Best decent trainer/behaviour person for ferals who panic if pushed (so need a more gentle approach)?

[maya2008]

We’re going to keep going with gradual desensitisation until September and reassess then with our latest pony. She’s got the loveliest personality but responds to pressure with full on panic so has to be handled very carefully. I’m working with her completely at liberty (in field with friends) as she also panics in a more confined space with a person. If we get stuck on any particular hurdle, and it is beyond my skills, I would like to have a plan/person to call. Hopefully I won’t need to, but it would be nice to at least know who to call!

So…recommendations anyone?

 

[soloequestrian]

I liked this book https://sarahweston.co.uk/wp/no-fear-no-force/ and there seems to be a means to contact her on the website.

 

[TPO]

Joe Midgley- he has a website and Facebook page.

 

[maya2008]

I liked this book https://sarahweston.co.uk/wp/no-fear-no-force/ and there seems to be a means to contact her on the website.

Have tried that book and it actually made things worse with the feral we tried it with. All of ours aren’t straight off the moor so have already got human related hang-ups when they arrive, so I do wonder if that’s why it didn’t work.

This one was initially handled by a very experienced person who takes several from the drift each year to handle and produce - standard techniques do not work with her, which is how she ended up with us.

 

[planete]

If you are anywhere near Hampshire, Lucy Newnham. If not, she should be able to recommend somebody. Her level of awareness of the most subtle stress signals ( in horses and humans) is way beyound that of most trainers. She also knows how to keep tension from escalating.

 

[maya2008]

If you are anywhere near Hampshire, Lucy Newnham. If not, she should be able to recommend somebody. Her level of awareness of the most subtle stress signals ( in horses and humans) is way beyound that of most trainers. She also knows how to keep tension from escalating.

Do you have a website/contact details?

ETA - found her Facebook page. Seems mostly to be work with already handled horses though.

 

[Birker2020]

Grant Bazin https://www.bing.com/search?pglt=41...e.0.0l9j69i11004.2159j0j1&FORM=ANAB01&PC=HCTS

 

[planete]

Do you have a website/contact details?

ETA - found her Facebook page. Seems mostly to be work with already handled horses though.

I think she is honest enough to say whether she could be of use in your circumstances. I have seen her work and used her for a very volatile rescue pony and been impressed.

 

[CrazyMare]

I've been going to Mickey Gavin with my completely over reactive horse. The difference in my boy is incredible

 

[Caol Ila]

I liked this book https://sarahweston.co.uk/wp/no-fear-no-force/ and there seems to be a means to contact her on the website.

I downloaded it, though I can't remember which issue inspired me to do it -- Fin being Fin, or Hermosa going through her foal-proud-feral phase. I didn't find it that applicable, whoever it was. Hermosa is now a civilized, ridable member of our equine-human society, and Fin is still Fin, although less reactive than he used to be. Still won't hack alone, though.

 

[maya2008]

I downloaded it, though I can't remember which issue inspired me to do it -- Fin being Fin, or Hermosa going through her foal-proud-feral phase. I didn't find it that applicable, whoever it was. Hermosa is now a civilized, ridable member of our equine-human society, and Fin is still Fin, although less reactive than he used to be. Still won't hack alone, though.

The whole ‘hand on a stick’ thing was a spectacular disaster. Not met a screwed up feral yet who would prefer that to my actual hand. Most have been chased by a stick/whip/rope. I was willing to give it a go, but even the way she puts the headcollar on isn’t idea for an adult feral. It may work well with foals just off the moors, but didn’t apply at all to an adult who someone has already attempted to tame and failed. If I went near the current one with a hand on a stick in a stable she’d do the panicked wall of death and probably squash me along with injuring herself. Out in a field, I’d not get near her. My hand however, is ok…

 

[AWinter]

Where abouts are you based?

 

[Caol Ila]

The whole ‘hand on a stick’ thing was a spectacular disaster. Not met a screwed up feral yet who would prefer that to my actual hand. Most have been chased by a stick/whip/rope. I was willing to give it a go, but even the way she puts the headcollar on isn’t idea for an adult feral. It may work well with foals just off the moors, but didn’t apply at all to an adult who someone has already attempted to tame and failed. If I went near the current one with a hand on a stick in a stable she’d do the panicked wall of death and probably squash me along with injuring herself. Out in a field, I’d not get near her. My hand however, is ok…

I never even tried the hand on stick. I could pet Hermosa. I just could not put a headcollar on her! I downloaded the book on Kindle and skimmed it, but found very litttle that was relevent to my horses.

 

[planete]

Have a look at Youtube videos of people like Sam Van Fleet who train wild mustangs, especially how they work on removing the neck tags for the first approaches. The techniques vary from quite muscular to very respectful like the Project Equestrian. There is also a whole mustang rehab organisation in Germany as well, videos in German though but ususally subtitled. It took me quite a few hours of watching to understand how to read the wild horses and the subtle body language of the trainers. Fascinating though. Isidro Espinoza's wife Amber uses R+ quite a lot and is now teaching her children how to do it with young feral mustangs.

Useful as it may be for some horses, I would not touch a pure Parelli person with a barge pole for a feral animal nowadays. The one I saw recently did not read the animals accurately enough to avoid provoking an attack by a gelding several times. They believe too much in 'respect' at any cost. Nowadays I am so mistrustful of most trainers I prefer to learn from watching how the good ones work first then pick what I like and do it myself. Lucy being an exception.