Is Your Horse Grumpy?

 

From the September 2014 issue of The Stable Magazine – www.thestablemagazine.com/august2014

Not every horse is jumping out of his skin with enthusiasm every time you go to catch him from the paddock - although we often wish that our horses were as excited as we are before a ride!  Horses by nature are generally willing to work, and the better your communication with your horse, typically, the more willing he is to work for you - and the more enthusiastic he is to see you - even if the halter in your hand means some form of work.

SOUR HORSES

Horses who are reluctant to be caught, reluctant to go into an arena or round yard, or those who misbehave when confronted with these tasks are often referred to as ‘sour’. Horses can turn sour seemingly almost overnight, and often, it’s a sign that your training program or your riding routine needs a shake up. Horses can become sour and misbehave for a variety of reasons, some of which can include pain, boredom, or simply that the horse really doesn’t want to do what is being asked of him, and he wants you to know exactly how he’s feeling!

Basically, sourness is a negative response to what you’ve asked. It’s the horse’s way of saying, ‘no, I don’t want to’. You now have to find out WHY the horse doesn’t want to.

Different horses - different reactions

Horses all have different ways of dealing with pressure, and horses react to undesirable situations in their own way. Some horses use avoidance techniques. This is a common way for horses to get out of something they don’t want to do. Some horses will avoid confrontation, plod along, and do what is being asked of them regardless of how they feel about the task at hand.

Some horses show their discomfort through nervousness, others will use avoidance techniques (napping, refusing to move, running out) and a small number of horses will respond with more aggressive avoidance techniques. (Bucking, rearing or other dangerous and undesirable actions!)

Why is my horse sour?

Horses may not want to go into the arena, or be caught, or perform an upwards transitions for a variety of reasons. Before blaming the horse for misbehaving, it’s wise to assess the situation.

• Is the horse wearing any new tack or equipment?
• Is your tack fitted correctly?
• Does he appear to be sore or in any discomfort?
• Has he had his teeth regularly checked and floated?
• Has your saddle been checked recently by a professional?

Pain can be the number one reason for your horse to say no, so before you decide that he’s just in a grumpy mood, investigate all possible causes of pain and discomfort to ensure that your horse is not refusing to send you a very clear message - ‘this hurts, and this is why I’m saying no’.

Horses also can have psychological reasons for not wanting to do as we ask. The most common one is boredom, or the horse ‘going sour’. Horses are also well known for strong ties to their paddock buddies - and some more-so than others. Horses who refuse to leave the group, or act up when ridden alone (and not at other times) can have anxiety about leaving their paddock buddies. This requires re-training, which can be done on the ground as well as in the saddle, preferably with the help of a good qualified instructor.

If your horse refuses to be caught, is it because he is associating being caught with an unpleasant experience? Every time you catch him, does it mean riding and nothing more? If you make the mistake of only putting a halter on your horse for worming and the farrier, and you’ll soon find that the horse isn’t so keen on the idea of you catching him or her!

If the horse has negative associations with the arena or a place where you regularly ride, and exhibits any of the avoidance techniques, but is fine to ride elsewhere, you can fairly well assume that the problem is tied (in the horse’s mind) to that specific riding location.

One way to assist a sour horse is to disassociate the location in which he is uncomfortable with work. Principles of training rely on the pressure and release method. Pressure is applied (leg aids, for example) and as soon as the correct response is given (the horse walks forward) then the pressure is released. The release is the horse’s reward for doing as you have asked. If the horse refuses to go into the arena (providing that you have checked that he is not in pain or discomfort) you can apply pressure to get him into the arena. As soon as he is in, the pressure should be released.

Make the arena not only a place of work, but a place where you can both have some fun. Horses can be easily frustrated with doing the same thing over and over again, and they learn routine very quickly. If, day in, day out, you have ridden your horse in the arena at 5:30pm for half an hour or so, for the last three months, and you halt your horse in the centre of the arena and dismount, and lead him towards the gate, then he knows that the work is done and he can look forward to his dinner after being unsaddled, cooled off and groomed. Correct?

So what if, all of a sudden, you decide to mount again, and go out for a quick ride around the paddock? Would your horse tell you that his work for the day was already done, or would he willingly go for a leisurely walk around the paddock?

Routine is great - until it’s altered. Horses can get quite upset with a disruption to the usual, and if your horse is one of these ‘routine-sensitive’ horses - you have two choices. Either stick to your routine and have little or no variation (which he and you might find yourselves bored with in another month’s time) or have no set routine at all. No routine does not necessarily mean that you still don’t ride from 5:30pm until 6pm. It just means that today’s ride might be out in the paddock, tomorrow’s might be in the indoor arena, and that yesterday you rode out in the paddock.

If you’re training to compete at an event, and your jumping is letting you down, dedicating every lesson to showjumping may seem like a great idea - although perhaps not in the mind of your horse. It’s important to vary your riding, which can be quite challenging over the winter months when you have limited areas in which to ride, or if you’re restricted by decreased daylight hours. Pick a focus for the day and work to improve on that one area, but don’t repeat the same exercise over and over again. If your horse gets the idea on the third try (or if you finally manage to keep your seat through a challenging bounce, call it quits on that exercise. Continually riding the same line, pattern, or jumping the same jump can turn your horse off the idea fairly quickly, which can create further tension down the track.

Pinned Ears & Threats to Bite!

For some horses, flattened ears and threats to bite can be common when tacking up or around feed time. Mares are wonderful at pulling the most amazing evil faces, especially to those who get a little too close to the feed bucket, or those who dare step into Miss Fussy’s personal space, even if that space happens to be three metres away!

For most horses, this is a learned response when directed at riders or owners, from past mishandling, ill-fitting tack, previous ‘sore spots’ and can also be behaviour learned in situations where the horse has previously had to compete for feed. In time, the ‘evil ears’ can be remedied (at least in the case of flattening ears around humans) but you should always be on guard just in case a threat turns into a bite.

For horses who object when the girth is tightened, ensure you do it gently and not just yank it up a few holes. At feed time, ensure manners are displayed when you place the feed down, but leave the grumpy eater to eat in peace. A well-timed growl should be enough to discourage a horse from biting you - alternatively, a curry comb held in your hand can be a useful barrier for a nippy horse. You don’t have to move your arm, and they soon figure out that hitting their muzzle on the comb is much less fun than threatening to bite you!

Thank you to The Stable Magazine for this article, which was originally published in their September 2014 issue. Check out The Stable Magazine online now for FREE. Read this article and many more at www.thestablemagazine.com