AboutRick Gore (www.thinklikeahorse.org) Expertise Visit Rick Gore's Horse Site: --- www.thinklikeahorse.org --Rick is a student of the horse. He 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, hard to catch, using a bosal or hackamore, soft hands and direct reining verses neck reining. If you expect him to tell you feel good advice, you will be disappointed. 95% of all his answers will include "the problem is you and not your horse." About 95% 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 Rick is an experienced horseman with over 35 years of riding and handling horses. Rick grew up in Texas around horses and horse people. He has started colts, ridden many horses with behavior issues and worked with problem horses. (He believes that most horse problems are really people problems)
He believes in and practices natural horsemanship and continues to read and study books by great horsemen. He routinely attends clinics, talks with and discuss horse issues with other clinicians and trainers. He has never met a horse that could not be fixed. Rick believes it is never the horse's fault and with proper handling, all problems can be worked out.
Education/Credentials Rick has over 35 years 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.
I bought a 10 yr old TWH mare just recently (I am her forth owner in three years) that has some issues. I contacted previous recorded owners from her registration to find out her history after being bitten by her.
This TWH mare was used as a brood mare till she was seven yrs old. She was alpha mare in pasture with stallion and other seven other brood mares and was only lead to and from pasture for the farrier. Owner was cutting back on her stock and sent her to trainer to be broke under saddle. Trainer called after a two months and said the mare would never make a safe trail mount that she wasn't one that could be trusted. Mare was then sold to the trainer as a brood mare for exchange of training fee. Trainer had mare for less than a year and sold her in foal. Next owner trail rode the mare after foal was weaned in a group with other horses and spouse always held horse while she mounted from tailgate of pickup. She sold mare because she was nervous for her and wouldn't stand still when other horses stopped on trail. While with this owner the mare was lowest in pecking order of the herd. I then purchased mare. She is alpha in my herd.
Incident that happened and why I got the history on her:
She was a bit nervous while mounting first few times in the round pen (not standing still) then forth time I mounted she flexed back and full out bit me on side of hip (seven inches of bruising with blood to the surface) while I was in the middle of mounting (just started to swing leg over the saddle) all I could do at that time was to verbally let her know this was not acceptable while trying to keep myself safe while trying to dismount her. When my feet hit the ground on dismount she spun to face me reared and began to strike at me. I stood my ground and waited till she came down and then I worked on moving her hips and shoulders away from me. I did this till she started changing direction with my shoulder cue consistently. I asked her to come into me and then worked on the head down cue.
Mare's body language when she goes into fight mode:
Ears pins, stomps front feet, then last resort will rear and strike out. I try to stop this cycle with the ear pinning I verbally use the sound AT! AT! and get her busy moving her feet.
Since that incident she:
Was skin twitchy with ears pinned when I touch her: I worked for two weeks and got her over this now by rubbing and touching her and when she would turn to bite me I would snap her on the end of her nose the the lead rope.
Cow kicked at me when I asked her to move away from pressure on her sides: I got her to get over this as well by touching and asking with a stick and giving her the release when she moves away.
Ear pinning while I jump up and down next to her and lift foot off ground: I got her over the ear pinning with the jumping and can get my toe of my boot up and touch her sides but she gives a slight ear pin with that and that look out of the corner of her eye like she is just waiting for that moment when I take my eye off so she can strike a bite at me.
I can only mount this mare if someone acts like they have ahold of her while I mount. The person just needs to put their hand against her check under her bridle and she stands quietly. I worked her in the arena on transitions and when she wouldn't stand when asked I made her work. She is relaxed with me riding her alone in small or large groups and goes where ever I ask.
I just can't get her through this biting problem while mounting. It's like a switch goes off in her brain like post traumatic syndrome and she goes straight into fight mode.
In your opinion do you think she will ever get over this if so what else should I try?
Any advice would be appreciated and you won't offend me if you tell me to move on with another horse. Be honest.
Susie Rittenhouse in PA
Answer I rarely tell people to give up on a horse since most time the problem is the person and not the horse. Which I believe is the case with you. If a horse bites me that horse will think his life is about to end, that is how you communicate that biting is unacceptable. This horse is doing the things it does because you have not make it clear that it needs to stop and stop now. You, like a lot of people are always looking for reasons in the past on why horses do what they do. There may be a few cases where a horse is so badly messed up that fixing it needs an experienced horseman to fix. This does not sound like this is the case.
Forget PTSD, forget her past, forget her age, forget everything except what this horse does and what you do.
This horse is treating you like you should be treating her. She is treating you like a lower horses, you are acting like a lower horse since you are not impressing this horse that you are higher. Words, looks and taps or bops or things done as to not hurt the horse only tell and show the horse that you are weak.
This horse decides how it is treated, you want to treat it nice no matter what, you don't want to be mean, you don't want to be too aggressive, and the horse knows it.
You say a switch goes off in the horse, well I say a switch needs to go off in YOU. This horse needs to be shown that pinning, striking or kicking gets her a whole of grief and work and she needs to not want that grief to happen. If you slapped me and I gave the other cheek you would be more likely to slap me again. However if you slapped me and I knocked you down in the dirt, you would be less likely to slap me. This horse is getting away with dangerous behavior and you are teaching it that it is ok. Very bad lessons and you are making this horse more dangerous than it was before. This horse has to be shown that she cannot and will not want to do things like bite, kick and rear or strike at humans. Since you have been letter her get away with this, you have taught her it is ok. I assure you I would show her that not only is not ok, but she would not want to do it again.
If you see a stud correct a herd member or see a mare correct her baby, they do not ask and they are not easy, it is aggressive swift and hard. That is how horses treat horses. You need to do this or get rid of this horse before she kills you and then someone wants to put her down for being dangerous. This is not a horse issue, this is a you issue, you being to easy, you not being clear, you not being aggressive enough, you not making this horse sorry for doing this, you not showing this horse that she cannot do this, you are accepting this and teaching this behavior.
I think you are over your head since you have allowed this. I would rather you write and tell me you lost your temper and beat this horse too much for biting you and then I would be saying good, if a horse bites you it needs to think you are the meanest, badest, craziest two legged creature on the earth. And this is for biting, for kicking and striking, this horse needs to have the fear of it's life. No kindest in this type of correction, can't think of what would be too much...
Hope I have made this clear, you are in grave danger and you are making this horse more dangerous, either turn up the heat 10 fold or get rid of the horse to someone who can handle this and correct it. I normally don't like the old cowboy approach to horse training, but with these things, absolute dominance and aggression is needed to correct this, this cannot be fixed with carrots, love or caring.
