AboutRick Gore (www.freewebs.com/horseawareness) Expertise Visit Rick Gore's Horse Site: www.freewebs.com/horseawareness --I am a student of the horse. I can answer questions about sacking out (Desensitizing vs. Sensitizing), dealing with spooky, abused or ex-race horses, rearing, bucking, horses that won’t tie or load into a trailer, working in a round pen/round corral, starting colts, dealing with aggressive or so called "mean" horses, herd behavior, biting, kicking, horses that won’t let you mess with their feet or head, horses that are hard to take a bit and hard to catch. I can also answer questions about using a bosal or hackamore, do's and don'ts, soft hands and direct reining verses neck reining. If you expect me to tell you feel good advice, you will be disappointed. 95% of all my answers will include the problem is you and not your horse. About 90% of most answers that I give out are on my web site, so if you read it you will probably answer your own question and may learn a few other things. If have some good information that you would like me to add to my site, please email me so it can be passed on to others.
Experience I am an experienced horseman with many years of riding and handling horses. I grew up in Texas around horses and horse people. I have started colts, ridden many horses with behavior issues and worked with problem horses. (I believe that most horse problems are normally people problems) I believe in and practices natural horsemanship. I continue to read and study books by great horsemen. I routinely attends clinics, talks with and discuss horse issues with other clinicians and trainers. I have never met a horse that could not be fixed. I have fixed horses that would not; trailer load, take a bit, go through water, lead without pulling, allow you to halter or catch. I believe it is never the horse's fault and with proper handling, all problems can be worked out.
Education/Credentials Rick has life long experience in being around and working with horses. Over the years he has watched good horsemen do the right thing and seen the wrong things done with bad results. Rick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Education.
Question QUESTION: I'll just start with your questions! I am 40 and for the past two years I have been part of a horse rescue operation in Texas. That is the sole limit of my expereince! I am listed as a foster home, but the most I know is feed, love, and first aid. They have sent me a new foster who is testing this. She is a 2 year old registered quarter horse who has never been worked with or handled and has injuries that need treating on a daily basis. She is in pasture with my other two becasue she goes bolistic if I try to separate them.(will not eat or drink, paces fenceline, tried to jump it) I need to be able to catch her, put the lead rope on her halter, and doctor her injuries. We have not taken the halter off since she got here because we could not catch her to get it on again, but I can't leave the lead rope attached while she is in pasture for safety reasons. What is the quickest way for me to get a rope on her without pens or stalls? I worked with her last night, trying to just touch her. I basically followed her around the yard, staying between her and the other two. We did this for an hour and a half before she allowed me to scratch the areas around her healing injuries. She stood still for this and allowed me to touch her all over, but when I went to touch her head or even close to the halter she shied away quickly and I did not want to jeopardize what we had accomplished. I have tried sneaking it onto her while she is eating and while this sometimes works, it is not a permanent solution. The injury requires hydrotherapy once daily to promote growht of new skin, this is a battle every evening. She seems to be a very intelligent horse and moves like magic, but we've got to get her where her injuries can be treated and her hooves cared for. any suggestions? I need all the help I can get!
ANSWER: Read my horsemanship page on my site, you have to understand pressure and release of pressure also called advance and retreat. You have to show the horse that when she lets you touch her, you will stop and walk away. So if she lets you touch her, do it for a few seconds and walk away. Keep carrots in your pocket and give her a small piece before you walk away, soon she will want to follow you as you walk away, then you stop pet her, give her a treat and then walk away, she has to know that you will not keep touching her and trap her if she lets you. So you have to release pressure, walk away, retreat, before she walks away or gets too nervous.
If you have a horse trailer, I would back it to a gate and see if you can load her friends and her, then take her friends out very slowly. Once she is in trailer, you will be able to touch her and stop, pet her and stop, feed her and stop, treat her and stop. A horse learns when you stop doing something, this is hard concept for new horse people. New people want to see how far they get before the horse moves, this is wrong, you always have to stop before the horse moves or wants to more, so the horse learns that if they stand still you will stop, if you keep putting pressure until the horse moves you teach the horse that in order to get you to stop (release pressure) they have to move, so they start moving away faster and you teach them to be hard to catch.
Read my site and if you have more questions let me know.
thanks for taking in horses and saving them.
Rick
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QUESTION: but waht about the injury that needs treating NOW? She backed into a broken tpost and has a 9x5 inch gash in her rear inside leg that must be cleaned and medicated. Unfortunately I don't have the luxury of taking my time with her. We just got her over the original infection and are trying to prevent another. And, no horse trailer available.
Answer well not sure what to tell you, if I was there I would rope the horse, rope the legs and take the horse to the ground, but that is an advanced move and if you don't know how to do you can hurt the horse or yourself.
If you don't have panels to make a small pen at a gate, then you don't have a lot of options. borrow a trailer or get some panels. You have to get the horse in a small area so you can reach the horse for care.
You may ask a vet if they have a dart gun and shoot the horse to knock it out. Once you get a halter on this horse, leave the halter and lead rope on it, so it has to drag it around and learn to ignore it. Make sure you lead rope if long so you will able to walk close enough to the horse to get a hold of rope.
I am assuming the horse got to you somehow by trailer, if you are going to rescue horses you will need to plan for this situation and have a trailer and temp panels. As for not being able to take your time with her, you have no choice, the old saying, when you are lost going fast wont help, applies here.
