Most traumas are not physical

Traumas are definitely not always just physical. No, most of the traumas our horses experience are of a different nature, namely:

• Often moved
• Overwhelmed
• Constant pain
• Stress from a changing herd
• Stress from improper housing
• Low-quality roughage
• Poor quality of the ground.

Just a few possibilities where stress can come from, but the list is much longer.

Feeling safe on the ground

One of our horses had enormous stress from the ground. As soon as it rained for a longer period and the ground became wetter, he started dragging his legs. At first, you might think it is a physical problem, but it is actually a reaction of discomfort. Being unstable makes a horse weaker in the herd and now that the wolf is back in our country, we are more aware that the horse must be able to flee (of course, this has always been the case for the horse).

An unstable ground not only gives an unstable feeling in the body, it also causes stress from a physical perspective to the horse. When a horse has the choice to stand on dry ground, it will certainly do so!

A client of mine had her horse in a place where the whole track was flooded in the autumn and winter. Her horse absolutely did not voluntarily go through it! But imagine; a very wet, slippery track, so no safety and only a small place where there is water and food. This restricts the world of the horse so much that it causes stress. Even though it may seem like the horse is standing there quietly, it is not ideal at all! And you could move the water/food to compel the horse to move, but the horse does not like unsafe ground so maybe you are just increasing the discomfort?

Well, it has rained a lot in the past few months and there is little resistance to so much water, but it also gives a great opportunity to see what needs to change/happen in the housing of your horse.

Make your horse mentally stronger!

Another horse with us is fixed in its knee strap. And when there is no stress, there is no problem. Again, any sensible horse owner would think that such problems come from physical limitations. I did too! And yet these two boys prove the opposite.

By adjusting the ground, the problem with the first horse is solved (as much as possible), the other only shows the knee locking when experiencing stress. We cannot avoid all stress, nor do we have to, but we can help our horses become mentally stronger by doing exercises/training/adjustments. Horses in nature are always up for a good solution - they think of it entirely themselves. We may also be keeping our horses a bit "small" by offering them little chance to come up with solutions themselves. But it is really beautiful to see how your horse grows when you let it choose what will happen. Who doesn't want to be seen/heard!

How do you start training with such horses then?

The first horse is my daughter's and it really has dangerously impulsive behaviors! There have really been a lot of people who think he needs to be "punished"!

And to be honest, I have been one of them, because he seemed to choose to lash out directionally. But after I really looked and empathized with his behavior, I saw more fear than anger. So.... take smaller steps and leave all expectations at the door. He can choose now! If he walks away, that's fine. We wait until he comes back.

Once he realized he had a choice, a lot changed. And, do not take personally what the horse does! Dealing with pressure is very difficult for him. Then he becomes somewhat -dangerous-. We know they have tried to sit on him and that this really did not work at all. Putting on the saddle is not a problem once he is tied up, but he gets nervous. So.... still a sign of stress.

Now he stands loose in the circle while working with the saddle. He can walk away whenever he wants. He finds this a very fun game, walking away ;). He still finds the saddle a bit tricky. And then the saddle itself is not so bad, but the intention or pressure that the saddle represents. He does not walk away when you throw something strange over his back or pet him there. The saddle therefore has a very specific meaning for him.

Finding the balance

He likes being together even more than walking away, so he always comes back immediately. Finding the balance between offering and letting go is now the challenge. He must be allowed to have his opinion to feel better. But, of course, my daughter also wants to eventually go for a ride.

But how do you find that balance? This lies in the small signals. How does the eye remain, and for a gelding, does he kick out? Does your horse also come back? Or does your horse stay at a distance and watch? If he comes back, what is the attitude. Pushy, insecure, waiting, a bit dominant?

Small steps = big steps!

Know that a seemingly dominant horse does not necessarily have to be. It can very well be an attitude, such a horse often becomes a bit "pushy". Clearly establish your boundaries without making it personal. Then you will notice that the horse will exert less pressure on you and can better handle a bit of pressure.

When your horse feels that he or she has a choice in progress, you will be truly surprised how quickly some things can progress. The biggest steps you can take are in the small steps! Dare to take the time!

Aim for trust

The horse relaxes and will trust you more and more. And that is what we want after all. In the world where your horse may have been, that trust may not have been present at all. But in the wild, horses know exactly what they have with each other, the environment, and the day/time. That is why wild horses do not just make paths to walk on. They know and trust the group, the death or loss of herd members, therefore, has a deep impact.

We do not keep our horses (no matter how well you do it) in this way anymore. That is not possible in our small country and that's okay. But we do have control over HOW we want to be with our horse.

Do you bring peace? Reliability? Trust along?

I see a lot of customers around me who do their utmost, but then the herd changes and the horse suffers. That is not something we have control over, no matter how hard the stable owner tries! This cannot be avoided, but at that moment, when your horse's life has been on hold, how do you deal with him?

These are the little things where we can help our horses. Namely, Peace!

Because our boys have been here for a year now, you can see that both of them have really changed. Even though they are not yet with our other horses, they have become a real and close herd. They all stand together and react as a herd.

The work is fun for them and they are always ready to go to the place where work will be done. The work can be varied, or sometimes very predictable. I know we often think in terms of progress and have an idea of what it should look like. Sometimes we have to let go of the time aspect and be content with what is. Ultimately, stress has far-reaching consequences, which are not fun for both the rider and the horse.

Have fun with your horse