We have been having a small problem with Bonitao, our horse. He has gotten into the habit of bolting to the field when being lead there. We had been hearinf reports of this for a while from the girls at the yard, but it was clearly getting out of hand so we have taken on the problem ourselves.
To understand the problem we had to see it so a week or so ago I went to the yard to turn him out myself. The result was that on the first attempt to take him to the field he bolted but I managed to let my hands slowly close the 22 foot rope and slow him to a halt, but at the expense of some serious rope burns on my hands. I immediately took him away from the field and lead him back again (with gloves on !) and again, at the same spot he bolted. With gloves I had no chance of stopping him.
The question now was, why? He is not doing this through fear as can be seen from his expression. He is clearly very left brain as he goes. Therefore he is not showing respect to humans as leaders in this context. My immediate response was to play the falling leave pattern with him, thus walking into his space as I asked for yields on the head collar. These went very well and the next attempt at passing the gate was good.
Ritchie then had a lesson with Becka, who spends a lot of time with James Roberts and so knows us and Bonitao well. She analysed it similarly to us but added in the idea that this was now a learned behaviour and we needed to break the pattern for an extended period of time to cure it. To ensure no repeats she suggested we send him to the field sideways with his head tipped towards us. In this position he cannot get into a power position to pull away from us. If necessary we should even send him backwards. I have been doing this for about 5 or 6 days now and it is working well. On just one occasion has he tried to bolt and as he was in the thick mud at the time by the gate he failed. In a way this was a good thing as he attempted and failed to get away reinforcing the idea that a new pattern is required.
It would be easy to get frustrated by this behaviour, but I prefer to say "How interesting" and then solve the puzzle. In a way I think this defines good horsemanship. Getting frustrated at a horse behaving like a horse is clearly not the way to go, the challenge is to use natural techniques to strengthen the desired behaviours, and diminish the undesired ones. For the horse it is just behaviour, neither good nor bad and we should "think like a horse" and understand this.
This ideal can be tough to achieve at times but it is an attitude that separates a good horseman, of whatever experience, from a bad one.
On a happier note Billy can now have his leg bandages off in the stable. They have to be reapplied if he goes out to the field or in the school to protect them from sand and mud, but at least so air can now get to the area.
Happy Christmas everyone !!
To understand the problem we had to see it so a week or so ago I went to the yard to turn him out myself. The result was that on the first attempt to take him to the field he bolted but I managed to let my hands slowly close the 22 foot rope and slow him to a halt, but at the expense of some serious rope burns on my hands. I immediately took him away from the field and lead him back again (with gloves on !) and again, at the same spot he bolted. With gloves I had no chance of stopping him.
The question now was, why? He is not doing this through fear as can be seen from his expression. He is clearly very left brain as he goes. Therefore he is not showing respect to humans as leaders in this context. My immediate response was to play the falling leave pattern with him, thus walking into his space as I asked for yields on the head collar. These went very well and the next attempt at passing the gate was good.
Ritchie then had a lesson with Becka, who spends a lot of time with James Roberts and so knows us and Bonitao well. She analysed it similarly to us but added in the idea that this was now a learned behaviour and we needed to break the pattern for an extended period of time to cure it. To ensure no repeats she suggested we send him to the field sideways with his head tipped towards us. In this position he cannot get into a power position to pull away from us. If necessary we should even send him backwards. I have been doing this for about 5 or 6 days now and it is working well. On just one occasion has he tried to bolt and as he was in the thick mud at the time by the gate he failed. In a way this was a good thing as he attempted and failed to get away reinforcing the idea that a new pattern is required.
It would be easy to get frustrated by this behaviour, but I prefer to say "How interesting" and then solve the puzzle. In a way I think this defines good horsemanship. Getting frustrated at a horse behaving like a horse is clearly not the way to go, the challenge is to use natural techniques to strengthen the desired behaviours, and diminish the undesired ones. For the horse it is just behaviour, neither good nor bad and we should "think like a horse" and understand this.
This ideal can be tough to achieve at times but it is an attitude that separates a good horseman, of whatever experience, from a bad one.
On a happier note Billy can now have his leg bandages off in the stable. They have to be reapplied if he goes out to the field or in the school to protect them from sand and mud, but at least so air can now get to the area.
Happy Christmas everyone !!
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