 Trainer's Corner
While training outside horses here at PK Equestrian Centre, and also while I am teaching clinics, a common problem keeps showing up: many people seem to be having difficulties with tying. I have found that there is an equally large number of people who don't admit to having problems until they describe all the little things that can set their horses off when they try to keep them tied.
I am sure many of you have witnessed that great potential "Spanish Walk" displayed by horses upset that they have been left there on their own. Then there are the horses who could dig a tunnel to somewhere Down Under. How many of you have witnessed the "flippers" and "thrashers" on their way to self-destruction? There are also the Pony Club or 4-H horses held by the binder twine tie approach who rip off their twine any time they decide they would rather be somewhere else.
Things don't have to be this way. The purpose of this article is to expose people to the possibility of something better and safer that works.
Pat Parelli says that a horse that doesn't tie doesn't know how to lead. As much as many people would find this hard to swallow, it is true. If a horse knew how to lead, it would not pull back on a tie because it would yield every time it felt the pressure on the tether as it tightened. The horse might move around the fixed point, but not pull back against it.
If a horse does not respond by yielding to the pressure, that is because it doesn't understand clearly what its responsibility is. In having a horse accept the responsibility to yield, it has to understand that while being asked to do so no harm will come to it. This is the tricky part, as horses are emotional and claustrophobic.
As a prey animal it is totally against the horse's nature to want to stand trapped in one spot so a predator can take advantage of it. Horses who have had their way in the horse-human relationship will often protest at being expected to submit to such demands. Their protests may range in varying degrees from little tizzies to all out self-mutilation or annihilation. This is often demonstrated to a lesser degree in horses tied with binder twine--as soon as they become impatient or worried, "snap!" and they are gone. These horses learn to pull back and actually build up resistance to tying responsibly.
Learning to Yield To deal with the problem, a horse has to first learn to yield to pressure, preferably in the form of ground exercises where the horses learn to move away from pressure rather than follow their normal reflex to push against pressure. This is exhibited in a horse flailing back against a rope that is fixed. A horse can learn to yield to pressure with the use of a round pen at liberty and progress to a line, or through ground work with a lead line, or both.
The horse has to be taught to understand that while under your leadership, you will not allow it to be injured. This requires time and effort. My previous "Training for Courage" articles deal with the advance and retreat method of teaching horses to accept things they dislike or are fearful of. When a horse learns to respond positively to any pressure on a line, it is then ready to learn to be brave under adverse conditions. Work with this in little amounts that are progressively built up, showing the horse that it will not sustain harm when following your requests.
Ready to Tie Bomb-proofing should always start and progress while the horse is not tied. Only when a horse starts to be more brave and settled do you progress to semi-tied and then to the fixed position. Once a horse starts to behave positively, yielding to the pressures of a line and halter with a smaller to larger degrees of commotion, then and only then should a horse be started on a semi-fixed tie.
This works best by at first just leaning back fairly quickly on the line. If the horse lunges back against the pressure, this horse is not ready to tie. If a horse moves forward to release the pressure, this horse may be ready for a single wrap around a good, solid high post or tree. The key is to have a long enough line that you can slowly release a panicking horse without just letting go. This way, the horse can get further away from whatever worries it while you maintain pressure on the line.
Once the horse is more settled, I would have it come nearer to the tie. Then I would introduce more spook-proofing, but be prepared to let the horse move away while maintaining pressure until it was far enough to be a little braver. Some horses may lean back a bit before they come forward, yielding to the tie.
Once a horse learns to be braver and more responsible it can start to be left alone from a short distance (this is always under supervision). If a horse sees its herd leave while it is trapped all alone, it may soon forget its responsibility and all out panic. Should a horse try to rear and throw itself, try motivating it with a less interesting option such as backing up around the yard, some strenuous work on a circle, lateral yield etc. If you keep offering the choice of an easier responsibility (being tied) and a more mentally, emotionally, and physically strenuous activity, the horse will learn to wait there and be more patient. It is just a matter of time and repetition.
As for horses who have the habit of flying back, I could help them go back further and faster than they wanted. After a few times, most horses start to get a real strong disliking to throwing themselves backward if it doesn't seem to get the response it used to.
Once this horse understands the ground games with all of the varying yields, I would ask it to start tying again from scratch. Tying an unspoiled horse that is not fearful is not that difficult.
Preparation and Patience When tying horses, one must prepare thoroughly. If in doubt, prepare some more. Pursue tying with caution from a mobile position, semi-fixed, and then a fixed position, keeping in mind that the bomb-proofing is done at the first stage, and then progressively at all stages.
Should a horse paw and fuss but still not pull back, this is nothing that a none-chewable tether and a little time can't fix—you might also need a shovel to fill in that tunnel to Down Under. With horses that have had proper preparation, I only untie them when they are quiet--even if on occasion this requires some time. Remember, if you release them before they begin to fuss, they may never learn to do so.
Also, a horse is never too young or too old to start. Just remember that the younger they are and the more resistance they have built up, the more preparation is important. If a horse learns that its fears and apprehensions are unjustified, it will be more willing to be responsible and patient with practice. There is absolutely no reason why a well-schooled horse cannot be tied with twine or a shoelace, or ground tied, and remain so until asked differently by its leader.
Remember, if your horse doesn't tie and doesn't give to pressure, what might happen when you're riding and things become too much for it? If you're having this problem, consider a "Training for Courage" clinic. Email Paulpk@shaw.ca for upcoming clinic information and training.
Next month: Food for thought...learn to think outside of the box! Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source |