Is it true you shouldn’t pet a scared horse, as it rewards their fear? This short video gives you the answer.

Giving your horse oral meds is unfortunately sometimes part of horse ownership. Here are some tips on how to make it go more smoothly for you both.

Is your horse frightened of _________? Creating an exposure ladder is the most important first step taken to help horses overcome learned fears. This ladder lists ‘levels’ of exposure to the feared thing, from what would be the most scary to the least scary, with graded points in between. We always start at the least scary place, exposing our horse there before moving on. In some instances you may need to make ‘micro steps’: additional steps/rungs on the ladder, to make it even easier for your horse to be successful.

Here’s a great technique to help horses overcome fears about things like clippers, hoses, the farrier…or even a husband in a Halloween costume.

As a clinical animal behaviourist and certified horse behaviour consultant, I see horses displaying a wide range of behaviour problems. No matter what behaviour problem the horse is displaying, before I even meet with the client I am usually providing them with 'triage advice': advice meant to help the client see an immediate reduction in the frequency and/or intensity of the problem behaviour, before we even meet. In today's Triage Advice series post, I'm going to talk about why I recommend clients stop using punishment as part of my general triage advice. I'm available for in-person behaviour consults for local clients, and remotely worldwide. For more information, visit: www.equinebehaviourist.ca

Aggressive behaviour is a common complaint of horse owners. Aggression in horses may appear as threats such as ear pinning or kick or bite threats, or it can involve actions such as biting, chasing, kicking or striking. Aggressive behaviour may be directed towards humans or other horses. In rare instances, it may even be self-directed, where the horse bites themselves. Horses displaying aggressive behaviour are not only potentially dangerous to be around, the behaviour often indicates that the horse is experiencing a high level of stress and unhappiness which should be addressed. In this #TriageAdvice post, I talk about aggressive behaviour in horses, and the triage advice I give to owners to help them see an immediate reduction in the frequency and/or intensity of aggressive behaviours before we can meet for a consult. I'm available for in-person behaviour consults for local clients, and remotely worldwide. For more information, visit: www.equinebehaviourist.ca

A common complaint from horse owners is that their horse is mouthy when haltered. The horse mouths or nips them, or the equipment, when they try to put the halter on or remove it. Horses behave this way for several reasons. For example, the horse may want to engage socially with the human, but because they have not been taught acceptable ways to do so they resort to behaviours they might use with another horse. Another common reason for mouthy behaviour is anxiety. Just like with people, a horse who is anxious may fidget and engage in behaviours that may delay the start of an event they feel is unpleasant. For the horse showing such anxiety when haltered, they may have learned that what comes after haltering - like training - is stressful or scary. You can read more about this issue at my blog: https://www.equinebehaviorist.ca/post/mouthy-horse

As can be seen in the short baseline clip at the beginning, Frodo isn't comfortable with being touched. After coaching my client through a very short session of desensitization, you can see the change in Frodo.

Samwise, Frodo, and a mini donkey, Bilbo Baggins, appeared one morning on the property of a client of mine, Lynda. Mostly unhandled and untrained, Lynda has been working with all three in an attempt to get them necessary treatments (castration, hoof trimming, dentals etc.), so that they can be rehomed. Samwise, the mule in this clip, is the most fearful of the three. I went down today to help Lynda tweak a few things with Samwise and Frodo, and she was kind enough to film some short sessions. In these sessions, I focused on building positive associations for Samwise with approaching people, building towards being comfortable in their proximity while they move. Samwise is blind in his right eye, so once he is comfortable being approached and handled on his left side, we will begin to work on his right side - introducing the word 'Touch' first so that he knows in advance when people will be touching him.