Behavior Articles

Revolution in Horsemanship
Castration: Creation of a gelding from a colt or stallion
Difficult Horses: Where Do They Come From?
Trailer Loading Made asy !Horseman"s Day#
n$oying %eterinary %isits

Revolution in Horsemanship
by Robert Miller, DVM (Presented during Horseman's Day !!",
#e$ %rleans, &a'(
During the eighth decade of the t&entieth century' a change in horsemanship (egan in the
)acific *orth&est of the +nited ,tates- ,everal horseman in *orthern California' .daho and
ad$acent states (egan to do pu(lic /clinics'0 demonstrating and advocating a style of
horsemanship that depends primarily upon persuasive' gentle methods of manipulating and
shaping e1uine (ehavior' rather than the forceful' coercive and often inhumane methods that
have prevailed in all horse cultures throughout history-
. retired from veterinary practice in 2345 and decided to devote my remaining active years to
supporting the efforts of these trainers and their prot6g6s (y lecturing and &riting a(out &hat has
(ecome a /Revolution in Horsemanship-0
My personal contri(ution to this movement &as a system of training ne&(orn foals' developed
over a period of 78 years' &herein (y shaping the (ehavior of the neonatal foal during its critical
learning times and imprinting period' a permanently gentle and &ell9mannered horse could (e
produced-
.n 2338' . predicted that (y the turn of the century this controversial and unorthodo: Revolution in
Horsemanship &ould prevail- That prediction has come true- This ;ind of horsemanship !most
popularly ;no&n as /*atural Horsemanship'0 (ecause it is natural to the horse' utili<ing its o&n
communication methods# is no& in use all over the &orld' and its popularity is gro&ing
e:plosively-
=ne reason for its success at this late date' &hen the internal com(ustion engine has virtually
displaced the horse as a source of po&er and transportation and primarily reserved it as a
recreational and companion animal' is the information e:plosion- Television' $et air travel' the
.nternet' e9mail and an increasingly literate and increasingly female horse o&nership have all
served to facilitate the spread of this technology-
Concurrently' the popularity of such (oo;s as The Man Who Listens to Horses' (y Monty Ro(erts
!Random House' c- 233>#' The Horse Whisperer' (y *icholas vans !Delacorte )ress' c- 233?#'
the motion picture' The Horse Whisperer' and several @@C and )@, documentaries have helped
to accelerate the acceptance of *atural Horsemanship- *o attempt &ill (e made in this
presentation to e:plain the training methods- They are intricate and re1uire considera(le study
and e:perience- Ho&ever' the information is availa(le to all &ho &or; &ith horses' &hether
professionally or recreationally- What &e &ill do no& is sho& on videotape e:traordinary and
moving e:amples of &hat this ;ind of horsemanship is capa(le of producing- Aou &ill see a
relationship (et&een humans and animals so profound' so humane and so dramatically effective
that it can only (e regarded as a step up&ard in civili<ed (ehavior-
.mprint Training the *e&(orn Foal
.mprint training offers a singular opportunity to permanantley mold a horseBs personality- For a
short time' the ne&(orn foal is programmed to imprint stimuli- The right procedures at the right
time yield dramatic results- There is no time that a horse &ill learn faster than at this age-
Cdvantages
.mprint training can help ease handling' enhance later training efforts and reduce in$uries- .t
shapes (ehavior in the follo&ing &ays:
9 @onding &ith the imprint trainer- .mmediately post9partum' the foal (onds simultaneously &ith its
dam and &ith one or more persons handling it- ,uch foals see humans not as predators' (ut as
fello& horses-
9 ,u(mission' (ut not fear- During imprint training' the foal cannot escape e:posure to frightening
stimuli !its natural method of survival#- Cs a result' it (ecomes dependent and su(missive in its
attitude- The foal sees the trainer as a dominant horse or herd leader- )sychologically' this is the
ideal relationship (et&een horse and human- We must have su(missiveness in a horse if he is to
&or; for us- @ut the su(missiveness should (e created not (y fear !a predatory role#' (ut (y
dependence !a dominant leader role#-
9 Desensiti<ation to most sensory stimuli !visual' auditory' tactile and olfactory#- Most parts of the
(ody' including all (ody openings' are desensiti<ed- Rapid' repetitious stimuli !flooding# are used
until the foal is ha(ituated !i-e- permanently non9responsive# to those stimuli- Loud noises'
fluttering o($ects or (eing touched any&here on the (ody &ill thereafter (e calmly tolerated-
9 ,ensiti<ation to performance9related stimuli- ,pecifically' the foal can (e taught to respond
!rather than ha(ituate# to head and flan; pressure- The responsiveness allo&s control over the
fore and hind1uarters- The foal &ill lead &here pulled and &ill move its hind end laterally in
response to the touch of a finger in the flan; region- This is (est taught on the day after (irth' after
the foal is on its feet-
,ome (elieve that early (onding (et&een the foal and humans &ill produce
a /pet0 foal- They (elieve that early foal9human (onding &ill produce a spoiled horse' indifferent to
stimuli and lac;ing the flightiness /necessary0 to race or perform &ell- This is nonsense- .mprint
training' properly performed' &ill enhance a horseBs relationship &ith humans- .t &ill teach it /good
manners0 and increase its responsiveness to stimuli' &hich &ill later improve its performance-
The only /disadvantage0 of imprint training is that since it is (est started immediately post9partum'
the mare must (e (rought in for foaling- This is actually desira(le' (ecause it allo&s rapid
identification of any o(stetrical pro(lems- .t also re1uires that the (roodmare (e gentle and &ell9
mannered- .f this is not the case' the time to change it is (efore the mare foals' or (etter' (efore
she is (red- =ne should not e:pect to turn out docile' &ell9mannered foals if one doesnBt have a
&ell9mannered mare- Aet' some people seem to ta;e pride in o&ning untrained' ill9mannered
(roodmares- To me' poor manners indicate o&nership (y an inept horseman-
.mprint training procedures
The initial imprint session ta;es a(out an hour- Cfter the um(ilical cord has ruptured and the
stump has (een disinfected' ru( the foal dry &ith a to&el- This procedure alone has a ha(ituating
effect- When the mare gets up' allo& her to smell and lic; the foal- The foal &ill simultaneously
(ond &ith the mare and the person handling it-
Desensiti<ation
,tart at the poll' gently (ut rapidly ru((ing it until rela:ation occurs !as indicated (y e:tension of
the head and a sleepy e:pression#- ach desensiti<ation procedure must (e repeated until the
foal is o(livious to it- .f you stop the procedure &hile the foal is struggling' it &ill (e taught escape
(ehavior- )ersist until after calm recognition occurs- This means that the foal is ha(ituated to the
stimulus and &ill (e permanently desensiti<ed to it-
*e:t' do the e:ternal ears and then insert a forefinger into the ear canals and desensiti<e them-
The face is ne:t' follo&ed (y the underside of the upper lip' mouth' tongue and (oth nostrils- Cll of
this ta;es 2892> minutes-
Aou cannot overdo a stimulus' (ut you can underdo it- Too many is (etter than too fe&- Most foals
ha(ituate to D89>8 stimuli' (ut more may (e used if necessary- *e:t should (e the eyes' nec; and
thora:- Ru( the saddle area &ell and do all four legs' including fle:ing of each $oint repetitiously-
Tap the (ottom of the feet >89288 times each- Do the rump' the tail and the area (et&een the hind
legs- .nclude the genetalia and the udder region of the filly- )ay special attention to the perineum-
+sing a glove &ith lu(ricant' insert a finger into the anus- Aou &ill (e a(le to ta;e a horseBs
temperature or perform a palpation in the years ahead &ithout difficulty-
.t is a good idea at this time to ru( electric clippers over the foalBs (ody' paying particular attention
to the face and ears- +se (oth large and small clippers since they may (ecome frightened the
first time they hear another ;ind- *e:t' ru( the (ody &ith a piece of crac;ling plastic &hile ta;ing
lots of time- Watch for ha(ituation' as indicated (y rela:ation' (efore any stimulus is stopped- .f
desired' you may also desensiti<e the ne&(orn foal to gunfire' police &histles' loud music'
flapping flags' &hirling ropes and hissing sprayers-
The second session is performed &hile the foal is standing' particularly on the second day- .t is
imperative that the foal learns not to escape &hen (eing &or;ed' so have another person to
assist &ith many of these procedures- )osition the foal nose9to9nose &ith the dam to allay
apprehension in (oth- Euietly test all of the areas done previously- Aou should (e a(le to pic; up
the feet and tap on them' inset a finger into the nostril or ear- .f an area is not ade1uately
desensiti<ed' repeat the process- ncircle the girth area &ith your arms and rhythmically s1uee<e
the chest until ha(ituation occurs- This prevents /cold (ac;ed0 or /cinch9(ound0 horses- These
sessions &ith the foal on its feet should not e:ceed 2> minutes or the foal &ill (ecome fatigued-
,o' several short sessions may (e necessary on this second day- The stimuli to &hich a foal can
(e desensiti<ed are unlimited- . desensiti<e them to flapping (lan;ets' a stream of &ater from a
garden hose and (eing led through (elly deep running &ater- . &ill also (egin loading them in a
trailer &ith the mare at 79> days of age and ta;e them for a ride- The foal is also e:posed to
livestoc; and dogs-
,ensiti<ation
Having desensiti<ed or ha(ituated the foal to all of these frightening stimuli' . no& sensiti<e
certain responses- The o($ective is to esta(lish a conditioned response' so avoid repeating a
stimulus once you have o(tained the desired response-
Holding the standing foal (y yourself' po;e a finger into its opposite flan;- .n order to escape the
pressure' the foal &ill eventually move slightly to&ard you and a&ay from the pressure of the
finger in its flan;- .mmediately re&ard the foal (y relieving the pressure of your finger- ,tep
(ac;&ard to allo& the foal room to move its hind end laterally' to&ards you' (ut a&ay from the
pressure- )ause for F89D8 seconds and repeat the procedure once more' &hile immediately
re&arding even &hen the slightest lateral movement is made in order to stop the pressure- Most
horses &ill learn this &ithin three to five e:periences- .n a fe& moments the foal &ill have learned
to move laterally &henever it feels flan; pressure- Do not as; for more than one step at a time'
(ut do remem(er to do (oth sides- .n a day' after the response is consistent' you may pause and
as; for a second step and then a third' &hile gradually shortening the interval (et&een the steps-
This process is ;no& as successive appro:imation and ta;es patience and perceptivity on the
part of the trainer and is the secret to horse training- .t is ho& the sliding stops of the reining
horse' the dynamic foot&or; of a cutting horse and the intricate maneuvers of a dressage horse
are produced-
*e:t' put a &ell9fitted halter on the foal' (eing sure to remove it after the training session to avoid
accidents- Wor;ing &ith an assistant in a &ell9(edded stall' gently pull the halter to one side- The
assistant prevents movement of the foal for&ard' (ac;&ard or to the opposite side- ventually' in
order to maintain (alance' the foal &ill move slightly in the direction its head is (eing dra&n-
.mmediately re&ard the foal (y relieving pressure- .n this manner' the fore1uarters can (e trained
to move laterally- ventually' using successive appro:imation' the foal can (e circled- Gradually'
the circle is e:panded until the foal is leading in a circle- Cfter several sessions' the foal &ill (e
leading- .f desired' a loop of rope (ehind the foalBs rump can (e used to stimulate for&ard
movement- .t also helps if the foal is encouraged to lead to&ards its dam- @y one &ee; of age' if
the mare can (e ridden' lead the foal from the mare in a small pen or corral-
Cn nhanced Relationship
. have no illusions that the training of ne&(orn foals is a ne& idea- .n fact' there is no dou(t that
human (eings have done this for thousands of years- Cll . have done is rituali<ed the procedure'
given it a name' attempted to scientifically e:plain &hy it is effective and pu(licly promote and
encourage its use- .t enhances the relationship (et&een horse and human' and from a
veterinarianBs standpoint' greatly facilitates the practitionerBs $o(-
The Rationale @ehind .mprint Training H Fallacies Concerning .t
The ne&(orn young of predatory species are usually CLTR.C.CL- That is' they are 1uite helpless'
neurologically immature and have limited learning a(ility- :amples include the young of the dog'
cat and (ear families- ,imilarly' predatory (irds such as eagles' ha&;s and o&ls have helpless
young ;no&n as /*idifugous nestlings-0 The human (eing is also an altricial species-
The ne&(orn young of most of our familiar )RA species' on the other hand' are )RC=C.CL-
:amples include the sheep' deer' goat' (ovine and e1uine families' as &ell as such (irds as
duc;s' geese' chic;ens' tur;eys and pheasant- %ery soon after (irth or hatching these young can
fend for themselves' follo& their mother and their group' and there(y escape danger- Their
senses are fully developed and they are neurologically mature-
.n altricial species' some learning is possi(le in the ne&(orn' (ut the CR.T.CCL LCR*.*G
)R.=D, are largely delayed during &hich sociali<ation' species identification and imprinting
!(oth maternal and infant# occurs- .n precocial species' these critical learning periods occur
immediately after (irth- The horse !a precocial prey species in &hich gro&th and maturity develop
at remar;a(le speed# therefore has all of its critical learning periods compressed into its first days
and &ee;s of life follo&ing parturition-
Learning in any species can occur at any ageI ho&ever learning is s&iftest' most persistent and
most profoundly effectual to&ard the attitudes and personality later in life if ac1uired during the
formative critical learning periods- The earlier training (egins in the horse' the more effective it &ill
(e' providing it is done properly- .f done improperly' more harm than good may (e done' since the
learning at this tender age is so fast and so lasting- .t is important to understand that the ne&(orn
foalBs senses are completely functional and its (rain capa(le of a(sor(ing information not only as
fast as it &ill later in life' (ut even faster- This is in contrast to such altricial species as puppies
and human (a(ies' &herein learning capacity is limited in the ne&(orn and gradually e:pands
&ith gro&th and maturity- Moreover' (y e:posing the (rain of the ne&(orn foal stimuli immediately
post partum' it is not necessary to override or displace previously learned information- The
ne&(orn foalBs (ehavior is genetically predetermined- nvironmental learning has not yet (een
introduced' and (y initiating it as soon as the foal is (orn &e can dramatically shape the foalBs
future (ehavior and its reactions-
Clthough this method is no& in use all over the &orld and in all aspects of the horse industry'
there are fre1uent concerns e:pressed a(out the method' and many (reeders are deterred (y
these concerns:
2- .t isnBt /natural0
Domestication isnBt /natural'0 (ut as long as &e domesticate animals' &e should use &hatever
methods are most efficacious' as long as they are humane-
F- .t &ill interfere &ith the (onding (et&een mare and foal
This is a complete fallacy- . have never seen my method interfere in any &ay (et&een mare and
foal and' in fact' most cases of foal re$ection (y the mare can (e prevented (y my method-
D- .mprint trained foals are dull and unresponsive
FalseJ They are gentle and trusting' and if the training is done properly' they are more responsive-
,uch foals are &inning on the racetrac;' in the sho& arena and in all disciplines-
7- .mprint foals are spoiled and disrespectful
Cgain' falseJ .f the method is done properly' these foals are completely respectful- Clthough'
admittedly' many people do not use the method correctly and they do spoil some foals-
>- The mare &ill resent the human &or;ing &ith the foal and (ecome aggressive
.n the four decades that . have used this method' . have never seen a mare (ecome aggressive
to&ard humans after&ard' a rather common phenomenon in mare post partum- .n fact' . (elieve
that handling the foal as soon as it is (orn !even (efore the mare arises# can prevent such
aggressiveness- Moreover' there is strong evidence that mares &hich &ere themselves su($ected
to imprint training at (irth remem(er it and are 1uite unconcerned and accepting of the method
&hen' years later' it is used on their o&n foals-
?- The method induces learned helplessness and is therefore inhumane
This is completely false- Learned helplessness produces individuals &hich are inactive in the
presence of frightening stimuli and &ith su(se1uent impaired learning a(ility- My foals are very
responsive to stimuli' eager learners and perform e:ceptionally &ell in competition- .n my
presentation . &ill not concentrate on teaching the method' (ut rather sho& &ith the use of
videotape the dramatic results' &hich can (e attained (y using this method of very early training-
.f you are involved &ith horses' professionally or recreationally' . urge you to (ecome familiar &ith
as many of the fine horsemen that practice this method- Cfter ?'888 years of domestication' these
people are advancing the art of horsemanship so rapidly that most of the traditional methods of
the past have (ecome o(solete- This list is (y no means complete- There are other progressive
horsemen and horse&omen' (ut it is my policy to only recommend those &ho . have personally
seen &or; &ith horses and students and are using scientifically correct training methods rather
than various traditional techni1ues-
2- Clfonso Cguilar' C)D=' )ostal F89?' Morelia' Mich-' C-)- >423D' Me:ico
F- Clinton Cnderson' F7FDF Lincoln Rd-' ,terling' .L ?2842' telephone !42># ?F>9433>
D- @uc; @rannaman' ?7F H&y- 27' ,heridan' WA 4F482' telephone !D85# ?5F9>45?
7- ,teve d&ards' Eueen %alley Mule Ranch' 24>> W- Running Deer Dr-' Eueen %alley' CK
4>F23' telephone !?8F# 3339M+L
>- Ray Hunt' Roc;y @ar ,tage' Mountain Home' .D 4D?75' telephone !F84# >459723F
?- Mel Hyland' @o: ?83' @roo;s' Cl(erta T.R.@A' Canada' telephone !78D# D?F94FF8
5- Chris .r&in' @o: 245>' ,&ift current' ,L' Canada ,3H 7M?' telephone !455# D379?55D
4- @ryan *eu(ert' @o: 288>' Clturas' CC 3?22?' telephone !32?# FDD9D>4F
3- )at )arelli' )-=- @o: >3>8' )agosa ,prings' C= 42275' telephone !358# 5D293788 or !488#
?7F9DDD>
28- Curt )ate' >54D Lincoln Rd-' West Helena' MT >3?8F' telephone !78?# 77D95?48
22- Mar; Rashid' )-=- @o: DF72' stes )ar;' C= 48>25' telephone !358# >4?94?55
2F- Dennis Reis' 722 Highland Cve-' )enngrove' CC 373>2' telephone !488# 5DF94FF8 or !585#
53F98?F3
2D- Monty Ro(erts' )-=- @o: 4?' ,olvang' CC 3D7?7' telephone !48># ?4497D4F
27- Richard ,hra;e' )-=- @o: 7738' ,unriver' =R 35585' telephone !488# ?D>944?2
2>- @ill ,mith' )-=- @o: ?7F' Thermopolis' WA 4F77D' telephone !D85# 4?79>?52
2?- Harry Whitney' D875 *eosho Rd-' =tta&a' L, ??8?5' telephone !488# F?5975F3
25- Richard Winters' HC 54' @o: F3' Termo' CC 3?2DF' telephone !>D8# F>29?8F4
24- Moe Wolter' )-=- @o: 25D' Guthrie' TN 53FD?' telephone !48?# >3?97828
;ey&ords: horsemanship' (ehavior' training methods' -
posted: FO7OF887- Last updated: FO7OF887-
)astration* )reation o+ a gelding +rom a colt or stallion
by &arry R' Bramlage, DVM, M,, Rood and Riddle -.uine Hospital,
&e/ington, 0y
Castration is normally performed on colts to ma;e them more tracta(le and easier to
handle- When the horse has minimal (reeding value' the procedure normally ta;es place once
the horse is s;eletally mature- .n horses &ith potential (reeding value' the decision to castrate is
delayed to determine if the horse has enough athletic a(ility to ma;e it attractive as a future sire-
.f the horse is not a potential sire' castration increases the longevity of its race career (y ma;ing
the horse easier to train- The mature' intact male horse (ecomes progressively more difficult to
train and more aggressive as it gets older-
.n some horses' the timing of the castration procedure is accelerated (ecause they &ill have one
testicle or sometimes (oth testicles partially undescended' &hich leaves the testicle in the flan; of
the horse (et&een the leg and the a(domen- ,ometimes this causes discomfort during training- .f
the horse has one testicle normally descended and one retained or undescended' the proper
medical term is /cryptorchid0 or the horsemanBs term is /ridgling-0 *on9descended testicles have
much9reduced fertility or are sterile' as their retention in the inguinal canal ma;es them ineffective
at producing sperm (ecause of the increased temperature e:posure of (eing ad$acent to the (ody
&all- .n horses &ith high (reeding potential' the non9descended testicle may (e removed and the
normal testicle &ill (e left in place- This horse is called a /monorchid-0 Monorchids can (e fertile
stallions-
.n horses &hose pedigree does not indicate that they are li;ely to (e a stallion' a unilateral
cryptorchid is often castrated on (oth sides' normal and a(normal' during the same surgical
procedure to facilitate the horseBs race career-
The castration of a horse' once it is decided that it &ill not (e a stallion' ma;es them much more
tracta(le in training and a much more effective athlete- Many of the famous geldings of the past
&ere totally ineffective racehorses as intact males and (ecame stars once gelded-
;ey&ords: gelding' castration' cryptorchid -
posted: ?O2FOF88D- Last updated: ?O2FOF88D-
Di++icult Horses* 1here Do 2hey )ome 3rom4
by &ydia Miller, DVM

Lydia Miller, DVM
Does your horse commit any o+ these unsocial behaviors4
Ru(s against you &ith its head
,teps' pushes or leans on you
)ulls on the lead rope to eat or &onBt ;eep up &ith you
.s hard to load or catch
WonBt tie
.s head or ear shy
According to Dr. Glenn Anderson, an equine veterinarian near Tulsa, Oklahoma, your
relationship with your horse doesnt have to be that way. There is deinitely something
you can do !or not do" about equine misbehaviors. #y taking the time to learn a new way
to work with your horse, youll soon en$oy a companion, show horse or working partner
that is saer and more pleasant or you as well as others to be around. %n addition, your
veterinarian will appreciate a patient that remains calm during an e&amination or
treatment.
Dr. Anderson remembers the day he decided there must be a better way to work with
horses. 'e usually got along ine with most o equine clients and patients. The ew that
caused trouble were either muscled into submission, restrained with devices or sedated.
#ut it wasnt one o his clients horses that ultimately changed his lie(it was his own,
hard)to)catch mare that led him to seek out one o the master horse communicators, *ay
'unt. Applying 'unts low resistance methods developed rom a keen understanding o
what makes horses react the way they do, Dr. Anderson learned to think more along the
lines o +how to teach your horse to catch you., 'e was so impressed with the
turnaround in his mare that he began to incorporate this philosophy and its training
techniques into his equine practice.
Dr. Anderson eels that many o his clients, like himsel, inadvertently teach their horses
to misbehave by rewarding disobedience. %nconsistent signals on the part o the handler
are another actor that can lead to equine misbehavior. -hen time, the type o procedure
or an owner whos not interested in i&ing their horses behavior problems are involved,
he uses chemical restraint to get the $ob done and move on to the ne&t appointment. #ut
when Dr. Anderson senses that an owner is willing to learn and improve themselves and
their horse, he takes the time to show the horse and owner a better, easier way.
+.any times, %m able to perorm somewhat painul or rightening procedures with no
tranquili/er at all, $ust by getting the horse to trust and listen to me,, he says. 'e advises
owners to start a conversation with their veterinarian.
/Let them ;no& youBve Phad enoughB and are &illing to o($ectively listen then put into practice their
advice on handling your horse'0 says Dr- Cnderson- He suggests that if your veterinarian is not
comforta(le addressing the topic' as; him or her to refer you to another local professional &ho is
more of an e:pert in the area- ,ometimes this referral may ta;e the form of a video or audiotape
or even hands9on clinic- @ut (e cautious: all horseman are not ali;e- Clso ;eep in mind that'
&hile rare' some horses are truly aggressive and dangerous- )inning ears' charging humans and
trying to (ite or stri;e &ithout provocation indicate the need for a professional-
'owever you decide to gain inormation and skills to improve the behavior o your horse,
youll appreciate a better relationship with your equine riend. And when it comes time
or the spring check)up and vaccinations, hopeully it goes a little smoother than last year.
Crticle )osted: Fe(ruary' F888
0opyright 1 2334)5666 American Association o 7quine 8ractitioners. All rights reserved. American Association of Equine Practitioners
96:; %ron -orks 8arkway < =e&ington, >? 96;22 8hone@ A;3)5BB)629: < Ca&@ A;3)5BB)234A
posted: ?O2>OF88F- Last updated: 28O2OF887-
2railer &oading Made -asy (Horseman's Day(
by Dr' Andy Anderson
Cs presented at HorsemanBs Day F882' ,an Diego' CC
.ntroduction
Horses &ho refuse or are difficult to load can cause a lot of frustration to their o&ners- .n addition'
they can (e a danger to themselves and their handlers- %eterinarians are often as;ed to (ecome
involved (ecause many people (elieve that tran1uili<ation or sedation &ill help them load their
horse safely- This is usually not a &or;a(le option for several reasons-
First' horses traveling to sho&s or races may (e in violation of medication rules if they are
drugged for loading- ,econd' sedated or tran1uili<ed horses may (e more li;ely to have an in$ury
from falling as they may (ecome unsteady- Third' drugged horses do not really learn ho& to load
&ell for future trips-
The method to (e descri(ed is a safe and effective &ay of teaching horses to load and stand
1uietly in the trailer &ithout resorting to drugs or force- )lus' the principles and concepts used
here can (e applied to many other areas of human9horse interactions- They also can apply to
such e1uine unsocial (ehaviors as a horse ru((ing against you &ith its headI stepping' pushing
or leaning on youI pulling on the lead rope to eatI not ;eeping up &ith youI (eing hard to catchI
not tying and (eing head or ear shy-
Materials and Methods
Re1uired materials include a halter and soft lead rope !a chain shan; should (e availa(le (ut is
used infre1uently#' a horse trailer in good repair' a stiff fishing rod ? to 5 feet in length &ith a
plastic (ag taped to the end' and' most importantly' a positive' patient attitude-
The methods used encourage the horse to ma;e positive choices to load and discourage his
attempt to escape or evade loading- This is done (y convincing the horse that he really &ants to
(e in the trailer- Ma;e him thin; it is his idea to get into the trailer- The rod &ith the plastic (ag is
used to aggravate or annoy !i-e- sha;ing the rod and (ag (ehind the horse Bs head or gently
tapping the rod and (ag at the horseBs hind 1uarters or on the legs# the horse &hen he tries to
avoid the trailer- The rod should never (e used to inflict pain- The aggravation should (e stopped
the instant the horse tries to load- With some horses' $ust loo;ing to&ard rather than a&ay from
the trailer is a positive try- )ointing ears into the trailer and lo&ering the head are also positive
choices that are al&ays a&arded- Most horses &ill e:plore all of their options (efore deciding that
the (est place to (e is in the trailer-
The handler must (e prepared to deal &ith each evasive action as it occurs- For e:ample' if the
horse &ants to (ac; a&ay from the trailer' (ac; him up much farther than he intended' and he &ill
1uic;ly learn that (ac;ing is not a good choice- .f he turns side&ays at the rear of the trailer'
continue to aggravate him until he ma;es some attempt to straighten up &ith the trailer- Do not
lead him a&ay from the trailer as this re&ards his turning side&ays and reinforces the (ehavior
&e do not &ant-
Cfter he (egins to choose the correct options' re&ard him (y ru((ing his head or nec; and (y
stopping the aggravation- Do not (e concerned if he starts to load then (ac;s out- Cggravate the
horse as he is (ac;ing out and stop &hen he steps for&ard- Remem(er' many of these horses
have legitimate reasons to fear the trailer (ecause of their previous e:periences &ith
unsuccessful attempts to force them into the trailer-
*ever pull or push on a horse (ecause this teaches him that he can &in every tug of &ar or
pushing contest- When he does enter the trailer' do not trap him &ith the (ac; door or (utt (ar'
and let him (ac; out if he &ishes- Then reload him until he is content to load and stand 1uietly
and until as;ed to (ac; out-
. prefer to teach a horse to unload on t&o cues' a tug on his tail and the ver(al /(ac;0' rather than
(y getting in front of him and (ac;ing him out &ith the lead shan;- Ho&ever' a second person is
sometimes needed in front to teach the horse these cues- When you tug on the tail and as; him
to /(ac;0' the assistant uses the shan; to (ac; him out of the trailer-
The handler must train him or herself to recogni<e the smallest try on the part of the horse- Many
people actually teach the horse not to load (y inadvertently punishing his small tries and
re&arding his attempts to escape or evade loading- .nconsistent signals on the part of the handler
are another factor that can lead to e1uine mis(ehavior- Remem(er' recogni<e and re&ard positive
(ehavior and recogni<e and discourage negative (ehavior- The goal is to give the horse clear9cut
choices that result in him entering the trailer (ecause he &ants to' not (ecause he &as forced to-
Conclusion
This trailer loading method and overall philosophy of &or;ing &ith horses has (een developed
over a D89year period of dealing &ith horses- Cfter seeing too many people and horses in$ured' .
reali<ed that there had to (e a (etter &ay to deal &ith horses and trailer loading-
Cctually' it &asnBt one of my friendBs or clientBs horses that changed my life' it &as one of my o&n
horses that &as hard to catch- This led me to see; out one of the master horse communicators'
Ray Hunt- Cpplying HuntBs lo& resistance methods !developed from a ;een understanding of
&hat ma;es horses react the &ay they do# . learned to thin; more along the lines of /ho& to teach
your horse to catch you-0 .t is the same ;ind of thing that should (e applied to trailer loading-
. have loaded hundreds of horses &ithout a single in$ury to horses or people- This method may
re1uire more time the first fe& times a horse is loaded' (ut it &ill save a lot of time over a lifetime-
Many hard to load horses can (e retrained in less than an hour' (ut some re1uire longer- Most
remain trou(le9free after&ards' so the e:perience is a &ise investment- Cs &ith most preventive
medicine programs' this approach &or;s (est &hen applied (efore the disease !non9loading#
(ecomes deeply seated- These methods can (e used for confirmed (ad loaders' (ut the results
&ill come more slo&ly- The (ottom line is that there is definitely something you can do a(out this
particular e1uine (ehavior- Whether you choose to attempt retraining yourself or enlist the help of
a competent professional' your horse &ill soon (e safer and more pleasant for you to load and
handle in general-
C(out the author:
Dr- Cndy Cnderson is a private practitioner and o&ner of 1uine %eterinary
Cssociates in @ro;en Crro&' =L' and horseman-
posted (y Rose
posted: ?O2>OF88F- Last updated: ?O2>OF88F-
-n5oying Veterinary Visits
by ,ue M' McDonnell
.n our referral e1uine (ehavior practice' &e fre1uently reha(ilitate horses perceived to (e
uncooperative &ith one or more veterinary procedures such as in$ections' nasogastric tu(ing'
genital e:amination' etc- We have found that straightfor&ard (ehavior modification techni1ues99
adapted to the horse99are highly effective in regaining and maintaining cooperation' even in once
dangerously resistant animals- .n fact' clients and veterinarians descri(e the animals as no&
Qen$oyingQ veterinary visits and appearing to solicit procedures- The methods &e use rely mostly
on positive reinforcement' avoid e:cessive restraint' and include no punishment-
Method
.n order to reha(ilitate your horse' you &ill need the follo&ing:
R
C lead shan; &ith a F49789inch chain leadI
R
,&eet feed or other tasty food treatI
R
,afety vest' helmet' and sturdy shoes to provide you greater confidenceI
R
.tems for the veterinary procedure !such as a needle and syringe' alcohol' etc-#I
R
C large outdoor paddoc; or other large enclosure &ith good footing and ample head roomI
R
C team of t&o people &ho &or; &ell together and are not afraid of the veterinary procedure
themselves-

@ehavior modification is $ust another opportunity for the horse to learn that it can Q&or;Q for a
positive outcome !here the Q&or;Q is tolerating a mildly uncomforta(le e:perience#- The focus is
on esta(lishing a ne&' positive (ehavior pattern instead of eliminating a negative one- Horses
aren"t (orn resistant to veterinary proceduresI the same a(ility to learn (y association that
resulted in avoidance (ehavior &ill no& help them learn to (e cooperative- Clthough each horse
and situation is uni1ue' the horse must al&ays simultaneously learn three concepts:
The procedure is not too painful- The horse must e:perience the procedure one or more times
&ith little pain' stress' or commotion- Ma;e the procedure as painless as possi(le99for in$ection
shyness' this means a small9gauge needle !F?9gauge for training#I a 1uic;' gentle' single stic;I
rela:ed (ody posture and calm mannerI little restraintI and no commotion or accidents associated
&ith the procedure-
The procedure is follo&ed (y a re&ard- The horse must e:perience the procedure one or more
times follo&ed immediately &ith positive reinforcement !s&eet feed from a (uc;et paired &ith
Qgood (oyOgirlQ#- When the horse (egins to anticipate an uncomforta(le procedure' (ac; up to
perform and re&ard for steps (efore this point- Aou might need to go through the first steps of the
procedure several times' positively reinforcing each step' &ithout actually performing the
procedure- Then the steps can (e gradually lin;ed into the proper se1uence' re&arding each step
in the se1uence- ventually the horse should (e &eaned off continuous primary reinforcement
!s&eet feed# - .ntermittent primary reinforcement !s&eet feed occasionally# and continuous
secondary reinforcement !Qgood (oyOgirlQ every time# is the goal-
=rdinary resistance or reaction &ill not stop the procedure or direct the handler"s (ehavior- The
handler must anticipate the horse"s resistance and calmly stay &ith the horse as much as is
safely possi(le- Calmly Qriding it outQ rather than pausing or punishing !or even flinching# teaches
the horse that simple movement or mild resistance &ill not stop the procedure- Dangerous
resistance !rearing or lunging' for e:ample# &ill re1uire different (ehavioral modification
techni1ues and the assistance of an e:pert-
Results
These methods have (een remar;a(ly successful &ith horses !and people# of all ages and
(ac;grounds- Timing and consistency of reinforcement are the ma$or s;ills for people to master-
These techni1ues can also help prevent pro(lems and get horses to accept other activities li;e
clipping' applying fly spray' and grooming the mane and tail- Cn investment in learning (asic
(ehavior modification s;ills is &ell &orth&hile-
@y using proper (ehavior modification techni1ues patiently and consistently' you can teach your
horse to en$oy' not dread' a visit from the veterinarian-
,ue M- McDonnell' )hD' Certified Cpplied Cnimal @ehaviorist' is the founding head of the 1uine
@ehavior program at the *e& @olton Center' +niversity of )ennsylvania ,chool of %eterinary
Medicine- Lydia F- Miller' D%M' is a consultant for CC)"s =&ner ducation )rogram-
posted (y Rose
posted: ?O2>OF88F- Last updated: ?O2>OF88F-