| Some horses
learn to cope with confusing handling by shutting down and disconnecting with their body.
This can be difficult for some people to recognize. A shut down horse can be a very
dangerous horse, because eventually something will happen for them to check in. And when
this happens, it can be very ugly. There are different degrees of shutting down, too. One
way Shea recognizes this is when a horse appears to be easygoing and mellow, yet there is
a tension in his face, neck, and/or body. Another telltale sign is the lack of expression
in his eye -- an unresponsiveness or dullness. An example of such a horse is one who may
go around in an arena 20 times, but the 21st time he will spook at something that has been
there the entire time. An example of a more extreme case is a horse who has been ridden
for years and considered to be bomb proof, then one day he explodes and becomes difficult
to handle. |
| Once the mare felt safe
enough to express herself, she became too dangerous for her owner to handle, so Shea took
her in. Even though she was explosive, Shea felt it was a good sign because she had
something to work with now and it showed that the mare was no longer shut down. Here, Shea
asks her to change her thought of locking up and move her feet forward. The mare doesn't
want to buck, but at this point it's all she knows to do with the pressure because she
never had the freedom to work her saddle worries out through her feet. |
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| The mare had many
layers to work through. When she would feel better about one thing, something else would
crop up. With almost two years of consistent training sessions, and a lot of body work,
this mare is to a point where she feels better inside about her handling. She is no longer
shut down, and no longer explosive. She is now Shea's main riding and work horse and they
have a great partnership going. Most horses can make a change for the better if it is
presented to them in a way that they understand. |
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| Sometimes the trouble
comes from the equipment that the horse has been ridden in. The first thing Shea checks on
with every student, and every horse who comes in, is the fit of the saddle and the type of
equipment being used. Poor saddle fit, lever bits, tie downs, side reins, draw reins, and
martingales can all cause lifelong lameness issues and behavior problems in horses. When a
horse is forced into a frame with something that holds his head down, irreparable damage
can be done to the vertebrae in his neck. Then add a saddle on this horse that pinches his
shoulders or withers so he hollows his back, and that is a recipe for disaster. |
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| It doesn't
take long for a horse to realize when a saddle feels better, but changing negative
behavior caused by harsh equipment can take a little longer. Sometimes a horse will get
stuck in the pattern of holding himself in a tense and braced way. He will tend to brace
his neck and back when he has been forced into a carriage. Sometimes it may take body work
such as massage and chiropractic adjustments for a horse to physically relax his muscles.
Then Shea can teach him how to use his body with something simple like a side pull or a
snaffle. |
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| This warmblood mare
re-learns self-carriage and balance after a poor start of being forced into a false frame
with draw reins. Behavior issues and a stifle injury led her owner to seek a better way of
handling her horse. One year later, the mare is fully recovered and is in the process of
rebuilding correct muscles. |
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| Another common problem that Shea
sees is tightness in the girth area. Cinchy horses can have all sorts of other issues that
relate to this one area. Some problems that can arise with cinchyness are bucking,
rearing, biting and kicking while being saddled; tail swatting and tension in their
carriage while being ridden. This is all preventable in the first place by taking time and
helping the horse breathe while the saddle is being tightened. But too many people get in
a hurry to ride and either suck up on the cinch too hard, or force the horse to stand
while being cinched, which can cause a lot of stress in the horse. There is a big
difference in a horse choosing to stand while being saddled, and being forced to stand
when they are not ready. |
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| This Thoroughbred mare was
beginning her 4th level in dressage. She went lame, changed owners, and came to Shea for
some work. She bucks, rears, bolts, and is very worried about people near her. Everything
about her is tight. Here Shea helps her with her cinchyness by rubbing her muscles along
the girth while the mare moves her feet. When the mare releases her muscles and starts to
breath, she willingly stops her feet and Shea can buckle her cinch. |
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| This colt expresses how he feels
about the cinch. Shea keeps asking him to move his feet forward with the rope. His first
saddling experiences were not very good before he came to Shea, so she helps him work out
his cinchyness through his feet before she ever saddles him. |
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| Once the colt feels
better about the process of being saddled, Shea moves forward and helps him to feel better
about being ridden. In this picture, he is holding back and keeps his ears on Shea, so she
gently encourages his thoughts and feet forward to help him let go of holding back. |
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| Mouthy horses can be difficult and eventually
dangerous. This symptom can be from numerous causes. The most common cause is hand feeding
and just allowing a horse to put his mouth in your space. Other times it can be a result
of internal stress from confusing handling. |
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| Stud colts have a
tendency to be quite expressive with their mouths. Here Shea works with this young
stallion simply by rubbing his mouth and making it annoying when he becomes mouthy.
Eventually he will realize on his own that it is not worth the effort. Some horse's mouth
issues go away just by changing the way they are being handled and making things clear for
them. |
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RETURN TO MAIN TRAINING PAGE
Ground Work |
Colt Starting & Re-Educating | Troubled Horses |
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P.O. Box 1283, Boulder Creek, CA 95006
located in Ben Lomond
831. 336-3252
Email the
Ranch |
