Fear-free Horse Training Every Step of the Way
An equine exposé by
Neil Davies
KIPCORP PUBLISHING
Disclaimer This book is intended as an outline of what can be achieved with horses. It doesn’t attempt to cover every situation with every horse. Horse handling and horse riding are dangerous activities which may result in serious injury to the participants. The author and publisher make no guarantees or warranties as to the safety or otherwise of using any information or instruction given or implied in this book and will not assume any liability for your actions. The author and publisher are not responsible, nor liable for any damages, negative consequences or loss, to any person or entity after reading or following the information contained in this book. This is a comprehensive limit of liability that applies to all damages or loss of any kind. © Neil Davies 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles. National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Davies, Neil Henry, author. Title: Fear-free Horse Training Every Step Of The Way ISBN: 9780992291006 (hardback) Subjects:
Horses – Training. Horsemanship.
Other Authors/Contributors: Davies, Christine Margaret, editor. Dewey Number: 798.2 Text: Neil Davies Photographs: Steve Evans and Jim Davies Editing: Christine Davies Design: Prue Mitchell pm3 www.pm3artdesign.com.au Project Management: Laurel Cohn Editing and Manuscript Development Services www.laurelcohn.com.au Printed in China by Everbest Printing Co Ltd
This book was written on behalf of horses everywhere, because they can’t speak for themselves.
Photo slideshows for most chapters can be viewed at: www.fearfreehorsetraining.com
Contents
FOREWORD
1
1
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
5
Fear is the enemy
10
2
CATCHING AN UNHANDLED HORSE FOR THE FIRST TIME
17
3
LEADING – THE FIRST STEPS
25
4
TEACHING A HORSE TO WALK A CIRCLE
36
5
LEG HANDLING BEGINS
47
6
LIFTING A HORSE’S LEGS FOR THE FIRST TIME
56
7
TRAILER LOADING
63
8
STARTING A HORSE UNDER SADDLE
75
Teaching a horse to accept a rider for the first time
78
9
MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RIDER
87
10
INTRODUCING THE SADDLE
94
11
LEARNING TO GO AND INTRODUCING THE BIT
105
Introducing the bit
107
12
THE TRAINING SEQUENCE
113
Using my legs for the first time
116
The first canter
117
13
EASY INTRODUCTIONS
121
Rugging
124
Hosing
126
Tying up for the first time
130
How to mount safely
133
14
THE HORSE TRAINING CODE
136
The respect myth
145
15
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RELAXED AND CONFIDENT
147
Starting a horse that others have tried to ride
148
Why correct early training is so important
151
The overfed and underworked horse
153
16
OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND MOVING FORWARD
156
Contents
17
TEACHING A HORSE TO GIVE
163
Stopping
170
Backing up
172
Spurs
173
18
COMMON PROBLEMS
176
The dangerous situation
176
The rearing horse
177
The shying or spooking horse
178
My horse won’t walk
184
Your position on the horse
185
Teaching a horse to move from walk to trot and from trot to canter
186
19
LEADING PROBLEMS
187
Pulling back when tied up
194
The head shy horse
196
The hard to catch horse
200
20
FULL CIRCLE
206
Teaching a horse to spin
206
Teaching a roll back
209
Science and horses
212
Introducing a stockwhip
212
A message for every horse owner
217
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
224
FOREWORD
H
turns, looks at him. He approaches, casually. Rubs the horse’s forehead, rubs the neck. Soon the head of the horse drops, eyes half closed, and then, that murmuring sound of a happy, relaxed horse. It is at this point Neil Davies goes to work.There are horse trainers, and there are clinicians, then there is Neil Davies of Australia. He grew up working with horses on his family dairy farm, a time of no DVDs and few books on horse training. So Neil as a young teenager trained horses on the rim of the Outback, working with what he felt about horses, from his heart and his soul and his intuitive connection with the horse. Thus emerges his book Fear-free Horse Training, an amazing bank of original knowledge. And this is very important. It is not something somebody told him, or he read, or he saw. It is what he, personally learned from the horse. This original knowledge is in this book. Read it, and it will forever change your life with your horse. Neil grew up learning from the many horses he worked, horses nobody wanted to handle, or ride, and when Neil rubbed their forehead and neck they became supple and fear-free. Horses that couldn’t be ridden, Neil rode. Horses that kicked, bit and bucked no longer behaved that way with Neil, because they had no fear under his loving, gentle, rotating hand on the forehead. And that simple action would become his ‘hand shake’ with all horses. He connects. His skill comes from the trust horses give him, because he takes away all fear. His message to the horse is: ‘Be with me, mate, and I’ll show you the easy way. We must do this together. It will be fun.You will enjoy being with me.’ Neil quickly learned not to ‘break’ a horse, but rather to get into a relationship where they would do this ‘training thing’ together. He wins their trust, and then they do whatever e ambles over. The horse
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Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
he asks. This book will show you, very clearly, how you too can achieve this interaction with your horse, or at least start on the correct path. Be guided by Neil’s wisdom. Be patient.You will get there if you think it through, and follow all of his philosophy. When I first met Neil Davies 20 years ago, and he worked with my horses in Malibu, California, I saw what he did in such a short time with ‘problem’ horses. I immediately suggested he should become a ‘clinician’, back when there were few. My promotional plans stalled because Neil became frustrated with people who kept blaming ‘bad’ horses, or listing other excuses about why the horse behaved badly. His style was so gentle it became boring to people who lacked the ability to concentrate on the subtle. He sees no connection between terrifying a horse and entertaining a crowd. “Good luck to them,” he says, “but I don’t think entertainment should be at any horse’s expense. I don’t think it’s funny to see horses rushing around in fear or bucking when first saddled.” Here is a man who believes that every horse born is a blank canvas, and what you put on that canvas is what you get.Treat the horse badly and you will get a horror picture.Treat it with love and kindness and you will get a horse that will give you absolutely everything it has. Neil became disillusioned with the popular US attitude of horse training: put them in a round pen, run them around until they are exhausted, then get a flag on a pole and terrorise them into submission. He went back to Australia. Thankfully, with a book, not a DVD, he is reaching out again, two decades later, a move that will be of enormous benefit to horse lovers everywhere. In the 4th Century BC, the Sarmatians, who lived in what is now Southern Russia, began riding horses instead of just eating them. In 2300 BC, the Sumerians, to the north, put horse management into words. In 1400 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Horenhab commissioned his account on how to train a horse. A thousand years later, Alexander the Great did the same. Every century thereafter produced somebody who wrote a horse training manual. For some strange reason, Australia has produced horse trainers on the same scale as Ireland has produced writers. Which would put Neil Davies in the category of Brendan Behan. Neil Davies has penned the defining horse training manual for the 21st Century. Another observation: Neil Davies has never made a living as a writer, and never will. Yet, when he writes about the horse he is a writer. The writing is simple, and eloquent. When Neil asked me to write this foreword, I read through the manuscript and marked highlights. When I finished, I realised I had marked about 20 percent of the book! I readjusted my approach. I selected, at great task, a precious few bullets. 2
foreword
w Horses don’t know if you ride English, Western or Calathumpian. w It takes years for a human to learn how to understand horses, yet a poor old �‘dumb’ horse can assess his rider or handler very quickly and out-think him in a few minutes. w The horse learns only from the immediate results he gets. My reaction must be immediate. If I react three or four seconds after the event, the horse won’t relate my reaction to the event. w Overcoming the horse’s fear of humans is the problem. w A horse must never be hit around his head or neck. Whether you’re riding him or you’re on the ground, you must not hit him in front of the girth. w You must teach every horse everything you want him to do. w If all horses were started off without fighting, bucking, being chased around or confronted with things that frighten them, there would be no problem horses. In Fear-free Horse Training, Neil considers absolutely everything a person who owns a horse has questioned. In a simple step-by-step approach, he is relentless in his explanation. And he is absolute: you either take all of his wisdom, or none. He has enhanced this treasure with a vast number of photographs, showing each step he takes, and explaining why. This is a book every person who owns a horse must read. It is right up there with needing a licence to drive a car. If you own a horse and want to ride that horse, you need to read this book because it will show you how the horse best works. It will be a very long time – if ever – before a better user manual for horses is written. Colin Dangaard Malibu, California
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1
HOW IT ALL BEGAN
G
rowing up on a farm in Australia in the 1960s was a different world to today.We had
black and white television, no internet and no video games. Every day after school I had to milk cows, feed calves, chop wood and do other farm work. For entertainment I rode my pony, hunted rabbits and swam in the local creeks and waterholes. The big events of the year were the Picton Show, Camden Show and the local rodeo. Kids practised flag races and bending races at home in preparation for the Picton Show. School closed for the day and everyone looked forward to the sideshows. There was the ‘Wall of Death’, where motorbikes were ridden around a type of silo.We stood at the top and looked down as the bikes climbed higher and higher up the wall. On the evening before one show, some of us pushed the merry-go-round by hand and had a free ride. The sideshow owner was furious and chased us across the showground.We copped a thoroughly deserved boot to our backsides for our trouble. No one could afford a horse trailer so we rode our ponies to the show. Flag races and bending races were held in age groups and competition My first ribbon at Picton Show in 1961. was always fierce. There 5
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was a walk trot and lead event, a walking race, a trotting race and other novelty events. There was always a poddy ride for the kids and everyone tried their hand at riding a bucking calf. On rodeo day, I remember getting up at daybreak and riding ten miles to another farm. We mustered about one hundred head of cattle for the steer ride and wild cow milking then drove them up the main street of Picton to the showground. There were no professional rodeo contractors in those days, so the steer ride was the main attraction.The showground fence was only one rail, about a metre or so (4 feet) high, and steers ended up all over town after being bucked out. They ran into house yards and tore up gardens and on one occasion, a steer was chased down the main street and ended up in a shop.You can imagine the carnage. We spent days finding missing cattle and taking them home. Weekends were often spent mustering cattle or riding in the Nattai Valley where my father had cattle on a bush run. There were no fences in the Nattai as the valley formed a natural barrier. During school holidays, we sometimes camped in the bush for a week or so looking for cattle. My working life with horses began in my early teens when I was still at school. Ponies were often sent to us to be ‘broken in’ and with my father’s help, I’d get the job done. I left school at sixteen and worked on a dairy farm for a couple of years. In the mid1970s, the Department of Agriculture started a My schoolmate George Ray and me sizing up the competition at Picton Show in 1967. campaign to eradicate brucellosis. This involved a blood sample being taken from every cow and bull in the state. When I was nineteen, I started work with the Department on their brucellosis campaign. 6
chapter 1 | how it all began
I enjoyed going to different farms to collect the blood.Though some farmers only had one or two cows, we still had to take a sample.We had all sorts of fun. If there wasn’t a yard, one of us would hold the cow bulldog style, while our partner took the sample using a needle under the tail. We were young and enjoyed the challenge. I remember an Italian farmer who tied his prize bull to a fence for us.When I put the needle in the bull’s tail, he charged off and dragged the fence with him. He pulled down about ten panels of fence before he stopped. It was all just part of our day. About this time, I began competing in local campdrafts. I wanted to improve my horsemanship and decided to take a few horses to start under saddle. Early mornings were spent collecting blood samples around local farms and in the afternoons I had three or four horses to work. When I was twenty-one, I left the Department of Agriculture to train horses full time. It was a hard way to make a living but it was all I wanted to do. When I finished riding clients’ horses for the day, I rode three or four of my own campdrafters. I rode all week and competed in campdrafts on weekends. I gradually improved and started enjoying some success. Over the following years I worked with hundreds of horses that were unhandled or had been very badly handled before arriving at my stables; horses of all breeds and ages. This was long before videotapes or the internet, so I read everything I could find on horse training. I tried a lot of things and made a lot of mistakes. When I made a mistake with a frightened horse, I had no choice but to try again the next day. It wasn’t always easy. I soon learned that if I scared a horse, he was even more frightened the next day. I learned that if a horse bucked with the saddle, he’d look to buck in his next lesson. I also learned that if I could get the saddle on without bucking, the horse wouldn’t look to buck the next day. My goal was to find a way around every horse, without bucking and fighting. There was no future for me if I had to ride eight or ten bucking horses every day. Even back in the seventies, I’d heard of the idea of chasing a horse in a round yard until he came to you. I tried this once with a frightened horse and although he eventually stopped and faced me, he was too frightened to let me near him. I could see this wasn’t the best thing for a horse and I never did it again. Rather than try and force the horse to come to me, I found it far better to keep a lead on the horse and to work in a small square yard. Then I could easily go to him and show him I wouldn’t hurt him. This book has evolved from my experiences working with hundreds of different horses, day after day and year after year. These are my thoughts on horses and horse training. They 7
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
don’t come from anyone else. They were taught to me by horses, the best teachers anyone could have. Very few people will have the opportunity or the inclination to do what I’ve done; to work with so many different horses for so many years. I wasn’t here today and gone tomorrow. When I started a horse, I had to finish the job and hand him back to his owner. My wife Chris once proudly said, “I’ve ridden my horse every day this week.” I replied, “I’ve ridden twelve horses every day this week with one day off.” Seventy-two rides and seventy-two different lessons. That was a normal week for me, week after week, year after year. I’ve worked with all sorts of horses from all sorts of backgrounds. I had to go out and overcome problems day after day. My work wasn’t about entertaining a crowd or trying to show how much I could do in one lesson. I worked with hundreds of horses that had previously been frightened and learned to fight and buck. Sometimes it wasn’t much fun overcoming problems that others had made. These days, I hear of a great revolution in horse training.Yet, in the 21st century, I still see horses bucking when they’re first ridden or kicking up when they’re asked to go. I still see frightened horses chased around until they’re distressed, heaving, puffing and dripping in sweat, then saddled for the first time and let go to buck. Horses are still being terrified with flapping bags, flags on sticks and other paraphernalia. Horses are still being hobbled and restrained. A lot of archaic ideas are still passed off as being the best way to train horses. Why these things are accepted in this day and age is beyond my comprehension. I’ve read many articles with different ideas of how to train horses. I’ve read of trainers who can make problems disappear with a special process or method. I’ve read that running a horse in a round yard forms a magical partnership. I’ve even read if you tie a horse down on the ground, he’ll be obedient ever after. The truth is that no method or special process can erase a horse’s memory. The truth is that chasing a horse in a round yard relies on fear and tying a horse on the ground is cruel and cannot be justified under any circumstance. Nobody can wave a magic wand to train a horse or make him forget frightening experiences. That’s why it’s so important not to frighten or fight with any horse in the first place. Every interaction a horse has with humans teaches him something new. Horses never stop learning, be it good or bad. I’ve seen what happens when horses are chased around or saddled and let go to buck. I’ve seen horses struggle and fight against restraints on their legs. I’ve seen frightened horses 8
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chased into a narrow chute, rearing and fighting in sheer terror. I’ve dealt with frightened horses that someone had handled in this way. Many times I had to pick up the pieces when such horses were sent to me. I find it upsetting to see horses bucking, fighting and being frightened. I know it’s no fun for the horse. I know there’s no need for it. Why is chasing a horse, flapping things at him and letting him buck accepted as being the best thing for a horse? I know it isn’t. Some horse trainers are in the entertainment business. Good luck to them, but I don’t think entertainment should be at any horse’s expense. I don’t think it’s funny to see horses rushing around in fear or bucking when they’re first saddled. The message I’m trying to share is that there is a way around every horse without reverting to harsh methods. There’s never any need to frighten horses or use restraints.You can’t put a horse through a frightening experience and hope he’ll forget it. Training horses can be dangerous.You can’t expect to read my book then go out and start a horse under saddle.That should be left to those with the relevant skill and experience. However, everyone can go to the stable and rub their horse around the head and show him it’s nice and pleasant to be with you. This simple rub will be the start of a new relationship between you and your horse. Perhaps you’ll start to question some of the things you’ve been told about horses. Hopefully you’ll question some of the things you see. Understanding how horses think and learn will Building confidence at the California State Fair, Sacramento in 1989. be of great benefit to you and your horse. I truly believe we can all improve and be better horse people. I also believe that reading this book will make life more pleasant for your horse and easier for 9
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
you.
FEAR is THE ENEMY Fear is always your enemy when training horses. At every stage of his education, training your horse without frightening him gives far superior results in a far shorter time. Horses have survived for millions of years by being frightened and suspicious of anything they see as a threat. Their natural reaction to a frightening situation is flight – to run away and escape danger. Only when cornered will they defend themselves by kicking and striking. That’s natural selection at work. Every attack is burned into a horse’s memory. In ancient times, horses that weren’t wary and suspicious became easy prey. When you frighten a horse, it puts your training back days, weeks or even months. You’ll have a lot of extra work to do trying to overcome this fear. Some horses never get over being frightened. If they have a similar experience at a later date, they’ll remember being frightened and immediately panic. Many people ride horses that are nervous and frightened.The horse may walk, trot and canter but is never relaxed. He always expects trouble and he’s not happy in his work. This can go on for years. Even though they ride and often compete, these people don’t have the first step – a confident and relaxed horse. When a horse is confident and relaxed, teaching him is very easy. Without confidence and relaxation, you don’t have much at all. When you set out to train a horse, forget about leading, saddling, riding, loading into a trailer, flying changes, spins or turns. The first step must be to teach your horse to be relaxed and confident. You may think it odd to say that the horse is a very logical animal, but it’s true. Everything a horse does has a simple and logical explanation. Some things may not seem logical to us but they’re always simple and logical to the horse. Humans often try to go directly from A to B. Sometimes this step is too big for a horse and not logical to him, so he reverts to flight. He rushes away, fights, kicks up or bucks. We have to break lessons down into small steps that are logical to the horse. Understanding this logic is the key to horse training. Unfortunately, most people prefer magic to logic.They want some magic piece of gear or a magic method to fix their horse problems.They go from one idea to the next and send their horse to a trainer, thinking he’ll return with all his problems magically solved.There’s 10
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nothing magical about horse training. If you’re looking for a magic fix, you’re reading the wrong book. What I’m talking about is logic, not magic. It’s very easy to use different labels to categorise horses: this horse is going to be a champion, this one won’t be much good, this type is highly strung and hard to teach, this breed are all ‘cinchy’ and will buck, this type will kick, this horse is bold, this horse is timid. The list is endless. When I start working with a horse, I don’t categorise him. I don’t care if he cost one hundred dollars or one hundred thousand dollars. He’s just another horse. If you pigeonhole a horse as a particular type or temperament, you’ll adjust his training to suit your preconceived ideas.This will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you approach a horse thinking he might buck or kick, it won’t be long before you have him bucking or kicking. Every horse can learn to kick. Every horse can learn to buck. These are only things he learns and some people are very good at teaching them. Every horse is merely a reflection of how he’s been handled. To think a horse is good or bad is just a way of putting human values onto horses. Horses aren’t good or bad, they’re not born to be buckers or fighters; they’re just horses. Instead of categorising a horse, let him show you what he’s been taught, then deal with whatever you find. If a horse rears or turns his tail and kicks when you go into his yard, that’s what you have to deal with. He’s merely doing what he’s been taught.There’s no point getting upset with him or thinking he’s a special case. Another horse may be confident and relaxed when you walk into his yard.You could say the first horse is wild, mad or bad and the second is quiet and sensible. You become prejudiced against the first horse and think he’s no good.You like the second horse and think he’s much better. That’s putting human values onto horses. There’s no point disliking a horse because he’s been badly handled and taught to fight, rear and kick. I understand if you dislike the people who made him that way, but it’s pointless to blame or dislike the horse. All you need to do is teach the ‘wild’ horse to have the same frame of mind as the ‘quiet’ horse. If it takes a day, a week or a month, it’s a small investment to make. After all, you may ride him for the next twenty years. People often think talking is the best way to communicate with horses. After all, that’s how we communicate and convey our message to another person. Though a soothing voice may calm an upset child, it won’t calm a horse that’s nervous or upset. Why should it? Horses don’t communicate with speech and don’t understand our language. You can 11
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
teach a horse verbal commands but that’s a completely different circumstance to dealing with a frightened or nervous horse. When you handle a nervous horse you must be silent. No “Whoa boy,” no so-called soothing noises and no yelling. People ride in different styles: English, Western, dressage and endurance to name just a few. We think these styles of riding are different and I suppose they are to a certain degree. However, horses don’t know or care if you ride English,Western or Calathumpian. A horse just goes about his business, no matter what saddle and gear he wears. People who ride a certain discipline often think they have nothing in common with people of other disciplines. A showjumper may think he has nothing to learn by watching cutting. A jockey may think he can’t learn from dressage. The reality is, a racehorse doesn’t know he’s any different to a showjumper, who doesn’t know he’s any different to a cutting horse or a pacer. Teaching horses is the same, no matter what discipline we ride or what breed our horse may be. We’re all dealing with the same animal. You often hear someone say their horse loves to jump or loves to perform in front of a crowd. If you think your horse loves to jump, put some jumps in his paddock and let him go. He’ll be able to jump day and night and no doubt will be very happy. If you think he loves being in front of a crowd, let him free at your next show. I wonder if he’ll complete his performance in front of the crowd or make a run for it? It’s very difficult for humans to think in the same manner as horses. The human mind is far more complicated than a horse’s. We’ve evolved to perform complex tasks but we’ve lost the ability to relate on a simple level with animals. You may assume an ‘intelligent’ human can always out-think a ‘dumb’ horse. However that’s not the case. It takes years for a human to learn to understand horses.Yet a poor old ‘dumb’ horse can assess his socalled ‘intelligent’ rider and out-think him in a few minutes. A horse sums up his rider or handler very quickly and works out if he has to concentrate on what the person wants, or if he can do his own thing. A visiting trainer once rode one of my old stock horses. This horse had been around. He was a well-trained ten-year-old who’d won campdrafts and show ribbons around the country. The trainer was supposed to be an expert. They walked and trotted around the paddock and everything went fine. When asked to canter, the horse’s ears moved back and forth, reading and listening to his rider’s every move. I could see the man wasn’t in tune with the horse. He had a loose rein, didn’t have his legs on and there was no real direction from him. 12
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Though the horse reluctantly cantered, it was interesting to watch this experienced horse sum up his rider. You could almost hear the horse say, “Hang on a minute, I don’t think this bloke knows what he’s doing.” The horse’s inside ear went back, he slowed a little and next thing he was trotting. Why canter when you can trot? The rider gave a few ineffectual kicks. The horse took no notice. He’d worked out the rider’s competence level in less than five minutes and knew he could My grandfather Edgar Davies riding ‘Ranger’ in 1943. Ranger won many jumping competitions and was the trot when he wanted. Every foundation sire of a long line of champion Stock Horses. horse thinks all the time on a very simple level. He thinks about the gait and the exact speed and path he wants to travel. He knows if he can dictate these things, he’ll soon be able to do whatever he chooses. My grandfather, born in 1901, was an ‘old school’ horseman. He left home at thirteen to work on a cattle station and worked with horses and cattle all his life. When I was growing up, my father often killed a steer for meat. Grandfather salted the hide, cut it into strips and plaited greenhide whips for all his grandchildren. He cut bush saplings for the whip handles. These days, not too many people have such skills. During World War II, Grandfather managed the largest dairy farm in the southern hemisphere. Petrol was rationed, so he ploughed and harvested with a team of draught horses. Local farmers often brought problem horses to him to be retrained. Grandfather had a saying: ‘Work beats the best of them, man or beast.’ So he’d put the farmers’ horses in his team and wear them down with work. My father then had to ride these horses after they’d been in the team. He often told stories of how they still bucked or bolted when they freshened up. They hadn’t learned anything from being worn down with work. Seventy years later, some trainers still have this philosophy.They chase a horse until he’s 13
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
Edgar Davies judging at the Jindabyne rodeo in the Snowy Mountains in the early 1950s.
too tired to react when confronted with a saddle or flapping bags. Tiring a horse teaches him nothing. Wearing a horse out with work doesn’t solve problems. A horse worked to the point of exhaustion may appear docile simply because he has no energy left to run or buck. Chasing a horse relentlessly is a bad experience for the horse.When given a few days off to freshen up, he’ll still be worried and frightened. Next lesson he’ll expect more bad experiences. Chasing a horse until he’s tired and distressed won’t teach him anything and won’t help him to learn. We’ve all seen trainers chase horses in a round yard. Next thing the horse is saddled and let go to buck.Then, a rider hops on and the horse bucks some more.When the horse eventually runs around the fence, the crowd claps. They think the trainer has broken a wild horse. They think the horse has been dominated and has learned that humans are superior. At least I guess that’s what people think because I don’t understand it. When a horse is chased in a round yard, he’s given a problem with no obvious solution. The horse is subjected to a lot of stress and unpleasantness without a break and has absolutely no idea that he’s supposed to approach the trainer. Some horses handle this, 14
chapter 1 | how it all began
others don’t. Some horses run until they’re very distressed and worried. If they’re already frightened of humans, the last thing they want to do is come near the trainer. The more frightened a horse is, the more he’ll run, and the more he runs, the more he’s chased. Some horses are so frightened, they run to the point of exhaustion rather than come to the trainer. The last thing you should do with a frightened horse is chase him and frighten him more. It’s pointless. There are variations on this theme. Every time I see a horse bucking, chased around, or confronted with flapping bags and things that frighten him, I wonder why he has to be put through this level of stress. A horse runs in fear and bucks because he’s frightened. If he was relaxed, confident, and knew what was wanted, he wouldn’t run and buck. If you like to watch bucking horses, go to a rodeo. I enjoy rodeo as much as the next person. Bucking should have nothing to do with starting a horse under saddle. Training horses should have nothing to do with rodeo. In fact, when a young horse bucks with the saddle or kicks up when ridden, we should see it as a failure. A confident, relaxed horse won’t buck or kick up when saddled and ridden for the first time. Another common idea is to confront a horse with things that frighten him. Flap bags or flags on sticks around until he settles down. Push the horse through his fear until he gets ‘used to’ whatever frightens him. He’s then supposedly ‘desensitised’. This approach never builds confidence and shows a total misunderstanding of how horses think and learn. Some horses may get over frightening experiences, others never do. It’s not a matter of getting any horse ‘used to’ a saddle or things flapping around. It’s a matter of introducing everything in a manner that doesn’t frighten him. There’s a huge difference between these two approaches. The key to having every horse confident and relaxed at all times is to introduce everything in a manner that never frightens him. If you confront a horse with things that frighten him, you then have to try and overcome his fear.You can’t say, “I’m sorry about that,” and ask the horse to forget that you frightened him. If you frighten a horse even once, it’s burned into his memory forever. Some horses never get over this fear. They never trust people. Horse training is about showing a horse what you want and rewarding the smallest improvement.You don’t have to put any horse through stressful experiences to achieve your goals.You don’t have to keep after your horse time and time again without a break. Always give him time to relax. This helps him to stay confident and relaxed. He learns that there’s always a simple answer to any problem you set. He learns that pressure doesn’t keep going on 15
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
and on. He learns that lessons are short, easy and don’t keep going until he’s confused and tired. In an ideal world, every horse would be handled correctly in his first few weeks of life. Though he’s not strong enough to be ridden, a foal can learn just as much as a horse that’s two or three years old. You can teach every foal to be confident and relaxed. If all foals were handled correctly at an early age, there’d be no problem horses.
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2
CATCHING AN UNHANDLED HORSE for the first time
I
square yard between 4.5 metres (15 feet) and 6 metres (20 feet) square. In this size yard, a frightened horse will stop in a corner and won’t keep running uncontrollably. The fence should be at least 2 metres (6 feet) high, so he isn’t tempted to jump out. To safeguard against injury, it’s important to have a soft base of sand or sawdust. When handling foals, a 4.5 metre square yard is ideal. To start a horse under saddle, a 6 metre square yard is ideal. These sized yards allow enough room for a horse to walk and trot freely forward. If a horse has been badly handled, a 6 metre yard allows enough room so I won’t be kicked if he becomes frightened. I never work in a larger yard when starting horses under saddle. I don’t want any horse running around wherever he chooses. If the horse has never been caught, I need to put a rope around his neck. I use it to stop him running and show him what I want. It doesn’t matter if I throw the rope or use a catching pole. start working in a
Using a pole to catch the foal for the first time.
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Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
LEFT: I must be careful not to pull and create a fight when the foal is first caught. BELOW: The foal is nervous when I move my hand along the rope. I back off before he becomes frightened and moves away.
If the horse has been caught before, I may be able to go to him and place the rope around his neck. In a square yard, I can stop him in a corner to catch him. When I handle a foal that isn’t weaned, I lead the mare into the small square yard and the foal follows. At first the mare is held in one corner of the yard, so the foal isn’t upset. After a few lessons, the foal is more confident and the mare can stand outside. I use a soft cotton rope with a metal ring to make a loop. Cotton rope is softer than nylon on a horse’s neck. The metal ring allows the rope to loosen when I’m not pulling. Even though I have a rope around his neck, a frightened, unhandled horse won’t allow me to touch him. I have to spend time building his confidence before I can rub his neck. I start by moving my hand along the rope towards the foal.This worries him but before he becomes frightened, I withdraw my hand and back away. The foal accepts my hand moving towards him along the rope. Nothing has frightened him, so he’ll accept my hand at the same distance when I approach again.This time I move my hand a little closer. Even though he’s worried, he’s not frightened. If I push too far, he
18
This time, I touch his neck with the back of my hand. I hold my hand on his neck for a few seconds then move away.
will be frightened, so I withdraw my hand and step back before this happens. I repeat the process and move further along the rope each time I approach. After four or five repetitions, I’m able to touch the foal’s neck. I hold the back of my hand against his neck for about five seconds, then take it away and step back from him. Every horse has an excellent memory. If the foal allows me to touch a small area on his neck, he’ll allow me to touch the same I loosen the rope to relieve any pressure on the foal’s neck, then rub a slightly larger area before I back area when I approach again. I now away to give him a break. move my hand in a slightly larger area, using a circular rubbing motion. After a few seconds I withdraw my hand and step away to let him relax. I don’t want his worry to turn into fear. When he’s had a break I approach again. The foal hasn’t been frightened by my hand rubbing his neck and he allows me to rub the same area this time. I again expand the area I rub then step away. I work in small increments, rubbing a slightly larger area each time I approach. I back away and give the foal a 19
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
break before he becomes frightened and sees the need to move away. If he does move, I make things a little unpleasant by applying firm pressure on the rope around his neck. Not a jerk, but a firm pull as he moves. I don’t keep pulling and create a fight. I don’t want the foal to stop thinking and start fighting. When he stands with his head towards me, I give with the rope. He gets rid of the unpleasant pressure of the rope by standing with his head towards me. It’s easier If the foal moves, I keep a firm hold on the rope. When for him to stand than move. he stands, I give with the rope. It’s unpleasant for the foal to move and easy to stand. At every stage of his training, every horse learns only from the immediate result he gets. My reaction must be immediate. If I react three or four seconds after an event, the horse won’t relate my reaction to the event. By increasing the area I rub on each approach, I work my way around his neck to the other side and always retreat before he becomes frightened. Then I work my way up his neck to his head. If a horse is worried by my hand approaching his head and ears, he’ll try to rid himself of my hand by throwing his head.When he throws his head, the usual thing is to take your hand away. “Don’t worry he’ll settle down in a minute,” is the common thought. If you do this, you’re teaching the horse to throw his head to get rid of your hand – he throws his head and your hand goes away. Let’s take a different approach: If the foal moves his head, I keep my hand in the same position on his neck and apply some pressure on the rope as his head moves. Immediately he stops moving his head, I remove my hand from his neck and give with the rope. He gets rid of my hand by keeping his head still. If I’m consistent, the foal will learn to hold his head still when he’s worried, instead of throwing his head to get rid of my hand. I take my hand away only when the foal holds his head still. The first time he holds his head still, I immediately take my hand away. Next time I approach, I keep my hand 20
chapter 2 | catching an unhandled horse for the first time
LEFT: I’ve worked my way to his other side. CENTRE & RIGHT: I work in small increments and rub along the foal’s neck, towards his head. I must back away and give him a break before he becomes frightened and sees the need to move.
on his head for three seconds. I approach again and keep my hand on his head for six seconds before taking it away. Each time I approach, I build up the amount of time I leave my hand on his head. Eventually, he won’t be worried by my hand in this new position. Nothing’s been done to frighten him. All he has to do is keep his head still and his worries are soon relieved. When I start with a young horse, my aim is to have him keep his head towards me. I don’t want him to turn his hindquarters to me. People often think they have to teach a horse to lead first lesson. Though this first lesson is a step in the leading process, leading isn’t my aim. Leading isn’t the problem I have at this stage. Overcoming the horse’s fear of humans is the problem. It’s often thought that the best way to overcome a horse’s fear is to confront him with whatever frightens him until he gets ‘used to’ it. A common idea is to flap bags or ropes around a horse to ‘desensitise’ him. If you do this, the horse will become frightened and next lesson he’ll expect to be frightened again. Some horses may eventually get over this but others never do. Frightening a horse doesn’t build confidence. Flapping bags or flags on sticks around a frightened horse should have no place in horse training. 21
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
The foal now accepts me rubbing his forehead. He’s learning it’s pleasant to keep his head with me.
Instead of flapping things around and frightening a horse, I find a way to introduce everything in a manner that won’t frighten him. I move in small steps that he can understand and accept. If I don’t frighten the horse today, he won’t expect me to frighten him tomorrow. When I was a teenager, we had a thoroughbred gelding that we rode in the bush. He’d been broken in the hard way – saddled up and bucked out until he got ‘used to’ it. Unfortunately for me, that horse never got used to it. He bucked every morning, even when he was ten years old. Every time something went wrong, his first reaction was to put his head down and buck. Many horses never recover from an initial bucking or sacking out.You can’t put a horse through a bad experience and expect him to forget it. He has an excellent memory. You can’t tell any horse to remember one part of a lesson and forget another part. Every horse is like a blank canvas, so it’s important to work on both sides. If I only paint half the canvas, there’s no information on the other side. If I rub him on one side only, he’ll learn it’s nice and easy when I’m on that side. He’ll learn to position himself so I can’t get to his other side. I must spend as much time on one side as the other. I can’t overdo rubbing the foal and showing him it’s easy and pleasant to be with me. Depending where you live, a headstall is also known as a halter. It doesn’t matter what you call it, the most important thing is to use a plain headstall or halter. Never use anything made from rope or thin cord. Never use anything with knots, pulleys or ‘special’ contraptions designed to put extra pressure on the horse’s head, nose or poll. By working in small increments, I may be able to put the headstall on first lesson. I hold the 22
In preparation for the headstall, I work my way under his eye to his nose on both sides.
halter strap around the foal’s neck so he can’t move away. To prepare him for the noseband, I rub along his cheek and work my way under his eye to his nose.When he accepts this, I hold the noseband with my hand as I rub under his eye to his nose. I can then ease the noseband on and fasten the halter strap. If it takes a couple of lessons before a horse is confident enough for the headstall, that’s fine. I never go into a lesson thinking of what I must achieve. If it happens today, tomorrow or the next day, it doesn’t matter. Never underestimate a horse’s memory. If I end the lesson and come back in a week or a month, he’ll only allow me to rub the area I’ve already worked in. I’ll be able to continue exactly where I left off. At this stage, I’m merely teaching the foal to accept the headstall. It’s far too much to try and lead him at this point. I don’t pull the foal around or try to drag him forward with the headstall. I simply rub him for a few minutes to build his confidence then remove the headstall and end the lesson. Never leave a headstall or rope on any foal or any horse in between lessons. Headstalls and ropes easily snag on fences, yards or stables, causing injuries and sometimes death. Many years ago, our local vet told me that the most common injuries he treated were those caused by leaving headstalls or ropes on horses.As well as being dangerous, a headstall on a frightened horse encourages people to grab at their horse, thereby making him even more frightened. It’s very important to work in small steps that the foal can accept without being 23
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
Fitting a plain headstall or halter for the first time.
frightened. Remember, this is his first human contact and he’s very worried by my presence. I must keep this in mind every step of the way. I don’t expect the foal to be immediately confident and relaxed just because he’s wearing a headstall. I must build his confidence one step at a time.
Rubbing the foal’s forehead can’t be overdone.
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16
OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND MOVING FORWARD
A
come to a happy agreement where a horse works happily while the tasks are easy. Whenever the rider asks for extra effort, the horse resists in some manner because he knows the rider will give up. It might be as simple as asking the horse to canter. The horse raises his head and runs along for half a dozen steps, because this is easier for him than cantering immediately. The rider thinks, “Oh well, at least we’re cantering,” and so a habit forms. The horse is taught to run a few steps every time he canters. Perhaps the rider asks the horse to step up a creek bank or over a log. The horse may decide he doesn’t want to step exactly where he’s asked, so he takes a different course. When the rider tries to correct him, the horse pulls the rein, throws his head and increases his speed, or wrings his tail and kicks up. So, for the sake of an easy life, the rider gives up and allows the horse to move wherever he chooses. To a casual observer, it looks as if everything is going along fine. However, the truth is when things don’t suit the horse, he knows all he has to do is raise his head and speed up, or kick up and run off and his rider will give up. Many people have this happy agreement with their horse.You could call it the path of least resistance. The rider is happy to kind of do what he wants, most of the time. It makes for an easy life. If you and your horse have this happy agreement, sooner or later you’ll want to do something your horse doesn’t agree with. After all, he’s the one who decides exactly where he’ll walk and how hard any task will be. If your horse thinks the task is too difficult, or he wants to go home, he may decide to resist and throw his head or kick up instead. Your happy agreement then becomes unhappy. Like everything else, you must go back to basics and make a new agreement. horse and rider often
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Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
My brother Jim often tells the story of the day a fellow asked him to ride his horse at a campdraft. Jim tried to canter left but the horse wanted to go right. The horse pulled on the reins and kicked up and bucked when Jim tried to canter left. Rather than make a fight, Jim let the horse go where he wanted. It was the path of least resistance for Jim. The horse cantered happily around to the right. Whenever Jim tried to change direction, the horse resisted and kicked up. When Jim sat still and let the horse decide where to go, there was no problem. The horse changed direction when he was ready. To see the owner ride his horse, you’d never know there was an issue. The horse appeared to canter smoothly and happily at all times. The reality was that the horse made the decisions and the rider was merely a passenger. They had a happy agreement where the horse did what he wanted, when he wanted. Any time the rider asked the horse to do something he didn’t agree with, the horse knew he could kick up and resist, then do as he pleased. This horse competed in campdrafts and had learned to chase cattle. If the rider wanted to turn left, he had to wait until the horse was ready. Imagine the improvement if the horse was taught to try for his rider at all times. Any horse can be taught to resist and fight when he’s ridden. If he’s chased or hit without understanding why, he’ll soon wring his tail, kick up and resist, because he sees no other way. He’ll soon learn to resist and fight every time he’s asked to do something.You may come to an agreement where he half does what you ask. However, when the horse decides he doesn’t want to do something, he’ll resist and fight. He hasn’t learned to try for his rider. He hasn’t learned to move forward and give. He hasn’t learned that there’s always an easy way. This behaviour can go on for years. When he’s asked to step over a log, the horse resists. When the rider taps with the stick or touches with a spur, the horse wrings his tail and kicks up, rather than step over the log. He’s learned to rear, kick up or buck when he doesn’t want to do something. When the horse kicks up, rears or bucks, the rider stops using the stick or spur and hangs on. He’s too busy staying on to do anything else. In the meantime, the horse turns away from the obstacle and does as he pleases. Not only does the horse fight and resist, he learns that all he has to do is rear, kick up or buck to rid himself of stick or spur.The horse finds relief by rearing, kicking up or bucking. Over time, some horses become very good at this. The behaviour starts through fear, 26
CHAPTER 16 | OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND MOVING FORWARD
This horse has learned to resist, instead of moving forward when he’s asked. Remember, he’s not being disrespectful, naughty or bad.
resistance and fighting. Then the horse learns to use this behaviour to his advantage. If he rears, kicks up or bucks, he can do whatever he likes. If he’s been doing this for months or years, you can’t overcome it easily. In fact, you may never completely overcome it.You can’t wave a magic wand and ask any horse to forget what he’s learned.You can’t wave a magic wand and fix your horse problems. There’s no such thing as an easy fix. You can improve every horse and teach him to move forward and give. Whether a horse shies, kicks up, bucks or rears, the problem is always the same. These aren’t different problems with different solutions. It’s always the same problem, with the same simple solution. All you have to do with such a horse is have him relaxed, confident and moving forward in the exact 27
Fear-free horse training | every step of the way
circle you ask for. When he does this, he’s not shying, rearing, kicking up or bucking. Though this theory is simple to understand, it’s not always easy to carry out. You can go out and buy all sorts of bits and gadgets that are supposed to help with horse problems. I guarantee that none of them will really help. None of them will teach your horse to move forward, relax and try for you. When I ride a horse that has a happy agreement with his rider, I put my leg on and ask him to move forward. I drive him onto my hand and ask him to give. If he doesn’t move forward when I ask, I touch him lightly with the spurs. Because the horse has learned to resist, he’ll kick up or buck, rather than move forward and give. I don’t punish him for this. I don’t thump him with the spur or hit him with the whip. I simply ask the horse to walk forward, by touching him with blunt spurs. All the horse has to do is walk forward and the spurs will go away. As he kicks up or bucks, I give him the same light touch with the spur. When he comes back to the ground, I touch him again. Immediately he moves forward, I stop touching him. It’s unpleasant for the horse when I touch him with the spur, and he doesn’t get rid of the unpleasantness by bucking or kicking up. He gets rid of the unpleasantness of the spur only by moving forward in the manner I ask. Remember, I’m talking about a horse that’s learned to avoid doing as his rider asks. I’m not talking about a frightened horse who doesn’t understand what’s wanted. The other thing I can do to make things unpleasant is to pull the horse around in a tight circle. As he kicks up or bucks, I pull his head right around and make him move in a very tight circle. This is physically difficult for him and he’ll find it most unpleasant. My timing is critical. I must pull him around exactly as he kicks up or bucks, not after the event. Kicking up or bucking is then unpleasant for him. The way out of this unpleasantness is to move forward and give. If he’s been bucking or kicking up for months or years, it may take some time to show him what I want. Bucking or kicking up won’t get rid of the unpleasantness from me. He gets rid of the unpleasantness only when he moves forward and gives. If I don’t get the result I’m after the first time, that’s okay. I allow him to relax for a while, then again ask him to move forward. The horse must learn that he doesn’t relieve unpleasantness by bucking or kicking up. The only way to relieve unpleasantness is to move forward and give. I’m not punishing the horse for his behaviour. I’m showing him that it’s easy and pleasant to do as I ask and unpleasant for him when he resists. 28
