08/19/2023
I’ve a nice, gentle gelding who seems out of sorts when handled, though he was purchased as a ‘going’ horse. In the year that I have known him, we have not only had his ulcers treated but also chiro, farrier and dental work done in a regular rotation.
Still, he is unhappy. Maybe a better descriptor would be to say that he seems vaguely distracted, or worried. Inward. I am not used to riding joyless horses and it is an unsettling feeling. Best I can do is ask some questions of him, process what he tells me and then, go from there. Actually, this means working backwards, which can come as a strange notion for those of us who usually ride forward to solve problems.
This fellow doesn’t seem worried about anything I’m actually doing while in the saddle, nor is he upset about being alone or among other horses. So, I go back.
He does seem somewhat affected by the sight, or placement of my saddle. So, I go back.
He isn’t at all worried about being caught, or groomed, or bridled. He’s completely comfortable with those. Aha! Somewhere between the grooming and the saddling, he is troubled. So, I go back.
The saddle can go on and sit, then be removed and he is fine with it. The blanket, however, is another story. He is telling me that his worry of the whole ridden process originates in something to do with the saddle pad. I would be wise to believe him!
While desensitizing and ‘sacking out’ are fundamentals in many western programs, the whole way we go about them can have an uncomfortable habit of lodging in the craws of a lot of sweet, soft horses. Rather than make a horse confident and happy about being saddled with a foreign object, ‘sacking out’—with everything from a burlap sack to a piece of plastic tarp, or a saddle blanket—can leave behind some lasting trauma. I’m not even saying that a person has to be an unfeeling brute, or in any way cruel, in order to do so.
With a lot of horses, it sends the message that to this. one. thing. they must pay wide-eyed attention!
Now, when we take on ‘going’ horses with past lives and experiences, it is not our place to judge. We either welcome them as they are, with the understanding that we will shape them to become even better… or we shouldn’t bring them home in the first place. I think a lot of us forget that, when we buy so-called ‘project’ or even, green horses.
Recognizing how and where the trouble originates is a hugely helpful step in the day-to-day working with such a personality, while building positive relationship. Generally speaking, with understanding, comes greater empathy. I walk toward him with the saddle pad. His head goes up and he braces. I stop advancing but I am watching for something much more subtle. A softening of his eye, a blink, a breath, a quivering of the muzzle, a slight lowering of his head…
The minute I see this, I retreat. Soon, surprisingly so, he is absolutely fine with my carrying the blanket toward him and placing it upon his back. We go through a few flinchy moments, as he worries about it being on his neck, or against his flanks and horror of horrors, being slid off over his rear end. Each time we do this, I watch, wait and soften.
Soon, so does he. For as long as it takes, we go back to this bump in the road, working slowly over it until it is no longer a rough spot. For as long as it takes, we go back. Ironically, once we shred our agenda and accept the backtracking, the progress with our horses is usually direct and straightforward.
Now, ulcers don't help! What we need to realize is that while it is imperative to treat the horse and take pain out of the scenario, his memories and very real reactivity can (and often will) remain. Wellness is a process. It’s not just giving a medication; it’s not just writing a check.
So often, our troubles with ridden horses have very little to do with the actual riding! It is our job to pedal backwards until we can find that one little place where everything mysteriously went awry. Once we find it, we can usually move on. If we keep ignoring that little place, however, we are just managing to avoid a hole… and yes, I will confide that it’s enticingly easy to skip around the small ones!
Whenever a horse is bothered, we will have to go back before they can freely move ahead. Period. That’s just the way life is.
