ADVOCATING FOR YOUR HORSE OR PET
BY MELANIE WATSON (2024)
ADVOCATING FOR HORSES AND OTHER ANIMALS
I recently had a disturbing yet, very common conversation, with a horse
owner who was left as traumatised as her horse when a visiting
professional lost his temper with her horse. The horse is now
emotionally damaged and future foot handling and care will be all the
more difficult as a direct result of this one incident.
THE OLD WAYS
Sadly, this form of abuse is still prevalent as the horse industry remains
steeped in the use of dominance, force and punishment to achieve
“success”. However, horses and any other animal (including us), will
always be left with fearful memories to which they then predictably carry
forward in life. Thus, creating future handling issues when that particular
situation/stimuli/treatment/care protocol is repeated or revisited.
STOP BAD STUFF HAPPENING
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It is absolutely ok for you to advocate for your horse or pet. It is a must to have the conversation before the professional comes to visit or when you take your pet to the vets for instance. It’s a good thing to talk troubles through. They need to understand emotional history of the individual in order to be able to perform their treatments successfully and safely.
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THE CALMER THE BETTER
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With horses especially, safety is a big factor. No one wants to get hurt. Vets will ask the owner to muzzle a dog if they fear being bitten but muzzling does not cure the issue. In fact, it can make the whole scenario a whole lot worse for future sessions. The dog is fearful which is why it feels the need to bite in self-defence. Wouldn’t it be better to train the dog to have good consequences instead of bad? To counter condition treatments/ touches/ needles/ strangers? Seek professional help from a behaviour expert who uses modern, force free and rewarding training!
SAFETY FOR ALL INVOLVED
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The same has to be said about horses. When they fear something horrid happening to them, they will react with violent energy. That energy will either be directed at the humans with dangerous behaviours like biting, kicking or body slamming. Alternatively, the behaviours may be in ways which will help the horse escape the situation or environment. Rearing up and pulling away for instance. It may strike out at you in the process to try to gain distance.
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DOES ANY OF THIS RESONATE WITH YOU?
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I’m sure that reading this article will resonate with many of you. These situations are upsetting and totally unnecessary. If we are blessed with being able to influence our animals from birth, then life is so much easier. You can introduce all care aspects during their formative weeks, months or years so that they are calm, happy, cooperative or even helping by participating in their care. Giving them brilliant consequences, all highly rewarded and trained slowly, sets these animals up for success in life- that is providing you have the conversation with every visiting professional. It only takes one impatient farrier or vet to ruin all that wonderful history!
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INHERITING A LEARNING HISTORY
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However, most of us inherit problems when we buy a horse or take on a rescued dog, horse, or parrot etc. They all come with a learning history which we set out to discover over time. We learn what stimuli or situations creates fear driven behaviours. Equally we actively seek to find out what makes them feel safe and what brings them pleasure.
BEING UP FRONT FOR YOUR PET
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The worrying thing is that when you broach this subject, most professionals look horrified at the thought that they are culpable. Always show respect, explaining that you want to keep them safe too and that if everything can be calm and quiet then all will be well.
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It is better to offer to pay them for not completing their task by respecting the emotions of the animal. Going slowly will eventually get everyone there faster. Keeping the animal in a clam, accepting place is everything. Rewarding the animal during the process, going slowly etc will reap huge benefits.
AS A "FOR INSTANCE"
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When I introduce clipping to a new or young horse, he/she may look like a patch work quilt for a while (which is fine!). However gradual exposure to the noise and the feel of the clippers allows them to process it all and accept clipping as whole over time. If you force a whole-body clip, all in one go then you stand the chance of ruining its future success for being calmly clipped. Never put your vanity or impatience in front of systematic desensitisation!
THE USE OF RESTRAINTS
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I NEVER use harsh restraints apart from in a complete emergency situation if needed. We realise that there may be emotional fallout to deal with after the event however life or death situations are what they are.
SD and CC
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Aside from that awful emergency, always observe the emotional state of the horse/dog at all times and train accordingly. Systematic desensitisation over time and counter conditioning with good consequences are worth their weight in gold, I promise. That is the way forward to form calm acceptance of procedures, increasing safety and building trust in both you and the specific professional.
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IT'S OK TO STOP!
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Have the confidence to stop a visiting professional or anyone else involved with your horse, if you feel that it is going in an uncomfortable way. Stop a lesson and question the trainer if you feel that aversive or punishing protocols are being used. It should not and does not need be this way. Training should be about harmony and relationship. Mutual trust and a willingness to participate from the horse or dog. They all deserve respect and care from the owner, the visiting professional and the trainer.
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INFECTING FUTURE BEHAVIOUR
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All future behaviour will be based on every interaction, both good and bad. Results are infectious and work backwards, so the more “good stuff” is being infected the better. The more “bad stuff” will start to influence further back too- e.g. tacking up can start to be infected with stress or fear. All any owner should want is a willing partnership, calmness, and relaxation.
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If the horse fears what may happen to it when the saddle and bridle appears, then you will start to see avoidance behaviours. Unsettled, anxious, moving about, turning away, pulling back etc. Trust takes a long time to build inside any relationship and can be destroyed in an instant.
For advice or help with training, please feel free to email me at melanie@instinctivehorsetraining.co.uk I can visit you where the problem is happening. I provide in house training here in Skidby for horses and humans as well as online/video call Behaviour consultations.
BY MELANIE WATSON (2024)
Melanie runs her yard in Skidby, Yorkshire, UK, where she helps horses with an array of emotional difficulties which have led to behavioural 'problems'. She works exclusively with positive reinforcement and all her work is completely horse-led. Melanie is available to visit you for a behaviour or training consultation, and also offers web-based calls.
07720 758425