Serenity for Life: Why it is important to help our horses through their challenges and stress
Dear Friends,
On a global basis I am asked to meet horses with phobias of all sorts. Horses, being flight animals, are obliged by their very nature to fear anything that is unfamiliar to them. Obviously certain objects appear to be more dangerous than others. A horse seeing a building or a tree is less likely to express fears than the horse who catches a glimpse of a little shopping bag captured in a hedge and waving in the breeze.
We human beings simply do not fully understand the complicated realties of what appears to be predatorial and what does not. As a horseman, it is necessary to create familiarity in the absence of pain.
Should a horse become familiar with any object that produces pain then, in fact, they will develop a strong phobia with that object even though they are familiar but justified in their fear.
One cannot reduce the fear in a horse without exposing them to the fearful object and then convincing them that it won’t hurt them. As I have worked with thousands of these horses I have developed patterns of training that have produced positive results. During the course of this work I have never felt that it was effective to execute the training without exposing the horse to the fearful objects.
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Monty and Mouse, the skeptical, young Saddlebred who learned to trust that the plastic shopping bags are not deadly. |
Mouse then graduated to large, plastic tarps in the same session. With patience and no pain, Monty allowed Mouse to relax and trust the crunchy sounds under foot from now on. |
It is an art form to introduce objects which are feared because every horse reacts in a unique way. One must ride the line between producing the fear and then causing comfort without overdoing the stimulation. And since I have worked with thousands of horses without experiencing an injury, I must be coming close to getting it right.
In this training category I do not find it effective to play the ostrich. Hiding the objects from the effected horse will never produce an individual that will accept the sight of these objects. While it’s true that the Dually halter and the Join-Up procedure are effective partners in my quest to reduce fear, there is the need for experience to meet the needs of phobically frightened horses.
It seems appropriate to share the following exchange I received after a demonstration I gave of these concepts in the UK on February 29, 2008. I am especially proud of the way the owner, Hannah, trusted me and her horse Missy to work together to give Missy a chance for less stress in her life.
- MONTY
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From the Intelligent Horsemanship Discussion Group
Re: Living Legend - Keysoe - Fantastic
« Reply #15 on Mar 5, 2008, 5:06pm »
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Hi to Hannahmissy, I think you already know how I feel about seeing your horse - it was mind blowing. My first horse sadly died last year at the grand old age of 28 but I had never in the 18 years I shared with him managed to get him over the fear he had of plastic bags. I now have another horse and at the moment he does not seem to have any phobias and with an intelligent horsemanship attitude I hope to tackle them if any do arise. When the demo first started I was horrified I could see Missy's heart pounding and really worried for her - but the end results will hopefully mean that the fear has gone forever. I wish you lots of success with her for the future she looks like a lovely mare.
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Re: Living Legend - Keysoe - Fantastic
« Reply #16 on Mar 5, 2008, 7:49pm »
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Hi silverlass, Thanks for your comments and i will agree, the whole experience was mind blowing. I could also visualise her heart beating as i have felt it so many times when we have been out! She achieved so much on Friday and i was so proud of her! When i saw her enter the arena i wondered whether i had done the right thing, taking her as it was all a bit much for her, but so pleased i took her. I think we both gained so much from the experience and i know she has so much to give; we just need to work through the fears she has!
Sorry to hear about you loosing your horse last year; i know exactly how you feel. Thanks again for making Missy famous!!! She will start making demands now!
Hannahmissy XXX
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Re: Living Legend - Keysoe - Fantastic
« Reply #22 on Mar 12, 2008, 7:48pm »
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Thanks for your comments! Both Missy and I learnt so much from the experience and Keysoe and i am still amazed at how well she did; I was very proud!! She does seem to be viewing the world with much 'braver eyes' which is great. She is also a lot happier than she used to be.
I expect to have blips along the way, but we'll face them together.
hannahmissy XX
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Question:
I loan a pony down a yard where we don't have any coloured poles. The pony I loan is a fantastic jumper, and I would love to take him to a show. However, I think he might be scared of the coloured poles as he is quite nervy anyway and he has never jumped over coloured poles before. I am not allowed to buy any coloured poles so I was wondering, is there anything else I could do? Thanks, Laura B.
Monty’s Answer:
This is a problem that I can help you solve very easily. Take the poles that you do have and buy some colored tape. Decorate the poles to the maximum you choose and school your pony in that way. If there is not enough money to buy the colored tape one could get colored shopping bags and tie them on the poles, as anything like that will do the job to help your pony jump brightly colored poles.
Editor’s note: Many readers contributed clever answers to this question. We will share more next week as it seems a common challenge.
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Monty's Challenge
Next Week's Question to Answer
The Bullying Horse: I have a 6 year old gelding, Geronimo, who is very much the dominant one in my small heard of three geldings. Everyone gets on fine at home as they know what the pecking order is. My problem is when I take Geronimo out in public. When we are standing around, waiting for our turn at an event, if there is a horse within 10 feet or so behind Geronimo he will begin backing up in order to bump in to the other horse. The only way I can stop him is by turning him to face the horse or spurring him to move forward. A simple leg squeeze will not suffice when he is on this mission. I can avoid the situation by being careful of who is around me, or simply “hiding” in a corner, but I would really like to cure him of the habit. Thanks, Jo Mayo, Missouri
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Test Yourself!
I want all of my students to learn to be better trainers than me! Test yourself each week as I challenge you to answer the question from below by writing to askmonty@montyroberts.com. I mean this. Sit down and write an answer. Don't wait for my answer next week. If you have been reading my Weekly Questions and Answers for the last six months, you should be in a position to do this. Why should you bother? Because it will help you focus. There is probably a comparable question in your life that needs answering – or will be. If you can gain insight into how to go about answering a practical question that is loosely related to your problem, this exercise will help you answer your nagging question. Then read my answer. Then read my other answers at this link: Ask Monty. The closest answer to mine each week will be awarded a DVD but more importantly you will learn! That's good for you! That's good for horses!
-Monty
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To all of our friends:
Thank you for your interest in my non-violent Join-Up methods. The positive feedback from the E-Newsletter readers has been very gratifying. You can help me continue to make the world a better place for horses and for people by sharing this information with your friends and colleagues. Forward this on and invite them to sign-up before next week to receive my free weekly email. Your friends can also sign-up at www.montyroberts.com by entering their email address in the ASK MONTY sign-up box.
- Monty
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