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Horse Behavior and Training

Is rolling ALWAYS a positive signal ?

By:

Lucie (france)

Date:

2016-May-25 at 09:56AM

Hey everyone, this morning I was working with Dayka (we're back to standing still at the mouting block... again), neighbors got there to work on their field with a handheld brush cutter and a bigger tractor one (sorry I don't know the English words).
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I was about to finish when they started but I thought it'd be a great opportunity for Dayka to learn she can do that exercise with noise around her as well. She was definitely more tense but she did a great job so I decided to stop there and go have a chat with the lady while they were working (as I've mentionned in other topics Dayka is very spooky when it comes to this types of sounds).
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A bit of spookiness at first, a couple of "outbursts" but since the lady and I were staying cool chatting, she relaxed, started grazing and after sniffing around for a while went down to roll.
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My question may seem obvious, but is it always a good signal from the horse when she rolls ? I couldn't allow it to happen, i made her get back up because she had all of her tack and I don't want her to learn it's ok to roll when on a rope (for security reasons later when we're out on the trail).
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As I understand it, rolling comes when the horse is relaxed, feeling comfortable and safe right ? (that's why I wanted to describe what happen prior to the rolling, a lot of stress, then release, then roll).
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Thanks :)

bahila73 2016-May-25 at 08:33PM

Hi Lucie, your descriptive words were right on about the brush cutting and the tractor. Your understanding about a horse rolling only when it feels safe and relaxed, I believe is right on also. So that`s a good thing when you examine what you are trying to accomplish with Dayka. with mounting block
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.I assume that you had a saddle on him also when he attempted to roll, that`s not good. You were right to get him back up. Then stroke him warmly.
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.Keep up the great work.
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All the best Bud

Mel - Ramsgate UK 2016-May-26 at 12:46AM

Hi Lucie, yes it sounded like a relaxed roll. Other reasons they might want to is they have an itch that they just cant reach other than rolling or as in one case I recently worked with, he was allowed to have free time in the riding school to roll about, when i took him off the lead rope he went straight down into not just one role but 5. When I asked him to get up he jumped up in a big strop stamping his feet then a big warning buck at me, but I sent him forwards and join up proceeded. Habits can be formed when a horse is allowed to just roll when in a head collar or on a lead rope. So in your asking him to stop rolling and stand was good work, whatever we teach the horse it will learn bad habits too :)
Well done!
Mel
x

Lucie (france) 2016-May-26 at 06:07AM

Thank you both, this confirms I am still a bit off when reading her stress levels, the rolls completely took me by surprise.

vicci - UK (North Wales) 2016-May-26 at 04:18PM

I agree :-)

dionne4210 - Denmark. 2016-Jun-01 at 06:43PM

Constant rolling also is a sign of a large parasite attack as I found out last year with my miniature Mammuth, we very nearly lost him.
He rolled around many times before excreting a large ball of worms which were alive.
So now I'm wary about the rolling.

Dionne