Showing posts with label horse care. Show all posts

Avoiding Unwanted Horse Behavior

Horse Behavior Problems- The Workarounds

Horse Behavior Problems: The Workarounds We Learn to Live With

By Samantha Harvey, Founder — Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

I have lost count of how many times I've heard, "Oh, he's done that for a while."

It usually comes from someone standing next to a horse who has been "like that" for so long that the human has built an entire routine around it.

The Common Comments

A few of the more common comments I hear:

To coerce the hard to catch horse, a bucket, a second one, and a friend stationed at the gate
Turning the horse loose- ALWAYS swing the gate(s) open beforehand, because as soon as the halter is off he bolts off and kicks out
The trailer loading that takes forty-five minutes, two helpers, several types of treats, and one specific buddy horse
The girthy horse who "just makes grumpy faces" so is cinched one hole at a time, with a lap around the arena between each round of tightening
The horse who "just needs twenty minutes on the lunge line to get the sillies out"
The corner of the arena "we don't go in" and is avoided at all cost
The horse who is "only like that with the farrier"

Outside the Horse World

Humans do the same thing outside of the horse world, and most of us know a house with at least one of these:

A toilet that runs until someone jiggles the handle.

Everyone who lives there knows the jiggle. Visitors get instructions. Years go by without a plumber. The jiggle is accepted as the solution.
The stair everyone skips because it is loose, right up until the day an unsuspecting guest walks across it and nearly breaks a leg
The Wi-Fi that gets restarted every afternoon around the same time, until the family simply refers to 3:00 as "router time"
The closet door held shut with a foot while someone else pushes higher up to "adjust" the warping to get it to close

Each of these "workarounds" may have become fine for the people who "know the routine." But, when the new house sitter arrives, it quickly becomes apparent how many things need to be done in a "certain way" just for the sake of basic functioning.

Why Workarounds Feel Like Progress

Horses are no different. The workaround(s) seem to keep daily life running smoothly (i.e. the least amount of resistance or time needed to get the horse to comply), so it feels like progress. Yet weeks, months, or years later, the horse still appears to carry the same initial concern leading to the "workaround"-and the human has mastered their ability to bend over backwards in their heroic efforts to avoid "conflict"- without ever addressing the root cause(s) of it.

With each unintentional reinforced instance, the equine's behavior tends to evolve, often escalating into a bigger, more dramatic response, reflecting how the root cause has never addressed.

When the Holes Show Up

The "holes" become obvious the day something changes in the horse's world... a new handler, the vet, the farrier running late, a storm, an emergency, a different trailer, and he offers unreasonable or unsafe behavior.

The Instruction Sheet

I often ask students- both in terms of considering one's safety, but also improving the well-being of the horse:

If someone else had to handle your horse tomorrow, how long would the instruction sheet be of the "workarounds" you currently use?

If there is a list forming in your head, it can be an opportunity for an honest reflection of unaddressed aspects in the horse's education. These offer a specific starting point of breaking down the "big task" into smaller segments to gain insight into what exactly triggers, fears, or concerns are causing the need for a "workaround."

Most masking of symptoms begin with a human's good intentions, but limited time and/or skills to seek out the root cause(s).

Do you have a workaround?

— Sam
Alternative Horsemanship™ the Remote Horse Coach

Interested in improving the partnership?

Join me for an Intro Consult — an opportunity to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and pinpoint what aspects of your equine partnership need refining to create positive, long-term change.

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Taking pictures from both profiles, front, and rear every six months can also be a good reference.

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Looking at the books... The number of established, long-time equine professionals shutting down their businesses is occurring at an alarming rate. Many who are continuing to operate have taken massive income cuts in their attempt to keep prices the same for clients. Many professionals are having to work second jobs to cover horse business expenses.

Below are some basic questions to ask in regards to your horse’s health.
I suggest keeping a horse health journal making note of diet changes, farrier care, odd behaviors, etc. It can be used as a future reference point to learn from and find what works best for the horse.

Are you a new horse owner looking for expert advice? Or maybe you have years of horse experience but are searching for fresh insights?

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Advice on horse care, training, and practical steps to strengthen the owner-horse bond. Whether building a new relationship with your equine partner or deepening an existing connection, these tips will give insight into proactively caring for your horse while prioritizing your and the horse's safety as you are learning on your horsemanship journey.

Click the link to watch on the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel. New videos are posted every Friday.

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Watch now: https://youtu.be/gCOzmjk_hd8?si=kBO1WCVSFR4pGZ-I

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Many equine enthusiasts struggle to find a balance in helping their horses achieve a mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy state. This month's livestreams will break down in four discussions many of the contributing factors that affect the equine's health that influence his behaviors and ability to participate in a willing, safe, and reasonable manner.
Livestream Schedule:
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Saturday June 3rd 9am pst

The Horse's Emotional Health
Friday June 9th 6pm pst

The Horse's Physical Health
Saturday June 17th 9am pst

Healthy Horse Behaviors
Friday June 24th 6pm pst

Replays are available on all Livestreams.

Watch in the https://alternativehorsemanship.locals.com community.

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Click the link in the comments for the video on the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel.

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Subscribe to the Alternative Horsemanship YouTube Channel for the Tuesday Trainer Tips series and the Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series on Fridays.

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