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Herds - introducing a new horse
Competition Savvy ~ Insurance Issues ~
How to be Officially Assessed ~ Flying Changes Formula ~ Natural Habitat ~ Hoofcare Naturally ~ My Barefoot Horse

HERD INTERACTION - Its Vital for your horse's mental health by Cynthia Cooper.

Have you ever seen a horse flatten its ears at the approach of other horses, constantly threatening to kick or acting scared when it gets close to another horse?
Often people think the horse is being aggressive and anti-social, which it is, but that's not always because it’s a dominant horse.

Many horses display this behaviour because they are fearful of the proximity of other horses, and our usual reaction is to punish them for it.
Instead, we should be reassuring, acting as the 'alpha' for our horse and trying to solve the problem at its roots.
That way, we can help the horse to become calm and confident, particularly amongst other horses, which is where we would like to be seen with our 'partner' displaying good manners.

Unfortunately, many horses are kept in a far from ideal environment, and far from a natural one.
To start with, we tend to keep them in small areas, sometimes confined to stables and yards, rather than in the wide open spaces and herd situation that nature provides for them.
When a horse is isolated from his own species, he can become perverse in his behaviour when re-united with them.
For instance, young colts are almost always separated from the herd as they come up to yearling age when their behaviour gets precocious. They then get a distorted opinion of themselves, especially when they can push people around too.
This results in injury when they are put back in a herd situation as they push the boundaries and get put back in their place.
If people separate horses "in case they injure each other", they are more or less sentencing that horse to solitary confinement for the rest of their lives until their show/performance career is over.

Young horses especially need herd interaction to develop a comfortable relationship with other horses. Without that, they can be very fearful of the approach of another horse, which they show by threatening to bite or kick in order to clear their personal space.
This can be a real problem when you ride amongst others and is a danger to others that is your responsibility.
Sometimes its not enough to run a young horse with only its mother for company and discipline. Most mares are too easy on their offspring which is why some breeders have an old retired horse to be the 'nanny' for a group of youngsters. That way they have the best of both worlds - discipline and others to play with.

When Pat Parelli ran the first 'Difficult Horse' course at "Braidwood" for Level 4 students last year, the first thing they did was turn all the horses (about 30) into a huge pasture together for a week. This alone helped many horses on the road to becoming compliant creatures.

So, if you're feeling guilty and want to do something about providing your horses with herd interaction, don't just let them loose together unless its in a huge area (50+ acres) with no places a horse can corner another.
If you only have small areas, get the horses to respect electric fencing then divide the pasture in half or fence off a smaller section to place the new horse into until it's being accepted by the others over the fence.
Then, watch which horse seems to enjoy being nearest to the new one and put them together for a while before introducing them both back into the herd.
Of course, ensure that all areas that could trap a horse are fenced off and even round off corners as two horses may trap a less alpha animal.

To help your horse gain confidence when you are amongst others, play the seven games in an active way to keep their focus on you. By using some approach and retreat, you can get your horse to accept others in his/her personal zone.
When you're riding be aware of your horse's comfort zone and be prepared to move your horse in such a way that you are in control when another horse comes in your direction. Sideways and backwards or using an indirect rein to cause your horse to face another, is safer than turning tail.
Ask your friends to help you by setting up situations where you use approach and retreat and lots of friendly game with each other's horses. This may take time and many repetitions but its worth the effort to have a brave and sociable partner.

If you're not sure that your horse is being fearful or just aggressive, seek the assistance of your instructor who can also help you plan the rehabilitation process.

Introducing my horse to a new herd.

“I'm about to move my horse to different pasture, where other horses are agisted and was curious if there are any particulars I should know about introducing him to the new herd? He's in his own paddock at the moment but will be sharing his paddock with probably 10 or so other horses. Also, I'm just a little worried he may get herd bound, any advice or is it just a 'need more savvy' thing to overcome him wanting to be with the herd more than me. He's very affectionate, loves company, very curious and playful and Idon't really want him to lose that towards me. I'm currently studying level I PNH-going really well.”

The Parelli.com website has an article written by Linda Parelli on Introducing Horses to a herd but basically, its best to first run your horse in a paddock or yard beside the herd and take notice of who he seems to like talking to or who hangs out with him. This horse would then be the best to put in the paddock with him as a buddy for a week or, until they have formed a bond, and then introduce both horses into the herd in a large, safe paddock which means no tight areas where anyone can get cornered and where there’s good safe fencing and nothing they can hurt themselves on if they all go for a gallop.

Your horse will be better accepted with his buddy who was previously a herd member but be prepared for some hierarchy battles anyway. Its safest if all the horses are un-shod so injury from kicks are minimised. If this isn’t possible, then dividing the paddock with electric tape and making the herd smaller by dividing in half (keep obvious friends together and it usually works better to have mares and geldings separate) minimises the risks of bullying.

When you release your horse into the herd, do it while they are well away from you otherwise, you risk being caught in the middle of the first introductions. Also, have another person or two on stand by in case there is a problem with a dominant horse being too aggressive towards the newcomer who may need to be rescued and removed until he is accepted over the fence a bit longer.

As for becoming herd bound – yes, your level of savvy definitely helps your horse have confidence in you and your decision to leave the herd.
Keep in mind that the herd will be a comfort zone and your horse will be happier staying close to that comfort zone and gradually being asked to go further away in approach and retreat steps rather than expecting him to just cope with leaving.

If you take your horse out from the herd to feed him, then you and the feeding area will become a comfort zone that your horse won’t mind going to. Try not to be too demanding when you first start asking him to leave the herd, as he will then think that all you do is provide discomfort. With small, gradual steps, you will be able to keep his affectionate, curious and playful attitude towards you by making it fun and comfortable for him to be with you in more demanding situations like going for a trail ride.

INSURANCE ISSUES - are you covered when not using a bridle or wearing a helmet?
Insurance or lack of it is a big issue at the moment for many horse riding activities so if you're lucky enough to be covered, it may pay to check what activities you're covered for. You may also like to check if there are any exclusions such as no coverage when you don't use a bridle (most likely on public roads) or wear a currently approved safety helmet.
If you belong to an organisation such as ATHRA (Australian Trail Horse Riding Association), the EFA, The Driving Society or The Arabian Horse Society to name a few, your membership may cover you outside the events they organise but it would be wise to find out exactly what you are covered for before assuming you will be covered for everything or in every situation.
Some organisations will only cover you if you wear an approved safety helmet while riding, some may only cover for third party property damage and some may not cover you if you don't use a bridle when riding on a public road.
If you are required to wear a helmet, then it must have the current safety standard approval which is AS3535. These helmet ratings are usually updated every 2 or 3 years so it means replacing your old helmet for a new one. Remember also to replace your helmet if you do have a fall where your head hits something.
If your insurance policy specifies that your horse should wear a bridle and you mostly ride in a natural hackamore or halter, then you will need to teach your horse to accept a bridle and bit for this purpose. You can do this by starting to use a savvy string in his/her mouth until it is accepted (no chewing while doing all your usual riding), then ride with your bridle (without the reins) on over the hackamore until the bit is accepted.
Then add the reins and just use them every now and then for short periods and in conjunction with the hackamore rein until your horse is comfortable at all gaits and with all directions.
There's absolutely no reason why you can't ride on a public road or a trail ride with the bridle and hackamore together. In fact this would make it even safer as you have the option of controlling your horse (with the hackamore reins) without inflicting extra pressure, and therefore pain during a stressful moment by over-using the bit.
One day in the future (not too distant I hope) more people will understand that it is just as effective to control a horse using one rein and rope halter or natural hackamore (as opposed to a mechanical hackamore) so these 'bridle' rules will not need to be enforced. Until then, traditional riding has given the majority of people the impression that you need a bit to control a horse. As a natural rider, you need to be the best example you can and 'go with the flow'. By being a responsible 'natural' rider, you will provide a positive image that will hopefully inspire others to follow your path of horsemanship.
Those who closely follow the Parelli program (through studying the Savvy Packs, being assessed for their levels and attending courses/lessons) will obviously shine as good examples of horsemanship. I hope you are in the process of becoming an outstanding example of good horsemanship because we need so many more of you to help show there is another way.

FLYING CHANGES FORMULA

Many people seem to have trouble with the flying changes in the Harmony Level and as an instructor, I've observed some patterns and come up with a 'formula' which has helped many students to overcome their frustration's and succeed.
So here's my formula for success.
PRE REQUISITES:
· Completion of the Partnership Level.
· Be able to comfortable canter your horse in a passenger game for at least 60 seconds.
· Be able to ride the rail at the canter.
· Do 'drop to trot' lead changes.
· Ride sideways without a fence easily, and change directions without losing momentum.
· Know your trotting diagonals and which leg your horse is leading with at the canter.

SET UP A PATTERN
This can be either a long line of logs (phone pole thickness ideally) joined over a distance of roughly 100' OR 3 cavalletti or small jumps spaced 44' apart (2 lengths of your 22' line) in a straight line.

5 STEPS TO TAKE
1. Trot an 'S' pattern along the poles on the correct diagonal for each half circle - swapping your leading hand, diagonal and your focus as you go over the pole.
2. Be able to trot the pattern with the reins over your wrists making sure you change your focus as you approach the log, then your eyes, bellybutton, legs and hands just before take off over the log.
3. Trot to the log/jump and depart into a canter on the correct lead as you go over then drop back to a trot before the next jump so you can practice another canter depart.
4. Canter all the way through the 'S' pattern, changing leads over the jumps then if you're using cavalletti, lower the height gradually until its just a pole on the ground, maintaining the lead change over the jump.
5. Go faster and ride an 'S' pattern between the jumps, changing leads over a pretend pole on the ground (the gaps between jumps).

SUCCESS TIPS
- Get all the ingredients right before trying the 'real thing'.
- If your horse misses a change, keep going, increase speed or decrease the size of the circle until he changes to maintain his balance. If you stop to try again, your horse is getting a reward for not changing leads.
- Don't do them slow - be 'on the fly' - a fast canter.
- Focus high, lift your pelvis and arms.
- Have your leading hand and leg higher than the other.
- Get help from an instructor if its not working.

Hoofcare .... Naturally
Along with a growing awareness of natural horsemanship there is a growing awareness of keeping horses more naturally, treating them and feeding them more naturally and now, caring for their hooves more naturally.
So what does this mean? Basically, its all about looking to the wild (natural) horse as a model. In an ideal environment, a horse lives in a herd, has 10,000 acres to roam, travels 20 -30 km or more a day foraging and watering and never has the need for shoes due to general wear and varied terrain keeping the hooves in shape and condition.
When we confine horses, if we want to keep their hooves in good condition we need to simulate the wear, provide hoof contact with water for moisture and contact with hard surfaces to toughen the hoof.
Unfortunately, many people have grown up believing that you just can’t ride over any distance or on rough or hard ground unless the horse is shod.
For millions of years horses have survived without shoes perfectly well. Its only in the past few hundred years that shoes have become a necessary evil.
Fortunately, there are now vets and farriers along with other barefoot enthusiasts who are proving otherwise.
Dr H. Strasser (Germany) and Jaime Jackson (USA) have studied high performance barefoot hoof trimming and rehabilitation of horses with diseased hooves for several decades now and have written several excellent books.
There is also a wealth of information on the internet and many support and discussion groups available to help anyone wanting ot follow a more natural hoof care regime.
Personally, I have been trimming my own horses hooves for the past 15 years and have not used horse shoes for the past 4 years.
I have learned from watching farriers, taking courses with natural hoof trimmers and reading many books along with lots of practice that 14 horses provide and my horses hooves have never looked better. I used to have problems with cracking, seedy toe and abcesses but these have all gone.
Even though I don’t get as much opportunity to condition my horses hooves to hard surfaces, I have never had to say no to a trail ride over any surface. If its rougher than my horses are ready for, I simply use Old Mac boots to protect their front hooves which take most of the weight.
I’ve also seen and heard many good stories of hoof soundness and recovery from navicular and laminits from my students who have decided to try barefoot for their horse’s health.
While I recognise it won’t always be easy for some, it is possible if you really want, to develop a strong healthy hoof for barefoot riding.
Many people expect instant results but like anything worth doing, it takes time, practice and patience to be rewarded.
Some horses who haven’t been shod regularly may only take 3 - 6 months to be sound and with the use of boots for the transition can cope with barefoot riding most of the time. Others may take 12 months if their feet are badly contracted (caused by shoes) or have other medical problems.
The old saying ‘take the time it takes’ can never be more true and in the end you will be rewarded with a healthier, happier horse all round.
I could rave on for hours but I’d only be repeating lots of excellent information so do your horse a favour and look into going barefoot. I’d be happy to show anyone my herd of healthy hooves or how to start.
Here's an excellent website to start you off on the search for info on Natural Hoofcare -Hoofworksaustralia.com - by Peter Laidley.

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