22nd August, 2011 Short Circuit

In the 1990's there was a film about a little robot that suddenly knew his own mind. His familiar cry in his thirst for knowledge was "more input!". There are times with horses when they are desperate for more input and, unless it it possible to provide some, they become bored and cross. Training for two of our regulars has come to a halt at the moment. Alby's owner is waiting for a slot to open at the yard where she wants him to be started. His loading training is at the stage where he is quite happy to stand about in the box for well over ten minutes with the ramp done up. However, I sense that if he were left much longer, stationary, he would find something interesting to do instead - not something that's a good idea in a small space! The box gets quite warm and uncomfortable at a stand still. Much better then to unload him and not get to the stage where he thinks I've had enough of this. We could take him for a trip in the box but the intention is to travel him in a different set up (with no front bar needed) for the journey as this will be the first time he has travelled and the first time he has ever left the field and his family.

In Beau's case, his playmates have had their grazing restricted and are now in a different area. He is bored stiff without them and the energy he would have expended cavorting with them is building up to such an extent that he wants to express it the whole time he is on the long lines even when he is faced with lots of interesting obstacles to go over through and round. Yes, I could restrict him with gadgets and I could go and get a big lunging whip, but this would just turn a 'no' into a battle. I would prefer that he didn't get the opportunity to practice his 'no' and would rather work with him when he is in a much happier and relaxed place mentally.

Boredom isn't always a problem. When desensitising a horse, you need to work until the thing that they are afraid of does become boring. I allow horses to move when they are afraid of something as to be standing still artificially can create another problem of it's own. If a horse is taught that it MUST stand still when it is afraid, it learns to stand still even though it is still afraid and then panics if asked to move forward because it is worried about the consequences if it does so. The art then is to suggest a halt to the horse and teach them that if they stop, the scary object will go away. This needs to be done incrementally, slowly, gradually and sympathetically rather than be full-on so that the horse doesn't just offer to stand still but really can't be bothered to move because the object is 'nothing' any more. Repetition is the key to desensitisation and once a horse knows that you know how to introduce new and novel items he starts to trust you and the new and novel things much more quickly. Slow means fast eventually. Narrow means wide eventually.

19th August, 2011 Lindy's Guest Blog

It is a real privilege for me to be able to observe Sarah's work and we have had many stimulating discussions on horse behaviour, how horses learn and the reasons horses may perceive certain things as a threat. I usually work with older, steadier horses who know their job and live on a busy college yard. By contrast, Sarah works with many nervous and uncertain, often young or semi-feral, horses and ponies who show challenging behaviours in everyday situations. Sarah has impressed me with not only her knowledge but also her willingness to share this with owners so they may work with their horses to overcome their fears. Sarah does not judge either the horses or their owners but works patiently with the horses in a way they can understand; and in a manner which reduces their adrenalin and 'flee' responses.

Sarah uses a range of techniques so there is always a Plan B. The sessions always end on a good note so the horse builds his confidence. It is clear horses can reflect on what they have learned so that by the next visit there is even more progress (latent learning in action here!).

Lindy Wale

Course Tutor - Level 3 Horse Management

01305 215 156

Sadly, Lindy goes back to work at the college next week.

16th August, 2011 Better Saddles

It's been a few years since I saw Marianna Batterbury, independent saddle fitter and another holder of the Monty Roberts' Preliminary Certificate of Horsemanship. Today Guilda's owner had arranged to meet her at mine to fit a saddle for lovely Guilda. Like a lot of our starters, Guilda will be going treeless.

Marianna is based in Surrey and can be contacted through info@bettersaddles.co.uk and has a website at http://www.bettersaddles.co.uk/

I have always done girths up gently and bit by bit while I am getting ready. For a young horse that might buck I used a breast girth to avoid having to tighten the girth up too far. Marianne taught me a great new technique for doing up the girth looking at when the horse was ready and offering to accept it. The girth strap is pulled outwards instead of upwards and you wait for the horse to breath in and press against the girth. Will try this and report back.

16th August, 2011 Don't keep your nose out of other people's business!

Time again for another visit from the horses' Auntie Fiona. Chancer could hardly wait for her to put her tool box down and stuck his tongue, nose and mouth in almost everything he was offered. Petra was slightly more circumspect and Jack dipped in and out.

Fiona can be contacted by email at fiona.habershon@btinternet.com and has a website at www.fionahabershon.com An article about Applied Zoopharmacognosy will be in the next Listening Post due out on 1st September.

Chancer's choices:

Barley grass - moderate interest orally

Rosehips - moderate interest

Flax/Linseed oil - keen ingested - contains linolenic acid, linoleic acid and oleic acid as well as containing vitamin E and beta carotene (converted to vitamin A by the body), omega-6 and omega-9, essential fatty acids (EFAs), B vitamins, potassium, lecithin, magnesium, fibre, protein and zinc. Flax seed oil provides approximately 50% more omega-3 fatty acids than fish oil.

Dandelion root powder - very keen ingested - supports the liver

Echinacea herb - very keen ingested - immune booster

Lime essential oil - inhaled. Known to be cleansing.

Seaweed Extract: selected when animals are run down and have lost general condition; when their immune system is compromised.

Carrot seed essential oil: Also when the immune system is compromised.

16th August, 2011 No badgering required...

Yesterday Lindy and I went over to Wareham Forest to collect panels that I had left with Badger's owner. Not only has she not had to use them since Badger has loaded each and every time he has been asked but he now stands tied up to have his legs clipped in exchange for clickered treats. It's so nice to see him saying, "hey, where are you going with those clippers" instead of "oi! what do you think you are doing with those clippers?!".

15th August, 2011 Reasoning

Earned my lunch yesterday by helping a friend with her pony who has suddenly gone on strike about having his head collar on. This is a pony that so far has taken everything in his stride from picking up his feet to long reining. He's happy to have people around him even when he is lying down in the field. So the issue could be teeth or early sunburn (he wears a fly mask and nose net in the field) or he could have got caught up; an outsider might have had a go at him. In the end, the reason doesn't help with the solution in this case other than preventing the sunburn and having his teeth checked. The human emotions connected with this apparent 'failure' and 'rejection' don't help at all and need to be left at the gate along with any sense of cross-ness or frustration or indeed entitlement. You have just got what you have got and need to work on that little thing. It was clear that it was the right side of his head that was bothering him the most so I set about seducing that with the fluffy scarf and then started to work with the head collar itself. By undoing the nose-band for now and using a lace to just draw it over his face, I was able to work without crowding him or presenting him with extra things like hands so that it took less than 4 minutes to put the headcollar on rather than the 40 that it had taken the day before. Repetition, repetition and repetition will now be the answer.

13th August, 2011 Ellingham Show

Had a lovely day at the Ellingham Show today courtesy of the Animal Rescue Team. The stand was right opposite the Heavy Horse ring and next door to the all day farriery demonstration (Robert Sansom). Jenny was very happy as Poppy came second in her class.