A friendly reminder that this video isn’t to shame anyone or push people to bully others about having stressed horses. Stress is a normal part of life for any animal, my bone to pick with how riders are taught in the horse world has to do with the fact that people will misinterpret stress behaviours and blame them on other factors which can often result in horses being punished for reactions to long term stress. Stress isn’t an issue if you’re looking to work through it and reduce it rather than put a bandaid over it. One thing I can promise you is that being mindful of subtle stress behaviours and working to de-escalate stress will help you stay safer as a horse person and avoid dangerous situations.
Finally someone wants to talk about horses rushing fences. You see it all the time on Instagram. It is so incredibly dangerous yet people are like “omg they just love their job so much!!”. You see it in barrel horses too. They’ll be rearing in the ally and people claim they’re just so excited to run. It’s really unfortunate to the horses who show clear signs of stress and we write them off as enjoyment.
I wonder if it has something to do with adrenaline, too. 🤔 I believe galloping releases adrenaline in horses. I wonder if there’s a difference between the stress Shelby talks about and adrenaline from the speed.
Ya I take lots of videos of myself so I can watch my horses working and make sure they are truly enjoying their job my one horse River loves jumping and will occasionally rush fences so I took a video to watch her face and body language so I can see what she looks like so basically what I saw in her was Eyes soft you can’t see the white of her eye Jaw slightly tight not to tight so I’m not sure what that means Lips loose (flopping all over her face like useless jelly) Neck not up in the air but slightly elevated Ears forward Eyes locked on the jump I think this all means she has a small amount of anxiety going to the jump but she was horrificly abused before I got her so I’m not sure if she’s holding in tension from past abuse or if she has some sort of anxiety in the ring cause you can see that slightly tight jaw when she’s on the flat so I’m not sure if it’s jumping related now I’ve seen some horses rush jumps VERY aggressively and that’s just sad that the owners are saying that the horse is enjoying his job when they rush like that
@@No-uq5jt - So happy to hear that you care about your horse's happiness/ comfort level. No one can ever be perfect, so the fact that you're questioning & trying to learn more shows that you are a more evolved, horse centric owner. Keep up the good work & keep learning. Yay you!
I agree that it is a good thing to look at in detail and discuss. You see so many high headed ow backed horses that are rushing and and there are a lot of people that may not understand and think that this is what the trainers want so that the horse is up in energy and really fast to get over the jumps and through the course with a good Time. But when you break down the horses body and the riders body in terms of bio mechanics, you see a lot of unhealthy incorrect riding and horses that are under developed in areas that they need to be mor but when you break down the horses body and the riders body in terms of bio mechanics, you see a lot of unhealthy incorrect writing and horses that are under developed in areas that Should be stronger and more developed and then you see over developed muscles in areas that should be less developed and supple. I really noticed a lot of riders with a driving seat and a gripping leg and hands that are Holding or even pulling and the horse is just running through them and rushing because of conflicting aids and the rider is driving with the seat and squeezing with the legs to stay on and balanced and you see the horses head and neck really high with a hollow back and A really tense expression and muscles and then the horse gets a big release from the riders hands with the crest release when the horse is in the bascule going over the jump. For a lot of these horses, it becomes a learned behavior to rush because the rider gives that big release with the hands for the crest release after the horse was going with the high head and neck and rushing at the jump. It’s all in the details of learning theory with horses.
The start of 2019 my old mare had a really bad colic that we almost lost her to. One of the only reasons I noticed something was wrong that day was the fact that she was continuingly doing the phlegmon response (very rare occurrence for her). I definitely think one of the only reasons she made it was because we caught it early. It's soooo important to pay attention to your horses behavior, could literally save their life. 👏
You literally helped to save your mare's life because you spent a little extra time with her to learn her habits and took time to understand her. That's absolutely amazing and thank you for being such an awesome owner!
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing such excellent information. As a lifelong horsewoman, starting at age 9, I delight in continuing my lifelong learning for my horses as I approach my 70th birthday 💗
I like how you emphasize that you do need to take in the whole picture and that there are exceptions to every "rule" or individual feature. The biggest standout for me was what you called the "whale eye" which I call a bug eye on my guy. He will be standing in his turnout and crane his head around to look at me and I see the tiniest bit of the white of his eye with the derpiest look on his face. He is also *very* expressive when he is uncomfortable and makes it very easy to tell when something bothers him, which is definitely something I appreciate.
One of my favourite things to do is hanging out and watching horses in their natural environment being horses. I've learnt so much about them from just watching. It's easy to see the different personalities and behaviours. I love listening to animals. I've always felt that they're underestimated by humans. They all think and feel and the relationships we can have when we watch and learn is so much better than the very one-sided relationships we used to have..
I’ve been around horses all my life but never had a lot of this basic behavior explained and made easy to understand. Thank you ❤the work you are doing is so important!
It's very frustrating me that I'm terrible at teaching inexperienced people how to understand horses. Especially the young girls that I let brush my horse but they want to lead him and do things with him with his halter and lead on. They don't understand that they could get hurt if they don't listen to him. Especially if he gets playful, doesn't have enough trust in them to do what they ask, a mare in season enters the picture or he gets challenged by another stallion. While he is very safe for someone with the experience to understand him he's not at all safe if they don't. I think I'll send this series to those two girls. It will help them a lot with their own horses. You are so much better at explaining how to understand a horse than I am.
I am currently on an equine/animal management course, and I will definitely be looking out for these behaviours! The horses I work with (in groundwork, it is not a riding course) are turned out 24/7, and I love to sit and watch them. Although, I do see a lot of anxiety/stress in that herd at the moment, the deep mud the fields are right now is way too slippy (as well as a hazard) for them. The herd is still kept out, but in an area of the yard that has firmer ground (almost like a very large stall, almost, which they usually have access to while out in fields, it has access to an unsheltered outside bit as well, which I've noticed the lower two of the "herd hierarchy" prefer) which is smaller than they're used to. There is usually 3-5 horses in that area - It is big enough luckily. The younger two tend to be let out into their own little space for a bit, as they get a bit too "fighty" with the sort of lead mare in the hierarchy and take it out on the lower two. I'm glad the space is big enough for them to comfortably move around each other and have their own little "space bubble" though. I can't wait for them to be let out into the field again once it stops being a swamp. They're so much happier, more relaxed and in their natural state. Horses should not be locked up for extended periods in stalls. (Sorry if this was a bit of a ramble, I'm quite passionate about this 😅)
I recently moved both my mares to my friend's 6 acres farm from a boarding place I had them both at. The boarding barn was great, they lived outside with shelters and large paddocks, but they didn't have an opportunity to get turn out in a large space with a herd. Now that they've been at my friend's place and in with her herd of 14 during the day and in their walk-out stalls at night, they've been even more happy. I completely agree with you about management practices and wish people didn't discount how important it is to consider how we can improve horses' management situation to have happier, healthier and more willing equine partners.
It's Never a problem horse. It's always a problem human. (And yes, many have hang ups from past treatment or abuse, but still a human problem) People want to humanize every single animal out there. As in 'oh my horse just gets a bad attitude when blah blah..' Or ' stop it! You're being such a grump!' No. They're being a Horse. They don't have human emotions or characteristics. We just project Our emotions on Them! Its the same with dogs, cats, elephants, lions in the wild. They are Animals, not Humans, so start looking at them as the animal they are. Then work with them accordingly. Anyway, I am not directing this at you as you obviously know this. And this is an EXcellent teaching lesson ! I hope more and more horse owners come around to comprehending horses behavior!
Seeing Banksy lying with his head in your lap almost moves me to tears - it's the ultimate trust of a flight animal. And seeing those cruel bits and tight flashes makes me feel sick. People just don't care.
@haleyandgrandpa5250 Calling specific bits cruel is not the same as calling bits in general cruel. A choke chain on a dog doesn't have to be used harshly, but it's such an unnecessarily harsh piece of a equipment to begin with that we consider it cruel. Some bits are the same way. If you go out of your way to use harsher tools knowing that one wrong move will cause your horse a significant amount of pain that is cruel whether you're intentionally trying to cause them pain or not.
Thank you for this video. Very well done. So appalled at the Andy Kocher "tack". All that cruelware, and his throat-latch was ridiculously tight, too. Marilyn Little continues to win, which saddens me no end. Horses are such stoic, forgiving creatures. Many don't deserve them.
This really helped me see horses in a whole different light. Thank you! I haven’t been around a horse in many years and I’m getting ready to volunteer at a horse therapy center. I’m glad I watched this. I’m going to watch it again!
My personal horse is my black arabian stallion. He is very good at communicating and will insist on getting my attention if he has something to say. His favorite method of getting my attention is to cross the front leg furthest from me across the closer one and lightly tap my leg with his hoof the way a friend might tap your shoulder with a finger in order to get your attention. Once he has my full attention he will show me what he wants me to pay attention to. He has a lot of personality which is one of the things I love most about him. He lives outside with a good shelter because he hates being in a boring stall. He's very unhappy unless his shelter has a small window so he can look out.
Thank you for this video!! I dmed you about me being confused about my horses behavior and you helped me so much!! I though horses were dominate based for sooooo long and you helped me learn that is not a case
All your information is fantastic, thank you. It's a great help with understanding a horse. I believe all animals communicate with us, we just miss it because we are not aware and don't bother to find out or read their language.
i am a massive fan of yours, i watch your tiktok vids and just discovered your yt while researching on body language. this helped me SO much!! thank you for your awesome content
This was an amazing video to put out! Thank you so much for trying to reach a broader spectrum of horse people with this vital information. It will never cease to amaze me how truly little equestrians know about basic horse stress and calming signals. This includes upper level riders who don’t know jack shit about their horses emotions or how to read them. I know how to recognize stress signals and it’s super helpful! Of course there’s still the horses like my gelding who will be doing a +R session and still have a faint wrinkle to his eye. It also depends on the horse and even horses in a perfect life still get those signals occasionally!
Yes! Some horses are also just more expressive than others or sensitive. Milo will tell me every little thing he dislikes, even if it’s just a minor inconvenience. This is why I think behaviour needs to be understood more mainstream as people will claim it’s their horses’ quirks for very high level stress behaviours rather than moderate stressors within context (ie: Milo wrinkling his nostrils because his wet tail brushed his hind leg)
This video so informative and important. I think a horses expression is frequently over looked or disregarded. I wish it wasn’t as it can really can give significant clues as to what is happening with them. Thanks so much for your insight and sharing such great content. 💕
I just wanted to say that i loved this! it was really informative and it didn't make me feel judged or criticised. Your content is so helpful as i'm looking to learn more and better understand the horses in my life so that i can give them better care. i have recently started to develop my interest in equine behaviour and i'm trying to learn as much as i can in the position that i'm in, you've been a huge inspiration. Thank you so much!
For me the facial expressions horses make is so clear. I don’t even need to think/cognize that the shapes their face is making = pain, when I see the pain face I just feel a deep discomfort. The fact that there are professionals who can overlook the clear communication of pain from their animals is extremely upsetting
I love this so much :) I just got a TB who used to do polo. She is a really nervous, sensitive horse. She tends to go more into flight mode than aggressive mode. I took photos of her yesterday and she was "posing". It brought me back to this article shared on facebook where statues and painting of horses all look scared and nervous but that was people thought of "beautiful horses".
Yesss!! Love this so much. I've bought a couple of Equine Behaviour books (Paul McGreevey, Emma Lethbridge, and Rachael Draaisma) and am so excited to sink my teeth into them. I've been a horse person since I was 4 (I'm now 25) and was very much taught how to deal with horses through traditional training methods. I've been moving organically away from those methods over the last few years, but am currently doing my best to learn as much as I can about equine behaviour and positive reinforcement so that I can treat the horses that I'm currently working with more fairly but also for when it comes time to start my colt (who's a few weeks younger than Banksy - born June 7th, 2019). Thanks for this and I look forward to part 2!
Thank you for this video Shelby! It's extremely helpful to have a video to give some guidance on learning to recognize pain and anxiety. It's definitely going to help me be able to understand some of the written and illustrated resources I'm using
I love how you talk about the eye, I really think that the eye can tell you a lot about how the horse is feeling, but I did not know about the other aspects you were talking about. I love your videos so much, and your podcast is awesome!
As someone who doesn’t really ride but wants to work (on the ground, lol) with thoroughbred racehorses, this kind of video is super helpful and important, I am excited to apply the knowledge I have taken away from this :)
I appreciate the conversation. There are many 'experts' out there, and some do not know as much as they preach that they do. I find eyes very expressive and while I would not say I'm great at it overall I have been able to read a horse's mood well and step back to try and find the route cause. I see this lack of knowledge accross many species even dogs which should be well known. Your point about the ears reminds me of how people think of a dog wagging its tail.
I recognised some of these in my mare so she’s now undergoing vet treatment for ulcers and bone narrowing in her fetlock joint! Horses aren’t naughty for reasons I always believe Theres always something else going on!
This really helped me! Iv been riding for 4/5 years I was taught a lot on how to ride and not much on their behaviours or how to care or tack up. I find this insanely helpful! I love to educate myself on things especially what I love doing. Could you do more like these! More basic equestrian subjects it would help us loads! Thank you so much!!💕💕
just sold my horse so i’m a bit sad right now, but i plan on getting another one in a few months and it’s only halter broke so it’ll be a journey. Hopefully this will help me in the next chapter
Thanks Shelby! This is something that I am working on with the horse I ride. I noticed a while back she was yawning repeatedly after schooling. And overly "girthy" prior to a ride. I've been very concerned about her obvious stress, and have been observing her closely and modifying my behavior/the situation/etc. Clearly, being ridden is causing discomfort so I am now on it! This helps a lot, especially regarding stacking stressors. Looking forward to more!! ✌🐎
Stalled : My appy mare : Put the food in the bucket and back away, ground monkey My haffie gelding : i love you ground monkey gimme cookie gimme cookie i love cookie Riding: Mare : MUST we? Fine. Faster? Fine. No, not through the puddle we are not savages. Look at me. I am SO PRETTY. Look at my tail. Look at it. Is it not lovely? Gelding : doo deet doo da doo dee doot walkin walkin walkin walkin pogo trot pogo trot walkin walkin mmmmgrass
Awesome video! I will be sharing with my best friend who is only recently learning horses, I think this will help her a ton learning how to read my kids (she's not around any other horses) she always asks me how I know how my horses are feeling etc and thinks because I can read them, it's because they're mine and I just know them. This will teach her how I do it!!!! As far as behaviors yeah I know them like the back of my hand :0)
I watch your channel since many years now and I appreciate your evolution, the contents are more and more educational and this is absolutely great ! You have learned from your own mistakes and you are so honest and I love the way you treat your horses. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge so that as many horse lovers as possible can learn from yours and be a better person for their horse. Looking forwards part 2.
I have looked for a video like this for YEARS! Thank you! Are you available for questions? I volunteer for a nom profit so use equine therapy. I want to learn so much but have questions. I will watch Every video you have! Are there online classes I can take to learn? You're a great teacher! THANK YOU!❤
Shelby, thank you for putting out this information. I am so interested in horses in every aspect and this is the most important in my opinion and want to learn more. Thanks to you I have learned more from your podcasts and these videos. I get to see differences in many horses, I have three horses in a pasture they have two horses next to their pasture and cows behind ( one day I would like them in a bigger herd and pasture). I also work at a lesson hunter barn where the horses are stalled the vast majority of the day and ridden pretty much everyday. I see pretty much all of the stress behaviors you explained in this video, I try my best to get the horses that I can out to the sand paddocks (the only outside space and at night in one of the sand arenas). I see many differences between my horses and the horses at my work. I personally will never allow my horses to live in an environment like the horses at my work. I actually drive 30 min away to see mine where as my work is a few minutes. One of the trainers horses is a cribber and someone asked about it (with the horse in his stall) and the trainer said that study’s have found it to be genetic. He is a appendix cross.
I wish you'd been releasing this type of content (and that I'd found you) while I was studying horse to become a groom. This had surely made my interest for behavioural studies increased. But, I'm glad I can watch your videos these days when I ain't currently actively working with horses.
As always, Shelby Dennis, another very informative video. Can't wait for *Part 2*!! Many Blessings and Thank you again. Hoping you and your family all continue to Stay Safe!! Wishing you and Everyone well until we meet again!! Best Regards from Ontario, Canada, Jenn. 💖💖🇨🇦
Thank you so much for creating this video, I've been looking around for months for a video such as this and I'm very thankful to have found your channel! Almost of the information I have on equine behavior has been learned hands-on due to lack of being able to find affordable courses or even videos/documents/literature on this topic. So thank you!
Love your stuff! but just wondering if you dismiss tail swishing over fences as the same sign of discomfort as anywhere else because you are a jumper? Many people argue that horses do not like to jump and landing the weight of the rider, saddle, and horse on one fetlock when landing can be pretty severe use of that joint, as many photos will show, where the fetlock touches the ground from overflexion of the joints in the foot due to the impact, depending on how high the jump was. -- Love the 1 year balloon!!! You are a great role model for having fun with your horses and your baby is turning out great!
So, from what I've seen so far is that a relaxed/comfortable horse has a "flat" face while an uncomfortable horse has a very flexed/toned face. You can see the muscles in a stressed horse's face. I hope I got thay right...
Thank you for the video, Shelby! This is the sort of information I wish I had access to when I was younger but I know I can do better in future with this knowledge :)
I know a horse who does the flehmen response every time she colics. Now it makes me so uncomfortable when horses do this. While other people are laughing, I am panicking trying to figure out if the horse is in pain or not.
Very interesting! I'd love more videos on topics like this or other aspects or your horsey-education. Also: lovely/bittersweet to see George again, he was so precious.
Love love love this video! It really puts horse behaviors and how they show us they are unhappy or in pain into perspective. The horse I ride (is green) and rushes to and from jumps/poles and like you said its a sign of stress! Instead of just letting it happen everyone needs to take the time to understand and work on their horse specfics triggers and ways that they show you they are not enjoying whats happening, and they might just mean taking more time on the flat or introducing supplements, when needed. Thank you again!!!
Thank you for the video. I have been researching more on horse behaviors. I come from a barn that teaches traditional riding. It always felt when wrong whipping or spurring the horse. So, I want to change how I interact with my horse. Anyways, do you recommend anyone else I can get information from? I know The Willing Equine and JETequitheory. Anyways, thank you.
I was wondering if you could do one on positive reinforcement. There’s not many good videos on how to start and what to use. Even the type of treats to use that are healthy.
Another fantastic video Shelby! I always feel like I can walk away with so much knowledge and get exited to spend time with my horses and work on everything you mention!
BEST VIDEO! Im really looking forward to the next part of the series. I have learned so much from you, and have changed my ways of teaching due to your explanation of your methods. Thank you for taking the time to explain how to spot these signs, i really do appreciate it
There’s something I would love to improve with my horse! He always put his ears flat on his head but the thing is that 2 second later he goes back to ears way up! Then again. He act like he is mad but than wants cuddle if I move and than I try to brush him he tries to kick! I don’t understand
I have a similar issue with my horse. He is super sweet normally but as soon as I try and groom he throws his head and backs up in the cross ties. I just bought him so it's been hard finding solutions since we don't know about his past
@@emmavt24 Teach him to ground tie. It will take a bit of patience, but it will help grow your bond with him. I bought a young thoroughbred who's history I also didn't know. It became obvious really quick that he didn't trust me in confined spaces such as his stall and on cross ties in the aisle way. He would get nasty and kick at me, or go up and break the ties. So I started doing lots of ground work and took my brush box to the arena instead. Just throw a halter on him with a lead, whenever he moves away, calmly place him back where you had him. Stay consistent and make sure to reward him for standing still by taking the pressure off every now and then just letting him stand without any stimulation. There's a really good book I read by a British trainer named Kelly Marks, it's called Perfect Manners, How you should behave so your horse does too. It has great detailed information on all kinds of ground work exercises you can do to build that bond. Don't worry, you're doing great by trying to understand him, he will get better once he learns what to expect from you. That's the hard thing about a new horse with an uncertain history, they can't tell us so it's up to us to figure out what works for them. Good Luck! Enjoy your new boy!❤
If a horse has gastric ulcers, it will often express the pain that the ulcers are causing by flattening ears while being brushed or being girthed. Ulcers are fairly common but respond well to treatment. A horse’s temperament can change completely and for the better after successful ulcer treatment.
I have a gelding that cribs, the previous owner partly sold him to us because I was at a place where i'd have my horses (him and my mare) out in the fields in the summer (paddock in the winter) even tho they were both considered pretty expensive
I have eight horses n ponies three of which are easy worth OVER 10k each yet all get treated as horses and get the same turnout etc as my 0$ rescue mare does or the pony n mini we rescued .. horses are horses no matter their price tag. Glad that the previous owner seems to have the same opinion....
One of the horses at my barn, he’s a real softie and doesn’t mind a good scratch but always pins his ears. The people there say he just pulls faces and won’t hurt you. He’s actually pretty good apart from that. Also, there’s this flea bitten Arab x that I ride and he throws a little tantrum when you do up his girth. (I’m watching about that part now.) Please reply...
My gelding looked like the black horse in 8:41 with sand colic. At the beginning this was the only sign that something wasn´t right. 2 hours later he began to show all the colic signs. Sometimes it is a hidden injury or emotional pain or muscle soreness. So, a pain face must be investigated! Ask your horse what is wrong.
I know this is going to sound odd but I have an OTTB that has never pinned her ears. I’ve never had a horse or seen a horse that at least didn’t pin its ears at least occasionally...either In the pasture or under saddle… Etc. She is a 16.3 hand, chestnut mare that raced until she was 8 1/2 years old. She has a really lovely personality and gets along well with people and other horses. I just think it’s the funniest thing that I’ve never seen her pin her ears… and I’m with her a lot. I spend a lot of time at the barn, so you would think I would’ve seen it at least once. I sometimes wonder if she even can pin those big beautiful ears...who knows.
This could help a lot for me, next time I’m in my riding lesson I could try and read their body language because it’ll help me know more about how that horse acts and it’ll help me improve my riding if I’m being a little too harsh with my signals on a sensitive horse. ( Although normally when we’re on more sensitive horses, our instructor tells us ) Also my god the amount of times that the lesson horses I ride swivel their ears and turned them back, I just think, ‘What if their mad-‘ but then I remember that I’m literally TALKING to them so their trying to hear what tf I’m doing lol
Would you have any tips for a mare that gets anxious quickly with R+? My mare is a very quick learner, especially when food is involved, but after 5 or so minutes with anything involving treats she gets a stressed expression (mostly in her eyes), nickers, paws, and tries to mug me even if I only reward her for standing calmly with her head forward and away from me. I've been trying to keep our sessions as short as possible so I stop BEFORE she gets stressed, but I don't know if what I'm doing is the "right" way of doing things
I would increase the amount of food you give to handfuls of something like alfalfa pellets so she spends more time chewing. If she starts getting too excited, just walk out of the arena or stall for a few minutes and return when she has calmed. Keep the behaviours you ask for short and simple and reward after each attempt so as to keep her satiated so she is more calm. The main thing though is to start off working wherever she’s most comfortable and where you can easily exit and give her a few minutes if she gets too arousrd
@@Milestone-Equestrian Thank you for the response! I will try that with her 😁 Would handfuls of alfalfa treats work too? They’re bigger pieces but they’re low sugar (or at least branded that way lol)
That's why I don't like using a bunch of treats when training. Horses tend to get pushy and more interested in the food than you. I like to use scratches or rest.
@@horsecalledpokey4623 If they get pushy from how you use treats, you aren’t using them properly as it means you’re reinforcing pushy behaviours. The first step to using food is specifically teaching them the rules of the game and how to receive it, and that requires manners.
This was such an interesting video!! I’m really looking forward to the next ones in this series :D Just a question, are there cases where horses rush when jumping because they’re excited/like their job, or would you say that most of it comes down to stress? And how can you tell the difference between if they’re stressed when jumping, or when they’re having fun?
I would say most of it comes down to stress. Especially when you consider how horses are taught to jump, there isn’t really any inherent reward to seek and there’s usually a lot of pressure involved. In cases where it is out of sheer enjoyment, you wouldn’t see the same signs of super high head, tossing and trying to evade the bit and wide eyes showing the whites. It also wouldn’t be likely to be to every single fence in the same way a true rushing issue is.
@@robyynclark Working with them on the ground first when introducing poles, then jumps is a good way to instil confidence as it’s easier to reward them and they can also follow you over initially if they are nervous. From there, under saddle I would recommend a main focus on flatwork and getting relaxation there and then on jump days, slowly build so as to not throw too much at them too soon and be mindful of where they get nervous and stressed and don’t push for more if they’re struggling at a certain level
Hi Shelby, My horse has chronic pain face. She has a peak above the eye and tense chin. She’s been vetted over and over and she’s okay, she’s been treated for ulcers and had her saddle fitted. I’ve been told I’m “too concerned” about her, and that she looks fine. I’ve tried her bitless, bitted... everything, but she just looks pained, and a lot of times she just gets stuck and seems like she’s disassociating when she’s around me, and won’t target for a treat or get out of her airplane ear mode to do anything.
If your only tool is a hammer, you'll see every problem as a nail. Context is so so so important. People at my barn only use dominance and punishments like smacking and yanking to "correct" a horse. I wonder why there's so much protest behaviour in almost every lesson horse, and none of them look like they enjoy their work...
My mare teeth grinds while I do up her girth, walk by her stall with treats, take another horse out, and whenever I feed. Any advice? She's never "mean" or "marish", she's a real sweetheart. She just really likes food and loves her friends. She has full access to her stallmate and neighbors, and she gets turn outs 3-4xs a week with other horses. She eats 3xs a day and is on an ulcer supplement, and she got her teeth done last year so it's not pain I assume.
@@Milestone-Equestrian I'll look into scoping her again, she got scoped last year and had no ulcers, but has been on precautionary ulcer supplements anyways. She is insulin resistant, so she does have a very strict diet. Thank you so much for the advice!! It'll be a pain to scope her again, but It's all worth it to help her :)
@@Milestone-Equestrian I feel horrible that she keeps getting them, shes really such a sweetheart and she doesnt deserve any stress at all. Thank you so much for the help!!
A friendly reminder that this video isn’t to shame anyone or push people to bully others about having stressed horses. Stress is a normal part of life for any animal, my bone to pick with how riders are taught in the horse world has to do with the fact that people will misinterpret stress behaviours and blame them on other factors which can often result in horses being punished for reactions to long term stress. Stress isn’t an issue if you’re looking to work through it and reduce it rather than put a bandaid over it.
One thing I can promise you is that being mindful of subtle stress behaviours and working to de-escalate stress will help you stay safer as a horse person and avoid dangerous situations.
Finally someone wants to talk about horses rushing fences. You see it all the time on Instagram. It is so incredibly dangerous yet people are like “omg they just love their job so much!!”. You see it in barrel horses too. They’ll be rearing in the ally and people claim they’re just so excited to run. It’s really unfortunate to the horses who show clear signs of stress and we write them off as enjoyment.
I wonder if it has something to do with adrenaline, too. 🤔 I believe galloping releases adrenaline in horses. I wonder if there’s a difference between the stress Shelby talks about and adrenaline from the speed.
@@tieganjohnson3818 you can totally tell when it’s stress as explained in the video. The face shows so much tension itself, along with body language.
Ya I take lots of videos of myself so I can watch my horses working and make sure they are truly enjoying their job my one horse River loves jumping and will occasionally rush fences so I took a video to watch her face and body language so I can see what she looks like so basically what I saw in her was
Eyes soft you can’t see the white of her eye
Jaw slightly tight not to tight so I’m not sure what that means
Lips loose (flopping all over her face like useless jelly)
Neck not up in the air but slightly elevated
Ears forward
Eyes locked on the jump
I think this all means she has a small amount of anxiety going to the jump but she was horrificly abused before I got her so I’m not sure if she’s holding in tension from past abuse or if she has some sort of anxiety in the ring cause you can see that slightly tight jaw when she’s on the flat so I’m not sure if it’s jumping related now I’ve seen some horses rush jumps VERY aggressively and that’s just sad that the owners are saying that the horse is enjoying his job when they rush like that
@@No-uq5jt - So happy to hear that you care about your horse's happiness/ comfort level. No one can ever be perfect, so the fact that you're questioning & trying to learn more shows that you are a more evolved, horse centric owner. Keep up the good work & keep learning. Yay you!
I agree that it is a good thing to look at in detail and discuss. You see so many high headed ow backed horses that are rushing and and there are a lot of people that may not understand and think that this is what the trainers want so that the horse is up in energy and really fast to get over the jumps and through the course with a good Time. But when you break down the horses body and the riders body in terms of bio mechanics, you see a lot of unhealthy incorrect riding and horses that are under developed in areas that they need to be mor but when you break down the horses body and the riders body in terms of bio mechanics, you see a lot of unhealthy incorrect writing and horses that are under developed in areas that Should be stronger and more developed and then you see over developed muscles in areas that should be less developed and supple. I really noticed a lot of riders with a driving seat and a gripping leg and hands that are Holding or even pulling and the horse is just running through them and rushing because of conflicting aids and the rider is driving with the seat and squeezing with the legs to stay on and balanced and you see the horses head and neck really high with a hollow back and A really tense expression and muscles and then the horse gets a big release from the riders hands with the crest release when the horse is in the bascule going over the jump. For a lot of these horses, it becomes a learned behavior to rush because the rider gives that big release with the hands for the crest release after the horse was going with the high head and neck and rushing at the jump. It’s all in the details of learning theory with horses.
Your cat is clearly fascinated by this discussion of horse behavior. :)
The start of 2019 my old mare had a really bad colic that we almost lost her to. One of the only reasons I noticed something was wrong that day was the fact that she was continuingly doing the phlegmon response (very rare occurrence for her). I definitely think one of the only reasons she made it was because we caught it early. It's soooo important to pay attention to your horses behavior, could literally save their life. 👏
You literally helped to save your mare's life because you spent a little extra time with her to learn her habits and took time to understand her. That's absolutely amazing and thank you for being such an awesome owner!
Thank you so much for your generosity in sharing such excellent information. As a lifelong horsewoman, starting at age 9, I delight in continuing my lifelong learning for my horses as I approach my 70th birthday 💗
Good for you.
I like how you emphasize that you do need to take in the whole picture and that there are exceptions to every "rule" or individual feature. The biggest standout for me was what you called the "whale eye" which I call a bug eye on my guy. He will be standing in his turnout and crane his head around to look at me and I see the tiniest bit of the white of his eye with the derpiest look on his face. He is also *very* expressive when he is uncomfortable and makes it very easy to tell when something bothers him, which is definitely something I appreciate.
One of my favourite things to do is hanging out and watching horses in their natural environment being horses. I've learnt so much about them from just watching. It's easy to see the different personalities and behaviours. I love listening to animals. I've always felt that they're underestimated by humans. They all think and feel and the relationships we can have when we watch and learn is so much better than the very one-sided relationships we used to have..
I’ve been around horses all my life but never had a lot of this basic behavior explained and made easy to understand. Thank you ❤the work you are doing is so important!
It's very frustrating me that I'm terrible at teaching inexperienced people how to understand horses. Especially the young girls that I let brush my horse but they want to lead him and do things with him with his halter and lead on. They don't understand that they could get hurt if they don't listen to him. Especially if he gets playful, doesn't have enough trust in them to do what they ask, a mare in season enters the picture or he gets challenged by another stallion. While he is very safe for someone with the experience to understand him he's not at all safe if they don't. I think I'll send this series to those two girls. It will help them a lot with their own horses. You are so much better at explaining how to understand a horse than I am.
Absolutely loved this, have been riding a while and this was an awesome way to continue to further my knowledge
I agree. I have been riding for 5 years.
I am currently on an equine/animal management course, and I will definitely be looking out for these behaviours! The horses I work with (in groundwork, it is not a riding course) are turned out 24/7, and I love to sit and watch them.
Although, I do see a lot of anxiety/stress in that herd at the moment, the deep mud the fields are right now is way too slippy (as well as a hazard) for them. The herd is still kept out, but in an area of the yard that has firmer ground (almost like a very large stall, almost, which they usually have access to while out in fields, it has access to an unsheltered outside bit as well, which I've noticed the lower two of the "herd hierarchy" prefer) which is smaller than they're used to.
There is usually 3-5 horses in that area - It is big enough luckily. The younger two tend to be let out into their own little space for a bit, as they get a bit too "fighty" with the sort of lead mare in the hierarchy and take it out on the lower two. I'm glad the space is big enough for them to comfortably move around each other and have their own little "space bubble" though.
I can't wait for them to be let out into the field again once it stops being a swamp. They're so much happier, more relaxed and in their natural state. Horses should not be locked up for extended periods in stalls.
(Sorry if this was a bit of a ramble, I'm quite passionate about this 😅)
Love when people don’t speak out of their asses 😂. Great video! Thank you 🙏🏻
Thank you! This is sooo important to understanding horses. How they can figure out the human's foriegn language,and still do as we ask,is amazing!!!
Once I heard someone saying that tail swooshing is a sign of happiness (because if dogs wag their tail, it must be the same for horses, right?) 💀
The only time that would remotely be applicable is with foals because while they’re learning about life they do wag their tails lol
If only lmao
Have had people say this to me too
I recently moved both my mares to my friend's 6 acres farm from a boarding place I had them both at. The boarding barn was great, they lived outside with shelters and large paddocks, but they didn't have an opportunity to get turn out in a large space with a herd. Now that they've been at my friend's place and in with her herd of 14 during the day and in their walk-out stalls at night, they've been even more happy. I completely agree with you about management practices and wish people didn't discount how important it is to consider how we can improve horses' management situation to have happier, healthier and more willing equine partners.
It's Never a problem horse. It's always a problem human. (And yes, many have hang ups from past treatment or abuse, but still a human problem)
People want to humanize every single animal out there. As in 'oh my horse just gets a bad attitude when blah blah..' Or ' stop it! You're being such a grump!'
No. They're being a Horse. They don't have human emotions or characteristics. We just project Our emotions on Them!
Its the same with dogs, cats, elephants, lions in the wild. They are Animals, not Humans, so start looking at them as the animal they are. Then work with them accordingly.
Anyway, I am not directing this at you as you obviously know this. And this is an EXcellent teaching lesson ! I hope more and more horse owners come around to comprehending horses behavior!
This was SUCH a great video Shelby! The picture at 17:50 is so adorable, Banksy and Pogo are literally spooning 😂
This was so educational and informative. Thank you for sharing your knowledge so openly. Can't wait for more!!
Seeing Banksy lying with his head in your lap almost moves me to tears - it's the ultimate trust of a flight animal. And seeing those cruel bits and tight flashes makes me feel sick. People just don't care.
Bits are not cruel, the people improperly using them is. It is the same as saying that the hammer hit my finger.
@haleyandgrandpa5250 Calling specific bits cruel is not the same as calling bits in general cruel. A choke chain on a dog doesn't have to be used harshly, but it's such an unnecessarily harsh piece of a equipment to begin with that we consider it cruel. Some bits are the same way. If you go out of your way to use harsher tools knowing that one wrong move will cause your horse a significant amount of pain that is cruel whether you're intentionally trying to cause them pain or not.
You are very good about the behavior of the horse
that they are sentient and sensitive animals who
deserve love and respect.
Thank you for this video. Very well done. So appalled at the Andy Kocher "tack". All that cruelware, and his throat-latch was ridiculously tight, too. Marilyn Little continues to win, which saddens me no end. Horses are such stoic, forgiving creatures. Many don't deserve them.
This really helped me see horses in a whole different light. Thank you! I haven’t been around a horse in many years and I’m getting ready to volunteer at a horse therapy center. I’m glad I watched this. I’m going to watch it again!
I'm glad I found this video. I thought I knew almost everything about horses' facial expression, but I learned lot.
Thank you, great info to have.
How do I like a video more than once??? This is so important for anyone in the equine industry. Kudos
Make more RUclips accounts!
This was a fantastic, educational video. Thank you!
I like that you use yourself in both good and negative examples. Thanks!
My personal horse is my black arabian stallion. He is very good at communicating and will insist on getting my attention if he has something to say. His favorite method of getting my attention is to cross the front leg furthest from me across the closer one and lightly tap my leg with his hoof the way a friend might tap your shoulder with a finger in order to get your attention. Once he has my full attention he will show me what he wants me to pay attention to. He has a lot of personality which is one of the things I love most about him. He lives outside with a good shelter because he hates being in a boring stall. He's very unhappy unless his shelter has a small window so he can look out.
Thank you for this video!! I dmed you about me being confused about my horses behavior and you helped me so much!! I though horses were dominate based for sooooo long and you helped me learn that is not a case
All your information is fantastic, thank you. It's a great help with understanding a horse. I believe all animals communicate with us, we just miss it because we are not aware and don't bother to find out or read their language.
i am a massive fan of yours, i watch your tiktok vids and just discovered your yt while researching on body language. this helped me SO much!! thank you for your awesome content
This was an amazing video to put out! Thank you so much for trying to reach a broader spectrum of horse people with this vital information. It will never cease to amaze me how truly little equestrians know about basic horse stress and calming signals. This includes upper level riders who don’t know jack shit about their horses emotions or how to read them. I know how to recognize stress signals and it’s super helpful! Of course there’s still the horses like my gelding who will be doing a +R session and still have a faint wrinkle to his eye. It also depends on the horse and even horses in a perfect life still get those signals occasionally!
Yes! Some horses are also just more expressive than others or sensitive. Milo will tell me every little thing he dislikes, even if it’s just a minor inconvenience. This is why I think behaviour needs to be understood more mainstream as people will claim it’s their horses’ quirks for very high level stress behaviours rather than moderate stressors within context (ie: Milo wrinkling his nostrils because his wet tail brushed his hind leg)
This video so informative and important. I think a horses expression is frequently over looked or disregarded. I wish it wasn’t as it can really can give significant clues as to what is happening with them. Thanks so much for your insight and sharing such great content. 💕
I just wanted to say that i loved this! it was really informative and it didn't make me feel judged or criticised. Your content is so helpful as i'm looking to learn more and better understand the horses in my life so that i can give them better care. i have recently started to develop my interest in equine behaviour and i'm trying to learn as much as i can in the position that i'm in, you've been a huge inspiration. Thank you so much!
Have to pause and acknowledge George ❤️❤️
Thank you that was very insightful
I don't have horses nor do I ride but learning about them is fascinating to me. This is an amazing video! Thank you.
For me the facial expressions horses make is so clear. I don’t even need to think/cognize that the shapes their face is making = pain, when I see the pain face I just feel a deep discomfort. The fact that there are professionals who can overlook the clear communication of pain from their animals is extremely upsetting
I love this so much :) I just got a TB who used to do polo. She is a really nervous, sensitive horse. She tends to go more into flight mode than aggressive mode. I took photos of her yesterday and she was "posing". It brought me back to this article shared on facebook where statues and painting of horses all look scared and nervous but that was people thought of "beautiful horses".
Excellent video! Very educational. 👍
Thank you so much. The equestrian world need this.
Yesss!! Love this so much. I've bought a couple of Equine Behaviour books (Paul McGreevey, Emma Lethbridge, and Rachael Draaisma) and am so excited to sink my teeth into them. I've been a horse person since I was 4 (I'm now 25) and was very much taught how to deal with horses through traditional training methods. I've been moving organically away from those methods over the last few years, but am currently doing my best to learn as much as I can about equine behaviour and positive reinforcement so that I can treat the horses that I'm currently working with more fairly but also for when it comes time to start my colt (who's a few weeks younger than Banksy - born June 7th, 2019). Thanks for this and I look forward to part 2!
Thank you for this video Shelby! It's extremely helpful to have a video to give some guidance on learning to recognize pain and anxiety. It's definitely going to help me be able to understand some of the written and illustrated resources I'm using
I love how you talk about the eye, I really think that the eye can tell you a lot about how the horse is feeling, but I did not know about the other aspects you were talking about. I love your videos so much, and your podcast is awesome!
As someone who doesn’t really ride but wants to work (on the ground, lol) with thoroughbred racehorses, this kind of video is super helpful and important, I am excited to apply the knowledge I have taken away from this :)
I appreciate the conversation. There are many 'experts' out there, and some do not know as much as they preach that they do.
I find eyes very expressive and while I would not say I'm great at it overall I have been able to read a horse's mood well and step back to try and find the route cause.
I see this lack of knowledge accross many species even dogs which should be well known. Your point about the ears reminds me of how people think of a dog wagging its tail.
I recognised some of these in my mare so she’s now undergoing vet treatment for ulcers and bone narrowing in her fetlock joint! Horses aren’t naughty for reasons I always believe Theres always something else going on!
This really helped me! Iv been riding for 4/5 years I was taught a lot on how to ride and not much on their behaviours or how to care or tack up. I find this insanely helpful! I love to educate myself on things especially what I love doing. Could you do more like these! More basic equestrian subjects it would help us loads! Thank you so much!!💕💕
Excellent video.
just sold my horse so i’m a bit sad right now, but i plan on getting another one in a few months and it’s only halter broke so it’ll be a journey. Hopefully this will help me in the next chapter
More of these please. I am looking at my horse in a completely new way. 😁 Thank you.
Thanks Shelby! This is something that I am working on with the horse I ride. I noticed a while back she was yawning repeatedly after schooling. And overly "girthy" prior to a ride. I've been very concerned about her obvious stress, and have been observing her closely and modifying my behavior/the situation/etc. Clearly, being ridden is causing discomfort so I am now on it! This helps a lot, especially regarding stacking stressors. Looking forward to more!! ✌🐎
I don't ride but it's my dream to have a horse and I'm looking forward to part 2.
Stalled :
My appy mare : Put the food in the bucket and back away, ground monkey
My haffie gelding : i love you ground monkey gimme cookie gimme cookie i love cookie
Riding:
Mare : MUST we? Fine. Faster? Fine. No, not through the puddle we are not savages. Look at me. I am SO PRETTY. Look at my tail. Look at it. Is it not lovely?
Gelding : doo deet doo da doo dee doot walkin walkin walkin walkin pogo trot pogo trot walkin walkin mmmmgrass
This is the cutest thing on the internet. Disagree? I think not.
"Ground monkey" 🤣
Awesome video! I will be sharing with my best friend who is only recently learning horses, I think this will help her a ton learning how to read my kids (she's not around any other horses) she always asks me how I know how my horses are feeling etc and thinks because I can read them, it's because they're mine and I just know them. This will teach her how I do it!!!! As far as behaviors yeah I know them like the back of my hand :0)
I watch your channel since many years now and I appreciate your evolution, the contents are more and more educational and this is absolutely great ! You have learned from your own mistakes and you are so honest and I love the way you treat your horses. Thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge so that as many horse lovers as possible can learn from yours and be a better person for their horse. Looking forwards part 2.
I have looked for a video like this for YEARS! Thank you! Are you available for questions? I volunteer for a nom profit so use equine therapy. I want to learn so much but have questions. I will watch Every video you have! Are there online classes I can take to learn? You're a great teacher! THANK YOU!❤
Hi, I have a Patreon with tutorials and where I also do monthly Q&As.
patreon.com/sdequus
Thanks!
Shelby, thank you for putting out this information. I am so interested in horses in every aspect and this is the most important in my opinion and want to learn more. Thanks to you I have learned more from your podcasts and these videos. I get to see differences in many horses, I have three horses in a pasture they have two horses next to their pasture and cows behind ( one day I would like them in a bigger herd and pasture). I also work at a lesson hunter barn where the horses are stalled the vast majority of the day and ridden pretty much everyday. I see pretty much all of the stress behaviors you explained in this video, I try my best to get the horses that I can out to the sand paddocks (the only outside space and at night in one of the sand arenas). I see many differences between my horses and the horses at my work. I personally will never allow my horses to live in an environment like the horses at my work. I actually drive 30 min away to see mine where as my work is a few minutes. One of the trainers horses is a cribber and someone asked about it (with the horse in his stall) and the trainer said that study’s have found it to be genetic. He is a appendix cross.
Great video, as usual.
Love your headboard!❤
I wish you'd been releasing this type of content (and that I'd found you) while I was studying horse to become a groom. This had surely made my interest for behavioural studies increased. But, I'm glad I can watch your videos these days when I ain't currently actively working with horses.
What an excellent video . Love this young girl who has passion, insight and a wealth of experience /expertise .
As always, Shelby Dennis, another very informative video. Can't wait for *Part 2*!! Many Blessings and Thank you again. Hoping you and your family all continue to Stay Safe!! Wishing you and Everyone well until we meet again!! Best Regards from Ontario, Canada, Jenn. 💖💖🇨🇦
Thank you so much for creating this video, I've been looking around for months for a video such as this and I'm very thankful to have found your channel! Almost of the information I have on equine behavior has been learned hands-on due to lack of being able to find affordable courses or even videos/documents/literature on this topic. So thank you!
Love your stuff! but just wondering if you dismiss tail swishing over fences as the same sign of discomfort as anywhere else because you are a jumper? Many people argue that horses do not like to jump and landing the weight of the rider, saddle, and horse on one fetlock when landing can be pretty severe use of that joint, as many photos will show, where the fetlock touches the ground from overflexion of the joints in the foot due to the impact, depending on how high the jump was. -- Love the 1 year balloon!!! You are a great role model for having fun with your horses and your baby is turning out great!
So, from what I've seen so far is that a relaxed/comfortable horse has a "flat" face while an uncomfortable horse has a very flexed/toned face. You can see the muscles in a stressed horse's face. I hope I got thay right...
Thank you for the video, Shelby! This is the sort of information I wish I had access to when I was younger but I know I can do better in future with this knowledge :)
I know a horse who does the flehmen response every time she colics. Now it makes me so uncomfortable when horses do this. While other people are laughing, I am panicking trying to figure out if the horse is in pain or not.
Yay! Thank you! I’ve been waiting for a video on this topic!
Very interesting! I'd love more videos on topics like this or other aspects or your horsey-education.
Also: lovely/bittersweet to see George again, he was so precious.
Love love love this video! It really puts horse behaviors and how they show us they are unhappy or in pain into perspective. The horse I ride (is green) and rushes to and from jumps/poles and like you said its a sign of stress! Instead of just letting it happen everyone needs to take the time to understand and work on their horse specfics triggers and ways that they show you they are not enjoying whats happening, and they might just mean taking more time on the flat or introducing supplements, when needed. Thank you again!!!
really looking forward to the next video it's interesting and helpful-thank you
Thank you for the video. I have been researching more on horse behaviors. I come from a barn that teaches traditional riding. It always felt when wrong whipping or spurring the horse. So, I want to change how I interact with my horse. Anyways, do you recommend anyone else I can get information from? I know The Willing Equine and JETequitheory. Anyways, thank you.
I was wondering if you could do one on positive reinforcement. There’s not many good videos on how to start and what to use. Even the type of treats to use that are healthy.
Another fantastic video Shelby! I always feel like I can walk away with so much knowledge and get exited to spend time with my horses and work on everything you mention!
BEST VIDEO! Im really looking forward to the next part of the series. I have learned so much from you, and have changed my ways of teaching due to your explanation of your methods. Thank you for taking the time to explain how to spot these signs, i really do appreciate it
This is awesome and very informative, thank you so much Shelby!
i love these kimd of vids
their aducational and helpful for everyone no matter what ur level is
This is such a great video!
This is an awesome Channel thank you very much I really enjoyed it
Great video!
There’s something I would love to improve with my horse! He always put his ears flat on his head but the thing is that 2 second later he goes back to ears way up! Then again. He act like he is mad but than wants cuddle if I move and than I try to brush him he tries to kick! I don’t understand
I have a similar issue with my horse. He is super sweet normally but as soon as I try and groom he throws his head and backs up in the cross ties. I just bought him so it's been hard finding solutions since we don't know about his past
@@emmavt24 Teach him to ground tie. It will take a bit of patience, but it will help grow your bond with him. I bought a young thoroughbred who's history I also didn't know. It became obvious really quick that he didn't trust me in confined spaces such as his stall and on cross ties in the aisle way. He would get nasty and kick at me, or go up and break the ties. So I started doing lots of ground work and took my brush box to the arena instead. Just throw a halter on him with a lead, whenever he moves away, calmly place him back where you had him. Stay consistent and make sure to reward him for standing still by taking the pressure off every now and then just letting him stand without any stimulation. There's a really good book I read by a British trainer named Kelly Marks, it's called Perfect Manners, How you should behave so your horse does too. It has great detailed information on all kinds of ground work exercises you can do to build that bond. Don't worry, you're doing great by trying to understand him, he will get better once he learns what to expect from you. That's the hard thing about a new horse with an uncertain history, they can't tell us so it's up to us to figure out what works for them. Good Luck! Enjoy your new boy!❤
If a horse has gastric ulcers, it will often express the pain that the ulcers are causing by flattening ears while being brushed or being girthed. Ulcers are fairly common but respond well to treatment. A horse’s temperament can change completely and for the better after successful ulcer treatment.
Yeeess i'm so exited i needed a video like this
Love this! Thank you!
Thank you!!! That was great!
Very good video !! 🙌, please do a video debunking Mare-ish behaviour !!!??
I have a gelding that cribs, the previous owner partly sold him to us because I was at a place where i'd have my horses (him and my mare) out in the fields in the summer (paddock in the winter) even tho they were both considered pretty expensive
I have eight horses n ponies three of which are easy worth OVER 10k each yet all get treated as horses and get the same turnout etc as my 0$ rescue mare does or the pony n mini we rescued
.. horses are horses no matter their price tag. Glad that the previous owner seems to have the same opinion....
Ummmmm ùui
This is such a helpful video 🤩 thank you
One of the horses at my barn, he’s a real softie and doesn’t mind a good scratch but always pins his ears.
The people there say he just pulls faces and won’t hurt you. He’s actually pretty good apart from that.
Also, there’s this flea bitten Arab x that I ride and he throws a little tantrum when you do up his girth. (I’m watching about that part now.)
Please reply...
My gelding looked like the black horse in 8:41 with sand colic. At the beginning this was the only sign that something wasn´t right. 2 hours later he began to show all the colic signs. Sometimes it is a hidden injury or emotional pain or muscle soreness. So, a pain face must be investigated! Ask your horse what is wrong.
I know this is going to sound odd but I have an OTTB that has never pinned her ears. I’ve never had a horse or seen a horse that at least didn’t pin its ears at least occasionally...either In the pasture or under saddle… Etc.
She is a 16.3 hand, chestnut mare that raced until she was 8 1/2 years old. She has a really lovely personality and gets along well with people and other horses. I just think it’s the funniest thing that I’ve never seen her pin her ears… and I’m with her a lot. I spend a lot of time at the barn, so you would think I would’ve seen it at least once. I sometimes wonder if she even can pin those big beautiful ears...who knows.
Loved this!
That one pic of Milo looks like he is smirking
This could help a lot for me, next time I’m in my riding lesson I could try and read their body language because it’ll help me know more about how that horse acts and it’ll help me improve my riding if I’m being a little too harsh with my signals on a sensitive horse. ( Although normally when we’re on more sensitive horses, our instructor tells us )
Also my god the amount of times that the lesson horses I ride swivel their ears and turned them back, I just think, ‘What if their mad-‘ but then I remember that I’m literally TALKING to them so their trying to hear what tf I’m doing lol
When is part 2 coming out?
In the last couple of years I have noticed a lot less tail swishing in the dressage ring. I attributed it to better training methods.
Would you have any tips for a mare that gets anxious quickly with R+? My mare is a very quick learner, especially when food is involved, but after 5 or so minutes with anything involving treats she gets a stressed expression (mostly in her eyes), nickers, paws, and tries to mug me even if I only reward her for standing calmly with her head forward and away from me. I've been trying to keep our sessions as short as possible so I stop BEFORE she gets stressed, but I don't know if what I'm doing is the "right" way of doing things
I would increase the amount of food you give to handfuls of something like alfalfa pellets so she spends more time chewing. If she starts getting too excited, just walk out of the arena or stall for a few minutes and return when she has calmed. Keep the behaviours you ask for short and simple and reward after each attempt so as to keep her satiated so she is more calm. The main thing though is to start off working wherever she’s most comfortable and where you can easily exit and give her a few minutes if she gets too arousrd
@@Milestone-Equestrian Thank you for the response! I will try that with her 😁 Would handfuls of alfalfa treats work too? They’re bigger pieces but they’re low sugar (or at least branded that way lol)
@@whywillow yes, so long as they don’t need to be soaked/ your horse isn’t prone to choke if they’re bigger!
That's why I don't like using a bunch of treats when training. Horses tend to get pushy and more interested in the food than you. I like to use scratches or rest.
@@horsecalledpokey4623 If they get pushy from how you use treats, you aren’t using them properly as it means you’re reinforcing pushy behaviours. The first step to using food is specifically teaching them the rules of the game and how to receive it, and that requires manners.
This was such an interesting video!! I’m really looking forward to the next ones in this series :D
Just a question, are there cases where horses rush when jumping because they’re excited/like their job, or would you say that most of it comes down to stress? And how can you tell the difference between if they’re stressed when jumping, or when they’re having fun?
I would say most of it comes down to stress. Especially when you consider how horses are taught to jump, there isn’t really any inherent reward to seek and there’s usually a lot of pressure involved.
In cases where it is out of sheer enjoyment, you wouldn’t see the same signs of super high head, tossing and trying to evade the bit and wide eyes showing the whites. It also wouldn’t be likely to be to every single fence in the same way a true rushing issue is.
@@Milestone-Equestrian Oh okay! That makes sense. Thanks for responding! :D
@@Milestone-Equestrian I also thought of something else, how do you make jumping less stressful for a horse?
@@robyynclark Working with them on the ground first when introducing poles, then jumps is a good way to instil confidence as it’s easier to reward them and they can also follow you over initially if they are nervous. From there, under saddle I would recommend a main focus on flatwork and getting relaxation there and then on jump days, slowly build so as to not throw too much at them too soon and be mindful of where they get nervous and stressed and don’t push for more if they’re struggling at a certain level
@@Milestone-Equestrian I see! Thank you! :)
Can you make a video about the different horse breed
Hi Shelby,
My horse has chronic pain face. She has a peak above the eye and tense chin. She’s been vetted over and over and she’s okay, she’s been treated for ulcers and had her saddle fitted. I’ve been told I’m “too concerned” about her, and that she looks fine. I’ve tried her bitless, bitted... everything, but she just looks pained, and a lot of times she just gets stuck and seems like she’s disassociating when she’s around me, and won’t target for a treat or get out of her airplane ear mode to do anything.
Can you do a video on how to generally build relaxation/how to fix some of these stress behaviors?
I should mention, she lives outside in turn out full time with her friends.
If your only tool is a hammer, you'll see every problem as a nail. Context is so so so important. People at my barn only use dominance and punishments like smacking and yanking to "correct" a horse. I wonder why there's so much protest behaviour in almost every lesson horse, and none of them look like they enjoy their work...
My mare teeth grinds while I do up her girth, walk by her stall with treats, take another horse out, and whenever I feed. Any advice? She's never "mean" or "marish", she's a real sweetheart. She just really likes food and loves her friends. She has full access to her stallmate and neighbors, and she gets turn outs 3-4xs a week with other horses. She eats 3xs a day and is on an ulcer supplement, and she got her teeth done last year so it's not pain I assume.
This could be due to ulcers so it may be worth scoping her as unfortunately supplements just prevent rather than treat.
@@Milestone-Equestrian I'll look into scoping her again, she got scoped last year and had no ulcers, but has been on precautionary ulcer supplements anyways. She is insulin resistant, so she does have a very strict diet. Thank you so much for the advice!! It'll be a pain to scope her again, but It's all worth it to help her :)
@@arrow21OG ulcers are such a crap shoot since they can develop so quickly , such a pain. Milo got severe ones following 1 stressful trail ride 😩
@@Milestone-Equestrian I feel horrible that she keeps getting them, shes really such a sweetheart and she doesnt deserve any stress at all. Thank you so much for the help!!
@@arrow21OG I understand their struggle because I, too, would give myself an ulcer from my anxiety 😂