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Ask Monty, May '08
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05/07/08: I have a 2 year old filly, which from birth has chewed manes & tails (her mother, other brood mares, other foals, etc.) I have tried all the old taste deterrent remedies - nothing works. As a last resort, I put her with my old brood mares (who stand no nonsense!), but she even found one of them gentle enough to allow her to eat her lovely tail up to the dock.
I have tried homeopathy. I am contemplating "remote" healing. She is the sweetest little pony, with no other vices. I am tearing my hair out! Now I have had to separate her, which is arguably the worst thing to do, but she is eating her way through my herd, and could cause herself internal damage. Any constructive comments would be most welcome.
Kindest regards,
Mrs.J.Windle-Taylor
05/14/08: I have heard different explanations for the gesture of licking and chewing. Please tell me how you learned this and how you respond to people who question your conclusion.
05/21/08: I have just read the article in the email about using the whip in racing. This is why I was put off watching horse racing. The way the horses are pushed to their limits and whipped all the way is just horrible. My question is what you think about "children using whips". My daughter who is 8 abandoned the ponies and rides big horses now. She is quite small for her age and when she is sitting in the saddle her feet hardly touch the horse's body.
In the school where she rides she is asked to carry and use a whip in order to make the horse react when she can not use her legs and feet. I don't always agree with that method because the horse can have a negative reaction. What is worse is that she takes the whip as a toy sometime and even whips her Barbie horses when playing. As you say, the whip can do more harm than good. So what is the alternative?
Thanks for sending me your emails, I always enjoy reading them.
Anna R., Switzerland
05/28/08: Have you ever given up on a horse?
Monty's Answers to May 2008 Questions
Question:
I have a 2 year old filly, which from birth has chewed manes & tails (her mother, other brood mares, other foals, etc.) I have tried all the old taste deterrent remedies - nothing works.
As a last resort, I put her with my old brood mares (who stand no nonsense!), but she even found one of them gentle enough to allow her to eat her lovely tail up to the dock.
I have tried homeopathy. I am contemplating "remote" healing. She is the sweetest little pony, with no other vices. I am tearing my hair out! Now I have had to separate her, which is arguably the worst thing to do, but she is eating her way through my herd, and could cause herself internal damage. Any constructive comments would be most welcome.
Kindest regards,
Mrs.J.Windle-Taylor
Monty's Answer:
Obviously this is a major problem on most breeding operations. Over the years we have had problems with tail eating. I think it was about 10 years ago that one of my grooms from Mexico created a preparation that was very successful.
He used the hottest chilies that they grow in Mexico. He mixed them with cooking oil. After that, he put this in a blender and chopped it very fine. They put it on with a glove and rubbed it on the tails every day. We never had tail eating since that time.
If your pony can eat this mixture, than you have to take him to Mexico where everybody eats such hot food! If you don't have Mexican chilies you could use Cayenne Pepper. It is just as effective but it makes a bit more mess. But chilies are nice and clean.
At Flag Is Up Farms, we put out salt blocks and feed a mix that contains minerals necessary for healthy horses. I encourage horse owners to ask their vets about the best mix for their horses in their locale. Many people believe that chewing tails may indicate physiological needs rather than behavioral challenges such as boredom from being confined in small enclosures and unable to exercise freely. There is no reason for this being a dietary problem if your horse’s diet is balanced.
Question:
I have heard different explanations for the gesture of licking and chewing. Please tell me how you learned this and how you respond to people who question your conclusion.
Monty’s Answer:
I first came to study the gesture of licking and chewing in 1948. It had to do with mustangs that would use this gesture with other horses in the family group. I have concluded that it is primarily a gesture of contentment and relaxation. At no time, did I ever conclude that it only followed an episode of violence.
The people who differ with this conclusion have, in my opinion, misread the horse. I feel more confident with this answer than any other I’ve given. I have worked alongside such outstanding horseman as Leon Harrel, Richard Shrake, Simon Stokes, Brian Neubert, Pat Parelli, Bill and Tom Dorrance, Buck Brannaman, Charles Wilhelm, Pony Boy, Ray Hunt, John Lyons and many others who have stated categorically that they read licking and chewing just as I do.
I have read their books and watched their videos with intense interest in expanding my knowledge. I believe that this collection of horsemen would represent more than 300,000 horses in training. I would be more than happy to answer an invitation to observe any qualified scientist who would choose to demonstrate for me their position in this matter.
Question:
I have just read the article in the email about using the whip in racing. This is why I was put off watching horse racing. The way the horses are pushed to their limits and whipped all the way is just horrible. My question is what you think about "children using whips". My daughter who is 8 abandoned the ponies and rides big horses now. She is quite small for her age and when she is sitting in the saddle her feet hardly touch the horse's body.
In the school where she rides she is asked to carry and use a whip in order to make the horse react when she can not use her legs and feet. I don't always agree with that method because the horse can have a negative reaction. What is worse is that she takes the whip as a toy sometime and even whips her Barbie horses when playing. As you say, the whip can do more harm than good. So what is the alternative?
Thanks for sending me your emails, I always enjoy reading them.
Monty's Answer:
As is common in disciplines, the process of learning is layered from a foundation. Trust is the critical foundation for communicating in the language of the horse I call Equus. Without trust, the flight animal cannot become a willing partner.
Anna R. should provide this young child with a soft Giddy-Up which is made from cotton fibers braided into a thick rope. At one end is a tassel, and at the other, a loop that fits over the wrist. The rope can be swung in an arc in front of the rider, meeting the horse just behind the rider's legs. Due to the nature of the material and the type of braiding, the rope cannot cause pain. The rider should swing the Giddy-Up rope left and right across the midline of the horse in a rapid back-and-forth motion. With the blinkers in place, the rider should be patient and continue this motion, increasing its intensity, while waiting for the horse to take any free steps forward. You can find this illustrated in chapter 8 of From My Hands to Yours textbook.
The rider should be diligent and watch for a positive response. The instant forward motion is achieved, the rider should cease to swing the Giddy-Up rope, and stroke the neck of the horse in congratulation. The rider might use clucking or chirping sounds during the use of the Giddy-Up rope to add to its effectiveness. By sending both visual and auditory cues, you are likely to achieve the desired result.
It is extremely important for any horseman to be reasonable in his demands where workload is concerned; you must never demand from a horse to the extent that you discourage his generosity. There is virtually no way to clearly outline here what is reasonable or unreasonable. It is, however, important that horse owners seek advice of professionals about the extent of the workload. There are horses who can handle a heavy workload, and then there are those who are a great deal more fragile. We must be diligent to watch for the signs of discontent when making demands on the energy reserves of our horses.
Almost every balker that I am asked to work with turns out to be a horse that resists backing-up. For some reason, many horsemen seem to think that schooling a horse to back-up will cause him to be a balker. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Next month I will start a series in this newsletter relating to the misconceptions in training that so many of you have witnessed. Please forward this to your friends and colleagues inside and outside the world of horses. It will be important for all people to reflect on the treatment of animals and people too.
We will start with the most obvious malpractice: when the whip is used to produce pain. All over the world, the number one selling piece of horse training equipment is still the whip. Next month I will address why it still exists, some of those calling for change and what alternatives we have.
Question
Have you ever given up on a horse?
Monty’s Answer
No. Having said that I have had a few owners who allowed me to work only a short time and then they gave up on the horse. As I recall there were only 4 or 5 horses from a career of more than 50,000. So I think it is appropriate to answer by saying 'no'.
But I want to encourage you to learn the source of my confidence. The fact that I work within the language and psychological makeup of the horse creates a no-lose environment. If my concepts are in fact totally non-violent and if my mindset is 100% respectful of the horse, then we will eventually experience progress. Should there be a time when I am dissatisfied with the results; the answer is then to look inward. Recognizing that it is me who is doing something wrong is a critical factor in assuring success.
Since the horse can only respond so as to achieve survival then it is our obligation to act within their mental framework and satisfy them that there is no reason to fear for their survival. Once I have trust and respect, then improvement is never far behind.
It is with these tenets in place that I can state categorically that while I have never been perfect, some improvement has always been experienced. If I am given sufficient time then significant improvement has always been achieved. The older I get the less time I seem to need because my bank of experience allows me to work making fewer mistakes.
Making mistakes is something we all do. We are human and not perfect. It is my belief that we should not fear making mistakes and that [link to website] they should become an opportunity to learn. The fear of making a mistake will slow down the exploration process that is so important when finding the answers that the horse is looking for. One should be diligent to seek as much education and experience as is possible and then utilize that information to create an environment in which the horse can learn and become a partner.
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