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

‘Perception’:
“The ability to see, hear, or become aware of something through the senses.”
“The way in which something is regarded, understood, or interpreted.”

As the gate latch clicks behind me, my heart sings when I see ‘Boots’ lift her head from the grass and look over. A smile spreads through me as she turns to walk, and then trot, over to greet me. It’s taken a while but for me, I feel things are starting to change. Slowing respectfully, she draws near, reaching out her long neck to say hello & inhale my scent.

“Hello beautiful,” my whole being says, as we take a moment to check in with each other. Warm breath on my hand, ears pricked and curious, I step to her shoulder and reach out to stroke her. “Let’s go and check out the fresh grass by the brook”. I head off with purpose and she raises her head, still, yet enquiring. After a moment she starts to follow and I pause to let her catch up. Together we walk towards the bottom gate as her mum joins in with our stride…

“The eye sees only what the mind is prepared to comprehend.” Henri Bergson

I remember back to the first time I saw her. Alone in her stable she was snatching mouthfuls of hay and looking out, eyes wide, head high. A beautiful tri-colour tobiano, she reminded me of my last horse Mr M, yet something was not right. She appeared detached, agitated, and unsure. Her owner was telling me about her past…

It was a complex story; 8 different places she’d lived, in as many years. She’d experienced a whole range of different trainers, riders, and handlers, as well as the lady who owned and bred her who’d called me to help. She’d had two significant injuries by the age of 6 months: one at only 5 weeks old, the other, when weaned from her mum. She was known to rear occasionally when being led, I later found out, flipping over at least 3 times on separate occasions when being asked to load into a trailer. Plus she didn’t like to be clipped, requiring sedation to do so.

Yet interestingly, I’d been asked to come and help with her ‘loading problem,’ as otherwise ‘all was fine’. She just had a tendency to sometimes be a bit ‘stubborn’, ‘cheeky’ and occasionally, a bit of a ‘grumpy mare’.

“If you change the way you look at things, the things you look at change.” Wayne Dyer

I have long been fascinated by how we all see and perceive things so differently. Yet it is only more recently that I have started to really understand the extent to which we all filter what we see, hear, and even feel. Filling in the gaps to see what we are looking for, according to our internal beliefs. This in turn shapes our behaviour and actions, creating more of what we believe.

When I became a mum, I took the opportunity to question what I do, to step back and explore the advances in horse training and related science. The idea of the Alpha mare and dominance theory now put into question, I wanted to find out more. Through the ‘Meeting of Minds’ program and my own continued research, I now believe that there are endless ways of doing, and seeing things. Yet I understand that for so many, this is not the case.

During this time, I also came across attachment theories and began to understand that it is not about what training method, tool, or technique we use. It is all about the ‘Art and Science of Relationships’ and the importance of feelings of safety, stability, and security, in order to learn and grow. How we can build mutually beneficial partnerships, to become the leader our horses want to follow.

To achieve this, I do my best to keep an open, positive and non-judgemental mind. To stop, ground myself and breathe, helping me to become fully aware and present in the moment. To listen to, and connect with, all my senses, and to become more aware of the conclusions and judgements I make.

For I believe that ALL behaviour IS communication, and emotions drive behaviour. This leads me to become curious, to wonder, what is a horse trying to tell me? How are they feeling and why, and perhaps more importantly, what can I do to help support, or change this?

Next time I will be sharing my first few sessions with ‘Boots’. The shock and surprise I had when I saw what she really had to say, and the first steps I took, to start building a bond and trust based relationship…

In the meantime, I wonder what YOU see, hear, or feel, when you watch this short clip of ‘Boots’, her mum and I, down by the brook together…? My non-horsey husband says he see’s two horses eating, with some birds singing in the background!! Of course he is right, as this is his perception, but I’m really curious to find out if you see, hear, or feel anything different…

So sit back, make sure your volume is turned up, and click the link here…
Please leave your comments below, and thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

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

With best wishes

Debbie

Dilemmas, dilemmas – where do I start?
My blog… my thoughts… my galloping heart!

What does it take to loose the label ‘grumpy mare’?
To clarify and communicate, my unique lesson to share?

Inspired by ‘The Chair Challenge’ with Carolyn Resnick

’A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’ Lao Tzu

Stepping out of our comfort zone is never easy. Despite being a successful horse trainer who has rehabilitated and trained countless horses, run numerous workshops, stood up to give umpteen public talks and demo’s, the written word has always caused me to shy away. The finality of it, the ease of misinterpretation, or being misunderstood has caused me to avoid it as much as possible.

As I start on my first official blog, I embrace my fears, doubts and dyslexic tendencies, (please excuse the dodgy spelling & grammar!) and with excitement and trepidation I begin to write about my journey with ‘Boots’ – the horse with two faces. I hope I can reach out and inspire others to embrace their fears, to open their hearts and minds, and to create the life and relationships they dream of.

Like all of us, I am faced with the reality vs. the dream, the practicality vs. my ideals. We also have many faces: For me they include a wife, mum, horse trainer, coach, a public persona and a private one… For Boots, perhaps, it is more simple, relaxed vs. agitated, curious vs. fearful, playful vs. angry?

All of this and more I hope to explore and I’d like to get to know you too. So please comment below and share your thoughts, dreams, challenges and fears. What problems are you experiencing with your horse and what first step are you going to take to make a change?

So for now, if you would like to receive our future blogs, please sign up for our Newsletter at the bottom of this page…

Next time I will be sharing Part 2 of my story. As I aim to help people to experience the joy found in a mutually beneficial partnership and empower people to become the person our horse really wants to follow.

Before then, thank you so much for taking the time to read this.

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

With best wishes

Debbie

“The most important part of any piece of equipment is the hands that hold it” Monty Roberts

Walk into any tack room and you will undoubtedly see a dizzying array of tools. Mentally, now, make a list of all the ones you may own. Can you count ten? Fifteen? Over fifty! Then contemplate why you bought them, under whose advice and for what purpose? How often do you question their affects or effectiveness?

Many of you, I imagine, may have a large array of what might be termed classical or traditional tools; a simple head collar, a lead-rope, perhaps a range of bits, lunge cavessons, some side reins, a saddle or two, a bridle of course, and a collection of whips. Perhaps some of these are assigned to the cupboard and you have been experimenting with tools from the natural horsemanship camp; a variety of rope and/or pressure halters, some long lines, perhaps the odd Sainsbury’s shopping bag or stuffed glove on a stick, a plastic bottle with dried peas in, an old tarpaulin, a colourful umbrella and a ‘Carrot stick’ (aka a whip of course!). You may even have branched out into the reams of the more scientific approaches to horsemanship; having some ‘wraps’ (elasticated bandages used for TTouch & TTEAM techniques), a clicker and target along with food used for positive reinforcement training. With the vast array of tools available to the modern horseman today, plus the strong views and opinions attached to them it is no surprise that it is a difficult and potentially contentious topic to talk about.

Many of these tools will seem innocent enough to most (especially if they just stay in the cupboard!) and some might be described as a ‘must have’ or the best thing since sliced bread! Yet others may be perceived as potential tools of torture that are only used for the infliction of pain and suffering! Herein lies the problem of perception, as it is in my opinion and experience that ALL of these tools can be misused or abused, causing potential pain, stress and anxiety to our horses, especially when used without the appropriate knowledge, compassion and understanding.

Many tools have become synonymous with certain training methods or techniques like the double bridle and spurs with the higher levels of competitive dressage, the Round Pen and Dually Halter with Monty Roberts’ techniques, the rope halter and carrot stick with Parelli Natural Horsemanship, and the clicker and food treats with clicker training. As such they are often judged and criticized due to this relationship with a trainers approach or equine discipline rather than the possible advantages and disadvantages of the tools themselves.

Exploring bridge and target training with Shawa Karrasch, creating a whole new emotional state through the use of an appetitve stimulus.
Photo by Natalie Bourchier photography.

Over the past 2 years I have been in a unique and privileged position as the founder and chairperson of the Understanding Equus ‘Meeting of Minds’ program (MOM). Its aim is to explore horse / human partnerships with a wide variety of highly skilled, experienced and well renowned trainers. Of course such trainers advocate the use of many different tools. Yet at the heart of the MOM approach is a non-judgmental stance where participants and trainers alike have the opportunity to examine and question in detail cutting edge techniques and explore these different tools, advances and philosophies, always with the aim to identify the underlying keys and foundations to good horsemanship, irrespective of the tools themselves.

No Pain no Gain?

Many researchers have started to look at a variety of tools and their affects on horses physically and mentally as well as on performance. One would hope that these could shed some light or clarity on the situation, yet we are presented with some fascinating, but at times conflicting, results. For example researchers from the University of Sydney urged people to rethink the use of Round Pen training by Monty Roberts, suggesting that some of his techniques applied emotional pressure to horses as their responses were based on fear and safety. Alternatively research done in the UK found that horses trained using these same methods and tools had significantly lower maximum heart rates when taking their first saddle and rider when compared to a British conventional training method.

Other research done by the innovative and controversial Alexander Nevzorov demonstrate the potentially damaging effects of the bit and the saddle and as such he is calling for a revolution suggesting a complete ban of all competitive equine sports that use such tools. These demonstrate some of the conflicting advice and the wide range of views and opinions in the horse world today.

As a horse trainer experienced in working with young and remedial horses, initially with the more traditional approaches, then later adopting a more holistic one, I have certainly used and experienced a wide variety of tools and techniques. Whilst listening to the horses themselves, this experience has led me to believe that there is no ‘one way’ or all encompassing tool, and what works for one horse or horse-human partnership does not mean it will work for all. In fact I believe these judgments help no one, as we (and the horses) are each on our own unique spiral of learning, with different past experiences and learnt behaviours and as such we will react and respond differently to each method or tool.

Over recent years my eyes have been opened to the possibilities and intricacies of liberty play being taken to a whole new level by some of the more cutting edge trainers like Carolyn Resnick and Klaus Hempfling. Along with the art and subtleties of classical riding, these are techniques that are achieving balance and collection with nothing more than a simple cordeo (neck rope). And this is where we start to see the importance of our minds and attitudes along with the power of our energy and intention. It now seems to me that the greatest and most powerful tool we have at our disposal is OURSELVES!! Our own bodies, our senses and most importantly our minds and attitudes.

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

If we can start to look beyond the tools themselves and start to focus on ourselves, developing our knowledge, understanding and skills then we will start to truly understand such concepts as ‘less is more’ or ‘slow is fast’. Confusing and contradictory terms in themselves but once you develop a good understanding of equine & human behaviour, learning theories, anatomy and biomechanics and equine science it all starts to make sense and the tools themselves can become irrelevant.

“It’s not what you use, it’s how you use what you use” – Monty Roberts.

Always working on ‘ourselves’ to create balance and lightness with Amanda Barton. Photo by Natalie Bourchier photography.

For example the recent article in Equine Science entitled; Does whip use improve show jumping performance? found that “Those who used the whip were statistically less likely to achieve a clear round…elite riders were statistically more likely to achieve faults if the whip was used.” So what does this say about the effectiveness of the tools that so many of us feel so reliant on?

In fact I would go so far as to suggest that most of the tools we use are in fact just glorified comfort blankets, things that we feel we need to remain safe and secure. Many give us the illusion of control over our horses or give us confidence in ourselves when used as a ‘communication tool’ or ‘extension of ourselves’….

I believe good horsemanship understands the horse physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually, bringing all these aspects together to encourage balance in mind and body. A good understanding of equine communication & behaviour is essential to staying safe, not one specific tool. Self-awareness and an understanding of how we can influence our horses through our energy and intention will create softness and improve our feel, timing and balance. The
ability to be present & focused in the moment to truly observe and ‘read your horse’, to attune ourselves to our horses and communicate with understanding and empathy, to step back and adapt what you are doing with sensitivity & creativity are just a few of the vital keys to optimizing our partnerships.

“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used to create them.” – Albert Einstein

I believe we can learn something from everyone even if it is how or what we don’t want to do. So for the sake of the horses, I encourage you to keep an open mind, a non-judgemental manner and strive to add to your toolbox by increasing your knowledge, understanding and skills, always listening to the horses and working on the improvement of ourselves. You may then just find that in fact ‘Less IS More’ and no pain is required!!

“Be curious, not judgmental” – Walt Whitman.

Research Articles
Australian research on Round pen techniques: http://phys.org/news/2012-07-urge-rethink-monty-roberts-horse.html

UK research with Monty Roberts – http://horsetalk.co.nz/2012/07/24/monty-roberts-fights-science-with-science/#axzz2gCLQX2Va

Alexander Nevzorov – The effects of the bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkxOp_xfVEg

Does whip use improve showjumping performance: www.equinescienceupdate.com/