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About Rick Gore (www.thinklikeahorse.org)
Expertise
Visit Rick Gore's Horse Site: www.thinklikeahorse.org
--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. I am like Gordon Ramsey (Hell's Kitchen) and Simon Cowell (Idol), you may not like what I say or how I say it, but it will be pretty true and accurate, in my opinion, judging from my experience.

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 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.

You are here: Experts > Sports > Horse Racing > Horses > uncharacteristic change in behavior: Rick Gore Horsemanship - www.thinklikeahorse.org

Horses - uncharacteristic change in behavior: Rick Gore Horsemanship - www.thinklikeahorse.org

Expert: Rick Gore (www.thinklikeahorse.org) - 11/5/2009

Question
QUESTION: I will try to give you the short version.... I have a 12 yr old Missouri foxtrotter, I have owned him for 3 years and ride him on average 1 to 2 times per mo and work with him at least 8 times per month he was at my friends with two donkeys,a couple cows and on and off rescue horses that she has cared for over the past 3 yrs. I recently moved him to my sister in laws house where he is with one mare that he knew 2.5 yrs ago for about 6 mo. He came from my friends where he had 30 acres of pasture, to much hay and not enough close handling on a daily basis to a 2 acre paddock with no grazing and the mare. His diet has been changed he is now stalled at night for safety reasons. This is where it gets harry. The first night he went through or over the poly fence to get to some grass the next day in the afternoon my daughter took him out with the other horse and her cousin and aunt to do some riding in the arena... my horse was acting anxious and picked his front feet off the ground about 6 inches in a rearing type manor.... my daughter dismounted and her aunt got on thinking it was a sign of dominence or refusal to move forward.( also he was using a different bit an o ring double fointed snaffle he used to use a egg butt happy mouth one joint snaffle) she began to work him and he was objecting she persisited on trying to make him do what she wanted... he reared a few times and then he reared very high and finally he reared and went over backwards... this was tramatic for veryone to watch. I was on the ground and was reading his behavior as fear but I might be wrong. my quetion is he has NEVER done this behavior with me or my kids,,, please share your opinion he is an angle on the ground and very kind and gentle always talks and meets you at the fence his mouth is sesitive I believe although he came to me on a kimberwick which I felt was to harsh. feeling a sense of lose of trust for my great horse. Please advise

ANSWER: Sounds like your Aunt wanted to "show him who was boss" and she got a lesson. Changing bits, changing location, changing diet, changing pasture mates, food, grazing habits, contact... I can't imagine why this horse would have a change in behavior????????

You say it is uncharacteristic, I say it is very predictable and the horse did nothing abnormal. I can make any horse rear, I can make any horse appear different, I can make a horse calmer or more excited. IF I change what I do the horse will change what it does. No surprise. The rider caused this. When a horse rears, you better know how to "get off the reins" or you will end up pulling the horse over one you, that is what happened, if you did not see it you were not looking.

You say you lost trust, gee I wonder what the horse feels, I wonder what he is thinking, wonder his feeling even matter, it sounds like it does not, which is why I think you are in the mess you are in now.

Too many changes, too much going on, too many chefs in the kitchen (you, kids, aunt's...) so I can't begin to diagnose this all I can say it this is a people problem and not a horse problem. Change what you are doing the horse will change what it does, just like you have seen, so you need to change back or do something different.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I agree with you and I have been doing some ground work and am waiting for the vet to come check him and will wait a few weeks and then ride him. So far he seems ok I have one more question..... When lunging him he tends to turn in on me and stop and face me so you feel this is a test of dominance she insists that she was not asking very much by asking him to move forward. thank you for your imput I have an equine behavioralist coming to assess him in 6 weeks

Answer
A horse turns to face you for several reasons. It could be confused, it could be asking if you want him to keep moving, you could be being unclear in your direction, or it could be he is thinking he does not want to keep moving so it is testing you to see if you really make him keep moving. Normally it is because of what you are doing or not doing... So don't see this as a horse issue, it is you, you cause, you can stop it, you can prevent, it all depends on what you do. When you get better, your horse gets better.

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