During a quick break for some lunch she asked me a question that I have heard so many times before in my previous experience as a horse trainer and behaviour specialist, “how do you deal with biting horses?”. Strangely though I was thrown by the question and I found myself going into my old default mode of “Well it depends on the reason why the horse is biting…” We talked about this for a bit and both agreed that there was always a reason. These can range from their natural curiosity and need to explore and understand the world and build strong bonds through mutual grooming. To early weaning practices and coping mechanisms to handle pain or stress, training and handling practices that trigger fear and the ‘fight’ response, causing horses to feel the need to defend themselves. All the way through to the sad situation of horses that have learnt the benefit of being aggressive towards people.

I then heard myself going back even further to say, ‘well in my days as a Monty Robert’s Instructor, we would teach the 5 different approaches to dealing with biting…” and our discussions continued as we talked about a variety of ways to reduce the behaviour depending on the underlying cause. However, it wasn’t until I was driving home that this question popped back in my mind, and again I felt strangely unsettled – How do I deal with biting horses? I suddenly realised I hadn’t actually answered her question. I had talked about things that I have done in the past and different approaches used by different trainers but I hadn’t told her what I do now. So, what was the answer to this question?

I let it quietly filter through my mind and I realised I genuinely wasn’t sure… Why? Then the realisation dawned on me that I no longer come across this issue anymore. That’s not to say that I won’t again in the future but it now seems so rare. Again, why? I thought back to my work with the lovely ‘Boot’s a few years ago who was certainly practiced at showing aggressive behaviours and threatening to bite, what did I do then?

Then boom, it came to me: ‘Extinction’! In psychology, extinction refers to the gradual weakening of a conditioned response that results in the behavior decreasing or disappearing. In other words, the conditioned behavior eventually stops. Only, I realised there was more to it than that, and perhaps through the use of extinction I had in fact largely eliminated it from even my own psyche, hence the difficulty in answering the question!

As I pondered the question further I began to realise that I no longer seem to even come across this problem, and again, I wondered why? Perhaps it is about the law of attraction – “what you resist, persists”, and instead of focusing on fixing a problem, I now always focus on developing a strong foundational relationship first. A relationship where touch is explored and consent is not taken for granted. Perhaps it is because touch is now a two-way process, where I allow horses to touch and explore me with gentle but clear boundaries in mind? Perhaps it is because I spend the time to just ‘be’ with the horses, developing a trusting bond before I ask for more? Perhaps it is because I have changed my approach and I am no longer overstretching horses and asking them to do things that they feel unable to cope with?

Perhaps it is because I now understand that all behaviour is communication, and emotions drive behaviour, therefore I am always working with the emotional horse and modelling what I would like to see in them? Perhaps it is because I am now reading and listening to the horses better, noticing the subtle signs and adjusting my approach accordingly. Or perhaps it is because I no longer see biting as a behaviour to be fixed or changed but in fact as a simple form of communication? The questions remain and the answer is allusive but you know what, it really doesn’t matter because clearly, things have changed and I am happy to celebrate that fact!!

If you’d like to find out more about my new ‘Mindful Partners’ coaching programme, empowering horse owners to become the person their horse(s) chooses to connect with and follow, then please contact me, Debbie at: info@understandingequus.co.uk

©Understanding Equus 2019

With the summer holidays now over, like so many of us, I have been experiencing the ongoing challenges of finding the right balance between family, work, my own needs, and time with ‘Boots’… Just as I was beginning to feel quite overwhelmed, I had a timely reminder of the important things in life, as my little girl came down with a nasty dose of Scarlet Fever! It was time to let some of the juggling balls drop. I had to re-prioritise and accept that my blog, facebook, various house chores, and some of my goals with ‘Boots’ just had to wait…

© Donna McKenzie

“Good horsemanship is understanding the horse physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.”

After hearing what ‘Boots’ had to say during our first session I knew my work was cut out for me. As an experienced horse trainer and behaviour consultant I was aware there were many potential reasons for her behaviour. As such I would need to go through a steady process of elimination to get to the root of her problems. First however, I knew I needed to focus on building trust and a mutually beneficial relationship, to create a foundation from which to build on.

For me it was clear from the start that physical pain or discomfort may be driving her behaviour. When I considered her previous history of injuries, accidents and incidents, it was possible any of these could have resulted in lasting physical (and emotional) effects. Pain would certainly explain her defensive reactions, history of rearing, refusal to load into a trailer, and aversion to clipping. At the same time her attachment history and number of different handlers would also lead to feelings of insecurity and hyper vigilance, adversely affecting her ability to build relationships and learn. Plus her current lack of turnout and interaction with other horses would be negatively impacting on her mentally, physically, and emotionally.

Whatever the potential causes, be it Pain, Behavioural or Both, I was faced with the reality of how it is for Boots now, and the need to prioritise what I was going to do to help her most. How I needed to find ways to meet her behavioural needs and build trust and confidence in our relationship. So that we could go on to safely explore, and hopefully eliminate, any potential physical problems that were contributing to her behaviour.

When exploring ‘behavioural problems’ most good horse trainers understand the impact of physical pain and advocate ruling this out, first and foremost. Although I totally agree with this, when there is no obvious problem or lameness it is not always easy to find the source, or to get a clear diagnosis – especially with a horse that will not tolerate touch or travelling to the vet!! In fact in my experience, the stresses involved in numerous tests can activate the horse’s innate ability to mask any physical problems or weaknesses and put real strain on their relationships. Potentially increasing the chances of things being exacerbated, missed, or misinterpreted.

‘ALL behaviour IS communication’ and ‘Behaviour is driven by emotions’

© Donna McKenzie

So starting with curiosity, I needed to objectively observe her body language within a variety of environments and situations: What was she actually doing? Where, when, and with whom does the behaviour occur? What happens before, during, and after the behaviour? What happens if I change what I am doing or asking?… All questions that would help me to identify any triggers and find ways to create more positive interactions.

I also needed to get creative. To become playful, thinking outside the box to try different ways to build trust and confidence in our relationship, focusing on modeling and engaging the CARE, SEEKING & PLAY emotional systems to build a strong bond and secure attachment. I needed to give her unconditional Love, setting aside my ego, judgments’ and limiting beliefs, to tune in and listen to her needs and wants. Always accepting her perspective, empathising with her, and adapting what I was doing to avoid the FEAR and RAGE systems. Whilst ensuring she had equine companions close by to avoid triggering the PANIC/LOSS emotional system.

© Donna McKenzie

Hence I started working with her within the environment where she appeared most comfortable and relaxed. With her trusted friend and companion alongside. (See previous video). Mindful of her aversion to touch I reminded myself to ask for her permission to do so, giving her the freedom to express herself and the choice to interact, or not, as far as possible. A challenge to my ego perhaps, but vital if I wanted to build a true trust based relationship.

I explored ways to create benefit in our interactions, introducing a number of different objects and obstacles to encourage curiosity and exploration. Whilst adding in some treats to find, to activate the SEEKING system, I was building her confidence to being on her own with me. All the while working to ensure her behavioural needs of turnout and companionship where met as far as possible. This led to our first breakthrough session where Boots started to experience the benefits of touch and engaging the CARE emotional system. See photos below…

To demonstrate here is a short clip of one of our early liberty sessions where Boots is empowered to communicate her concerns. She is given the time and space to consider and process what we are doing, and although I use a mild aversive signal to regain her attention, there is no escalation of pressure, or expectations on what she ‘should’ be doing. As you can see she is just beginning to look to me for guidance and reassurance, seeking security when she becomes spooked, or unsure of her environment. Link to video

These days I can see that this foundation work is all paying off and it is rare to see her ‘grumpy’ face, even when faced with new and potentially scary situations. In fact this summer I had the pleasure of witnessing ‘Boots’ happily meet, gently interact with, and chose to follow my kids around at Liberty, bringing a sense of joy to my heart.

Next time I will be sharing more about the challenges of our journey, the ups and downs, and the steps I took to uncover the source of her concerns..

In the meantime, it’s been a while since my last post, so I’d love to hear if you are reading and finding these blogs useful. If so, please ‘like’, share, or comment below and if you have any questions, then please don’t hesitate to ask.

Till next time, enjoy the moment, with a little #TLC

With best wishes
Debbie

The 7 Core Emotional Systems
Jaak Panksepp, an Affective Neuroscientist has spent a lifetime studying animal emotions and identified 7 Core Emotional Systems, shared by all mammals. Each system has different levels of arousal. Our brains and nervous systems are social organs and so it is through these emotional systems that we are able to tune in with each other but more on that next time…

• RAGE – Frustration, irritation, restraint
• FEAR – Pain, threat, foreboding
• GRIEF – Separation distress, panic, social loss
• CARE – Maternal, nurturing, social bonding
• PLAY – Playfulness, joy.
• SEEKING – Explorative urge, curiosity, anticipation, desire
• LUST – Copulation in adults

The systems in italic all activate the sympathetic nervous system creating discordant energy and the stress response. – Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn. Whilst those in bold activate the parasympathetic nervous system creating coherent energy and the calming response – Rest & Digest. For more information on these emotional systems and the way horses feel, please check out this wonderful series of videos by Rachel Bedingfield.

“When the student is ready the teacher will appear” Zen Proverb.

Driving to the stables for my first session with ‘Boots’ my head was in turmoil. After hearing the complex story of her past and now learning that she was stabled 24/7, with only short periods of turnout each day, I was feeling daunted. How could I make a difference? How could I build that special relationship I dreamed of and help ‘Boots’ overcome some of the problems she was experiencing, when my hands seemed tied in so many ways?

Due to the waterlogged paddocks, her basic behavioural needs were clearly not being met. My work and family commitments meant I could only see her a few times a week. Plus I was reliant on the generosity of her owner to keep and care for her and so I was unable to change the way she was handled, or managed, on a daily basis. Yet I felt drawn to face the challenge, to do something different, to move away from the methods and techniques that I was familiar with.

I wanted to strip away the usual ‘tools’ of horse training, to move away from coercive techniques and start afresh. To follow my heart and work at liberty, exploring the impact of emotional states and attachment on our horse-human relationships. As such I felt I needed to grab this unique opportunity. To do my best to find the root cause of her ‘loading problem’, to see what I could achieve, and learn from the situation…

For now though, I needed to let all this go, to clear my mind and tune in to my senses, so that I could be in the best place to listen… ‘TLC’ – Trust, Listen & Connect: The Understanding Equus relationship model pops into my head as I stride towards the barn. I stop, pausing to take a few deep, cleansing breaths.

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a BIG difference.” – Winston Churchill

At the barn entrance I observe for a moment, all the horses are calmly munching their haynets. ‘Boots’ puts her head over the stable door as I quietly approach. Reaching out my hand to offer my scent, ‘hello beautiful’ I say. Ears pricked she inhales. Then, raising her head she thrusts her nose towards my face and pins her ears back. I quietly step back out of her space and she returns to her hay, keeping an eye on my movements.

Ok I thought, that was interesting and unexpected. I remember her owner’s words: “I don’t understand why she won’t load… she’s fine with everything else…” My intention was to say hello and perhaps lead her out. To take her to some fresh grass enabling her to stretch her legs, and get to know her a little more…

My curiosity piqued, I pick up her halter and open the stable door. She instantly turns away stopping with her head in the far corner. I notice she is positioned guarding her left side, unmoving and braced. I wait to see what she does, and then, gently raise my arm asking her to take a step. Hesitant at first she moves forward, keeping me in her right eye. I ask again and we manoeuvre gently around the stable, until I am able to stand near her left shoulder. Dropping the halter as a silent thank you, for allowing me into this position, the mistrust and concern is palpable. My instinct is telling me my initial plan needs to be changed…

I stand for a moment, empathising and allowing her to relax, telling her I’m not going to do anything she doesn’t feel comfortable with. Quietly I step forward reaching out to stroke her neck. Instantly her head spins round, ears pinned back, nose thrusting towards my arm, nostrils’ wrinkled and eyes hard. I freeze, arm still extended, her head swings away, mouth tight and eyes wide with tension. Every part of her being is defensive, protecting herself, and I need to hear and accept what she is saying.

Slowly I bring my hand down enabling her to see her message has been heard. Standing quietly next to her I send out thoughts of love, kindness and gratitude and her head starts to droop. Again I reach towards her, this time with no intention to touch, just to stroke the air by her side. As her head jerks up and her ears go back I wait patiently for the reaction to pass, lowering my hand as she relaxes.

We then spend the next few moments doing this on both sides of her. Each time, I move away when she is relaxed, not pushing her to accept my touch. Slowly she starts to lick and chew, softening her mouth and eyes. Accepting her wishes, listening to, and connecting with her emotional state, I can see the trust start to grow.

After a short while she remains calm and relaxed as I approach each side. She then breaks into a series of yawns and I feel hugely privileged as she accepts a brief touch on her nose, ears forward and relaxed. I crouch down and watch her as she starts to doze, then she offer’s her ear for a gentle scratch…

“Acceptance of emotions and state builds trust” Dan Hughes.

There is very little research into the concept of attachment and horses. Yet for me it makes total sense as a key factor and influence in the horse/human relationship, and our horse’s ability to learn, grow, and develop. Dr Andrew McLean has written on this topic focusing on the role of attachment and learning theories, and the influence of touch for building bonds and attachments.

As a parent and within my work with vulnerable young people, I have been exploring different areas of attachment, the science behind it, and ways we can apply this to our relationships. It is well researched into how secure attachments help to reduce stress, build resilience, increase trust, bonding, rapport and learning for humans. And so, with the same emotional systems and mammalian brain, why not horses?

With this in mind, I believe we need to focus on our emotions, state, and attitude whenever we are with our horses. Dan Hughes’ describes the 5 key attitudes for building secure attachments in his PLACE model: Playfulness, Love, Acceptance, Curiosity and Empathy.

On my journey with ‘Boots’ I will explore this approach further, sharing the impact on our relationship as I endeavour to identify the root of her concerns. In the meantime, here is a snippet of me working at liberty with ‘Boots’, later that week, as I start to create a safe PLACE for change:
Thank you for taking the time to read this, and please do share your thoughts, comments, and experiences below.

Till next time, enjoy the moment, with a little TLC

With best wishes

Debbie

The concept of attachment
“In the 1950s, studies of human relationships resulted in the development of attachment theory, now well accepted, to explain the bond between mother and infant and how it influences development. Research soon identified four fundamental goals in infants; proximity seeking, safe haven, secure base and separation anxiety, all of which are familiar aspects of horse behaviour.

Dr McLean noted that the father of attachment theory, John Bowlby pointed out that the basis of attachment is not food but rather clear communication and soothing tactile contact.” Extract from: ‘Can good horse training get any better?’ by Lisa Ashton