Practical Horse People

What is the best approach to use when resolving behavioural problems?

2011-12-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

Although memories can never be forgotten, we can replace negative memories for triple the amount of positive ones towards a specific situation. It may be simply that our horse has gone 'stale' and we need to resolve this problem, or it could be something that takes a bit more work for example aggression or chronic bolting.

For decades, COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT) has been used to help humans overcome certain phobias or other problematic behaviours, and has proven extremely useful in the NHS.

Recent years have shown that this same approach can be applied when working in the clinical setting with animals. This is the technique that I may take for some cases that I work with.

Developed by Beck (1966) CBT means that we are essentially working in a step-by-step manner, setting up environments to create a series of 'win-win' situations around specific (or a multitude in some cases!) objects or situations.

This approach builds confidence for both horse and rider, across contexts, to all situations. The downward spiral of nerves, turns into an upward spiral of confidence and success!

Setting out your goals, working through a series of stages, to gradually progress up the ladder from the base upwards, ensures that even years after working through the problem, you and your horse have reached long-term solutions.

Contact me at Practical Horse People if you would like some help with your horse.

Katie Bristow-Wade

Mutually beneficial relationships

2011-04-21T11:44:00.000-07:00

With the stresses and strains of everyday life more and more people are noticing the potential positive affects that animals can bring to adults and children alike.

As pet owners, we know that when we have had a bad day at the office, there is nothing better than being greeted by our animals. Whether we are riding our horses, walking the dog, or just cuddling up on the sofa with the cat, there is an increasing amount of research indicating the true value that our pets have on our health and well being.

There are various ways that animals can help people, and it is categorized in so many different ways - Animal Assisted Therapy (AAT ) , Animal Assisted Activity (AAA), Animal Assisted Intervention (AAI) .... the list goes on.

Essentially, with all the above, the aim is to bring an animal into the world of an individual, where he/she becomes a fundamental part of a person's treatment. It is designed to improve the physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning of the patient, as well as provide education, build life skills, and develop motivation.

To give you an example, a child with autism may be finding it difficult to cope in a world as it can seem extremely unpredictable and therefore frightening at times. This often causes a child to breakdown (having what is often called a “tantrum” or “meltdown”. Now, I could go on about the research involved in this area, how it is thought that dogs help children affected by autism, but as I have been involved in a project of this kind, I would rather mention the firsthand accounts as to how dogs provide comfort and reassurance, really changing the lives of these children and families so dramatically in such a short space of time.

I have witnessed the transformation of a 12 year old girl affected by autism, very withdrawn, terrified of leaving the home, simply through the presence of a dog, she became more confident, learning how to care for the dog and understand its own potential fears, and overcame her own anxieties over time.

I have also experienced a boy of 7 years old talking for the first time, he first day that his puppy arrived at the home, that motivation to speak to a person that is non-judgment.

This is wonderful, the building of positive relationships between person and animal for improved health and well being. Indeed, this is an area that is fast developing within the UK, and will increase in time.

However, it is vital that these relationships are positive for all involved, both the person and the animal. We do not want stressed animals - whether in the form of a horse who is fearful of people, a cat that is stressed being passed from pillar to post, or a dog that may snap at any moment. We want animals who are full of character, feel confident in themselves, and positive about the world.

So perhaps this area is not as simple as it sounds after all? It is not a matter of simply paring an animal with a person and hoping that it goes to plan, its about raising confident animals in positive environments, to build truly therapeutic relationships between people and animals for the future.

Vote now! Equine Social Media Awards 2011

2011-01-29T12:00:00.000-08:00

Hi all

As some of you may already know, I have been nominated for the 2011 Equine Social Media Awards.

Voting is now open, and it's up to you guys to decide who wins. Click here to vote http://abbeyviewequine.com/awards I am listed under 'Category 5'

Feel free to contact me directly if you have any queries at all.

Take care

Katie

www.practicalhorsepeople.com

ITS SHOWTIME! NO MORE NERVES!

2010-05-26T04:42:00.000-07:00

Thought I was well due a post in this section. Here is an example recent case study that I thought would be useful for those worried about the forthcoming show season, along with some 'easy-to-apply-yourself' exercises.

If you have any questions feel free to ask as always!

Katie

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CASE EXAMPLE

HARRY AND SUZANNE – WARM-UP ANXIETIES

Suzanne owned her horse Harry, 9 year old Thoroughbred gelding, for 2 years. After two seasons of routinely bathing, plaiting, loading, later finding herself unable to make Harry settle in the show ring, called upon my behavioural advice.

During my initial consultation with Suzanne, I had found that Harry had been exhibiting a range of flight, freeze and fiddle responses across many contexts even before entering a show setting. He was known to fidget when tied up on the yard, nip himself when tacked-up, spook and nap when out hacking alone.

Evidently, without a secure solid base this horse was already at risk of over-reacting, napping and rearing when asked to perform at a showground.

Using the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) model of behavioural modification horse and owner were given a set of tasks to work positively in a step-by-step manner through. After spending some time to teach Harry to automatically relax when around owner, halter, and tack, on the yard, arena and out hacking, the couple were ready to re-introduce certain elements of the showground to Harry’s daily routine.

After working with other horses in an arena at one time, re-introducing show jumps, trailers, noises, flapping materials in a gradual and positive manner, we began to expose Harry to the show setting, initially just attending to observe with a companion, and so on. With this structured step-by-step routine, using positive reinforcement and a detailed understanding of equine behaviour, Harry’s show nerves were swiftly overcome.

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EXERCISES FOR YOU

UNDERSTANDING YOUR MIND - PART 1

For each of the following number patterns, look at the sequence for 5 seconds, cover it up and then try to remember.

A. 9426
B. 41392
C 2946817
D. 68127395
E. 58263419246

Did you find C quite difficult to remember? And did D and E seem practically impossible to get right?

Similar tests have been used by experts to work out how much information the brain can take. We now know that humans can remember a maximum of 7 things at one time; 7 letters, 7 numbers, 7 things to remember when riding foe example .

The problem is that when nervous, we remember less! As our horses are relying on us to communicate/guide, it is really important that we relax.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR MIND - PART 2

(a) Learn to recognise when we are feeling worried

You can do this anywhere, car, home or the stables. As soon as you feel worried, cross or stressed, stop and recognise what you are feeling. You can even work with a friend to keep checking each other.

(b) Work on our breathing patterns to make sure we can control our muscles at these times.

Now that you can recognise these times that you are able to control yourself. So following on from ‘I’m feeling stressed’ stop and take 5-10 really deep breaths.

PREPARE, PLAN and PROBLEM SOLVE

Think back to last show season or when you last tried something new, what problems did you face? Was he/she difficult in the collecting ring? Refuse a jump? Bad to load? Scared of the tanoy noise?

In answering these sorts of questions you can clearly see what you need to practise before going to your next show.

You may need to practise riding with other horses in a warm-up area, courses of jumps, walking past cars, flags or loud noises ... write a list.

This is really brief so if you have any specific problems I would recommend consulting with your vet and local behaviourist. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask.

Katie

info@practicalhorsepeople.com
www.practicalhorsepeople.com

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REFERENCES

Carlson, N. (1998) Physiology of Behaviour: Sixth Edition, Allyn and Bacon, United States

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BIO

Katie B Wade is a fully qualified and experienced animal behaviourist, working alongside veterinary clinics, rescue centres, societies, breeders as well as individual owners to assist with various aspects of animal behaviour and training. With professional experience handling, training, breeding and rehabilitating the competition horse, Katie went on to study a degree in Psychology and then on to specialise in Equine Behaviour with The Natural Animal Centre. Katie provides scientifically sound advice to the general public, building a bridge between academic research and practical horse ownership.

Katie B Wade
info@practicalhorsepeople.com
www.practicalhorsepeople.com

Another case example ... Unpredictability and Rider Nerves

2010-04-15T01:43:00.000-07:00

*** Please remember that practically all cases must be handled on a one-to-one basis, initially eliminating any medical causes. These snippets are here to give you an idea about the behavioural process. ***

We often find ourselves in situations where we don’t understand why our horses behaved in a certain way. He reacts to something that he has be fine about before, that dustbin that has always been there, the ditch, traffic and so on. Such unpredictability can heavily affect the relationship between horse and rider, a miscommunication or misunderstanding spiralling out of control.

Here is a simple case study to show just how easy it is to overcome rider nerves and horse unpredictability. There is no need for the latest gadget or complicated pressure-release system of training, simply work from the bottom-up, understanding the horses’ natural instincts, and adapting to create a positive relationship with your horse.

8 yo Connemara X mare Shannon and owner Cassandra

Cassandra called me out to help with mare Shannon in the Spring of 2009. Although Shannon was described as easy to handle, Cassandra’s confidence was fast diminishing when in the saddle. Some days Shannon would plod alongside the rest of the hack, and other days she would spook at the shadows and had been know to bolt occasionally.

After taking observations, taking a case history from Cassandra to compliment veterinary records, I was able to explain how these events have occurred. From there I was able to support Cassandra in her re-building of trust in the relationship.

Explanation - unpredictability through our horses’ eyes
Evolving over millions of years, the horse has evolved and adapted to become what we know and love today. As a prey animal surviving a range of environments, the horse is instinctually driven to avoid predation. Our domestic world, with its ever changing environments, loud noises, and more, regularly puts horses in situations that they perceive as threatening. Whether it is a rug or saddle being strewn across her back or being asked to walk calmly through a gate, if a horse feels threatened, the acutely sensed prey animal will adopt one of four essential strategies :

Flight - The first option would be to run away and avoid the situation.
Fiddle - If flight is restricted by being tied-up or put in a stable, just as the politician who cannot escape from the news stand, he will fidget, excessively blink, lick and chew or yawn for example.
Freeze - When the above techniques fail to remove the fearful situation, you may witness attempts to plant their feet and freeze to the spot.
Fight - As a last resort, the nip, bite, kick or pin ears back is likely to occur.

Thinking back to the case you will notice largely flight behaviours, even think to your own horse-human relationships, noticing at least one of these strategies acted upon in certain situations. If a strategy fails, it is altered, if it works to remove the threat, it will be remembered and used in times of need’ once again .

Solutions - step-by-step individual plans
Although this sequence of events derives from instinct, deeply ‘etched’ into the horse’s brain, although cannot be swiftly removed, can be understood, prepared for and prevented. In this particular case, Cassandra was given the necessary information to better predict when a horse may decide to bolt, or be unable to stand still when tied, not walk up the ramp of the trailer or nip you as you tack up. Taking this stance makes the ‘unpredictable’ become ‘predictable’ meaning that we can begin working from the base to solidify our human-animal relations for life-long change.

For Shannon, initially much work was done management and routine. It is not a matter of simply training a horse how to behave ‘appropriately’ for our human world, but a matter of working together for success.

After this initial stage already Shannon had dramatically relaxed with her surroundings. With this base we were ready to begin implementing set ‘training’ to her routine.

This training uses purely positive techniques, positively reinforcing relaxed behaviours across contexts, whilst adopting a step-by-step approach to break down and alter previously learnt negative perceptions deep within the brain . In this case it was a matter of drawing up a specific step-by-step programme, developing positive associations (a) with the owner, (b) with domestic objects from grooming kits to halters, bridles, saddles and rugs, (c) potentially fearful objects such as flags, umbrellas, fillers, bins, working our way through a list based on her history.

Remember that with every case, there are a number of possible causes of a problem, and differences with the way both the human and horse involved learns and progresses, therefore I cannot stress enough the importance for each issue to be assessed on a case-by-case basis, with your veterinary surgeon and local qualified behaviourist involved.

However that said, I hope that this has helped give you an insight, recognising these differences, working with them to adapt and modify behaviour on both sides.

This is really brief so I would strongly recommend consulting with your local qualified equine behaviourist, someone who will work alongside your vet and only uses purely positive techniques to relieve underlying stress. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask at anytime.

Katie B Wade

www.practicalhorsepeople.com

References
McDonnell, S. (2003) A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behaviour: The Equid Ethogram, The Blood Horse Inc., United States
Cannon, W. B. (1927) The James-Lange theory of emotion: A critical examination and an alternative theory. American Journal of Psychology, 39, pp.10-124
Skinner, B.F. (1953) Science and Human Behavior, Macmillan, New York

BIO
ItalicKatie B Wade is a fully qualified and experienced animal behaviourist, working alongside veterinary clinics, rescue centres, societies, breeders as well as individual owners to assist with various aspects of animal behaviour and training. With professional experience handling, training, breeding and rehabilitating the competition horse, Katie went on to study a degree in Psychology and then on to specialise in Equine Behaviour with The Natural Animal Centre. Katie provides scientifically sound advice to the general public, building a bridge between academic research and practical horse ownership.

Katie B Wade
info@practicalhorsepeople.com
www.practicalhorsepeople.com

Current trends in the market - What do you think?

2010-03-30T02:20:00.000-07:00

I have just come back from an interesting CPD weekend. After a brilliant lecture by Steve from Rowden Dog's Trust, we discuss current trends in the marketplace and its impact on animal welfare.

As it was the Dug’s Trust we were specifically discussing the current training aids used within the canine market place. Thinking of a typical pet store, owners can purchase electric shock collar and fencing systems (thankfully not in Wales now http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/8584028.stm) as well as choke chains, muzzles, horns and sprays. There are so many choices, but with them comes little or no information on the potential effects of using each different tool, indeed there is not even very much information on how to use them effectively at all! NOTE: There is even the risk of frustration via improper use of clickers and food dispensers.

This topic heavily reflects the equine market too, with the changes in trends affecting the welfare and training of our horses, from boot types, spurs, bits, nosebands, to certain pressure-release tools, even clickers and food dispensers. Do the companies selling us these products provide owners with enough information to (a) use each tool effectively and (b) to fully understand the effects of each tool on their horses welfare?

I thought it would make an interesting topic and would love to hear your views!

Any questions just ask.

Take care

Katie

info@practicalhorsepeople.com
www.practicalhorsepeople.com

EXAMPLE CASES ... Questions Answered

2010-02-24T02:13:00.000-08:00

Here I will keep feeding different questions and their answers to help all learn about their horses.

If there are any particular questions that you have, just call or email me, I am always happy to help.

"My 6 year old TB mare has been chewing and eating the fencing for the past few months. She only this behaviour since our first snowfall. Is this something to worry about? Do you have any idea why she might be doing this?"

As with all behaviours I would initially advise getting your mare fully checked out by your vet and equine dentist to eliminate any medical causes. With organic causes eliminated, we could then explore the behavioural element to this abnormal behaviour.

Commonly our domestic horses develop such patterns, termed as a stereotypie commonly known as a ‘stable vice’. I often see this kind of behaviour through my consulting work, whether the horse is stabled or not. It is most often caused by restrictions in the horses’ environment (1) Over sixty-five million years the horse has developed certain strategies to survive. Being domesticated for a relatively mere few thousand years, means that these well evolved instinctual drives are still present in the minds of our own horses. Our domestic horses still have these drives to roam with a large herd for 24 hours a day, to graze browse and forage for around 18 hours a day, they need to explore different sights, sounds, tastes and have the freedom to flee from dangerous situations (2) Often this is hard to replicate for us owners and our horses can become stressed as a result, adopting abnormal behaviours to cope with the restrictions that they face (3)

As you said, your mare adopted this coping strategy after your first snowfall. The snow must have been difficult in terms of your management routine and your mare would have noticed these changes, developing this behavioural pattern.

The easiest way to reduce such behaviours is through a simple enrichment programme, adding more choice, variety and freedom to behave as necessary. Think of the social stability that your horse has, does she have access to a herd for 24 hours a day? If you do stable her, would you be able to stable her companion next door? Are you able to increase stimulation, providing toys and objects to play and explore, a great example is to drop an apple in a water bucket for ‘apple bobbing’ or a swede on the floor for her to push around and eat as she chooses.

Looking inside the horses’ brain, there are certain chemicals working to cause feelings of satisfaction, depression, aggression and so on. To increase relaxation, encourage natural foraging behaviours by scattering hay on the floor, dropping carrots and other veggies amongst the hay for exploration and positive reward.

This is really brief so I would strongly recommend consulting with your local qualified equine behaviourist, someone who will work alongside your vet and only uses purely positive techniques to relieve underlying stress. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask at anytime.

Katie B Wade

www.practicalhorsepeople.com

References
1. Kiley-Worthington, M. (1987) The Behaviour of Horses: In Relation to Management and Training, J. A. Allen, United Kingdom
2. McDonnell, S. (2003) A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behaviour: The Equid Ethogram, The Blood Horse Inc., United States
3. Barnard, C. and Hurst, J. (1996) Welfare by Design: The Natural Selection of Welfare Criteria, Animal Welfare, Vol. 5, pp. 415-433

BIO
Katie B Wade is a fully qualified and experienced animal behaviourist, working alongside veterinary clinics, rescue centres, societies, breeders as well as individual owners to assist with various aspects of animal behaviour and training. With professional experience handling, training, breeding and rehabilitating the competition horse, Katie went on to study a degree in Psychology and then on to specialise in Equine Behaviour with The Natural Animal Centre. Katie provides scientifically sound advice to the general public, building a bridge between academic research and practical horse ownership.

Katie B Wade
info@practicalhorsepeople.com
www.practicalhorsepeople.com

Food Aggression and Your Horse

2010-01-25T07:26:00.000-08:00

Aggression is a natural and sometimes necessary trait for horses, particularly those living in a domestic setting. Food aggression comes from a basic desire to protect resources, and therefore although common in the domestic setting, is not seen in wild herds where resources are plentiful (1).

Causes

Different species hold different resources in high esteem. Horses require space for grazing, exploration, play, body care and vascularisation, as well as a variety of different herbage and browsing, water, shelter, shade, and mares for reproduction (2) .

Resource Holding Potential refers to an evolutionary strategy that has stood the test of time. In the wild, each horse understands what resources the other members of the herd have ‘first refusal’ to, eliminating the need to fight. This is a far more accurate way to describe the social hierarchy of a mammal, differing to the commonly believed notion of ‘pecking order’ only observed in birds. Resource Holding Potential status differs for different resources and between individuals.

When resources become scarce or poor quality, an animal becomes ill or there is a change in group structure, this strategy is de-stabilised and the individual becomes motivated to ‘hold on to what he has got’ protecting the limited resources available, it is a simple survival instinct.

In a typical livery yard where herds are not permanent, grazing space is small, feeds are not regular, stables are used daily and turnout time short, horses quickly learn to protect the limited resources available to them, whether it is simply not being caught or adopting aggressive behaviour to handlers or other horses.

Solutions

Effective treatment will depend on the severity of the problem, how long the behaviour has gone on for and the individual, however in my experience, allowing for more natural behaviours and providing additional resources resolves approximately 70% of the problem within a couple of days.

If the horse is allowed to be turned out for 24 hours a day, put in an area with ample grazing, foraging and browsing, in a stable herd, the results will come sooner. However if the horse really does have to be stabled, simple enrichment ideas go a long way. Here are a few to try…

- Hang tree branches in a corner of the stable, and add licks, carrots, slices of apple.
- Attach a door mat to the shed and a sturdy fence post or tree to enable self-grooming maintenance.
- Provide different varieties of hay and herbage, scattered loose on the floor rather than in a hay net or feed bowl.
- Allow straw bedding for its deep bed, texture and thermal properties.
- Produce a new variety of vegetable for each day of the week.

After relieving this initial frustration, you can begin to work on the other 30% of the problem. This part deals with the deeply learnt side of this behaviour, simply learning that this strategy works!

To ‘undo’ this learning (3) I would advise that you speak with a qualified animal behaviourist who uses only positive reinforcement, as this part of the solution requires a detailed understanding of the individual and his or her background.

Anyway I hope this helps anyone who needs it, for more specific advice just ask!

Take Care

Katie

www.practicalhorsepeople.com

References

(1) Maynard Smith, J. (1982) Evolution and the Theory of Games, Cambridge University Press, United Kingdom
(2) McDonnell, S. (2003) A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behaviour: The Equid Ethogram, The Blood Horse Inc., United States
(3) Beck, A. (1976) Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders, International Universities Press, United States

WHAT IS YOUR HORSE REALLY DOING ALL DAY?

2009-11-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

We all want our horses to develop with us, we want their brains to be sharp enough to take on all that we teach them. But is our management affecting the effectiveness of our training?

Much research has been done looking at the horses brain, how it develops and how horses learn. The circuits within their brain need to be stimulated in a positive way, they need to explore their environment, learn and develop every day.

But do our management practices impose in the development of our horses?

In an unrestricted environment, our horses would be ....

Grazing a variety of herbage and browsing and foraging for around 18 hours per 24 hour period.
Grooming and being groomed, with other horses on and off for 24 hours a day.
Playing with objects and other horses on and off for 24 hours a day.
Exploring their environment to learn and adapt to all that is around, throughout the 24 hour period.
With regards to sleeping behaviour, for the adult horse, studies have found that they will choose to be fully awake for around 20 hours out of each 24 hour period. The 4 hours remaining largely constitutes drowsing periods, with this prey species alert, only fully sleeping for around 2 hours, broken up into periods of sleeping for minutes at a time.

To Put This Into Practical Terms
Here is one example of a typical yard routine ...
7am hard feed in morning
9am turned out to graze
5pm returned to yard, groomed and ridden
6pm stabled overnight
7pm hard feed and haynet with 2/3 sections

What Does This Mean?
10 ½ hrs eating (15 min am feed/8hrs grazing/15 min pm feed, hay lasts max. 2 hrs)
20 mins grooming, tacking up
40 mins exercise

and then sleeping…
only 4 hours spent sleeping and drowsing on and off....

...so this accounts for 15 ½ hours – but there are 8 ½ hours with the horse in a stable with nothing to do.

Many researchers, across all species, have noted that when not stimulated, the brain does not develop as well as it should. if your horses brain is not as well developed as it could be, you will not be able to achieve as much as you would be able to.

So What Can We Do?

The simple answer is turnout, as much as you can, if possible with other horses. There are Barn Management Systems that can be implemented to allow even the finest TB to be allowed 24 access to turnout throughout the winter months.

However we all know that sometimes this is not an option, and in that case there are some really simple enrichment ideas that can be brought into the stable, encouraging exploration and brain development. Here are a few to get you started...

Hang ‘kebabs’, throw carrots in loose hay and provide Swedes for exploration.
Hang branches in a corner of the stable. Add licks, carrots, slices of apple.
Allow companion horse to live next door.
Attach a door mat to the stable walls to enable self-grooming maintenance.
Provide different varieties of hay and herbage, scattered loose on the floor.
Produce a new variety of vegetable for each day of the week.
Scatter feeds as well as hay piles on the floor, amongst carrots and more
Explore a range of treats and lick-its

References

McDonnell, S. (2003) A Practical Field Guide to Horse Behaviour: The Equid Ethogram, The Blood Horse Inc., United States
Pavlov, I. P. (1927-1960) Conditional Reflexes, Dover Publications, New York
Rees, L. (1984) The Horse’s Mind, Stanley Paul Ltd., United Kingdom

BIO

Katie B Wade is a fully qualified and experienced animal behaviourist, working alongside veterinary clinics, rescue centres, societies, breeders as well as individual owners to assist with various aspects of animal behaviour and training. With professional experience handling, training, breeding and rehabilitating the competition horse, Katie went on to study a degree in Psychology and then on to specialise in Equine Behaviour with The Natural Animal Centre. Katie provides scientifically sound advice to the general public, building a bridge between academic research and practical horse ownership.

Katie B Wade

Any questions, queries or just for a chat ...

info@practicalhorsepeople.com
07841 517543