Reach Out to the Remedial Horse

I am often asked to help people with the horse they just can’t handle. They’ve tried everything and their horse just will not stop the behavior and in some cases drastic action will be taken if they or someone else can’t “fix” the problem.  To begin addressing these issues I always steer my clients towards the behavior of the wild horse.  Horses have survived through history using instinct, adaptation and an effective non-verbal language that goes well beyond the unspoken.  When observing horses in a natural habitat you will find them running, bucking, rearing, kicking and biting one another out of play.  You will witness their curious, gregarious nature, along with their social interaction.  You will not see them stall-walking, weaving or wind-sucking!

It is crucial to remember that, so often, these majestic creatures are taken out of their natural environment and placed in a completely unfamiliar world.  We force them to go against their natural instincts and behavior patterns, without giving it a second thought.  Take a moment to imagine yourself to be a free-roaming horse.

These are but a few changes we make to horses’ daily lives and a few expectations we place on them.  Horses’ instincts have been honed over the 54 million years they have inhabited this planet and the relatively short period of time they have lived in domestication is certainly not enough to change the natural behaviors and instincts that have served them for so long.

Many times, in fact, these natural behaviors can be seen in the “problems” of domesticated horses.  Cribbing, for example, can be classed as a form of grazing.  A cribbing horse may be lacking jaw movement & exercise and because of that may start to chew other parts of its surroundings.  The horse that ‘stall walks’ or ‘weaves’ is exercising its natural instinct to steadily forage. Understanding the natural behaviors and survival instincts will help you to better approach your horse’s ‘problems’ and ‘vices’.
As horse trainers, riders, managers and horse lovers it is always our responsibility to investigate all possibilities.  If you are working with someone else’s horse it is obviously useful to know the history from the owners.  But you should then place that information in the back of your mind!  It is far more important to read what the horse is telling you about its history.  People perceive events in different ways, both from other people and especially from horses.  Hence, although the history of the horse may explain some of the behaviors you observe, it is only the horse itself that can tell you the true story. 

One owner I worked with told me the story of her young paint colt.  She explained that she and her husband would often go on trail rides and when they would come upon a stream her colt would head right over and begin to lie down.  He would literally immerse himself in the water. She didn’t believe that it was his playful nature, instead was quite distraught about the situation and wanted it solved.  I determined that he was young and had some handling and training.  There was no mention of any accidents that may have occurred and, most importantly, no past or present injuries. 

Next I needed to assess the horse’s physical well-being to see if the root cause may lie in injury or pain.  With all “problems” such as these we need to consider all possibilities including: an inexperienced rider, low work-load vs. high energy, an incorrect feeding schedule, back pain, an ill-fitting saddle, dentistry needs, heat cycles & hormones or even the experience of an abusive rider.  These problems can usually be addressed by using equine chiropractors, tack fitters, nutritionalists and other equine specialists.

I conducted a round-pen session with this young colt using the Reach Out to Horses® methods.  To begin with he was reluctant to take the head-collar and a little head-shy. During the procedure, it became apparent that he had pain in his head, neck, withers & back area.  He also informed me through his language, motion and energy that he was very sore throughout his entire body. 

As I was sharing what this young colt was expressing openly and loudly, the clients began to tell me that, in fact, when saddling him a year prior with a Western Saddle he had flipped over and landed on his back.  After the incident, they continued to ride him intermittently.  This explained why he was seeking to lie down in the cold water – he was trying to relieve his discomfort.  This young colt was particularly forgiving.  He tolerated a high degree of discomfort and was “shouting” to his people to take notice.  I was happy to finally be able to get his message across to the owner and through conventional and alternative healing methods his issues would easily be resolved. 

Once the pain is alleviated and your horse has regained his confidence, he will gain a new understanding and stop associating saddles and riders to pain.  He will begin to view them as allies to be trusted.   In listening to the horse and trying to understand his motives, you may find the answer to the problem surprisingly simple. 
 
Here are some questions you can use as guidelines to help you with some of the issues you may be having:

1. When/Where did the change in behavior begin?
2. How did the behavior manifest?
3. Who is responsible for this problem?
4. Why was this problem created?
5. What are we going to do to change it?

“Reaching Out to your horse”* will restore trust and confidence in humans.  It is the foundation to all communication and can take on many forms.  “Reach Out” will allow you to learn to read and communicate with your horse while building a trust-based relationship.  It is the beginning to all success and will aid in improving existing relationships, embarking on new partnerships, and assessing character and health.

 by Anna Twinney