Problem and conflict solving
Use of tongue ties in Australian horse racing under fire
August 2018
Over 20% of Australian horses race with their tongues tied to their lower jaw Tongue-ties are used to tie horses’ tongues to their lower jaw. Photo by Horses and People Magazine. The use of widespread use of tongue-ties in horse racing in Australia has recently come under fire. Proponents of the tongue-tie – a strap that immobilises a horse’s tongue – argue that it prevents breathing issues during races, increasing performance and improves the rider’s control of the horse.
Why Does My Horse... Put His Tongue Over the Bit?
May 2018
Sometimes, horses get their tongues over the bit. When this happens, the tongue may loll out of the mouth in a very unsightly way, and all hope of achieving a good contact or communication line with the horse’s mouth will be lost. In horse racing, it is believed a tongue over the bit will impair the horse’s airway.
Mastering Oneness with Your Horse
March 2018
Horses communicate in a silent language; not only with each other, but also with us. Humans were all born with the ability to communicate using this silent language, but once we verbalised at a young age, it was basically forgotten. My abilities in this language were reawakened over 15 years ago when animals, including horses, began to openly converse with me. How is this possible you may ask? Well, it is an ancient telepathic communication.
Learning to Love the Spook: 10 Tips for Making a Friendly Ghost Out of Your Haunted Arena
September 2017
So, you’ve put time aside to ride, made the effort to get to your horse and have your training session planned perfectly in your mind. The sun is shining, there is no wind, you and your horse feel great. That is, until the arena Spook shows up, threatening to turn all your great expectations into bad vibrations. Leaving the stables after a frustrating ride, you feel like you wasted your time, go-over what you could have done better or simply wonder how it could have gone so wrong so quickly.
Why is my horse... girthy?
November 2012
If your horse gets agitated when you are tightening the girth, is it a sign of pain or a behavioural (learned) response? and can you do something about it? We ask the opinion of four leading experts. by veterinarian Dr David Lovell, BVSc MACVSc, Redlands Veterinary Practice
Stiff to one side? or just a turn problem...
October 2012
Provided there is no physical pain, that heavy feeling you get on one rein, which seems to be a physical stiffness to one side in your horse, could actually be a simple failure of your 'turn' aid or signal. Your horse may have been rewarded for bending his neck, instead of stepping his front legs to the side when asked to turn. If your horse offers you a degree of neck bend before turning the forelegs to one side, the turn to the other side will be straighter in the neck but often heavier in the rein.
Overshadowing: A powerful habituation technique
October 2012
Overshadowing is a technique developed at the Australian Equine Behaviour Centre to habituate horses to objects and situations they find scary. Habituation is a natural form of learning, in which an animal, after a period of exposure to a stimulus, stops responding.
Why do they spook
July 2012
Do you ever wonder why horses continue to spook at things they have seen a hundred times before? It’s because they have a hard time generalizing objects. Just because a large, pink floral arrangement by the dressage arena didn’t eat your horse last week, it doesn’t necessarily mean that a small, yellow one might not do it on Saturday.
Moody mares... could it be training stress?
July 2012
In the absence of health issues which should be investigated by your veterinarian, moody behaviour and irregular cycling can be linked to pain and / or stress in mares who exhibit conflict behaviours (commonly known as resistances and evasions). Conflict behaviours are a set of responses usually characterized by hyper-reactivity and which arise largely through confusion with training.
Trust and Confidence in Horse Training
July 2012
Have you ever wondered why, horses that seem to trust you will still snort and spin at objects and in certain situations even though you are there with them? What does it actually mean to the horse when someone comments; “your horse needs to trust you more?”
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