 Grass Grabbing Goons
When riding out, we prefer our horses put their grazing tendencies on hold, but they often have the opposite goal in mind. No matter what you do, you can’t stop your horse from grazing his way through a trail ride. You’re fed up with his endless snatching at grass and pulling you out of the saddle. Even with a muzzle on, he still reaches for food, so there’s money down the drain, to boot. Why won’t he listen? Horses do what they are allowed to do. The upside is that only a horse who is calm and relaxed will lower his head to eat, so this grabbing grass while out on the trail tells you that he’s feeling safe. Good job on your part! But that doesn’t fix the issue, does it? As is so often the case when dealing with riding problems, we must work on training the horse, while also retraining the rider (you) to not allow any behavior you don’t want from him. You’ll be happy to know that It’s pretty easy actually. (Yeah, yeah, sure!) Just take a more proactive role and stay mentally present and 'aware' so that you can stop the behavior before it escalates to the undesired result you currently have. Your role is critical. You must teach him what you want in a way that he'll understand and accept. Horses ask two or three times before actually snatching at grass. Sometimes the 'ask' is condensed to a microsecond because he's learned that he doesn't need to ask, he can just reach for, and get the food; so your keen awareness is essential. The horse will look at the tender morsels he wants--with his ears, his eyes and his nose. The most common his ask occurs in is usually, 1) ears, 2) eyes, and 3) nose. However, ears and eyes may be switched with some animals. If you can train yourself to watch for the first signal and stop it then, you will easily curb the undesired behavior. Pay very close attention and keep the silent conversation with you and your horse a priority--don't ride and chatter with a friend until you are able to keep your and your horse's focus on the ride and not the food. But what does the fix look like? Well, here’s where it can get interesting for you: You have a few methods of correcting his “Ask.” You have many varying methods of training to choose from; positive and negative reinforcement being your two main choices, although there are a whole bunch of technical terms and caveats we could discuss. We’ll just keep this simple for the sake of this article. The Trick: One 'trick' is to ride your horse every single step of the way—notice how I didn’t point out that you should be doing that already! Give him a job and keep at least one ear tipped back to you in the familiar position that tells you he is waiting for your next cue. Work on some lateral moves as you trail ride while working on a half-pass or a zig-zag without the lateral motion. Vary your gait from walk to trot to walk at intermittent intervals. If all you do is plod along at a walk while half asleep or half aware while talking or daydreaming, remember that gives him time to do the same (and time to think about how to get his next bite of grass). Keep the ride interesting and his mind working so that he is not thinking of eating. The Negaitive: To train using the more common negative-reinforcement method, you simply reprimand him for trying to eat, for even thinking about eating, or for actually eating. That last one isn’t fair to him though. He asked, you just didn’t hear him. Remember for training to be effective and fair, you must listen as well as tell, so as soon as he “asks,” snap a rein, or give him a sharp jab with your heel. Growl at him, smack him with the end of your rein…you get the idea. The Positive: Positive-reinforcement methods mean that you reward for NOT grabbing for food, and to praise him often when he does right. An easy way to make a game of it and for him to have fun, is to teach him to look for a treat you’ve previously hidden on the trail—maybe in a bucket, and then increase the distance that bucket is hidden until he is looking for it, knowing he’ll get a morsel of something special for getting to it. (HINT: This is also a fabulous way to help a buddy-sour horse want to go out alone.) Sometimes people struggle to maintain the proactive rider attitude and complain that no matter what, their horse grabs for anything green and they can’t stop him. Now, I know that if they truly are in tune with their horse, they know what he’ll do before he can do it, but not all people are able. If it's so bad that you find he always wins, a quick-fix-cheating method coupled with your attentiveness will make all the difference and it’s free. The Cheat: Simply take some baling twine and tie it to your bit and back to your saddle--either to the horn or to the D-rings (especially if and English saddle). Make the length just so he is able to turn freely, but not reach down far enough to graze or snatch at grass. This allows him to correct himself by hitting the end of the line before he gets the reward of food. Once you notice he has stopped trying to eat, you would take the reins again--maybe go ahead and leave the strings on at first. This also works with kids that aren't strong enough to hold the horse. Or, you can buy a gizmo that does this very thing if you prefer not to have orange strings alongside your reins. ***NOTE: This method is temporary and can be dangerous if riding in heavy brush or steep trails. The horse MUST be able to use his head and neck for balance. Remove the device before traversing such areas.*** You can teach him to stop eating as well, with a cue to stop grazing. You let him eat, then tell him when to quit. This one doesn’t work as well for people who are having this issue because you must cue via some sort of reprimand—a tap or a kick—then amp up by giving him a harder tap or nudge with your heel, then escalating until it’s finally irritating enough that he stops grazing. It’s also a way to set up for an argument with your horse, in my experience. You say stop eating, he says no, you say yes louder, he gets mad and kicks out or bucks. I prefer to teach a cue to “go ahead and graze” and I ride without a bit for this reason. If I’ve not given the cue to commence to grazing, my horses do not grab for grass. It’s that simple. Happy Trails! ~Tanya Buck You want another freebie? Sure ya do, so here’s your FREE Trail Riding Tips, https://lp.constantcontact.com/su/ULx27k5/trailtips The Full Length book, Trail Riding, Happily Ever After is a quick reading book that expands upon the Trail Riding Tips freebie. Available here: https://books2read.com/u/baWjaq Prefer a signed hard copy? Get it here: TanyaBuck.com
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 Wouldn't it be nice to have a way of knowing the future, even if only by a couple of minutes? You'd have the ability to foresee what your horse is thinking, feeling, wanting, not wanting; and ideally, you'd have the ability to carry on a conversation where you explain your point of view and listen to his....ahh, that'd be good now, wouldn't it?
Horses are talking to us all the time, some may be a bit easier to understand and others maybe not so much, but if you are a horse owner, you have most certainly heard people talk about a horse that "can't," or "won't," or "doesn't," or "isn't." The person talking about this particular horse usually follows up with a statement about how if only they knew how to talk to their horse, they could tell him what they want and all would be good.This same person may also ask how to better understand what their horse wants them to know. Communication is the crux of this issue and it goes both way--between horse and rider--just as a regular conversation between humans does. There is a message given by the sender, a translation that occurs by the receiver and processed, and finally, a response from the receiver goes back to the sender. If there is a breakdown--and there often is--the answer will not be in line with what the sender asked or said. The desire to connect and communicate with a horse is fundamental to being a good horse owner or handler, and how can you understand each other if you don't know what that animal is needing? Wouldn't it be nice to have a decoder ring that would tell you what your horse is thinking, feeling, wanting, not liking, wishing you'd do, or whatever? Rider cues horse to walk forward (sends message). Horse twitches an ear (receives message) but doesn't move until he processes the meaning of the cue. Horse walks forward (answers the cue or message). Rider stops cueing. (messages are no longer exchanged). Of all the things I ask clients about what they want with their horses, their answers usually have something to do with wanting to do better with their horse if only they knew what that horse was thinking, so they'd be able to know with certainty that every ride would be a good one. Most owners think they can accurately decipher their horse's mood or body language and so, it is from that premise that they go on with each session spent in the company of said horse. Because we are human, we innately have some semblance of understanding of humans. We can figure out by looking at how someone holds their face to determine their mood. But with horses, the facial expressions are different and the body stance telling their emotional state is not much like ours most of the time. Two things do cross over though; one is fear and the other is not-fear. Fear is any emotion not based in solid relaxation. I'm trying not to use the words Fear Vs Love, or Fear Vs Trust, but those work and are, technically, what I'm talking about. We can all pretty much agree on what trust, love and happiness look like, so it goes to the point that any emotion not resembling trust, love, happiness, steady, calm; those are all fear-based emotions and include anger, deceit, sadness and aggression. When people say their horse is angry, they are saying he is not trusting, but they most likely don't see the mistrust their horse is showing them. Instead, the person may interpret it as the horse being bad, or trying to be belligerent or that he is intent on pulling some well-thought out trick to get their way. People will oftentimes tell me their horse is one who will "test" everyone to see what they can get away with. These folks see their horses as beings who stand around thinking of ways to outsmart, outwit and outlast their owner. Take the following scenario: A woman has a horse that consistently pulls a round circle oblong when he gets near the arena gate and when she pulls him around, he shakes his head, pins his ears, and crow hops. Woman has no real idea on how to fix this problem, so she pulls him back onto what was once a circle, kicks him with her outside heel and with gritted teeth and held breath, tells him he's bad and naughty. She repeats riding the circle and when she hits that same spot, she feels the horse tracking closer to the gate. She is Angry that he won't listen and is Afraid that these crow hops will one day toss her onto her backside. Her next move is to go to a Facebook Horse Training Group she belongs to and ask how to make the horse not drift on a circle or pull toward a gate. She is convinced he is doing this because he's trying to get out of work. People advise to work him harder near the gate, get a harsher bit, wear spurs, carry a whip and use it, do ground work, and a myriad of other so-called "solutions." Let's break it down from the horse's point of view and look at the situation differently: The gate is the last place the horse ever is when leaving the arena. It signifies the end of "work" and the beginning of grooming, grazing or downtime. It is desired by the horse because he knows it's the way out and back to his regular life of simply being a horse, which is quite relaxing. Pulling the circle toward the exit is his way of telling the woman that he'd like to get to the good part of the day where there are no demands, a good brushing, treats and his dinner with friends. Foremost though, the horse knows that at a certain point in the circle, he can drift because no one has told him he can't. Since, in his mind, he's quite clearly expressed his intentions of going to the gate and there was no correction, he does what he "said" he was going to do. Heck, he's already halfway to the gate and this reprimanding by his rider makes him Angry and puts him in a state of Fear since he was clear on his intentions and she didn't do anything to tell him he could not go to the gate. This breakdown in communication confuses him and he expresses his distress by pinning his ears, tossing his head, and crow hopping. Both horse and rider in the above example are trying to tell the other something and yet, the message is scrambled. In order to open the conversation without the emotions, the human must take command of the situation by asking How and Why the horse is acting as he does. First, she would look for any physical limitations or injuries and once cleared, she'd ask herself these questions: 1. Why does he (fill in the blank here) pull toward the gate? 2. What is the rider doing to encourage the behavior? 3. How do both get back to amicable and pleasant works together? 4. Is this the horse's fault or the rider's? 5. Will fighting with each other really truly fix the issue? ~Bonus question: What is my energy level before, during and after the 'event' with my horse? Think outside of the box for a minute once you've asked yourself how and why the horse seems to pick fights with you that make you believe he doesn't want to work. (Substitute whatever issue or problem you are currently having with your own horse. Grass grabbing on the trail? Not wanting to be saddled? Won't pick up his feet when asked? Anything can be addressed by answering the above five or six questions. Or, if you want the Short Cut Version, skip ahead and ask if your direction during every minute of your time together has been consistent and clear. Horses like things to be in black and white. They are not keen on grey areas that involve us humans and what we want from them. This doesn't mean be harsh or drastic in your training or cues. Rather, it means be clear as glass in your conversations with your horse. If you want a circle to be round, ride a round circle and don't let him decide where you are going. You will be proactive every minute you are with him, but in a friendly, calm leadership manner. He won't drift off that circle because you will correct him as soon as he thinks about drifting. Soon, he will not even try to do anything except the circle because your gentle guidance will assure him that there is no point to his feeble attempts to do anything except what you are asking. Plus, you'll reward him extravagantly for being so good! Whatever your discipline, ride with your mind first, your eyes second and your body third. Stay with him in the moment, or even better about two seconds in the future. Bring him along with you to that envisioned perfect future and don't day dream, lolly-gag or worry about anything else. You want a good, happy ride? Create it through your intent and presence of being in the moment, or better yet, a little bit ahead! Happy Riding! ~Tanya  "Trigger: A term used to describe sensations, images, or experiences that trigger a traumatic memory. Related to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.
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The meme made me think of clients I have and triggers they have and mostly, the triggers can all be boiled down to one thing: Fear. As a trainer and riding coach, I have been able to help people (and horses) through their fears using a method and have been fairly successful, so I thought I'd share here. Thing about fear is that it's not always a bad or negative thing. Hard to remember that sometimes, huh? And another oddity is that many people will tell me they are afraid and want to "get over it" when in reality, they want no such thing. They'd rather keep the fear, but would like to know how to be more comfortable, less conspicuous and not hindered by it. The way I use these methods is a bit different, but it always works to some degree. The degree being dependent upon the client's own truthful desire which only they have control over, and when they are able, the results are phenomenal. This works for a person who's been injured through a fall or whatever as well as someone who is not sure why they are afraid. The last group falls into a different realm and I'm not a psychotherapist, but this process does allow them to get in touch with the emotional button that makes them feel as they do. Anyway, to start, I suggest the client pick a day where they are alone--no family around, no phone, and time enough to wallow as I call it. Wallow means to immerse yourself in the bad, uncomfortable feelings, remembering the incident that made you afraid or sad or whatever. Wallowing is something many don't allow because they think it's bad, but if you do wallow, you get to look inside yourself and then finally to the broader picture. And, in the end, you get to a point that you just can't anymore. You're done. So, to begin, take a notebook and pen and find a calm, quiet, uninterrupted area. If you are able, go outside, and sit and breathe, just focusing on nothing. Finally, begin to write, but don't think. Write without punctuation or worry and hopefully without lifting the pen. Not on computer, just write about anything. Sometimes, you'll start with a list of things that seem unrelated, but it doesn't mater, eventually, you will write the incident that scared you because your mind knows this is what you want to do. If it doesn't happen the first day, so what? Do this for however long it takes. I tell people that they may cry and to let that happen. Just keep writing, try not to edit or punctuate, cry, scream, sit quietly, whatever is needed until the feeling of anger or fear passes. Then, close the notebook, put all thoughts of the writing aside, and don't read anything they wrote. Next day, or days later, repeat. Keep repeating until the "hit" is gone and then have a ceremony to burn or bury or hide the notebook or pages. It's a bit more involved and takes longer than it sounds like, but it works. I'm posting here in case anyone needs it for any reason. I'm here if you need help or more info, just ask. And remember that it's okay to choose your fears over "getting over them," and you'll be happy once that fact is acknowledged without guilt, too. This method still works. It takes as long as it takes. Namaste', peace, and love to you all! ~Tanya 
It's springtime and that means that for many, a new horse is on the horizon. Or maybe you already have a new horse, or just feel that you aren't bonded to the degree you'd envisioned to the one you have had for years. No matter what the scenario, having the relationship you want with your horse is pretty important!
So, how do we accomplish this perfect relationship with your equine? The answer is simple, actually: spend time with him. Literally, go out to the barn, pasture, corral, or wherever he lives and hang out with him. This isn't about working him, or accomplishing a goal. It's about building a friendship based on trust and mutual admiration. The admiration part is hugely beneficial to both of you! Sounds crazy, huh? But here's the thing: Horses are energy-driven animals. They understand intent and focus on how they feel--safe or not-safe. And if they are in any kind of fear-state, you will have a hard time convincing him to do anything for you or to even just look at you. At the bottom of it all, and the quick answer as to how to bond with your horse is to remember that if he feels safe in your presence, he will also feel trust. When in a trusting and quiet state of mind, he is not able to feel fearful and will begin associating you with his own emotional well-being. If you are always a positive emotion inducer for him, he will "like" you and want to be with you in a calm and present manner. This sets the foundation for all that you care to build upon to develop a happy and willing horse. At first, you'll simply BE with him, not asking for anything, not taking anything, not demanding anything. Just be. Hang out with him as you would with your cat or dog or a friend. This lack of expectation on your part allows him to look at you in a softer, less anticipatory way because he isn't wondering what will happen next or what you'll do to him. He accepts that you are a part of his everyday world where nothing must happen on any given day, but when you want to do something, he'll be engaged and willing, so life is better all the way around. If you must Do Something With Him, begin with grooming. Brush him and scratch the itchy places he can't reach, especially in the spring when all hairy horses shed. Talk softly or even silently with him and tell hm all the things you like about him and focus on his most positive attributes. This feeds the energy needed to stay positive about a horse you aren't sure about or maybe are having doubts about. By focusing on his best qualities, you are ignoring the things about him you don't like or are worried about. All he feels is positivity and no negativity and this one change can be the most crucial in your relationship. The other really important part about building a relationship with your horse (or anybody) is to listen. With horses, you must teach yourself to listen with your eyes and hear through motion. His movements will tell you all you need or want to know about him and knowing another makes it easier to fit together. By motion, I don't mean when his feet move--although that's definitely part of it--I mean the movement of his ears, eyes, lips and nostrils. I mean the height of his tail and the carriage of his head. I mean his facial expressions and his attitude. Are his feet cocked on standing solid? Does his head raise or lower when you approach? Does he leave or come to you when he sees you approaching--and this doesn't mean his body moves, it means his focus changes. It is in the silence that you'll learn the most about him and that knowledge will allow you to help him feel safest, happiest and most willing to do what you want every single time. In recognizing your horse's emotional state, you can then determine how to help him overcome anything he needs to get past so that he is willing to do what you want. Change his mind and you'll change his feet, but not yet. For now, get him to like you, but also, remember that you need to like him. For most people, it's easy to focus on what's wrong, and a little harder to look for the good. Try it, tell him, feel the difference in both of your attitudes and willingness to work together. Desire is a terrific motivator! There are a million games, tips and gadgets out there to help you engage with your horse when you both are ready, so I won't go into them here. Once you feel you and your horse are communicating at liberty, without tasks, chores, goals and "work" being the focus, then it's time to step it up a little. Again, at liberty--meaning he's not got a halter on, you don't have a stick, whip, rope, or any other artificial aid to "tell him what to do"--then you can ask for something small. Maybe it's for him to step aside, or lower his head or to hand you his foot. Whatever it is, you will watch to be sure the compliance, attention and willingness is evident in both of you. One last thing to talk about it the Ask and the Wait. Before you do anything with your horse, ask yourself if you are up for it emotionally; then, ask with your eyes if he is. Watch his reaction to you and feel for the willingness in him to reach you. Wait for that step to be complete before demanding anything; even if all you want is for him to lower his head and accept his halter. By working on the quiet, the ask and the wait, you'll find that you will become extremely proficient at reading his mood and energy level without needing to do groundwork or anything else to determine his state of mind and level of excitement. You'll know! Happy and Safe Trails to all! ~Tanya  I'm eternally grateful to my clients, their horses, their trust in me and my past life. That being the case, I miss my other life, and I feel guilty for missing it--the one I had when I was young, poor and working my ass off to make ends not only meet, but ever-hoping they'd at least be near enough to share a wave of acknowledgment. Why I was feeling that way today, and I don't really know, but I found myself missing the old times.
I never had a barn to work out of; I didn't want one. My theory was the owner of any horse I worked needed to learn what to do and how to read her horse and they both needed to work at home, in the environment they'd ride regularly. I'd save on expenses like insurance, hay, employees, and other overhead and the client would save in board bills. Back then, I drove a truck that barely ran and was equipped with only the original AM radio capable of capturing exactly three stations, and only one not in Spanish. This truck, a 1971 F-150 named Gus was tan with an at-one-time white roll bar that is now more dotted with rust than not, and got roughly the same gas mileage as an RV; an old RV, not a new fancy one. I'd get up by 5:30 or 6 every morning, grab a cup of coffee and then rush to finish my chores before getting my dog and my tack into Gus and driving off to my first client of the day. In the summer when the rains had stopped, I could leave my saddles, bridles and brushes in the back of Gus thus allowing myself time for another cuppa coffee before bolting out the door. Back then, my days were brutally long in the summer months. Hot, rushed, dusty-dirty, and full of unexpected surprises that could mean a more fun day or a much longer and more difficult one. Each client and each horse was different and each horse-human pair needed things from each other and from me that made my days speed by as I drove from one to the next. I allowed a half-hour between appointments and sometimes, if the barns were near each other, I'd have time to shovel in a handful of sunflower seeds to go along with the bottomless Cokes I drank back then. Between the caffeine and the sugar in each can, I didn't eat much and didn't need to. Winter seemed to linger in the Colorado foothills even in the middle of summer, it seemed, so time to slack off wasn't any more real to me than a trip to Tahiti. Then, before I knew it, when my body ached each morning from working without a break, winter would hit and I'd starve. Pretty much literally, because without an indoor arena, riding would halt until spring. In the early part of every year, during the long lull between winter and spring, I'd rest up, ride my own horses, and watch eagerly for any sign of spring, green tufts of grass, birds, bugs...anything that would indicate the cold and lack of work would end. So why do I miss it? I don't. It's not that part of my other life I miss. It's the horses. The young ones, the 'broken' ones, the discarded ones, the babies. I miss re-schooling and helping a horse become a better citizen. I miss the life of training those horses. Not the good ones that needed to be tuned up for the show pen; nah, I slept through working them and ultimately stopped taking any show clients at all. But those renegades, those rank, bad problem horses--this is how the people would describe them to me--every...single...time--them, I miss helping. I miss the adrenaline tinged with a dash of dread at getting on one for the first time that I'd taken weeks to convince that I was a good trustworthy person and a friend; all the time knowing that they were ready and it would be okay and that soon, our time together would end because my job was done. I miss the foals and the mares. I miss the breeding shed chaos of collecting stallions and running labs on semen to see if it was viable or if I needed to re-collect or re-order. I miss palpating and knowing early on, without ultrasound that yes, this mare was pregnant. I would try to beat my record on every mare--my earliest detection held at Day 15. And I knew I was right when I felt her bulging uterus. This was not a guess or a wish, but the absolute truth of a left horn pregnancy. Back then, ultrasound was still fairly new and we didn't use it to determine when to breed or whether a mare was pregnant or not. Hopefully, there is a young Tanya out there somewhere struggling, hungry, and busily learning from every horse and each student. She is likely hating the industry right now and is sick of the hot summer, the clients that argue or won't listen to her advice. She may even be willing winter to hurry up and get here while simultaneously dreading the thought of her income being slashed for the next six months. She may have to take a non-horse related job to make it through the hard times, but she'll be right back in the saddle trying to help more horses and people to become better together. She's an independent sort and prefers exploring new techniques learned, not from some guy on a video or at a clinic--though those are good, too--but from the very horses she's playing with every single day. And she does look at the career as "Play" not work. I wish I could pass on to someone all they, the horses, have taught me. Other-Tanya, if you're reading this, give a shout, I'll give you any help I am able. TATTERED COVER BOOKSTOR wants to carry 101!!! And, I will be able to do a signing in their store. To celebrate, let's have a sale, shall we? SIGNED FIRST EDITION purchased HERE is $22 with FREE SHIPPING to lower 48, tax included. Can't go wrong there, can ya? If you have read the eBook and can prove you reviewed on Amazon, and want hard copy now-- it's yours for only $20. Even though the info is the same in both formats, the hard copy is beautifully done and nice for you to leave on your coffee table, in your barn or in any and all bathrooms you frequent. With proof of your review, the book is yours for $20--FREE SHIPPING to lower 48 included. Just ping me at [email protected] with proof of your review and I will give you the $20 code. Thanks! Buy HERE at discount price until June 1 only! ****Multiple book discount for purchase of 5 or more copies; just email me for how to buy in quantity. Thank you!   Nuts in the Wind In the Colorado Rocky Mountains, we get a periodic week or so throughout the year where the wind not only blows, it wails and yowls. It whips and blasts, and shrieks. The pine trees no longer waltz in their usual polite 4-beat cadenced rhythm, arms floating gently in soft waving motions; no, instead, they bump and grind, with branches lashing out, while moaning the unfairness of their being rooted in rock-hard ground while the wind tears at their limbs. Once out of the trees, down in the valley, the grasses are laid flat as the wind plasters it to the ground. Birds flounder, buffeted by unpredictable air currents that can’t be trusted. Even the water in the ponds is whipped into a frenzy of meringue-white peaks and basins. Wildlife is on edge; deer and elk drop their head to graze, but their eyes and ears are on the constant lookout for danger. The coyotes trot along, noses to the ground, backs long and low as they search for their next meal. Turbulent, furious and loud, wind season is nothing short of violent. But you want to ride your horse. He’s a good, solid mount and he’s well-trained, so why not? So you take him to the grooming station to saddle up, but even that simple task is more like a boxing spar than your average bonding time. He’s on edge and doesn’t want to stand still. His head is high with swiveling ears and eyes edged in white. His nostrils flare, and he snorts every three minutes. You smack him lightly with your open palm—a move than normally stops any silliness—and he jumps up and then away from you before the cross-ties hinder any further lateral skittering. This causes head shaking on his part accompanied by drumming stomps from all four feet. You step back, drop the brush you were holding, and wonder who this fire-breathing dragon is as you reconsider the bright idea of getting on his back. Good choice, this rethinking, and here’s why: first, the same old discourse applies here—horses are prey animals. Yeah, yeah, so what? Well, go back to the very foundation of horsemanship and think like a horse, only remember that thinking isn’t actually the basis of your dragon’s uneasiness. Your horse is a horse first and this means his safety is his primary concern at all times. In some animals, this underlying self-preservation current is slow running, more of a hum, but in others, it’s a high-pitched whine that dictates rather than just play in the background. In the times of the dreaded wind, even the horse who is usually calm and docile will be a bit more aware and troubled. He may hide his feelings, but watch his ears and notice the height of his head carriage. Likely, you’ll see sharper movements that are more staccato than normal and he seems….taller. Sometimes you are lucky and that is all you get. Others will notice their horse is higher, hotter, prancier, faster, and less willing than usual. These are the dragon-horses that might be better left in the barn on windy days if you find yourself apprehensive about riding, or even grooming him. If this doesn’t bother you and you are experienced enough, use the windy days to school and help your horse through this fear. The why of this sudden change in behavior is important to consider. As prey animals, the horse—yes, even the domesticated, born in a barn, handled since day one horse—is genetically an equine, subject to the fear of being eaten by some larger predator. In the wind, when the trees are doing the salsa, rhumba and boogie foxtrot all at once, the sound of branches creaking, and whistling squalls sends the horse into input overdrive. . Remember, it is not actually the wind itself that scares him; it’s what the wind hides and carries. Meaning that sounds he needs to hear (something approaching), he cannot, while the air becomes filled with all sorts of odor normally hidden. He can’t hear any bad guys who may be stalking him. He’s smelling all sorts of things he might normally not. His vision is impaired as he squints to keep dust out of his eyes. But you’re in the barn, you say. There’s a roof, walls, and other horses around you say. And yet, your horse is as much frightened dragon as he is equid. Thing is, even though all these things are true, your beloved equine still feels a sense of heightened alert. How to help him let go of his apparent need to breathe fire is simple, but can take time. The goal is to get your horse to think and not just react. You want to help him find his Zen, you aren’t trying to “make” him see the foolishness of his actions. The first thing to look at is your relationship with your horse. If he doesn’t view you as capable, calm and consistent, he is likely to be more leery than if he knows you will always take care of him. Sounds simple enough, but how do you build that strong bond and trust on a windy day. You don’t. Wait until you are both calm and work on your relationship. This is not a one day quick fix, so give it time—yes, as long as a year, in some cases. The second thing to focus on is your own emotions during windy days. Have you learned to be apprehensive because your horse is? This is far more common than one might imagine and yet people forget how in tune with our emotions the horse is. Be sure it’s not you that’s causing him distress. But let’s say you are fine in all other circumstances and any other place. He’s not a fearful horse, he goes where and when you want him to, he is willing, happy and you seldom, if ever, have any problems. What then? We’ll talk about arena riding at first, and hopefully, you have an indoor. If not, do these things in your barn on the ground. Never do all of the following simultaneously; you’ll do much more harm than good. Since the sound of wind is usually the most common trigger for creating dragons, and masks his ability to know what is around him, or what is coming toward him, we need to help rid his perception of being vulnerable. As you groom him, and later, ride him, do the one of the following. Experiment with everything you can think of to find how best to help him settle and remain calm, even when it’s howling windy.
Some horses aren’t as worried about the sounds, but the odors that get churned up in wind can cause some of them to come unglued.
Since dust and other debris can bother his eyes and cause him distress, and since we can’t put sunglasses on him:
When you find which sense he is most vulnerable to having overloaded, you will be able to limit the stimulation and thus help him cope with the overload of his senses. This is a temporary aid to training him to accept frightening noises, smells and the sight impairment he must endure when it’s windy. Once your horse is able to think and not only react, remove the mask you have applied. Turn off the radio, or take off the fly mask. Maybe stay with the Lavender oil spray; it won’t hurt any training you’re accomplishing, and will help you both feel calmer, easier. Happy Trails and Safe Riding! ~Tanya  Touchy Feely
Horses and touch go together like sand and sea. You can’t be with your horse or near any horse, for that matter, without touching, stroking and petting him. But how does the horse feel about all that caressing? For the horse, touch is an important part of his world, just as it is in yours. You may believe a horse’s skin is thicker and less sensitive than your own, but recent research shows this may not be correct; at least not 100% correct. The thickness of the skin varies depending where on the body we measure, and in general, the skin of a horse is less than one millimeter more than our own. Thickness does not always equal sensitivity, though. Nerve endings are what determine how much feeling there is for the animal. Over the rump, along the top of the neck and over the withers, the skin is thicker than the skin covering the flanks and face. The hair covering the horse is additional protection from the elements, insects, the sun, wind, and the touch of a whip. Touching between horses is common and they seek one another for mutual grooming, play and comfort. A horse can’t reach every place on his own body to scratch or rub himself, so he seeks the help of other equines, or finds a bush or tree to rub against. Standing head to tail, horses who are best friends will bite at each other’s withers, crest and backs. Horses stand head to tail under the shade of a tree in summer to help swat the flies off each other. Foals touch their dams often during the day as a way of communicating or to receive comfort. So how does the horse like to be touched? Think about bugs. A tiny, seemingly insignificant gnat can irritate your horse to the point of distraction. When a fly lands on the horse’s rump, the horse may not react, but that same fly lands on his ear or face and suddenly the horse is shaking his head and diving his nose to the ground or even running to get away from the irritant. This tells us that touching a horse softly is probably not the best approach, but touching him with intent and pressure is something he will like and seek. He doesn’t want to be patted and yet most people will swat their horse on the neck or barrel to tell him he’s a good boy. But watch him closely and you will see that each blow elicits not a positive feeling in your horse, but rather a tightening of his muscle, the squinting of his eyes, the raising of his head and perhaps even a tail swish. To reward your horse, he would prefer a scratch or rub along his crest or near his withers. If you are on the ground, he likes his eyes stroked with the open palm of your hand, or maybe he likes a chest scratch that reaches between his front legs. Anywhere he can’t reach that may be sweaty; he’ll love having scruffed and rubbed. Those light, tickle-y strokes are irritating to your horse in the same way they are to you if you have ever had a spider walk across your arm. They make him want to get rid of the annoyance and if you are the source of the irritation, he will want to get rid of you, too. Pretty much, if you would like the intensity of the touch, so will your horse. This brings to mind whips and chains, and rope halters with knots, and spurs. Think about the end result you are seeking and whether or not the tactile stimulus you choose is the best one for the job. Remember too, that horses look to one another for relief, comfort, and empathetically guessing what may help him feel better can be a good reward for him, especially if you prefer not to give your horse treats.  Finally, this book is ready for release on November 11 as an eBook and on November 16 as hard copy (paperback).
Turns out writing these are the easy part. Publishing is a bit harder. Marketing is the worst! Mostly because I'm just not good at it and it's not much fun. That said, selling a book is part of publishing a book and making a new career for oneself. 101 WAYS TO DIE WITH A HORSE OR LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER is a safety guide for all people who share their lives in any manner with horses. I wrote it because as an instructor, I could never find a book to recommend to my students that wasn't boring as sitting through a lecture on the growth rate of bacteria (unless you like that sort of thing) or that wasn't so outdated and obscure that no sense could be made from it before falling asleep. As an instructor, I incorporate these tips in each and every lesson, so basically, this book is just needed by students and instructors alike. So, here it is. Finally! You can see in the photo above how beautifully done the illustrations by Jennipher Cunningham are and how they perfectly match the Death Tips. Most of the material covered is not your usual, "Wear boots and keep your heels down" fodder (though those things are included). Along with safety tips, I include the Why--the reasoning behind the lesson, not only the lesson itself. I think when we understand Why something should be done, it's simple to remember How something should be done. So, I made it clear and fun and pretty and easy to read and enjoy. I hope this book ends up in every barn, home and bathroom of every horse lover in the world. I hope you enjoy it and please, "Friend" me on Facebook here Tanya Author Buck; I look forward to chatting with you. If you'd like a signed copy delivered to you, contact me on my Facebook page and we will make that happen. Thank you for sharing and helping keep horses and humans safe! Happy Trails! ~Tanya  I'm obsolete as a trainer.
I am past some unwritten expiration date that I never even knew was there, though there were plenty of signs for me to see. We are a nation (world?) of getting results immediately, of having all we want now, and we love, love, LOVE instant gratification, which is all fine, but only if you are like everyone else in that desire. Me, I don’t fit into that box so very well at all. It is my core belief that the old saying, "If it's worth having, it's worth working for." Some humans believe that 'training' is best done through the use of pain as a stimulus to get what they want from their horse. It's how it always has been. It is the only way, the best way and therefore, the right way. But I ask, is this true? If you are poked each time you do something wrong, yes, you want to avoid the poke, the pain and the frustration of trying to understand what makes the jabs stop, but is this the fastest and easiest way for you to learn? I say no, it is not. You wouldn’t like being stuck, pricked, jabbed and prodded, so why is it okay for you to do this with your horse—And, call it training? For example, take the use of spurs. Right now, on a Facebook page I belong to, there is an ongoing and vehement argument for the use of spurs on a horse that is a "stress-bucker". OP wants to know if this is a good idea. The new trainer has had three good rides on this once-wild Mustang, and now he wants to use spurs "to get more out of him". Good grief. Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm the one who is backwards and uneducated. Maybe they are all right to be discussing the merits of large rowels versus knobs and just how the pain is distributed. Maybe this horse "needs" to be poked? Yeah. I don’t think so… My answer is, no, and Hell No. It is counter-intuitive to me to look at this horse that is now loping about without bucking and without the use of spurs gouging him, and then to unexpectedly say, "Gee, I think he needs more pain thrown his way so I can get more out of him." Seriously. What the hell is wrong with people? Why is it so popular to push hard and harder, demand more and more, force submission, and do it fast-faster? I've always considered myself to be a Holistic Trainer, meaning that I take the entirety of the horse into consideration when working with him. His mind, his body, his soul and his emotions. Now, I think I need to revise that particular definition to include the words, "Relationship Training" that focuses on the entirety of the horse and the rider. Maybe I've always done this; actually, I believe I have, but at the end of the day, I am a Horse Advocate. My sole reason for training was to help the horses that were deemed bad, rank and unsalvageable to become better citizens so they would be spared the hell of abuse and ultimately, slaughter (which is a nice way of telling the horse gets tortured and it’s not pretty, but we won’t say all the facts. But I digress and that’s a whole other topic. Back to spurs and the on-going debate.) The horse is complex and ingenious and willing, and so usually, is his rider. As a trainer, coach and a 'talking mirror', I find that by focusing on the horse's attitude, willingness, and try, I get a real clear picture of who the rider is and what she really wants. What I'm getting at is this: Do you have a horse for the sole purpose of achieving pre-set goals or is there more to it? Like maybe relationship? If it is relationship, then take the time to build that camaraderie and trust, and ask yourself if increasing pressure or causing pain is the best way to do that. Pain. Pressure. These things need to be defined. They each can be increased or decreased and used to either positively--by removing, or negatively--by applying, to the horse. His response indicates your success at 'training'. Conversely, think about his lack of response and consider that to be equally as important. Pressure to a horse is anything from physical touch by you or another horse, to emotional pressure from you or another horse. Sometime pressure is perceived as pain by the horse; by us humans. Pressure is the thing most trainers use to get a horse to do what they want. Present pressure, and then back it off to signal a job well-done. It works. It always has, unless it doesn't and is observed with a horse that refuses to give to the pressure and instead, comes toward it/you. Now what? Bigger hammer? More pressure? More pain? I'm just saying that the choice to apply localized pressure with your foot on a horse's sides is an individual thing. And I am saying there are other methods to try that take a little longer, perhaps, but will build your relationship instead of instilling a dictatorship role with your horse. There is so much more than 'getting more out of him'. Unless that really is all you want. I personally, would rather see you get a motorcycle for that purpose, but it is ultimately your choice. There is force and intimidation, pressure and pain or relationship and trust. Choose wisely. |
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