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10/25/06: My horse is bored in the stable. How can I solve this? Are there tricks or toys for horses that have to stay in a stable many hours a day?

10/18/06: I have two young horses turning five and they are both afraid of water and being bathed. I have avoided trying to force water on them and wonder what you do to get them to the point of bathing without fear. I am afraid of making them more nervous than they already are so I haven't done alot at this point. What is your method for this?

10/11/06: When you start a 'Join-Up®' with a horse, won't they think they have done something wrong? What does the horse think at that moment, at that point when you start a 'Join-Up'?

10/04/06: Are there horses that are so called "man-haters"?

Answers to October 2006 Ask Monty Questions

Question: My horse is bored in the stable. How can I solve this? Are there tricks or toys for horses that have to stay in a stable many hours a day?

Answer: There are many tricks and toys available to you these days. As I visit the racetracks of the world I come in contact with horses that are often stabled up to 23 hours per day. Obviously stable vices are exhibited by these horses more than virtually any other discipline.

Hay nets are often used to encourage the horse to graze through out the day and evening. These hay nets will be hung just outside the door opening and the horses are allowed to reach out of their stalls with their heads for it. I certainly advocate actually feeding horses low as their anatomy is constructed with that in mind. The hay nets are for this additional purpose.

Many other objects are utilized in an effort to entertain the horse during the long hours in the stall. Tetherballs are an item often seen at the racetracks. Sometimes a horse will have 3-4 of them hanging in different locations so that he can swing them with his nose in a game-like fashion. Large beach balls rolling loose in the stall do the trick for some horses. And then there are those that prefer animal friends. Goats and sheep are the most often utilized animals as horse playmates. I even saw a horse that had a pet parrot that inhabited a cage just outside of his door. The horse was terribly unhappy when the parrot was not there and clearly found him to be a valuable aid to the boredom of this stable bound horse.

Music, and even certain grooms who are around a lot for a horse, can make a huge difference in the tranquility of these animals. It is clear that the horse that is comfortable with his surroundings eats and performs better than a horse that lives in an anxious state. Observe your horses closely and try to see to their needs.

In another column I will share all the helpful ideas I have received from all our readers.

-Monty

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Question: I have two young horses turning five and they are both afraid of water and being bathed. I have avoided trying to force water on them and wonder what you do to get them to the point of bathing without fear. I am afraid of making them more nervous than they already are so I haven't done alot at this point. What is your method for this?

Monty's Answer: I answer this question quite often. I tell people that if they have a spare stall that they don’t mind getting wet put a horse in there and you get a stool or a table so you can reach over the wall. You have a pistol grip on the hose and you start out wit a fine mist remembering that a horse can stand out in the rain without any problem. It seems to be just when the water hisses from the hose under pressure.

The point here is to show the horse that there is no pain connected to the water from the hose. In a very short period of time the horse will stand for a fog shower. After that you can begin to put a bit more direct stream on your horse. When he will stand rather comfortably for this procedure, then you can move on to the next step.

My recommendation for a second step in this process is to slightly open the door, put the pistol grip through it and begin to spray the floor all around the horse. Gradually work up the legs and onto the body as he becomes relaxed with the process. If you chose a good hot day your horse will probably love it in a matter of 10 minutes or so.

-Monty

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Question: When you start a 'Join-Up®' with a horse, won't they think they have done something wrong? What does the horse think at that moment, at that point when you start a 'Join-Up'?

Monty's Answer: If you are referring to the point when you send the horse away, remember that it is their language that you are dealing with. When this gesture is thought to be offensive by a human being it’s because the human being is putting it into our language. The horses are perfectly comfortable speaking the language that they have known for over 40 million years. Watch the horse at the end of the Join-Up and you will realize that no negatives have come from sending the horse away. It is impossible to draw a horse back to you until the horse is away from you. Don’t try to speak two languages at once. Learn the language Equus.

-Monty

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Question: Are there horses that are so called "man-haters"?

Monty's Answer: Thank you for this question. I get it approximately 500 times a year. Each time I’m asked, I say that it is no surprise when a horse loves a woman and hates a man.

This is not rocket science; a man has abused the horse. Horses don’t make these things up. They act out only as a response to what others have done to them.

I probably work with 200 horses per year that have been abused by a man.

Recently in Ohio, USA I had a mare who was accompanied by her owner, who also happened to be her farrier. This was a man who brought the horse to us saying it was impossible for any male farrier to deal with her.

This owner went on to admit that he had tied her legs with ropes and put the ropes over the beams in the barn. He then said that they would pull the legs up so that she couldn’t kick. This is abuse and there is no other name for it. We worked with the mare and in the end she was allowing me to handle her legs with no problem.

If you have a horse that hates all men, stop and say to yourself the horse has a right to. Then learn my methods, put them to work and watch the horse regain trust. We should not demand that any horse trusts us until we earn that trust.

-Monty

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