Lead rope training

[Carl Russell]

I wouldn’t say he is “taking over your agenda”, because he is still manageable, but he has got you focusing on his behavior and on this location.

I think when we try to desensitize animals to pigs or any other stimulating circumstance then we are by default letting the situation dictate the result. When I have a horse that is demonstrating this type of behavior, I try to remember that what I need to do is to keep him working in another place, where he can begin to develop trust around a behavior that I demonstrate that is of comfort and initiative. When I take him over to the pig pen and try to wait for him to calm down, I have basically given up any opportunity to direct him, and I have validated his elevated sense of concern. There is probably a slight sense of nervousness about me because I am waiting to see how, or if, he will calm down.

When I felt comfortable that the horse was following me and was looking to me to be a re-enforcer of calmness, then I would expect him to follow me right past the pigs without incident.

I had an interesting situation the other morning in my barn. My gelding who has always been “alert”, jumped and shied at the tailgate from my truck that I had laid up against the wall by the barn door. I just stopped, and waited for him to look it over, snort a few times, and when he started to step forward tentatively, i just walked on, and he followed with no further regard for the dark monster.

Pigs stink, they move fast, and make strange noises, so there is more there for the horse to key in on, but the same parameters should apply. When he begins to question the safety of the situation, he should look to you for re-assurance, and finding you to be completely fine with it, he should decide to move on. Perhaps rather than trying to calm him, or cajole him into advancing, just chill. Don’t let him back up, or move out, but wait for that first tentative step forward, then step with him.

All-in-all, I would not give the pigs any more standing than I would a block of wood beside the trail, but if he is getting used to being agitated around them, then just go work him somewhere else. I don’t see the message to be, “there is nothing to worry about here”, as much as, “this is the way we work together”. If he is distracted when you are trying to work with him,they you are saying “this is the way we work together….with you distracted”. I don’t think that is what you want.

Carl

[dominiquer60]

Just a different perspective on pigs and horses, ironically we have a similar situation here in affluent West Palm Beach of all places.

I braid every week end at the Keck Stable just after sun up, when horses get turned out for the morning, behind and next to the Keck Stables are Stables A and B. The Kecks have a pet pot belly pig named Benny. Every morning the grooms come and feed Benny along with the horses and Benny is then free to roam. He loves to clean up horse feed and graze out in the paddocks.

The Keck horses are of course at ease with nonthreatening Benny, so they don’t ever snort fire at him. Usually Benny likes to cross the border and roam around behind Stable A. Initially the Stable A horses were rather concerned when they first met Benny, but the grooms and manager just let the horses get over it on there own terms running and snorting around in their paddocks. It took the Stable A horses little time to accept Benny and stop snorting fire.

Now Stable A has some really choice patches of white clover next to the property line of Stable B and their paddocks (keep in mind each stable is on about 3 acres at most and packed together like sardines). The Stable B horses get nervous and upset every time Benny grazes the Stable A clover near their paddocks. They may snort fire and run around a little at first, but when Stable B’s employees realize the pig is involved they start screaming at the horses to calm down, and of course you all know what happens next. Benny quietly grazes away while the horses turn hysterical because their leader is getting them more upset. It happens every week, and at this point the horses barely get upset, but one snort wakes the female dog up and she is over at the Keck Barn telling them what to do with a pig that is not even trespassing on Stable B’s property.

It is a fine example of how horses can figure something out on their own if you give them the opportunity and also that the way that we react to a situation has a huge effect on how our animals will react to us and the situation.

To add a little more about the way the different Stables handle the animals. Stable B has a dog that does not come when called, it has to be kept tied up at all times. Benny will happily come when called especially when he sees you have a carrot for him. The pig ends up being better trained than most dogs in the neighborhood.

Erika

[jac]

I notice the pigs are a major factor here and as Carl says they smell ,move fast and make strange noises… I have a book that details the old Scottish horsemen and their recipies for horse control.. One involved pig dung smeared round the stable door to stop a horse from passing. A horseman that wasnt in the society or had been disrespectfull to the head horseman for example would get this treatment.. the “whisperer” would then step into the stable and apear to say a few words to the horse and lead him out to the astonishment of all. He had simply neutralised the smell of the pigs.. Perhaps the same could apply here. It would be one less of his senses sending messages for the horse to worry about till he gets to see the pigs are ok to be near ? an empty salt and vinegar potato chip wrapper wiped over his nose is said to work..
John

[Carl Russell]

I was plowing the garden today with our pigs pastured at one end so I took a couple pictures of how little they paid attention to each other. These animals are not housed near each other, but are on the farm together and know of each other. I have never done anything to “introduce” my horses to the pigs.

I have always thought that if you think your horses are going to be freaked out by pigs then they probably will be. However, I have no reason to believe that, and I have never experienced any problems.

Carl

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