I know some of you know of Pye our dangerous rescue, we've had him for 2 1/2 years now and from being very dangerous and physical problems a damaged back. He's now working along with me with the herd exercise times. As my ponies are all too small for me to ride, they get herded now and then to break boredom and get some hard exercise. Normally I'll have a rope and swing it around to generate energy and we go charging around the field.
Last week, I communicate to Pye to work along with me to herd the others and ... he did. As I ran and asked the herd to move, he ran right next to me enforcing my requests. I turned and he turned with me. I stopped and so did he. I wished i'd got it on camera but was on my own as usual lol. The energy was amazing and had it not been I ran out of energy lol, we'd have carried on more. He has gone from one dangerous horse to a willing partner and I'm so pleased I rescued him :D
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Horse Behavior and Training
Pye a willing partner....
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Hi Mel,
What a great achiefment, having worked with Pye in such a way, that he now is your partner and seems to have as much fun as you do! Could you ride him? Next time you could do some "horse"-reining from his back...
Keep the good work going!
Miriam
Hi Mel , What you have describe here, I believe, is the essence of horsemanship {partaking in an active partnership with a horse while completing a task}. The journey traveled to accomplish that achievement is even more noteworthy. Good for you. I`m very new to this forum, but feel like I know you all. I believe that this is because of the active sharing that you all do with your insights of the horse behavior world. I thank you all for your comments and efforts for making the world a better place for our beloved horses. Bud
Hi Mel , What you have describe here, I believe, is the essence of horsemanship {partaking in an active partnership with a horse while completing a task}. The journey traveled to accomplish that achievement is even more noteworthy. Good for you. I`m very new to this forum, but feel like I know you all. I believe that this is because of the active sharing that you all do with your insights of the horse behavior world. I thank you all for your comments and efforts for making the world a better place for our beloved horses. Bud
Hi Miriam, he's only just started to accept my request to get on his back, so that is the next stage. All bare back to due issues he's had. Lots more fun to come ;)
Thanks Bud, I think we all want to make a difference with our horses and Monty's methods have given us all that chance. Sharing what we learn along the way can only help others :D
Mel
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thought I'd carry on with this thread for Pye.
He's always had a fear of the shelter, even when gentle training he managed to break my finger a couple of years ago for the fear that he had about going inside. So I let it lie, I knew a few things that could have made him like this and I'm happy for him to address it in his time.
A few weeks ago I found out from someone who saw that the owners I got him from had a horse whisperer come to make him submissive. Part of the training he got involved a severe whipping whilst in the stable. No wonder he's still so petrified to go near let alone in.
Today he needed his rug on, but had decided he wasn't going to. Strong winds and heavy rain, I had to insist a bit as we have insufficient shelter. So rather than fight with the rug in the wind, I put it on the bar at the field shelter/stable. Went over and got his head collar on and started to lead him towards the shelter. He stopped dead in his tracks and refused to move. I always let the horses know where I want them to go on the ground too with my head, the same as you would when riding, so just looking at the shelter stopped him. I turned a different direction and off we walked again. I looked at the shelter, he wouldn't have it and stopped dead. Did the change of direction several times and each time it was the same as soon as I looked at the shelter his feet became glued.
So standing there chatting with him, I just told him it's going to rain hard and he needs his rug, that his rug was over at the shelter and I was trying to get him over there out of the wind so it was easier to get on him. - He licked and chewed. I looked at the shelter and asked to come forwards, he took.... 1 step! That'll do :D I then left him there and got his rug went back to him to put it on.
They understand far more that they get credit for!!!
More updates for Pye,
For those who don't know me yet, I like the horse to work somethings out in their own time completely at liberty, if ok to do so. When they find what scares them really has no fear there at all, they take on a completely new confidence which is a joy to watch.
Pye has come through many things over the winter, he's telling us when he wants a rug on and when he doesn't, we offer it to him and he'll shake his head and turn his bottom to us, or he'll drop his head and allow us to put the rug on.
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What we've really been pleased about most is he is now taking himself into the shelter on his own, but no human or horse must be in there. About a month ago I was sitting near him and he gingerly went over to the shelter and stood there looking in, Raisin the filly went past him and started to play with a bin I'd left in there, she likes to bang it :D, he watched her for about 5 minutes then he reached his nose across the threshold and just hung it there, one eye on me all the time. Got it on video so will upload at some point. He did this for about 10 mins, before I had to get on with chores.
A week later I came into the field to find him standing fully in the shelter with his head sticking out. I praised him and started to approach, but he told me to stop and back up which I did. Once I'd backed up he slowly came out of the shelter, did a tongue thank you and walked past me. (A thank you is a short tongue stick out that touches the bottom lip, but doesn't protrude further than the lip.) This is a really big step for Pye.
Today though was vet time and teeth time, I wish I'd had this caught on camera to see what expressions the vet had on his face. Pye hates the vets with a vengeance and is registered as dangerous with them. But teeth have to be done. .
Putting the bit on to open his mouth was alright, starting to rasp was alright then Pye started to get restless, backing up, trying to spin. I was at the side of him so couldn't really see what the vet's expression was nor Pye's, then Pye started to twist his head to my face and I could see his eye expression trying to look for assurance, which was difficult to give from the angle I was in. Then he started to rear and bumping into me at the same time, the vet backed off telling me to be careful, but I didn't feel any aggressive energy from Pye, just him trying to say stop, he's not sure. Then the vet started talking about keep away from his feet he could strike you, I said he doesn't strike out. Then the vet became loud, very loud to the point I would have said was fear as he tried to finish the job, this upset Pye more and he did then rear and strike out tapping me on the shoulder, but again it wasn't aggressive, it was like a gentle tap and he was saying please listen to me. Pye is 13.3 hands to give you a visual. Now the vet was shouting at Pye but he managed to finish off and get the bit off, as soon as the bit was off I asked Pye to back up about 15 steps as you would if a dually had been on and he responded perfectly and halted as soon as I stopped. No aggression, no fight, no flight and relaxed. I think happy to be away from the vet.
Sadly it's only reinforced in Pye's mind that vets are bad and even sadder you do have to have a licences to rasp teeth in the UK so it's not something I can do myself, at this time ;)
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When the vet had gone, I went up to Pye to say well done and he gave a lovely nuzzle to say it's ok before carrying on eating.
Just catching comments about riding him!! He's ready and although I'm a bit too heavy for him but he's become strong in the shoulder and back (when we first got him he had hardly any muscle in the shoulder), when I lean over him as if starting a horse, he doesn't even flinch at my weight and looks round at me as if to say 'well are you getting on'. I've asked him to come to the mounting block several times and he just stands there waiting for me to get on, so it's time to see what happens next, has the bond we've build been enough that he'll not want to buck as he used to with his old owners. It's all going to be bare back and eventually reign free.
Hi Mel
What a wonderful story this is about Pye's taking more and more trust in you!
I'm looking forward to the next posts!
Great progress....
Miriam
Hi Mel, thank you so much for the update on Pye. That`s a great story. We have the same scenario here in Wash, state with the vet regulations on dental work. Our vets usually tranquilize the horse before doing the procedure, however.
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You have come such a long way with your boy and I congratulate on your resolve in trying to remove the memories of his twisted past treatment. I hope that you
feel his gratitude, because you seem to be changing how he looks at the two legged beings in his world.
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I don`t know if you have heard of Carolyn Resnick or not, but she has a program that targets removing the resistance from the horse through a series of exercises that she calls Uberstreichen Exercises. She has been training horses for 60 yrs + using an at liberty platform and has developed these exercises that literally transforms the horse into a soft, pliable partner. These exercises are done at liberty from the ground and usually take about two weeks of 10 min sessions 2-3 times a day. They have worked wonders with my horses to create a softness that is beyond belief.. She has a web site. Go to Uberstreichen exercises-Carolyn Resnick. There is a short video on the procedures done by a young gal in the Carabean. Let me know what you think.
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. Carolyn Resnick, as young girl, interacted with the wild horses of the Southern California desert many years ago and eventually was granted permission to ride the lead mare without tack.
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Again, you are doing a wonderful thing with your horse. Please keep us all updated.
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. All the best Bud
Thank you Miriam.
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Thank Bud, I've heard of Carolyn but not studied her methods yet. I'll have a look as it might be of value for out most recent reacue, tell you more when i can go public with it.
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Mel x
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Pye has taken a step backwards in his training, part of being leader of the bigger herd, part new field since June, that has scary trees around it and part clown sightings, well in Darrell's (my daughters) mind, she alert for clown sightings and has become nervous at the field thinking they'll be out to get her. Not that we've seen any but Social Media has a big influence on a young mind.
Taking Pye into the carrel area to do one on one work, he's become very alter to the point of stressed that something is in the trees. Although we have herd exercise I've only just started getting back to individual exercise to be more specific in what they do. Pye has become nicely desensitized to the lunge whip out in the fields, will even come up and touch it after I've been spinning it around to increase energy as they run around together. Taking the lunge whip in the carrel to guide him like I do in the open spaces completely turned him and he went straight back into a defensive horse ready to attack. My response was throw the whip on the floor and stamp on it, then step back and let him take it in what I'd done. I got licking and chewing, but as soon as I picked the lunge whip up again it was straight back to fight mode and his stress levels were enormous . I threw the whip on the ground again but closer to him, stepped over it and became submissive and calm before him, he touched my head to acknowledge I'm not going to hurt him and we walked side by side to the gate and I let him back to the field.
My plan is to take it slowly, he knows I'm not going to hurt him, but he's been badly hurt with a lunge whip so any input from the forum would be appreciated please. Has anyone come across a horse that knows how to attack humans. He needs one on one exercise as his back is becoming lazy and dropping even with herd exercises it's not enough. Reminder I'm too heavy to ride him and I won't let anyone else ride him as he know how to buck with intent to remove the rider.
Mel
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