DECEMBER 2020 THE RIDER /27 ^Between The Ears^ Spooking, bucking and bolting


By Ellie Ross It seems all too com-


mon to hear a horse owner complain about unpre- dictable behaviours experi- enced while


riding.


Spooking seems to be the most common complaint and the fear it induces in the rider worried about falling off. The risk of injury is prevalent and the associated anxiety resulting from past experiences can impact fu- ture rides. Anxiety in the rider will most definitely be sensed and felt by the horse. If the rider is scared, tense etc., the horse is more likely to be on edge. If the rider is worried about something then it only makes sense that the horse suspects danger is looming. The cycle of this


discomfort are all too often overlooked. I have person- ally witnessed many spooky horse issues resolved when a pain issue was finally ad- dressed. One of the most common one was gastric ul- cers. That’s a topic for an- other day… I don’t know of any


studies that have been done specifically on the impact of nervous riders on equine ridden behaviour, but there has been a study done on the issue relative to the choices of equipment for recre- ational horses. A study was done in the UK on the largest equine population, which is the recreational horse. 791 horses were in- cluded in this study and while there were a few too


being ridden in an all pur- pose saddle (61%), using a snaffle bit (84%) and horses were traditionally shod (57%). 59% used whips, 35% used Drop or Flash Nosebands, 33% used Run- ning Martingales and 19% utilized a pressure type hal- ter to get control on the ground. All but 5 horses had regular farrier care, although 4 reported doing their horses’ feet themselves. It was encouraging to read, from an animal welfare per- spective that 97% of the re- spondents had their horses teeth checked. When it comes to saddle fit, we all must recognize that as the condition of the horse changes, the saddle fit needs to be rechecked, but this ap- pears to be often overlooked or neglected. In my own personal experience espe- cially when observing the well respected Equine Chi- ropractor, Dr. Scott Hie, saddle pads were a major contributing factor affecting proper saddle fit. 12% of the riders in the study admitted that they have never had their saddle fitted. 9% claimed they did not need to ever check fit because they used a treeless or adjustable tree type saddle. (There has been more than enough evi- dence that treeless saddles


fitted tack, nosebands that are too tight, heads being cranked down and so on. The most severe behaviour manifestations of rearing, bucking and bolting, were obviously the ones that posed the greatest risk of injury to the rider and often the decision to label the horse as a problem horse, when in fact it is a horse that has an un- resolved problem. It makes no sense to state the horse is ‘bad’ when the horse would be willing to , for example, canter on the left lead happily and willingly but bucks or bolts when asked to go on the right lead. This is a clear cut commu- nication that this agnostic response is due to the conflict presented by physical pain or discom- fort.


In a study done by Moss et al., 79% of rid-


ers that were hospitalized were the result of a fall while riding. This is a widespread problem that sadly leads to rider injuries and horses that are euthanized. Riders need to focus more on the prevention of problems, and take action and not reaction for the welfare of both riders and horses. Turning to harsher bits, tighter nose- bands, more saddle pads and so on are not the answer.


Sierra Acres Equine


Assisted Learning Centre The Four Fears


By Anne Porteous 1. Fear of dreaming Some people are afraid to even


perpetuates and is often the main reason why a horse ends up for sale. In my own experi-


ences, I have seen horses ridden by nervous riders that were highly reactive and very ill behaved. A nervous rider tends to be stiff and quick to respond with their hands jabbing horses in the mouth. Their horses are re- active and shying from many things while some have had bucking episodes which further unsettle the rider. Many of whom made a decision to dismount and walk resulting in the horse learning it gets out of the work by dismounting or un- settling the rider. Then I see those same horses ridden by someone that is not neces- sarily a professional, just a rider that is confident and relaxed in the saddle. There is often a reduction in reac- tivity in the horse as a result. Aside from rider induced behaviour issues, pain and


many variables, there cer- tainly was enough of a base- line


to indicate the


undesirable behaviours such as shying, bolting, bucking, rearing etc., were relative to the equipment and riding habits of the rider. Of the 791 horses, a


whopping 91% of the horses were reported to exhibit one or more of the ridden horse problems stated above, within one week prior to being surveyed. 93% of the horses were in ridden work, for leisurely purposes. The most common activ- ity was hacking, which was the most popular at 80%. Some reported that they did not provide any grooming whatsoever to their horses, so it’s fair to assume that they likely missed the opportunity to discover potential issues with their horse. For the sake of general knowl- edge, the majority of horses in the survey were


have led to problems) The learned compo-


nent of bad behaviour that lead to risk of injury, rider fear and anxiety or simply just irritation of the rider cannot be ignored but should be acknowledged that it began with one com- mon denominator - physical discomfort . This is espe- cially true when one consid- ers the inappropriate use of aids such as whips, spurs etc., and a further welfare problem with improperly


consider their dreams, such as: starting a business or meeting a great partner, training for a marathon. Maybe you do not believe you have the talent, intel- ligence, or self-worth for these desires to manifest. Perhaps past disappoint- ments have been internalized to the point where they become procrastina- tion habits. The result: being afraid to even consider what is possible. You may be surprised at how quickly you can tune into your dreams and learn to make them real when you shift your focus and begin to see what is possible for you..


2. Fear of failure Perhaps you get easily inspired


by your dreams and take immediate action. Yet, you have difficulty execut- ing what you start. You are sabotaging yourself with your thoughts and be- liefs about your lack of resources, ca- pabilities, and skill requirements. You need to build the inner con-


viction that you can make your dreams come true.When you take the time to explore your inner values and capabilities, you build clarity around positive imaging and results thinking. Begin to see yourself moving towards your dreams and begin to build your


Karen Dallimore, OAC ‘85 Great Beginnings


Horse Basics is a coaching service for horses and their handlers based in Orton, Ontario. Call me to find out how I can help you with


handling and husbandry, goal setting, Extreme Cowboy obstacle work, recreational riding or just plain enjoying your horse. For more infor-


mation visit my website at www.horsebackwriter.net/horse-basics or find me on FB at Horse Basics.


Sweet Grass Farm, Orton, Ontario


519-855-1127 • karen.dallimore@gmail.com www.horsebackwriter.net • @horsebackwriter


inner map of success.


3. Fear of upsetting people People can fear the dissatisfac-


tion or rejection of others as they move toward success. People sabotage themselves with these thoughts and beliefs, blaming external conditions for whatever appears to be stopping them. Thoughts such as I cannot do this because of my flawed culture, flawed government, flawed organiza- tion, flawed family, flawed relation- ship grab a person’s attention and result in cynical observation or wait- and-see mode. You can learn to focus on, reach for, and explore what you can control. And we can always con- trol our higher values and whatever we consider meaningful in our lives. Focusing on these deeper values al- lows for renewed forward movement. You may be feeling stuck, but you can learn to move beyond the pack and the limited system consciousness they have settled into by connecting to your authentic, personal values.


4. Fear of conflict Do you play it safe and remain


in indecision rather than moving for- ward? Instead of completing some- thing important to you, you avoid. We all do it! When you commit yourself to


focusing on your own inner integrity and alignment with your values, you begin to conduct your life in a whole new way. You can truly begin to expe- rience high levels of inner trust as well as inner satisfaction. This is the terri- tory of true inner and outer leadership.


Equine assisted learning is ex-


periential in nature. You will learn about yourself by participating in ac- tivities with the horses, and then pro- cessing (or discussing) feelings, behaviors, and patterns. All horse re- lated activities are done on the ground, no riding. No horse experience is re- quired. Programs are available for groups or individuals. Anne Porteous, owner of Sierra


Acres Equine Assisted Learning Pro- gram can be contacted on Facebook, or anneporteous@sympatico.ca. For more information about services go to www.sierracres.ca


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