Help. Head shy horse who is terrified of people.

E

Emmie&Max

Active Member
Joined
5 January 2014
Messages
31
Visit site
Ok, this could be a long one. I'm going to try and keep it simple as so many parts to this can become confusing..although its going to be so simple you will probably wonder how it's so confusing - well the confusing parts are in some ways not entirely relevant to the horse and it's problems/issues.

Sooo after all that babbling...there is a horse who is extremely head shy and seems to be just terrified of people. His past is unknown but it seems he has obviously not been in a very good place. The owner keeps him in his stable constantly (goes to school for 15/20mins while stable is mucked) He's obviously bursting with energy as he is getting no exercise. Everyone wants to try and help this horse as its no fun at all seeing a horse hide at the back of his stable everyone someone comes near.

Where do you begin with a horse like this? Is turn out essential to horse happiness? I want to ask so much that I can't even think of any questions as I'm writing. What are the first steps in dealing with a horse like this? How difficult can it be to overcome?

Ah I don't even know of I'm making sense...I'm so frustrated!
 
Why does the horse not get proper and regular turnout? Is this beacuse they are worried that it is so nervous of people that they will not be able to catch it again?
 
If this isn't your horse please don't get involved without the owners consent - you could make the problem worse :(
 
Hmm..yes there is that, and the issue with being dragged to the field by him and also because 'he gets dirty and nobody can get near him to brush him' :-/
 
Emmie&Max said:
Hmm..yes there is that, and the issue with being dragged to the field by him and also because 'he gets dirty and nobody can get near him to brush him' :-/
Click to expand...

Um........After this response I agree with Fides......It might be best for you to not get involved and let the owners deal with the issues.
 
Fides said:
If this isn't your horse please don't get involved without the owners consent - you could make the problem worse :(
Click to expand...

I understand your concern. That part it the 'confusing bit' he isn't my horse but he is kind a family members horse who keeps asking me for help or to do something and I don't feel I'm experienced enough to deal with this (which I have said) but at the same time feel somebody needs to do something of only to help this horse relax and not be so scared. The owner is crying out for help. I have suggested selling to experienced person but it seems she doesn't want to do that.
 
Would the owner speak to an Equine Behaviourist who could assist? Maybe gather some information for them to help them explain why the horse is exhibiting the kind of behaviour that it is? Make sure it is a suitably qualified behaviourist - not some 'whisperer'.........
 
Emmie&Max said:
who keeps asking me for help or to do something and I don't feel I'm experienced enough to deal with this (which I have said)
Click to expand...

The you need to re-iterate this to them. No horse is worth you getting hurt for, and if you dont feel experienced enough to cope with it stay well away. I assume the owner is an adult and so therefore they need to be sensible and deal with the situation themselves, however that may be.
 
O.K, you've had some pretty sensible responses so far, and it's all good advice. Not knowing the horse, or your levels of experience I can only speak in general terms, so accept my apologies if I'm wide of the mark. Further I'd have to say that inexperience in these cases can sometimes increase the problems... so it might be kindest to the horse to let someone who knows what they're doing take over.... you can always learn by watching and asking questions.

Firstly, it's vital to understand that the thing uppermost in a horse's mind is survival... simple as that. What he's doing in hiding away, is his personal solution to putting as much distance as he can between himself and humans, simply because he thinks that will increase the chances of his survival. A lot of folk talk about ensuring that their horses always keep a respectful distance from them... in essence their 'personal space' that a horse can only enter when invited.... but they fail to take into account that horses too have a similar space, a space that's largely divided into two major areas. The outer area will cause him to become alert and uncomfortable when you enter it, but, the second, closer area, will put him into flight mode and in order to survive he will move away.

Now we come to the dangerous part.... because the horse is stabled he has been robbed of the ability to move away if you enter the zone that would trigger the flight response. As a result, should he feel the need to move away, the only direction left open to him is the other side of the box, and if you are in the way there's always a chance he'll scramble over you, or send you flying... neither of which are particularly appealing outcomes. If you are inexperienced it is vital that you leave the horse undisturbed when he is at the back of his box. Horses nearly always give out an increasing set of signals that, to the experienced eye, allow you to understand what he's saying. However a lot of folk either miss, ignore, or simply don't understand those signals and are taken by surprise when the horse lashes out or sends them flying.... so don't become a statistic, and remember that good intent is sometimes just not enough with horses, you have to let them know, by understanding what they're saying and timing your actions accordingly. That way they know that you know.

Were this my horse the first thing I'd do is stop worrying or second guessing what may, or may not, have happened to him in the past... he doesn't live there, he lives in the now, so you need to do the same. Then I'd start a programme of working with him while he was in the box, and I was safely outside... the walls and door being part of his protection from me... in essence I'd let his box become a place of safety, somewhere where he knew he'd be left alone safe and secure. Then I'd let him simply come to me which would then give me the chance to prove to him that I was trustworthy, worth being around and looking out for him. This process might take some time, but will eventually give you a foundation on which to build... After the relationship has started to blossom you can take the odd short cut here and there, but in the early stages you must take things at his pace, though the addition of small rewards (diced apple/mints) will speed things along (some folk will disagree and say that gentle stroking should be the reward.... but a horse that sees no value in humans will see no value in their touch). If you take care of the tiny things in the relationship, the larger difficulties, such as being hard to lead etc, will simply fade away on their own.

I know many will disagree, but having done it many times with many nervous horses I know it works.
 
Urban Horse said:
O.K, you've had some pretty sensible responses so far, and it's all good advice. Not knowing the horse, or your levels of experience I can only speak in general terms, so accept my apologies if I'm wide of the mark. Further I'd have to say that inexperience in these cases can sometimes increase the problems... so it might be kindest to the horse to let someone who knows what they're doing take over.... you can always learn by watching and asking questions.

Firstly, it's vital to understand that the thing uppermost in a horse's mind is survival... simple as that. What he's doing in hiding away, is his personal solution to putting as much distance as he can between himself and humans, simply because he thinks that will increase the chances of his survival. A lot of folk talk about ensuring that their horses always keep a respectful distance from them... in essence their 'personal space' that a horse can only enter when invited.... but they fail to take into account that horses too have a similar space, a space that's largely divided into two major areas. The outer area will cause him to become alert and uncomfortable when you enter it, but, the second, closer area, will put him into flight mode and in order to survive he will move away.

Now we come to the dangerous part.... because the horse is stabled he has been robbed of the ability to move away if you enter the zone that would trigger the flight response. As a result, should he feel the need to move away, the only direction left open to him is the other side of the box, and if you are in the way there's always a chance he'll scramble over you, or send you flying... neither of which are particularly appealing outcomes. If you are inexperienced it is vital that you leave the horse undisturbed when he is at the back of his box. Horses nearly always give out an increasing set of signals that, to the experienced eye, allow you to understand what he's saying. However a lot of folk either miss, ignore, or simply don't understand those signals and are taken by surprise when the horse lashes out or sends them flying.... so don't become a statistic, and remember that good intent is sometimes just not enough with horses, you have to let them know, by understanding what they're saying and timing your actions accordingly. That way they know that you know.

Were this my horse the first thing I'd do is stop worrying or second guessing what may, or may not, have happened to him in the past... he doesn't live there, he lives in the now, so you need to do the same. Then I'd start a programme of working with him while he was in the box, and I was safely outside... the walls and door being part of his protection from me... in essence I'd let his box become a place of safety, somewhere where he knew he'd be left alone safe and secure. Then I'd let him simply come to me which would then give me the chance to prove to him that I was trustworthy, worth being around and looking out for him. This process might take some time, but will eventually give you a foundation on which to build... After the relationship has started to blossom you can take the odd short cut here and there, but in the early stages you must take things at his pace, though the addition of small rewards (diced apple/mints) will speed things along (some folk will disagree and say that gentle stroking should be the reward.... but a horse that sees no value in humans will see no value in their touch). If you take care of the tiny things in the relationship, the larger difficulties, such as being hard to lead etc, will simply fade away on their own.

I know many will disagree, but having done it many times with many nervous horses I know it works.
Click to expand...

That's brilliant advice. Thank you. You've actually reminded me afew things I have learnt in the past and forgot. I think I need to step back, problem is the owner well, to put it nicely doesn't really have much of an idea about horses in general let alone a scared horse. I can only pass on the info I've been given and hope they use it wisely. Thanks again.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top