrive for training, one of the important ones is in regard to the horse's sleep patterns. Noticing if/when/how long the person actually sees the horse sleep.

Since arriving I'd seen Sally sleep, but not in a deep state and for very short periods of time, and only in the night time pastures. But this past week there was a big shift in her mentally. Simple, subtle moments where she'd offered on her own to be much more thoughtful, less emotionally reactive, and able to try in a reasonable manner.

I have found that the quality of the Conversation with the human affects the horse when they are on their own. And then I saw her... I'd turned out horses, but had to gently "re-direct" them to another pasture while they were loose. Sally had made a wrong turn into one area, I called her by name off the grass, she quit eating, came over to me, checked-in, then I pointed and I directed her to the correct pasture. She calmly walked off and resumed grazing. A few other horses had moved off further away, but she didn't engage. Even her body looked softer and more relaxed as she grazed.

And then a short while later, I watched her gently lie down, comfortably viewing the world around her, then settling-in as she took a nap. I headed over to say hi when she'd perked up again. Though she loved scratches for all her itchy spots when standing, she always had a tightness to her body, muscles, and breathing. But as I walked up at this moment, calling out to not startle her, she acknowledged me softly. I watched her, for any concern at my presence. There was none. So I came over and scratched on her and then took a seat.

Was this about capturing a fun picture? Not at all. This was an awesome moment in time that reflected the shift in her perception of the new world around her and me. This was a huge moment, for her to be completely "exposed" laying in the middle of a field, with a human nearby, and not have any fear or containment. This trust is what the equine partnership is built upon.

But it doesn't come from being "nice" to the horse, nor being "hopeful" in the communication. I had to present, and ask Sally to address many of her fears, anticipation, reactivity, and defensiveness in recent sessions. I had to offer her a safe place to express and purge her concern without critiquing her for feeling that way. I couldn't force anything to "happen" but I could offer every interaction to be a quality Conversation.

Does her trusting me as she lies down mean she is "finished?" No. But it is one of the many contributors that will and does affect Sally's journey to her becoming a thoughtful, willing, and confident equine.

Horsemanship Video: Remote Horse Coaching

Enjoy this video explaining how the Remote Horse Coach can help you improve your equine partnership, address unwanted and dangerous horse behaviors, increase your confidence, and build a solid foundation in the trust between you and your horse.

The online and distance horse learning Remote Horse Training Programs offer Individual and Group options.  Students can subscribe to a suitable mentorship level that best fits their lifestyle, time, and budget.  Individuals may choose the degree of support ranging from a one-time equine-related telephone consultation with Samantha Harvey to on-going guidance via horse webinars, online horsemanship clinics, daily horse training tips, horse instruction behavioral videos with Q & A opportunities. 

 

Sam Harvey's equestrian and horse training tactics apply to both competitive and pleasure riders. Her adaptable distance learning format can be used to supplement a rider's current horse training program or used by itself. She has had proven success in working with a variety of equestrian students worldwide, irrelevant of their chosen riding discipline or years of horse experience. Her students vary on a wide spectrum from those facing equine-related trauma or fear to those needing the mental edge when competing at the international level.

Poop Patterns in Horses

Manure can tell you so much about a horse's health and stress levels in its consistency, texture, timing it is passed, etc.

But today I want to talk about something I've noticed over the years. Horses that come in for starting, re-educating, or refinement in their training are at various levels of exposure, confidence, and experience. They come from all over the country and are of many different breeds.

I believe socialization, freedom of movement, exposure to natural elements, and wildlife are important aspects of their education. They are kept in wooded area pastures at night and during the day are allowed to graze in herds in open grass fields.

I often joke I'm a grounds maintenance keeper and work with horses "on the side." I like to keep things neat and tidy and spend hours trying to keep up with the facility. So I notice things, like WHERE the horses poop.

Over the years I've realized there is a commensurate "evolution" in where horses decide to pass manure when they are out grazing during the day time in relation to their training.

In the beginning soon after they arrive, they poop wherever they may be grazing at the moment. As their mental availability and thoughtfulness starts to increase in our sessions together, they start to intentionally move closer to places where manure has been passed in the past. Then as they become more available and willing in "trying" and "searching" during their interactions with me, they start to consistently walk to a specific place to pass manure when grazing, in the same place, each day.

Even with me cleaning up manure daily, they will return to nearly the identical spot to relieve themselves, whether or not other horses have passed manure there recently.

I find the more mentally quiet and emotionally relaxed a horse is, the cleaner they are in where they decide to intentionally poop. If I hadn't noticed this consistently happening over the years with so many horses, I would have categorized the individual horse as a "messy" or clean horse.

But upon closer intentional observations, I have concluded that it, just as with all things horses do, is not an accident. It is yet another reflection of how their interaction with the human affects what their mental and emotional state is when they are on their own.

Horse Training Video- Having Conversations with Horses

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey Remote Horse Coach shares a moment captured impromptu on the farm. In this unrehearsed video, she shares what Conversation with the horse... or five of them can be like. Join her on your journey of Horsemanship Learn more about the "Reading the Horse" Online Course HERE

Building a horse's trust and try

Evolving journey of rebuilding a horse's trust and try...

Myofascial system of the Horse and his physical responses

Here is a recent article I came across by The Equine Documentalist:

The myofascial system is a newly explored phenomenon in the horse. Studies into its complexity show us just how interconnected the whole anatomy of the horse is.

Note how many of the lines go all the way into the hooves. Considering every anatomical point along a myofascial line directly affects every other point, and the position and orientation of each point will affect the position and orientation of every other through the concept of bio-tensegrity, we can see that the hoof will be subject to the physiological state of the body and vice versa. As we further investigate these concepts and relationships the compartmentalising of the hoof and the rest of the musculoskeletal system will be replaced with a more holistic outlook.  Read and watch for more info.
https://www.theequinedocumentalist.com/post/myofascial-trains-kinetic-chains-and-antalgic-posture-their-farriery-relevance
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https://youtu.be/3MluJpAy0Zo

Presenting familiar scenarios to horse while creating a new experience

Whenever I'm working with a new horse, I offer them a "clean slate" and assume nothing, irrelevant of their age or supposed training and riding background.

Mental Search vs. Task Fixation in Horse Behavior

Search vs. Task

How many thoughts and behaviors can you recognize in this young horse as he searches for what I'm asking?

When the human allows space for the horse to learn to take the time and sort through his options, it teaches the horse to be thoughtful and intentional vs reactive to the human's request.

This creates a mentally available vs physically tolerant equine partner.

Want to learn more? This horse is used as one of 7 demo horses in the "Reading the Horse" online course 🐎🎥💻. Click the link for the June COURSE details!