Behaviour is information – it is how non-verbal animals communicate. What we do with this information says a lot about us as people and trainers and caregivers.
If we get on a horse who clearly is saying “no” we are in danger of breaking any trust they have in us.
Mojo said “no” a lot when I got him, “no” to the mounting block and “no” to new people, “no” to having his feet trimmed.
It has taken a long time to gain his trust and to get on him too early would have damaged that.
Last week he had his feet trimmed by a new farrier and although a little unsure at first soon relaxed and gave the farrier his feet.
He also comes voluntarily to the mounting block and isn’t so afraid of new people.
Yesterday was the first time I have sat on him. That is all I did sit and walk 2 or 3 steps forwards. Rewarding every step and giving him a lot of fuss and reinforcement. I dismounted without any finess and he was fine with that too. So a big jackpot for all that and back to his stable for his feed.
When Liz sat on him the first time, a few months ago, he shot off and didn’t look relaxed, yesterday was totally different.
He stood nicely for his tack and even a breast plate was not an issue. That is for my benefit as it gives me a little more security with something to steady myself, if he gets frightened by environmental factors at any time.
The new yard is quiet and he is in a herd – a new one now as Smoke wouldn’t let him join his gang.
Mojo at his new yard.
Mojo moved to the yard where my daughters horses are, it will be easier if they are all together.
He was a little unstable travelling so it was a slow journey. However he arrived safe and sound and calmly walked off the lorry.
Day 2
He was introduced to Smoke – my daughters appaloosa on the second day and had a run round. He is now in with the herd with 4 other horses.
Day 3
Mojo seems to have settled well. Put him in the school so he could have a look round. A big lorry went past so he had a little run round. Then I went in with him, as the cones were already in a line we did some targeting. He went from cone to cone on the walk on cue. Then I just stood by one cone and sent him to the cones either side of me. He was very calm and touched each cone and came back for a scratch or treat. Stood on his mat and lifted his feet. Then back to the stable yard for his feed. I picked out both front feet whilst he ate. He was just loose in the yard (with the gate closed incase he decided to go and investigate).
July 15th 2016
Mojo fidgeted a bit having the saddle on and then didn’t want the bridle at first. After some investigation and some reinforcement for touching he put his nose in the bridle.
He was very good going from cone to cone over the poles though.
We didn’t do any training at the mounting block as I didn’t feel he was in the right mood today. I just couldn’t find his scratchy bits today.
This is low res video as there seems to be problems uploading large ones to You Tube.
More saddling.
Mojo stood still for the most of todays saddling, he did fidget a bit on the first one but this second session was better. I pulled on the stirrups and jumped up and down a bit too.
Mojo and the clippers
Another good session with Mojo today. I haven’t done much recently due to holidays and other things getting in the way.
Yesterday I saddled him at liberty – he was a little fidgety but stood still as I fastened the girth.
Today I did the same with the saddle and he stood perfectly still for the numnah, saddle and girth. A big fuss, lots of scratches, bridge and treat too – as I was very pleased with him. He actually came and stood by the fence at the far side of the school as that is where I had put the saddle on the fence.
He came to the mounting block and I played with putting stirrups up and down and tapping lightly on his side – not a flinch. We then did some weaving round cones with him wearing the saddle – I threw the stirrups over the saddle to stop them flapping about.
When we had finished the cones and some frisbee following I pulled the near side stirrup down and then threw the off side one over the saddle – he did startle at that but stopped and came back to me.
So I did a few more of these and he was still and seemed happy.
I then took off the saddle etc and jackpotted him. As I put the cones and other things away Mojo mooched round the school.
Then I got the clippers – I borrowed some quiet ones – and he targeted them, let me touch him all over with them off. Then I stood by the gate and turned them on , his head went up and he began to move away – not a big startle as he does with the louder ones. So I switched them off and put a treat in his bowl. Let him sniff them again and gave a treat.
Then went back to the gate and turned them on – he just stood and watched – another treat in his bowl. I repeated this once more then held the clippers out to the side with them on and he didn’t move. More treats in a bowl.
This time last year he was petrified of clippers, fly spray and several other things.
Then I went back to the gate and held the clippers out and he came to me and touched them. A huge deal for him so he got lots of scratches and praise and treats in his bowl and I ended the session there.
Feet revisited
After treating Mojo for feather mites with powder and neem based fly spray I have gone back to basics of foot lifting.
I now need to add more duration and get him better at people holding them.
We also did some more generalisation at the jump block as well as the ordinary one – which I missed off the video due to not positioning it correctly.
Generalisation
Horses tend not to generalise well, so if you train only in one place they will not be as confident in a new place. Which is why many people don’t understand why their horse is not as good at a show as at home.
So whilst training try to do so in a variety of settings and on both sides of the horse.
I have been teaching Mojo to come to the mounting block and he is now very good, I have moved the block around in the arena. So today I walked him to the end of the school and pulled out a jump block. He was busy being nosey over the fence, so I stood on the block and called him. He immediately came and sidled up to the block, lining himself up. I pulled down the stirrups on the saddle and put weight in the stirrup and he continued to stand next to me. I walked him round a bit more and then went back and stood on the block – he did exactly the same, big fuss and jackpot and we finished there.
I now need to take him outside and do the same – so he knows that when I stand on something and call his name he is to line up next to me. This is so useful when out and about so he lines up to logs or gates or anything else I can use as a mounting block.
Mojo and the dummy body
I made a body for Mojo, I just need to stuff it more and make it heavier. The idea is to desensitise and counter condition him to having someone mounting and being not very balanced about the process. He wasn’t bothered about the “body” after the initial sniffing at it outside the arena, it was on the fence whilst I groomed him.
The plan now is – once the body is heavier and sits better – to walk him round with the body on and get him used to someone wobbling on top.
If a horse feels out of balance with the rider it makes them fearful – just like we are if we feel unbalanced and about to fall. As the sympathetic nervous system takes over the horse may run or he may freeze. Mojo tends to run in these situations.
Saddle, bridle and long reins.
April 19th 2016
Today I saddled and bridled Mojo in his stable, not a flinch or movement – apart from his hay eating.
Then attached the long lines but he didn’t want to leave his hay so I did take the hay net with me and tied it on the sandschool fence. Now we have just rails rather then filled in boards it is easier for him to eat it through the rails. I left him outside the school with the hay net for a while as the farrier had a horse tied up next to the gate to the school.
I then asked him to walk on and in to the school, we then just walked round with me on the left side – which is the side he likes. Then I went to the other side and we walked round a bit more. He still wont go out on a circle so more needs to be done to help him with this.
Next was some standing at the mounting block – he was excellent when I leaned over him, put pressure in the stirrup and wiggled the saddle around.
Big jackpot when he got back to the stable.
April 2016 Update
What a difference between today when I fly sprayed Mojo and last year when he tried to jump on me.
He was eating his hay and just stood whilst I sprayed him on the left side. Then he decided the smell was a bit strong, but after a sniff and a few treats he was ok when I went round the other side.
I also long lined him and he is OK on the left but still tried to put himself back on that side when I changed sides. So I got his frisbee and threw that in front of him and he walked forward and forgot all about me being on the “wrong” side.
Then added the legs and he walked round with them on. I took off the lines and pulled the legs off and pushed them off and tapped his rump with the boot. All he did was come a bit closer to the mounting block.
I have been working on leading him from the right side and he is getting better. A few days a go I had him at liberty and we walked round the school but he did try to move to the other side. So I got the frisbee and threw that for him to follow, once he was concentrating on that he was fine and very relaxed going forwards. Yesterday I did it over some poles and he was long and forward over them following the frisbee.
He did leave once to go and see if the people by the fence had anything for him, but he soon came back.
Positive Horsemanship. 