Training Them Old School

[OldKat]

@boulami 7900 wrote:

Hi everybody,
this is one interesting thread, not being able to read it all at one time, I finaly finished reading all of it today. Dreaming of being in evryone’s shoes one day, makes me realise that I have quite the task in front of me. I will certainly digest everything that has been said. I am learning from every one of you, love to hear about all your experiences, but know that I will have to go through my own. I love looking at pictures that you ad to your post they complement what you are trying to say or explain.

Carl did any kind of distraction or situation let you be in a sort of panic where the horses didn’t or did freak out? Or anybody else gone through for that matter? I’ve been reading Maurice Telleen’s book, some parts more than once, gives me good info, but certainly not the hands on experience that I will have to go and get.

Being a Phy. Ed. teacher and trying to show kids how to do basic things like throwing and catching a ball, needs patience, understanding and observation of the mecanics of the said movement. So I have some understanding of what I am up against. After 30 some years in a gym I don’t consider myself the expert but a person of experience and often enough some rookie will give me great idea of what to do in some instances.

Maybe some knucklehead will give me an idea of what to do with my horse or what not to do, but it will always be up to me to decide how I will put in into practice in my own situation. I am lucky to have somebody close by that has a team of Clydes and ponies and expect to go get some experience there. I have the skidoo trail and ATV trail, crossing my property, not always in use, so I have a trail to use. We have an Agriculture Fair close by in Ste Marie de Kent, Kent county N.B. They have a horse pull, a team, four,six,eight in hand driving competition, judging of horses, cattle. That is all at the end of august.

Being far from each other this community brings every one of us closer together.

Mike

I didn’t know that the word had gotten out on me!😉

[Carl Russell]

boulami;7900 wrote:

…Carl did any kind of distraction or situation let you be in a sort of panic where the horses didn’t or did freak out? ……

Maybe some knucklehead will give me an idea of what to do with my horse or what not to do, …

One of my mentors always said, “you can always learn from someone, whether they do it right, or not”.

As to the first question, I have never been easily rattled, excited, or unnerved. It is just one of my character flaws. I never really got an appreciation for that until I started working with animals, and found what an asset that was.

Now I can get angry/frustrated, and distracted, and these conditions have caused me problems, but when I find myself called upon to respond, I tend to be more calm and methodical, even when mad. I know I didn’t learn that from either of my parents, my dad would get frantic, and my mother would worry herself into a lather.

That being said I have had several, and expect more, instances when the horses, or steers were quite excited for a while as I worked to calm them down, and to accept the situation. I think I have written about that before, it is as much about them following you into de-escalation, as it is about them getting used to a particular stimulus, that is the habit they learn.

The fact is, I know that they will get excited sometimes, and so I don’t let it bother me when they do. I notice this a lot from others who can become quite fixated on the animal’s response, and some can become unnerved by that demonstration of fear/anxiety. I have found that by not validating that response, and working to regain the composure standard that I have already established, we get along pretty well.

It certainly is not the case that my animals learn to be calm 24-7 in harness, just comfortable with my guidance.

I did have a run-away once, because one horse overreacted to my encouragement and when I reined him in, one line on his side broke. I couldn’t slow him down so the off horse started trotting too. I had them going in a wide circle, but I was on foot, and getting closer all the time to the spring-tooths, so I had to let them go. After they wrapped themselves around an apple tree, I approached them, took bridles in hand, and led them back to the barn for first-aid. Even after that rodeo, they were able to calm down quickly as I approached, because I was able to remain calm(if only on the outside).

Carl

[near horse]

I want to add in an experience I just had today with my horses. I recently picked up a #9 mower to use this summer and decided I might want to get my team used to pulling it around a bit before it’s time to actually do some work. These horses have done some things – skidding logs, pulling forecarts and wagons, some plowing but I’m pretty sure they’ve never mowed before. In fact, after a little warm up ground driving and dragging a log out of our collapsed shed we headed over to the mower. Both horses wanted to take a wide path around the mower and had to size it up for a minute or so.

We got into place and hitched up with no problem and then drove back and forth across the field w/ the cutter in transport position still good although they were still figuring out this new thing behind them. Although there is absolutely nothing to cut, I kicked it into gear to get them used to the sound and action of the cutter but was ready to trip it back out if things went bad. When the clatter started (and was it ever a clatter!), my horses gathered themselves (like horses ready to pull) and danced a step or two but listened to me and just walked out. We did this a few times and it got better, for the most part, each time.

My point is I certainly “felt concerned” about what was going to happen when I kicked it into gear but I did my absolute best to not convey this to the horses. While things weren’t perfect, I was really happy with how they responded. Small victories.

[Donn Hewes]

Nice work Geoff, The first time starting a mower is definitely something to do thoughtfully. Especially when it is your first time and theirs. I like a slight incline when I kick it into gear the first time. The other thing I like to point out to folks, (I think you already figured this out) is that they were made to kick FORWARD to disengage for a reason. You may have to get it out of gear to control an animal that reacts badly. Fun isn’t it? donn

[OldKat]

Yes Geoff, that is great news. THAT is where I hope to be with my horses soon; though I don’t currently have ANY equipment for them to pull. I hope to be doing the kind of stuff that you are doing soon! Sounds like a win to me.:)

[near horse]

Thanks for the “pats on the back”. I was pretty happy myself.

Donn, I really was trying to figure out THE best environment to be in when I kicked it into gear – since the horses weren’t tired they still wanted to step out when they felt the increased drag of going uphill (it really wasn’t much of a hill but a slope). I decided, rightly or wrongly, to be headed towards the field’s edge – in fact we were only 20 yards away from the 10-15 foot tall brush hedges ( a visual and physical barrier of sorts) – no fence to get tangled in but enough that we’d have to stop. Part of the idea was to be close enough that they’d already see the barrier and see it as a “no go” zone as well as only having a short distance to freak out in if that happened – rather than a long run across open ground. Anyway, it all worked out fine. Just need to repeat more times before “haying season”. And lube up that mower better:)

[Donn Hewes]

I think you did perfect. When hooking to something new, the purpose of thinking the where, when and how is not to make you nervous or them nervous, but to visualize a success. I your case I would see my self turning a gentle turn before I got to tight to the hedge, for example. Just thinking about it can make a huge difference. D

I have cleaned out the horse barn all morning, this has earned me the right to go harrow some pastures!

[CharlyBonifaz]

they were made to kick FORWARD to disengage for a reason. You may have to get it out of gear to control an animal that reacts badly.

being a novice, I was advised, just as you condition the horses, to practise running the equipment my own self by hooking it to a tractor, have that one run slowly by someone else and practise……

[karl t pfister]

Hello unexpected things sometimes make um jump , here is one, 3 traces hooked on a sled snow comes off a barn 15 ‘ behind us they jump , I jump on , out the barn yard and down the road in a flash, I grabbing reins , no just the left one , a dog is running and barking.. it’s on the left . I just work the rein a bit and say “easy whoa ” they know I ‘m with them all is not right tho ,they’re slowing their gate to the pasture is coming up they missed it . We are stopping ? no ! there goes the yoke off the end of the pole, a horse is down , he is up again , all is stopped , the yoke is broke . I unhook ground drive back to the barn ,everyones breathing is normal ? none seems hurt , get the other yoke , back to the sled in the road . They hook up fine they stand like always ,still,” ok boys walk on ” I drive the 1/4 mile to the Inn , horses feel fine no off steps , I pick up the people do the hour loop ,” thank you ” What did I learn ? buckle reins together before hooking be aware as Carl was saying when stuff is happening be the calmest leader you can be. Other things yes head uphill but more important don’t focus for a second on places you don’t want to go , that mass of old farm equip etc. focus on them slowing stopping with all you can even more than bracing against the reins. Pull and release the reins aternating , try to make a circle . After a week of prefect ground driving that real deal auction horse she took me on a wild ride that I lived thru , with starting a turn by throwing one rein away and working the other hand over hand till I turned off the road to the main drag tractor trailers etc. Sometimes you can hang with them othertimes not .I agree effective communication every step is the goal , but if they leap and you lose it for a step or twenty all may not be lost , the more time driving you get the more you see the potential for it going bad before and in a second or two change it all and everyone comes home safe with only a little heavy” breathing ” .

[Plowboy]

It’s that time of year boys and girls! Dad and I are headed over Sunday to drive some first timers again. Spring is right around the corner it’s training season!

[Donn Hewes]

Wish I wasn’t going to the fire house, I would come over. Any chance you will be working with horses the following Saturday? Donn

[Plowboy]

I work every Saturday. The guy that owns the horses works for the Highway Department so we are sort of on call. If it doesn’t snow and nobody has any other obligations we go give him a hand. His wife usually calls the night before. This is the first time this year so I don’t know what kind of group we have to work with until tomorrow night. I’ll let you know how it goes, wish us luck!

[mother katherine]

Plowboy,
where will you be with the horses? out on 205? I’d like to watch awhile
oxnun

[Plowboy]

Drove 1 young brood mare, 3fillies, 1 3yr old gelding and 3yr old stallion. All went well thanks to good help 1 good old mare and a young mare that does great with colts also.

[near horse]

Hey all,

I’m looking for some support/help/advice about how to approach an issue that has “developed” with one of my 8yr old geldings and I don’t want to become a nasty habit.

Here’s the situation/story – over the weekend I plowed with my team at a gathering of teamsters and my horses worked nicely all weekend. We had a breakage on the evener right before lunch so we unhitched and tied the horses up and took off the bridles so they could have a snack while we quickly ate. The event was over after the lunch so I needed to go fix the evener (no biggie) and bring my plow out of the field. There was an experienced young gal who had been assisting me hitching/unhitching eye and even drove my team for a bit so I asked her to put the bridles on and bring the team down while I fixed the evener way down the hill. When I finished working on the plow, no team yet so I headed back up and found that one of my horses was refusing to take the bit (straight bar) – he used to be a little concerned about it a few years ago but we seemed to have remedied that – just slow and easy and he was fine. Anyway, now he was throwing his head, pulling back and fighting me as well – and I’m thinking “what the heck!” – did the gal do something that freaked him? She is pretty gentle, at least as much as me. I was starting to get hmmm – not happy so I asked another teamster friend for help/advice – he got hold of my gelding’s tongue, pulled it to the side and got the bit in – still a battle for him too. So, while the shorter objective was achieved, I don’t want to fight like that AND the horse is still unwilling to cooperate.

So, what course of action would you all suggest? I went out today, tied him up w/ his partner nearby and went about bridling him – I should also say that my bits unsnap from one side so you can put the bridle on and then put the bit in their mouths. Everything was fine until I tried to bit him and he was having none of it. I don’t want to make things worse by fighting him so I came here for guidance.

As I’m typing, I thought about him pulling back (he never ever did this before) and remembered he has a different halter on whose noseband hangs down further on his nose – but I’m probably grasping at straws now ……

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