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02/06/08: From Ann Lindberg, Monty Roberts Certified Instructor, Sweden

This question came up because a student called me and wanted to use the explanation of “Into Pressure” that it was a dominant action horse’s use on humans because humans are predators. She wanted to leave it at that and then all the questions came up with reflex, instinct etc.

As we know the flank area has a ganglion of nerves to be able to go Into Pressure if the dogs try to rip out the intestines - on the other hand the little foal would push into this area instinctually searching for the milk?

The question came up if the Into Pressure syndrome would have something to do with horses keeping together also for survival? The foal would push into the flank area and not all mares will kick but go into pressure. We were wondering what a reflex is and what instincts are.

We looked it up and the following came out of Wikipedia: A reflex action is an automatic (otherwise called involuntary) neuromuscular action elicited by a defined stimulus. Instinct is the inherent disposition of a living organism toward a particular behavior.

Would it be appropriate to say that into pressure is a reflex connected to horse’s survival also combined with into pressure towards each other? I would very much appreciate your thoughts about this.

Ann Lindberg//SWEDEN

02/13/08: Is it possible to Join-Up two horses at a time, the two together? I have two horses (a mare and a gelding) of 3 years old and it is very difficult to isolate one from the other.

02/20/08: I just received two horses for Christmas and one has just had a little mule colt. I would like to learn everything I can about breaking and taking care of these horses. I read your book and have listened to some of your tapes and want to learn more and more. My mule baby is 1 month old and I don't know anything about training him....Help!

02/27/08: I live in a suburban area and we have three acres, two young children, two horses, one dog, a cat and a mortgage. Both my husband and I work, but my job allows me to work from home for half the day. With one child in school and the other in a day center, I have my hands pretty full. As you might imagine, I like to have my horses out of the stable as much time as possible. It makes cleaning stalls far less work than if they were in all the time.

Both of our horses are geldings, but Fred is definitely alpha and I don't mean just to our other horse, but to the whole community. Most of the young people in our neighborhood know about him and stay away from the field. He's never hurt anybody and I don't think Fred would hurt a child, but my problem is with the neighborhood dogs.

It seems to me that our dog, Curley got it all started because he likes to play with Fred, so I keep him in a yard unless I'm with him. Fred began their relationship by behaving playfully, but it gradually evolved into a scary situation. Fred would chase Curley to the fence, striking with his front feet and ears pinned back. Curley always made it, but it began to be a close call.

With Fred's attitude in mind, I went to the neighbors and told them all about Fred's interest in keeping dogs out of his one acre paddock. A friend told me that this was now a difficult situation because I have admitted that I know Fred could easily be a danger to the life of the dogs in the neighborhood. Is there anyway I can help Fred be more tolerant of our canine friends?

Answers to February 2008 Ask Monty Questions

Question
From Ann Lindberg, Monty Roberts Certified Instructor, Sweden

Dear Monty, this question came up because a student called me and wanted to use the explanation of “Into Pressure” that it was a dominant action horse’s use on humans because humans are predators. She wanted to leave it at that and then all the questions came up with reflex, instinct etc.

As we know the flank area has a ganglion of nerves to be able to go Into Pressure if the dogs try to rip out the intestines - on the other hand the little foal would push into this area instinctually searching for the milk?

The question came up if the Into Pressure syndrome would have something to do with horses keeping together also for survival? The foal would push into the flank area and not all mares will kick but go into pressure. We were wondering what a reflex is and what instincts are.

We looked it up and the following came out of Wikipedia: A reflex action is an automatic (otherwise called involuntary) neuromuscular action elicited by a defined stimulus. Instinct is the inherent disposition of a living organism toward a particular behavior.

Would it be appropriate to say that into pressure is a reflex connected to horse’s survival also combined with into pressure towards each other? I would very much appreciate your thoughts about this.

Ann Lindberg//SWEDEN

Monty's Answer
Dear Ann, your question is interesting and provocative. It is my opinion that the into pressure phenomenon which we teach in our courses and give credence to when we're training, is in fact a reflex action. I believe that Wikipedia is correct in their definitions. This means that, while we are dealing with a reflex action, I hold the opinion that this occurs because of centuries of instinctual development within the world of survival of the fittest.

The assertion that horses use it toward human beings because we are predators is probably incorrect. 'Into pressure' can be identified by an action whereby the horse bangs into the doorframe in the stable. Further, we can identify this phenomenon in the starting stalls, particularly where the rails are involved. The horse banging his head on a low trailer or doorway can also be identified as into pressure. None of these objects could be considered human or predatorial.

While it is an interesting exercise, I believe it is necessary to deal with this type of behavior, as a fact of life and not make so much of the reasons for it. It is wonderful to study everything to do with equine behavior, but at some point one must get on with the work of training our animals. Into pressure is a reflex action. It is probably born out of a pattern of instinctual behavior created over 50 million years. I don't believe it has a great deal to do with the source of the stimulus.

Remember my position with regard to the human baby at teething time. Biting down on a firm surface (teething ring) somehow gives obvious relief. It can be a mother's finger, a rubber ring, or even the side of a crib or playpen. It is far more important to identify the existence of this behavior and study the most effective way to deal with it than it is to query its sources.

Best,
Monty

Question

Is it possible to Join-Up two horses at a time, the two together?
I have two horses (a mare and a gelding) of 3 years old and it is very difficult to isolate one from the other.

Monty's Answer

It is quite possible to do Join-Up® with two or more horses at one time. The degree of difficulty is far higher than with a single horse. I believe that it is much better to create Join-Up with a single individual.

In your particular situation I would suggest that it is first advisable to separate the horse until they are no longer strongly bonded with one another. I would suggest that you visit my chapter on separation anxiety in my textbook From My Hands To Yours and follow the recommendations made there. Once you have individualized your horses then Join-Up can be accomplished in a far more meaningful way than attempting it with both horses at the same time.

Question

I just received two horses for Christmas and one has just had a little mule colt. I would like to learn everything I can about breaking and taking care of these horses. I read your book and have listened to some of your tapes and want to learn more and more. My mule baby is 1 month old and I don't know anything about training him....Help!

Monty's Answer

Mules are wonderful animals. They are, in my opinion, more intelligent than a horse and posses a hybrid vigor that has been well documented over the centuries. Mules are typically superior to the horse in terms of their ability to remain sound and free of injury and illness.

The fact that they are more intelligent challenges one to be as correct as possible where training techniques are concerned. Dr. Robert Miller world renowned vet and behaviorist is a recognized authority on mules and has been a breeder of them for decades. Dr. Miller states categorically that mules have been waiting thousands of years for my concepts to be put in place.

Personally I love mules have trained some very good ones and have written about some of them in my books. My entire list of conceptual principles applies to the mule even more conclusively then they apply to the horse. My textbook From My Hands To Yours can be your guideline to successful training if you will learn and educate yourself by practicing, hands on, regularly. Simply allow the mule to become the centerpiece of every lesson in that book and you will be amazed at the results.

Question

I live in a suburban area and we have three acres, two young children, two horses, one dog, a cat and a mortgage. Both my husband and I work, but my job allows me to work from home for half the day. With one child in school and the other in a day center, I have my hands pretty full. As you might imagine, I like to have my horses out of the stable as much time as possible. It makes cleaning stalls far less work than if they were in all the time.

Both of our horses are geldings, but Fred is definitely alpha and I don't mean just to our other horse, but to the whole community. Most of the young people in our neighborhood know about him and stay away from the field. He's never hurt anybody and I don't think Fred would hurt a child, but my problem is with the neighborhood dogs.

It seems to me that our dog, Curley got it all started because he likes to play with Fred, so I keep him in a yard unless I'm with him. Fred began their relationship by behaving playfully, but it gradually evolved into a scary situation. Fred would chase Curley to the fence, striking with his front feet and ears pinned back. Curley always made it, but it began to be a close call.

With Fred's attitude in mind, I went to the neighbors and told them all about Fred's interest in keeping dogs out of his one acre paddock. A friend told me that this was now a difficult situation because I have admitted that I know Fred could easily be a danger to the life of the dogs in the neighborhood. Is there anyway I can help Fred be more tolerant of our canine friends?

Monty's Answer

Thank you for your question. It is interesting from more than just a horseman's standpoint. Often our court systems seem to take the position that the neighborhood dogs have the right to visit without fearing for their life. In California, our courts are fairly strong with the opinion that it is the obligation of the dog owner to control its whereabouts. But some states view it differently.

In my opinion, you did the right thing to notify the neighbors. If your horse is on your property and there is a fence reasonable to confine the horse, then I believe you have done your duty. One could always go to the expense of adding wire mesh to the outside of the fence, but then there is the mortgage to worry about.

Causing Fred to be more tolerant of dogs might be a challenge, but I think I can offer some suggestions that may help. First, I would advise you to get a shipping crate of a comfortable size for Curley. It should be constructed of very strong material. They have them in fiberglass and even in steel. I would place a comfortable pad in the bottom of the crate so that Curley would be encouraged to sleep in it. I would offer it as a bed for Curley during the night.

Our dog, Cody sleeps in a shipping crate every night. It has become his den and he appears to be very comfortable in it and remains there with the door open. He is possessive of his crate and it has become his territory and he will growl at invaders even if they are part of the family. We humans think that it is a bit like a jail cell, but dogs love dens and it is far more acceptable to them.

Once Curley is accepting his new bedroom, then I would place it in the stable where Fred spends his night. I would make sure that you begin by having it in a very safe place. It could be in a manger or even just outside the door for a while. Eventually, though the crate could be in the corner of the box stall.

Once Fred is accepting Curley with no disturbance, then I would begin to inquire throughout the community if there were people who would like to participate in the program by allowing their dog to sleep with Fred for a while. This procedure actually does work, but even if Fred had a relapse and attacked a neighborhood dog, no one could say you weren't going the extra mile to prevent the problem.

This same procedure can be used with great success where fear of pigs is concerned. I even had an owner in England utilize this same procedure with a crate large enough for a small calf. Once the horse was accustomed to the smell of the calf, the sounds and the sight of it, the horse's owner could ride past the cattle fields far more safely than before this procedure was put in place.

Horses will tend to fall in love with other animals quite easily. Equus is a herd animal and they dislike being alone. I recall a Thoroughbred racehorse trainer by the name of Tom Pratt who had a horse that would absolutely go berserk if they tried to leave him in the stable without other horses around him. Tom, for whatever reason, started to hang his pet parrot outside the stable door.

His horse fell in love with the parrot and eventually the bird went with him on airplane flights and van rides to the races. The horse was okay when they took him to the race because there were other horses around including a saddle horse as a lead pony. However, immediately after the race, the horse was very happy to get back to the barn and be with his parrot again.

Try these methods if you choose to and let us know the results. Good luck with Curley and the kids and the best of luck with the mortgage.

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