Consider your morning routine. It probably involves waking, bathing, getting ready for the day, breakfast, and perhaps even a brief meditation session. This routine ensures a good start and lays a positive framework for the day’s events to build on. Throw off just one of those, though – eek! The alarm didn’t go off! Suddenly, it feels like the whole day spirals, and your attitude most likely does, too.
When something is amiss for your horse, things can get dicey, and it, too, shows up in their attitudes. All too many of us know how it feels to be overworked, sore, hangry, or just plain burnt out. Horses experience the same things, so keeping a quality diet, planned rest days, adequate turn out, and exercise in mind when building a training program or preparing a show schedule is essential.
AQHA World & Congress Champion Trainer and AQHA Judge Jamie Hartman shares her insights into dealing with horses who have developed bad attitudes.
Create a strong foundation
To start, Jamie suggests ensuring horses have the building blocks of a positive mental state, which means ensuring they are in a positive physical state.
“I generally like to get to know each individual before I assess their needs but some issues that can impact a horse’s mental state jump out at me pretty quickly. I pay close attention to anything that a horse’s body might be telling me; for example, I note muscling or tight flanks that signal possible belly issues,” Jamie says.
Any pain or discomfort, whether a bit of stiffness coming out of the stall or a susceptibility to ulcers, can play a significant role in a horse’s can-do attitude. Jamie suggests developing a close relationship with a trusted vet willing to help proactively plan and problem-solve.
Set goals
From there, Jamie plans out her horses’ show conditioning, which means keeping close track of her calendar for showing and judging. In the long term, this means mapping out major shows at which the horse should be in its peak. In the short term, this means making daily goals that can be rewarded, remembering that horses work from a pressure and release system.
“I focus on goals depending on each individual, and then if I feel that horse has given me that and then some, I will give a reprieve. If the horse is not attending a show soon, I will focus on build, build, build, and hopefully they will be in a space for some time off while I am gone showing or judging,” she says. Time off should be valued as highly as time spent working.
“I am a proponent of turn out for sure,” Jamie adds.
Pasture-specific behaviors
Perhaps no anger is quite like that of a person chasing a horse who refuses to be caught around the pasture. When Jamie encounters this, she slowly changes the negative into a positive. “Every time I catch you, you will get a scoop of grain, for example,” she says. Do that often enough, and soon the horse will come to you for a reward.
Horses who are buddy sour are also challenging. Mentally, they are so connected to their pasture mate that they cannot focus on anything else – including the rider or handler – which can be dangerous. Remember that horses are herd animals, so their instinct is to find safety in numbers. Again, Jamie will try to make the positives exceed the negatives when addressing this behavior. Consider doing things the horse enjoys – grooming, scratches, treats, or daily graining – while the horse is without its companion to make the time away positive.
Bad attitudes on the ground
Whether it’s cow kicking or pinning ears during grooming or saddling, pawing out of boredom, or some other naughty behavior, horses with bad attitudes on the ground make what could be a relaxing time for both horse and handler much less so.
Jamie employs ground tying as a remedy to many negative behaviors that occur on the ground. “A part of teaching ground tying involves a lot of feet moving. If I have a naughty horse, I might keep its feet moving consistently,” Jamie says. That constant movement keeps the horse’s body busy so that, hypothetically, it isn’t able to use its legs for anything negative. More importantly, though, the horse’s focus is now on the movement and the handler and away from whatever negative feelings or ideas it might have had. Soon, the horse will learn that stopping its feet is a reprieve, thus reinforcing the desired behavior of quietly standing.
Some horses are nothing short of delightful regarding attitude, but turn the clipper on, and they suddenly become the most difficult, ornery, or fearful creature on the earth. However, consistency is key regardless of how badly either party wants to avoid the situation.
“Doing some of these things consistently enough will cause the horse’s anxiety to lessen in certain situations. I clip fairly consistently, and I always give a cookie after. I’m not saying they are all perfect, but even the tough ones like that cookie coming. I will start very slowly by turning on the clippers if they are terrified and then feed a couple of cookies in the process. Slowly but surely, they do evolve,” Jamie says.
Bad attitudes under saddle
Whether it’s pinning ears in traffic, dancing around at cone A, or kicking at a spur, Jamie says her go-to method for fixing a negative attitude under saddle is work, plain and simple. For her, this is often the utilization of a small circle.
“I mainly start in small circles no matter the horse. This is a place I will return to as often as needed. For me, a small circle is the safest place, and most horses will start to find comfort in a go-to place. If I can keep the feet moving in a relatively controlled circular fashion, I feel safer,” Jamie says.
Forward motion means the horse isn’t planting its feet and considering rearing or backing up without being asked. Asking the horse to use its shoulders to turn also typically negates any effort given to running off. Don’t forget to set the horse up for success before even mounting up; ensure it’s ready to work with a proper warm-up or a longing session to eliminate extra energy that may turn negative.
Above all, be patient and consistent. Know the desired goal, take small steps that reward positive behavior, and if in doubt, find a trusted professional to help make the horse-and-rider relationship a positive one. Your mental health – and that of your horse – will thank you.
About the Author – Megan Sacia Ulrich earned her Bachelor’s in Journalism from the University of Wisconsin. She currently teaches high school English and enjoys showing in all-around events.
