✪ Fidgeting or pulling back while tied Most of the problems regarding an adult horse and


standing still while tied are the result of a past incident that frightened the horse. Some horses simply haven’t learned the patience necessary to stand quietly while tied. Begin by tying for short periods while you stay in rather


close proximity. You may also want to tie a buddy horse within sight in the early stages. We do this over a number of days and extend the time the horse is tied a lit le longer each day. As his dependability builds, you may also begin to walk a lit le distance from the tied horse. We like to tie to a tree limb that will give a lit le and also use a breakaway rope. Don’t leave a horse unat ended until he gains confi dence


A horse that drags on the lead line is not only an aggravation but is dangerous. If he should startle or shy, he could run into or even over the handler with no warning.


TRAIN FOR SUCCESS When you are ready to train or retrain any skill, review mentally


what your direction and correction will be for your horse. Correction doesn’t mean punishment, it means repositioning your horse and asking for another repetition of an exercise when his response wasn’t what you were asking for. Keep your training sequences short and simple for the horse to un-


derstand. It can be diffi cult for humans to visualize all the steps involved in a particular sequence. It may help to video a particular behavior you wish to change, then watch it in slow motion to help you see exactly where the desired or undesired behavior needs correction. It is easier for the handler to catch the unwanted behavior before it becomes an entrenched habit than to correct it later. Having owned a boarding facility for over 15 years, I see pret y much


the same set of issues time aſt er time. Let’s look at some of the most common breaches of good manners that folks ask me about and some strategies that may help restore civility to the relationship between you and your horse.


being tied. If a horse scurries around while tied, he will usually calm down in a short time if you don’t make too big a deal out of it. Of course, if the horse is in danger, that is a diff erent scenario; he may need human intervention. Don’t tie a young horse hard and fast as it may injure his soſt


bones and ligaments and cause permanent damage should he pull back. Placing a horse in stocks can help him learn to stand quietly before


he is tied. As he becomes more secure standing for extended periods of time in the stocks, the good behavior is generally easily transferred to being tied elsewhere. We oſt en teach horses to stand on a “mark” such as a rubber mat in the arena to give them yet another understandable reason to stand still.


✪ Difficult to bridle Diffi culty in bridling almost always stems from an instance in which


the horse has had his teeth or gums banged or gouged. Just once may be enough to make him afraid to accept the bit ever aſt er. Another circumstance that may make him hard to bridle is if he has ever had ear ticks or painful fl y bites inside his ears. T is may cause rather strong resistance when handling his ears or slipping the headstall over his ears. In either case, the fear memories will need to be overcome. If his ears are sensitive, unbuckle the top part of the headstall and use it without the bit at ached to help him overcome fear of having his ears handled. Again, with bridling issues the task should be broken down into


continued page 50


LEFT: Sue’s gelding had painful fl y bites in his ears


and was resistant to having them handled even aſt er they had healed. Gently rubbing fi rst at the base of


the ears and then gradually the entire ear will help


renew a horse’s confi dence


and soothe the memory of a painful experience. RIGHT:


Aſt er just a couple of slow and gentle sessions, the horse’s confi dence was restored.


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