My Arabian Loses Control Of Herself (Part 1)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 23 лис 2024
- Along with a horsey check in the morning to say hi to everybody, I took Gracie out to the forest to see how she'd do on the trails and the bridge. Little did I know that the training session would take the direction it did and I had to stop taking video just to get back up to the top safely. Sometimes something will set a horse off and they become so obsessed with that thing that they are no longer paying attention to you. This is where you need all your tools in your toolbelt to make it back safely. Today was that day. Here is part 2: • How To CONTROL OUR Emo... and part 3: • You CAN'T Carry Your P...
Become a member for extra videos and information! I post regularly to the various members sections and you also get to ask me questions directly. It also really helps around here for the horses and helps me make more and better videos for this channel / @stablehorsetraining
We have an online courses site here: myhorsecoach.com where you can enroll to study about horses.
I'm constantly putting up new information as well over on Patreon / stablehorsetraining about horse training, horsemanship, horse husbandry and extra content. You can join for just a dollar per month, or more if you want even more extra videos and information about all kinds of horse topics! / stablehorsetraining
We also have a store on our website: stablehorsetra...
Our store is where you can purchase lessons, trims, training and some merchandise! or help out with a bale of hay or haybag for the horses.
I went to Colorado recently to play with some mustangs, check out this video: • Beautiful Horses And H...
See Our Introduction Video For 360 Video Here:
• Introduction To Stable...
Like us on Facebook: / stablehorsetraining
Follow on Instagram: / stable.horse.training
Follow us on Twitter: / horse_stable
We made a cool little movie going for a ride in our famous local park, Golden Ears Park. Check that out here:
• The Ride
Main site: www.stablehorse...
#arabianhorse #horsemanship #horsetraining
Along with a horsey check in the morning to say hi to everybody, I took Gracie out to the forest to see how she'd do on the trails and the bridge. Little did I know that the training session would take the direction it did and I had to stop taking video just to get back up to the top safely. Sometimes something will set a horse off and they become so obsessed with that thing that they are no longer paying attention to you. This is where you need all your tools in your toolbelt to make it back safely. Today was that day. Here is part 2: ua-cam.com/video/oTRYX_PcFpY/v-deo.html and part 3: ua-cam.com/video/ZsDTl86Ic1w/v-deo.html
Poor Gracie. My heart aches for her sometimes. She aced the bridge crossing and then had a total melt-down over something else. She is so lucky to have you to help her deal with her issues.
You'll enjoy tomorrow's video then
Poor, beautiful Gracie didn't have a very good start in life. So glad she ended up with you to understand her, be patient, and help her. You take such good care of her!❤
I look at little Annie, calmly sharing a paddock with Roni, and can't help but contrast it to Gracie's life at that age.
That's a good point
So pleased for Gracie for the way she crossed the bridge with minimal concern. Her reaction to the X factor was very interesting. Thankful you're so patient and that you're safe.
Exactly. Too often people blame the horse.
This is so relatable! I went through something very similar last week with mine. Like you I knew my original plan to take him out to the field wasn't going to work out so I had to prioritize getting us back to the paddock safely and CALMLY. Not letting him run away from me or rush back home and keeping him respectful of my space. It was hard but we managed. We did lots of backing up and pausing. It was a scary meltdown considering he's a strong percheron cross, but he coped so much better than he would have when I first got him. He stayed with me and we made it back just fine. Spooking type situations always make me question whether to push on, pause, reassure or turn back. No matter which option you choose you'll find an article online telling you what you did was horrible lol.
That's a great point. Yes, there are a lot of articles and videos out there about what to do in certain situations. Makes it hard to weed through for sure. I think what you did was the right thing and the proof is in the results. Staying calm can never go wrong, being firm and reassuring is totally a go for me and getting back safe is the result we want in the end. All the other bits and bobs can be horse by horse and person by person for the situation. Great work!
@@StableHorseTraining I hesitate because then I start to think... does he not trust me as a leader anymore because we turned back? did I reinforce the field being a scary place by not making him go? did I reinforce spooking? Horses are tough! All I know is I never want to get him past his threshhold where he feels his only option is fight or flight.
In part 4 of this series I cover the idea of making a change of direction or action your own. Horses have no idea what our plan is, so everything we do is on purpose and they're just trying to sort that out. The point that I end up making is how I don't go when they want me to, I try to create a scenario where I leave just as they were thinking not to. Turning back is fine, imagine you forgot your phone or something instead of saying that you're giving up. You can't reinforce something is scary if your intent has nothing to do with that. I also would encourage you to check that threshold area often, don't be too worried about going outside of it here and there, that's where the growth happens the most and happens the fastest, hence why day 2 went so well I think. Then day 3, 4 and 5. I just keep pushing the envelope a bit more when I can.
When Gracie is freaking out I can relate far too well. Both my recent horses are and were highly reactionary. I would have asked her to back up towards home when she was blocking the way back. Graeme did an excellent job keeping her out of his space and filming during all that!
Normally I don't care about breed's but Arabian's have a temperament. My first horse was half Arabian and she was amazing but nobody wanted to do anything with her, she was just nerveus. But when Arabian's find one person they can trust, they are dependent and loyal to this person. When she saw me coming she was galloping to the fence, followed me without a rope,.. It took a while but after she trusted me it was really a special connection. I will never forget this little mare!!❤
You are so wise and patient with Gracie. I love her and so glad she has you. Your kindness and compassion with her and all the horses is very touching. You've made remarkable progress with her. She is very attached to you, albeit in her Gracie way! What would she do without you?
Very good! You get to show everyone how “being patient with a horse” looks like. While it is easy to say, not so easy to do so, and these videos are so good at illustrating how to be patient on the bad days. Thanks for showing the whole picture of owning and training horses. 😊
Ouch, I didn't like how Gracie responded to any of those commands. It's like you said, she wasn't paying attention to you for more than a second or two. I started thinking "I'd do it my way" etc, but remembered she is a rehab horse and you've done so well with her, and you know her and know what you're doing. It was very educational to see this flare up, thanks for sharing.
That was some scary stuff, my friend. But, it provided an opportunity for discovery that will help Gracie, so it's a win. You did not get hurt, she did not get hurt, another win. This may not have been the video you anticipated but dang, it was one powerful learning experience for all of us here. Keep safe sir, and have a great day.
Thank you Sandy. All good here :)
Not a horse person, need to say that. I watch because it is informative and interesting. With that said, I really would love if you were my neighbor. I find all this so interesting and you seem a genuinely nice person. Be careful, my man.
Thanks! I'll take that as a high compliment
hahaah, that squirrel at 4:14 wow!
And now the rest of the vid, so interesting again. Thank you so very much for taking us along.
I see the squirrel too lol and imagining the mission impossible music playing lol
At least 50 squirrels cross that line everyday. Zeus used to bark at them over and over again but is now too old to even bother anymore. Was kinda funny at the time
I love this video! It's so relatable for me. I bought a Polish Arab filly at 6 months old who, up to that point, had never been handled & had never left her pipe corral. This was back in 1992. Just about everything I did with her had to be taken down to, what seemed like, the speed of a turtle crawling. I don't mind taking it slow, but this horse had never seen grass or drink water from a stream & that was my water source. I had to learn a whole new version of slow. She was actually developmentally impaired from her confinement. I put her in a pasture with my 24 year old, seen/done everything, Morgan mare just to learn how to be a horse.
I loved my Arab but I heard a lot of negative "Arab" comments fron non Arab people. She had the kindest soul & really wanted to please & would work very hard. But she had to get over so many little brain demons. We worked on focus a lot!
Arabs are definitely very attached to family. She was a puppy dog with my 3 sons.
Man, if there was ever a video that showed the benefits of having trails at home this is it. Imagine if this had all happened and you had to then trailer her and travel.
Well done Graeme, as always, for dealing with tricky situations whilst continuing to teach us and film it for us.
The thing is that I have taken her out and about on trails and she's totally fine, did a video on it too (I can't recall where it is though..) You'll see day 2 looks far better and is more her norm. Yes though, having the trails here is very very beneficial for that purpose exactly!
Tense session to watch, but I am glad you posted-- you don't have to but I noticed you tend to be transparent with your viewers. Lesson: Instinct is a profound player in animal life that we need to be ready for. I hope you have as much patience with your human "herd."
ahhh... good point. I find I have more patience for horses, but I'm trying :)
I really admire your patience and calmness! Your safety is more important than videos for us, so glad you turned us „off“ to concentrate on you and Gracie!
I have never seen Gracie actually act like this before
It is hard to substantively respond to this video, as I know too little of horses, but I really appreciate the way you analyse, explain and describe. Gracie loves you, you can see that when you are brushing her. But she is in full fear mode on the trail and I see, as you explain, that she cannot be reached anymore. Thank you for posting this, it is insightful and vulnerable. Even though it was difficult, I enjoyed this video very much.
I agree; this video reveals a lot, not the least of which is that it's incredibly hard to work with a horse AND do the camera work useful enough to show us. I appreciate his efforts. I would add that horses don't "love" us; they either do or do not trust us. Trust is the key; "love" is more complex and human, but also involves a huge amount of trust.
@@virginiamoss7045 You're absolutely right, thank you for your comment about 'love'.
You're welcome :)
Bless you for working with her G. She sure needs you ❤
I have noticed that Gracie's head shaking is becoming less and less with every video I have seen her in which is a huge accomplishment for her
That's true, she does do it a bit less overall
@@StableHorseTraining could the head shaking habit been caused by the lack of socialization from time the previous owner had her before you got her?
I'm not sure, I think it's more of a habit learned from horses past and just stuck.. No other horse does it here though so she might be fading from that habit. Not that she doesn't do it when she's really frustrated, but it's less. Could just be less frustrated.. hard to say for sure
Good to see you working with Gracie again. She's such a high energy and sensitive creature with such beauty and Grace. Her reactions on the trail were quite interesting. I agree that the herd might have been the trigger. But she's so fortunate to have you there. Thanks again for your insight into horse behavior & critical thinking.
My pleasure
It may sound strange, but the white on Maya`s forehead reminds me of a Conch shell!
The great thing about this video is that after dealing with the X factor you where there for her brushing her and giving her reassurance 🥰that yes it was a "hick up" and you both are going to work on it. I loved that she was relaxed and cuddly in the end. You two make a great team and what you're doing for her is changing her life for the better. 🐎🌈
I'm in awe, again, at the nonchalane you demonstrate in having such a large, rambunctious force behind you on your walk thru the forest. You da man. Graeme!
Thank you Tina :)
Whoop! Whoop! 💕❤
Seeing Ronnie getting his dusty butt scratched makes me laugh lol. Sweet Annie, she has such gentle eyes. And she is definitely much taller than when she came here, it's crazy how much she's grown! I didn't know much about Gracie's background story until this video. I'm just glad she's now here with you who can guide and teach her and help fix some of her problems. I think it's very sad for a horse to be isolated from other horses-it creates so much issues later on. I'm glad to hear Gracie is getting her much needed socialisation with others. Regarding the excitement part, I agree with you. It's important to keep the horse at a distance that is safe for you and to reinforce that distance, but at the same time you have to give the horse some iniciative to be calm, which means you have to be calm yourself. I see so many videos of spooky horses where the riders tense and yank on the horses head, which only makes the horse more tense. If you want the horse to do what you want them to do, you need to communicate with them in a clear way they can understand. And brute force is not the way to do it, especially if your goal is to calm them down.
Yes, long term isolation is awful and has created the horse we see today.
Poor girl. She hit overload for sure. I can't blame her for being terrified of being away from her friends, given that she spent the first four years of her life basically in horse prison. I'm very interested in seeing how you work through this with her.
I recall the days when you could not touch Gracie's face barely at all, what a long way she has come along. However..., on the forest trail she did show a bit show of her old habits especially after she saw the other horse or person you mentioned so now she is all jacked up and on high alert. So, this is good for her to experience the fact that the things she learned in the arena apply on the trail too. :)
I feel so sad for Gracie and scared for you. So dangerous! I knew exactly when she changed over. Her eyes. Big bug eyes. She doesn’t want to be that way and it’s sad that she is. After all the years you still want to help her is amazing to me. So many would just give up on her. She has her times where she can be so calm and sweet. Thank you Graeme for being patient with her. We all love her.. she’s one of a kind.
Wow this really resonates with me and the occasional difficulties I have with my boy who is also an Arabian. Some info on Taz, he started going blind about 8 years ago and was left in a pasture with his companion donkeys. Pretty much only coming out to see the farrier, but not as frequently as he should. He was surrendered to the owner of the farm and I was able to buy him about 6 months ago. He has come a long way and has put a lot if trust in me but when he gets scared he reverts back to needing his donkeys to feel safe. He's slowly getting more confident and trusting, his moments of panic are getting further and further apart.
I have learned so much from watching how you interact with your horses and how they interact as a herd. Thank you for posting this, I look forward to hearing your thoughts in the next video.
Wow, good for you for giving that horse another chance!
I had to rewatch this video. My horse had a very similar response yesterday. High headed, wide eyed, bracey, impatient, pushy. I started working with her back in May. At that time, she was very worried away from her herd. She was worried about going into the barn, (where the arena is) worried about the mounting block, worried about every sound while in the barn. I thought we had worked through it over these past months. She seemed to have gained a lot of confidence, trust and connection with me during our time together. I felt more confidence as well. I keep playing through yesterday in my mind. Where did it start to go wrong? She was calm out in the field, calm to halter, leading behind me slowly with her head low. Her 2 best friends didn't follow at first. They started to trot up as we reached the barn door. I had to redirect them not to follow us in. The high gelding is a determined fellow, so I did raise my voice "whoa!", blocked him from coming in, and shut the door. He immediately started calling to her. She couldn't connect with me at all. I tried to go through our usual groundwork routine. She couldn't even do a hind quarter yield. Her back up was immediately followed by as many steps forward. I tried to just be together standing quietly, tried scratching her favorite spots. I finally decided it just wasn't safe. As I opened the door to the barn she rushed past me to her friends, halter and lead rope still on.😰She seemed to realize that she needed me to take them off and made her way back towards me. I worried the whole time that she would trip on the rope. I wonder if I should've led her back to the barn and made her go through the door until she did it safely. I wasn't sure I could do it with conviction because of my own anxiety, so I didn't. Some horse handlers might say I let her win. In rewatching this I can see that I need to keep my bubble bigger. When she's nervous she is right on top of me. I can also see that I need to develop some additional cues for back up. Currently I touch her chest lightly and say backup. I definitely need a no-contact cue when she gets big. Such a long comment... my apologies. Your videos have helped to keep us safe. Thanks for sharing the unscripted things.
Sorry you're having a rough time with things. Yes, making space is very important and making sure you don't require physical contact to make something happen. Practice practice practice!
I have seen this sort of behaviour so many times under saddle. It's so interesting to see it from the ground and you are right, it's very dangerous. Glad you got back safe.
Thanks!
Love Gracie…she tries so hard but her fears get the better of her at times. She’s still my favourite…
Thank you very much! I think you're going to enjoy tomorrow's video for sure then :)
And thank you for sharing the bad with the good, as they r all teachable moments
My pleasure
This video was so great on so many levels. Gracie is one of the most interesting, beautiful horses I’ve ever seen. Live and learn....Great job Graeme
Thank you so much!
I won't say I know how you are feeling, because I don't. But- I just wanted to say that I believe Gracie is lucky to have found you. Don't give up Graeme! You are doing the best for her and it shows. You are wise, patient, understanding and concerned- I think its all so important and I learn so much from you.
Thank you!
Hopefully with lots more trail training she’ll settle down. She crossed the bridge really nicely
You'll see in day 2 she's a lot more normal
So many things you said was a comfort to me . We have electric fences . It wasn’t so great for Bear . He seemed to not get the warning . Every day He would take more of the Fence a part . Not without getting shocked 🙈. Amazed us . So we were asked to move him where there was not electricity. BUT , Thank you for the wisdom in this. Willow has them so you comforted me . Your sharing with us the good and bad you experience, is so important. When you shared about not knowing what you will get each time you see your Horse , is spot on. Willow has been so calm until they moved Her this week . It’s better for Her. However, new sounds , new things to see caused Her to get pretty scared at times . I stood with Her for a few hours . Didn’t ask anything of Her . Thought of your patience. So know that Your Horsey Videos, keep us safer and keep us going forward in confidence. Laura 💜 Bear 💜 Willow 💜 p.s. Hello to Jenn and Hailey 💞
36:35 I was about to say the same thing but how she was not too long ago was troubling too with the whole herd.
It’s amazing how much of this you can apply to other animals. Working with dogs has taught me a lot about noticing the behaviors and attitudes. She at quite fascinating!
Also, the way you said hello to Roni made me laugh quite a bit.
I've always wondered what made Gracie unwanted by others. Now I know she's nervous and panicky.
What a learning opportunity your trails are offering to some, while being a source of earthly delights to others. I'm sure Gracie will settle down under your patient and reassuring care, and in fairness to her, the other 'trainees' didn't have the distraction of their paddock neighbor/partner walking on the next trail over. Imagine Roni with Baby Annie on the next trail. It's very sobering to see where Gracie lived before. At least now she's attached to her herd, her pals, and they to her. She just has to learn to be away from them briefly. She was just fine when you took her to the park.
She does :) 3 more parts to go of this series. Yes, that's true, Roni did great but if Annie was out there and going in the opposite direction, he might have some thoughts about that! Good point indeed.
Thank you so much for the Gracie update in the beginning of your walk together. Very proud of her for following over the bridge and very much in awe of how you managed her reaction to a surprise X factor. So glad to see you both made it back safely. I imagine it is quite difficult, but your patience and understanding seem boundless! Amazing. 👍 Good on ya! Looking forward to watching part 2.
Thank you
Many thanks for sharing this video with us. As always, growth for us humans too. Haven't watched part 2 yet but I come away with 2 observations on part 1.
1- Gracie, who had no socialization skills with humans or horses when she first arrived, is now very attuned to the safety of the herd. And they are to her as well bc they keep calling out to her too. So, as scary as this was and as disconnected as she was from you, she was definitely connected to herd mates. I see this as a positive step. Am I crazy?
2- I found it very interesting that she did not see you as a source of comfort when she was so scared. Within the confines of her paddock and the arena, she checks in with you a lot...maybe more than most others.
Looking so forward to the shorts and parts 2, 3, and 4.
1. Well, she's been here 4 years now so being acclimated to a herd environment is going to happen and she'll naturally find safety in the herd. I'm not sure if this is a "step" as you say. While I understand what you're saying I'm not sure if I view it as positive growth in that regard, but I see it just as normal insecure horse behavior of a horse that needs more time.
2. Me too, but it's not too abnormal and that changes.
Man your ferns have got to be so yummy!
I was concerned for you but your amazing you now what's going on! But Gracie looked like she was scared , frustrated ect... I really felt bad for Gracie and you ! When I get overwhelmed I sweat ! But her thought was to ignore you get home to her horsey friends if it took to plow you down and get home! But I no you'll work with her to get it done 🙂! I love Gracie she looked so big her eyes were huge! She beautiful! Enjoy your day! ❤️🐴❤️🐎❤️
"What is the major difference between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems? The parasympathetic nervous system restores the body to a calm and composed state and prevents it from overworking. The sympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, prepares the body for fight and flight response."
So she's very much in the sympathetic nervous system. How to help her switch over to parasympathetic - the relaxed "rest and digest" state. I would think that for many of us less experienced horse people the real issue is keeping ourselves calm and not panicking. Breathing, waiting, asking for space and attention. Is the how you got her over back behind the covered arena? I would imagine putting the camera away made your attention less divided-allowing you to be more present and relaxed.
Or is there something else you did to get her back over to the main property? I'm sure many of us could end up in this situation at some point.
As mentioned, I simply went into "protect my space" mode and made sure she stayed back while we walked back. It was maybe 5 mins at most between the time I turned off the video to the time I turned it back on. Swinging the rope (as I have shown in the past) is very effective when I do it in front of me like a propeller of a plane. Horses just stay away from it and we walked back without too much issue. I just happened to need two hands for that.
That was really interesting. Gracie seemed so afraid/stressed, I really for bad for her. Thankfully, she has you there and you got her through it but man, she was totally jacked up. Hopefully, she will learn to trust more. She was an absolute star on the bridge and followed fairly well for a portion of the walk. She's such a pretty little one, I hope the walks help her to relax and enjoy time out of the paddock. Thank you for the video!
Wow, she was so wound up!
I need to work on getting my horse to respect me, like yours respect you. I armbar walk with my Lil' Bit because she tries to walk ahead of me.🥴 After watching many of your videos, I need to work on alot.🤣
awww poor Gracie. so much inner turmoil. I know a few people like her. I'm glad you are there to help her work it out. what a patient man you are! thank you for this video and the deeper look into Gracie and your grace for her.
I really enjoy your relationship that you have with your horses.
How you talk to them, the way you interact them, the way you handle and take care of them, and the time you dedicate to them.
I do not own horses but I finally reconciled with my wife to get one and of course she wants a cow as well. 😅
Can you believe we argued over getting a horse? 😉
Time, money, and the ability to take care of them were all issues of concern.
How long have you been working with horses?
This channel and others provided hope for my dream of ownership.
Your videos are very encouraging.
I'd love to be able to make videos too and have a chance to have a channel similar to yours.
How long has it taken to establish the channel you have now?
I really enjoy watching the learning moments between you and the horses. Also absolutely loved Annie just staring at you, begging for some scratches while you were giving Roni his.
Gracie might smell an animal like a bear out there and that is why she is so nervous. It was great that she walked over the bridge without problems. When my Rhodesian Ridgeback was a pup she did not want to cross a bridge but eventually she did great crossing bridges. When I was a kid I used to ride horses quite a bit but haven't had an opportunity to ride as an adult and I miss it. Horses have always amazed me and I love them. Thank you for letting us walk with you.
No, there are no bears and she wasn't afraid of that. I tried to explain throughout the video that it was Joka that was the X factor but I'm wondering if I failed at that part... Something to ponder for me.
It's been interesting to learn the difference between a horse's looking into the forest for something dangerous (real or imagined) and a horse looking for the herd as a major distraction during your walk with them. Initially I thought walking a horse would be boring but now I can imagine what a ride on that trail could do to a rider when the horse is so frightened by it's surroundings. I am beginning to appreciate the calmness of your wildies too in comparison now.
Walking horses should be boring! Sometimes it isn't though and we have what we have.
@@StableHorseTraining can I insert companiable, uneventful, for boring? I bet even if we don't come with, you you are chuntering away together. You likely philosophising, pontificating depending on your mood, and horsey, nodding his agreement. How could that ever be boring?😁
True, boring isn't quite right. Uneventful and peaceful for sure.
There all so sweet and pretty. It's Augie on my mom's phone Im glad the weather is cooling down. Xoxoxo. Your amazing
FYI (and I know it is not related to the point of the video!) Mr Wild was alerted to your presence 9in part because he heard the squirrel which was scrambling along the cables above his paddock. You can see it clearly at timecode 4:14 moving right to left across the screen!
I watched another trainer recently do a great, in depth, video about mare behavior. All the various factors of the mare including hormone cycles, herd responsibilities, body changes, soreness, x-factors, etc. This video was really helpful and interesting. You show great horsemanship always and I appreciate your sharing it so we can learn from you. 🐎💞
I'm in complete disagreement about defining horse's behaviors by their gender and it causes more problems than it solves as so many people walk up to a mare and expect nothing but problems. Then they get the problems they expected, then they label them and then that horse is like that always "because it's a mare". I've seen it so often now I just tune people out when they tell me "because my horse is a mare....." and just address what I see at the time.
Well, it didn't take as long as her initial trailering.
haha.. well.. I I could have spent that long probably! but I had the option to stop unlike the trailering that day.
Another good example on horse behavior. The good and the bad (at least from the humans point of view). I can relate so much on gracies and your frustration. Everything went so well and from one second to another you both get stuck in a trap. Two minds wanting the exact oposite. Mindblowing to me how you were able to film and talk while having to seriously focus on the horse. I am very thankful to have watched this because it educates. I am completly booked working and spending time with one horse. How in the world do you manage to work all these horses individually while really diving in into their personalitys??? Amazing! I have no doubt Gracies mindset will improve with your help. You two have come soooo far already.
I don't think I was frustrated, nor felt in a trap, we just had a challenge to deal with and dealt with it. It's how we perceive it that shapes how we deal with it and think on it after. The main difficulty I had was to try to continue to take video, once I stopped that we made it back to the top in 5 mins or so. For Gracie she was really afraid and was doing some pretty loud talking to me to get a move on. Such as it is.
Gracie was doing ok until she got a serious case of FOMO; fear of missing out on playtime with her friends. The way you work with her turned this into a different type of training session. I sympathize with Luke and his itch. I have had 2 very itchy rashes since the end of May. It's finally getting better with the cooler weather just like Luke. In my search for relief, I discovered that castor oil works well on mosquito bites. It stops the itch and you can't even see the welt the next day. Thanks for the video, Graeme. Enjoy the sunshine today.
FOMO... that's a good way to put it maybe.
I have to tell you that I recognize this behavior, Having had an arabian mare many years ago and she would do the same as Gracie and get covered in foamie sweat and this was just walking her.. and as you say, if you don't stay very calm yourself she would get dangerous.. It would only happen when I would take her for a ride in the forrest and I would always go with somebody on another horse, if possible. This would help to keep her calm and relaxed. Sometimes even then on our way back to the stable she would get like Gracie and worse. Arriving back to the stable she would be shaking and covered in foam..nothing I could do to avoid this. It`s like an "On and Off" switch. Riding indoors she had no problem at all and was such a sweet horse. When I see Gracie, I see her.❤ Arabians are different and very sensitive horses and as you say, when they are in this "jacked up mode" you yourself have to get in a very calm mode ..not easy but I am sure you will succeed to change her behavior. It is a challenge and there are a lot of people struggling with this same issue. Very interesting for a lot of us. 👍🙏
Well, you'll see in part 2 that she doesn't have this problem without what I referred to of as the "X factor". An unexpected one time thing, if it hadn't happened then she would have looked like day 2 on day 1.
4:13 SQUIRREL!!
Very Informative video!! Thank you for sharing!!Glad everyone is safe.
Interesting video. Yes she was certainly scared and having witnessed this type of scenario myself i agree. Patience and consistency is so important as is the ability to remain calm yourself so any negative energy does not transmit to the horse. Sometime a horses anxiety can overwhelm them and a person can just say let's get back anyway we can, as quickly as we can and call it a day, but the horse will learn nothing and fight or flight will take over in the the next similar scenario. It's a difficult call. Your safety has to be paramount. You'r doing a great job, a lot of people would quickly brand a horse dangerous and we all know that that leads to a downwards circle.
you belonging to her is destiny
I probably don’t know what I’m talking about but I was taught that Arabians need little excuse to flip out no matter what. For me, to get one fully trained means you’re a great trainer. That’s my two little bits.
Don't let people convince you that a particular breed is anything. It's always horse by horse and Gracie has her reasons for sure.
And Ive heard that an electric fence lets the nervous energy flow in the ground when you 'earth' so it makes you more relaxed. After the zapp
I doubt that... Electricity definitely flows through the body and into the ground, and then you jump back and yell "ouch" and look at the fence angrily... try it and see how much nervous energy leaves you after being zapped :)
@@StableHorseTraining well i tried like 300 times, did not feel relaxed at all! But i taught hè i have a little thing about the electric fence as well 😂😂
Miss Sassy pants had her own opinions about things today lol. Good girl Gracie! If they don’t make a mistake then you can’t teach them.
Was it her that made the mistake?
@@StableHorseTraining she turned off her thinking brain, that was a mistake because it led to her have a disagreement with your leadership. It happens🙂
Does she have control over that? If you were presented with an armed individual yelling at you and threatening to kill you, do you have control over your thinking brain or do you just react? (Probably freeze or run, cry, hyperventilate etc)
@@StableHorseTraining yes I do and it’s a learned skill so does Gracie, it’s in there. you describe her start very well, she’s pretty much self taught her own behaviors because of lack of leadership, until you. you’ve done beautifully with her in engaging her thinking brain. Horses with no sight behave similarly when they are first stricken with blindness, but they adjust once they learn to think, smell, listen then proceed . Horses are prey animals yes but it doesn’t mean they have diminished abilities to choose how to proceed when in a new situation. “Look to the herd leader when in doubt” Just my humble observation.
She made no mistakes. The amygdala in a horse is much larger than ours and far more active. If you truly would not have worried at all and kept control of yourself in the face of death, you're a stronger person than me or any other person I know or have known in my life. They amygdala takes over for survival purposes and there is no control over that. I agree it is a learned skill to control fear, it was not her mistake and that was my original question to which you answered "yes" as if she had enough time and training to gain that skill. Interesting judgement.
Gracie scares me. I could not work with her. Good thing I don’t need to. You’re doing such a good job with her.
I agree . I haven’t got Graeme’s patience and wouldn’t pretend to have so yes, definitely, she is with the best person. She wouldn’t scare me so much as irritate me. I do feel sorry for her that her personality changes so rapidly, not pleasant for her to live with at all. Admiration to you Graeme 👍👍
Thank you! Yes, nobody can work with her, that's why she was going to go to the meat man if I didn't take her. So here we are now, still struggling....
I’m telling ya - there’s a Boogie Man in the forest 😳😩
But she did great on the bridge ! Tincture of time …
Great video. I will have to come for lessons on this method of walking a horse. I could not help but think what the folk on Fraserdowns backstretch would do with a situation like that. …. I could bet and win that the Lead rope chain goes over the nose. Not condoning it but that’s what those old timers do. I think you are right. She was good until she realized her friends are out and she wanted to join. Overall I think you handled it well and you taught her it’s ok to have to wait. A few more times and she will understand. Just get someone to hold the camera. That takes some thought to handle that situation and your camera.
This video really hammers home the message you're constantly trying to pound into our heads. Thank you so much. I was wondering if there might be some way (if you want to) for you to be able to get something to hold the phone on your chest area so you could still video but keep your hands free so you could more safely maneuver when needed. I reckon you can tell I'm not a techy person 😁
I have a chest cam but then you'd never see the horse unless I walked backwards... What I need is a way to connect and disconnect the camera fast to my body maybe.
@@StableHorseTraining what about a 360 cam attached to the top of a hat? You'd have to get them used to your new "look" first though.
I can Penny but it's such a pain to edit that video as I'm constantly moving around. Nobody really watches 360 video either so I can't put it out like that either and reach a lot of people
Maybe take Luke or Roni with her on a trail to reassure her ? I'm so sad for her. She is overwhelmed with stress. Maybe it's her nature, due to her past. She couldn't be with you, her worry was stronger. You really are super to handle her the way you do, with so much calm and patience. Who else could do that? No problem with the bridge, this was acquired long ago in the arena. A good training tool to have in the arena
To take two horses out at a time would not reveal the gap I have shown. Many times people have to discover a gap to know to fix it. I've already shot the 3 other parts to this series and no other horses were required to solve this to a reasonable level. It was always about the X factor that I tried to explain.
@@StableHorseTraining sure, and it would not solve her problem, just hide it
@@martineinfrance exactly!
Sorry about all the horsey commotion! It is possible the horses were upset about a coyote or bear passing through recently. How are they to know that wild animals are afraid of humans?
no, I don't believe so. Horses can't know what is afraid of what either, it's irrelevant in the end as we are only talking about their imagination which we can't really know what they are thinking anyways.
So how did you get her to back closer to the arena from where you were on the trail with her being so pent up? I know you probably cut it for safety reasons. Did you just keep making sure that she stayed far behind you?
Yes. Very simple, relatively quiet but needed two hands and all my attention.
I had/have this exact issue with a mare who is buddy sour. She got really dangerous for me and I became very discouraged and lost all my confidence. We have been working through it and have gotten better. Lots of ground work did help. I wasn't sure about how much to "ask"/insist, but the space is very important to me and she tends to push into it a lot. Lack of awareness of my presence or care for it. I have a lot of work to do ahead of me and it is slower when I can't be out every single day. I tended to blame myself - and took it personally. I'm grateful to see she's just being a horse and even persons with experience and lots of even personal interaction with the same horse, that some 'horse' can still come back into the forefront. Thank you.
Horses aren't buddy "sour" any more than humans are "sour" when they need their real friends when hanging around somebody they don't consider can help them in their times of need and fear. Glad you're working it through of course but we must see horses as being afraid and in need of reassurance rather than a negative. Which all starts in the way we describe it. Keep at it though, it will resolve with time and effort to be the bestest friend you could ever be to your horse.
@@StableHorseTraining I just use the terminology I know. I get, and do like turning it around to explain what it *is*. We already had a good year and a half of great relationship where I had confidence, but I had to do some self-reflection on what changed all of a sudden in early Spring, where she just didn't trust me anymore. It happened to coincide with two major things - new pasture mates for her (I didn't move her, but other horses were moved around), along with a loss of confidence in myself in 'life' all-together as I had just lost a precious dog and had to make the decision to put him down after he had aggressive bone cancer. I never really forgave myself for that and lost confidence all-around in life. I worked with a trainer to help me not do the wrong thing with the horse and not make it worse. I didn't want to fail a second time, but was close to giving up and thinking I wasn't good enough for the horse, either.
Oh, edited to add, that same time period I lost a good friend that moved away and it was a shock in my life. I guess we both needed a friend.
It's been a rough year but am learning more about myself. :(
Fair enough, I understand that, but naming things is the first place we can make change to how we think on things. I'm sorry you had to go through so much hardship and loss. That must have been very difficult.
@@StableHorseTraining I just felt that it only happens to me and I should give up. I only tried to convey that letting us see it in your video with a well-versed horse person makes me feel less like I'm from outer space (which is how I felt at the time). I see it's a hole in our relationship now, but I had never experienced anything like that before. I sought help, because unlike you, I didn't know what to do. Now I know when the "stress-pooping" starts, we need to go back to a safer place before it gets more severe and disconnected.
It definitely doesn't only happen to you. That's for sure! Don't give up
Wow, you’re a brave soul showing that. I looked around to see if it was a full moon. I’m wondering if going deeper into the woods would have helped you get her attention or if you think it would have made it worse.
What makes me brave? No, going further would make things far worse I think.
Poor Gracie. Anxiety is such a terrible feeling. Imagine being in a fight or flight mode for an extended period of time hence the nervous system triggering the sweating. It would be miserable. The woods/trails and bridges didn't appear to be a cause of stress. She really did wonderfully with both until her anxiety of leaving her safe zone (being near her herd) really kicked in. When a horse attempts to eat while in a state of duress, would that help them get their mind off their anxiety and help diffuse the situation or am I reinforceing the elevated tension behavior? I 100% agree that taking her to that back area near the trails away from herd members and asking her to wait and calm is so important. My question is do you then, after she's calmed as asked, allow a little herd time with friends as reward for staying away with just you or does that reinforce her issue? Or is there some reward u could offer her while spending time away from her herd in order to encourage her as you slowly move your sessions further away from them? I'd also be curious to see what different behavior she'd have if she had a super calm and confident horse such a Luke with her while going further away from her Yoke and Lena? Would she be less anxious b/c she has a herd member with her or would she still just want to be back within eyesight of her herd members and her safe zone, being home base? I have so many questions b/c I'm always second guessing myself when trying to figure out what my horses need and why they're stressed. I know it will take a long time after the traumatic "childhood" she had. My heart goes out to her.
Agreed, I would be very miserable in such a case. I don't think eating relaxes a horse. You'll see in part 4 the effort I made for that so that I could answer that common question (I shot all 4 parts first before releasing the part 1).
I don't think horses see a single thing as a reward (I cover this in part 4) but I see that in our minds we can think of it as that. I do think going back to see her friends is a good thing and that repetitive training will go a long ways for sure. I'm just going to be building up her confidence day after day with understandable patterns for her.
If Joka had come along and we walked together with another person leading (as David turned around and went the other way when he saw me doing a video), it would have gone just fine. If Lena was with us, it would have gone well too I think. Not sure on Luke, maybe.
@@StableHorseTraining I'll hold anymore questions until I watch all 4 parts! A practice at patience, lol! The reason I mentioned Luke over the girls was he's very predictable (less for you to worry about) and would be a good choice as an experiment to see if she's as stressed being away from her "favorite girls" but still with herd member vs. how she was being separated from the herd completely. It might give incite on her fears and how you can best build her confidence.
Such an impressive video! Gracie is at the best place she can be, staying at your place.
My thoughts about this are ( and I have to repeat myself here: based on this video only): she likes you very much. She tried so hard with all you asked her to do, she really tried. I saw zero aggression, but almost "desperation" ( if I may use this human term for it), like she would say "I try, I try, but I simply cannot do it".
No wonder she was sweating so much, she made a big effort.
It can very well be that I put way too much psychology into this situation, but that are my impressions.
Gracie likes you a lot, she tries, maybe it will get better over time, maybe not much, but she has a friend in you and she knows it for sure.
Yes, you have it about right but with a bit much on the humanizing side. Overall, yes, she tried and she couldn't do it.
@@StableHorseTraining You're right, I already realized it during writing. Sometimes it's not easy to find the right words in a foreign language and then I tend to generalize ( besides all the other mistakes I make....).
Thanks again for taking Gracie in!
Question: I know you get a little exasperated with my questions/statements/observations(I have few 'filters'). ANYway, would it be any help, at all, to maybe have someone else lead one of her friends while you lead her, for a while? When Gracie seems to be getting 'comfortable' with that, reduce the times her friend comes. You have said it takes time & patience. Just an idea. If that doesn't seem like such a good idea, ok. Not a problem. I learn by asking questions that make sense to me. If the answer isn't what I thought it would be, I learned the correction. DO love your videos and the way you 'work' *with* the horses. Gentle, patient but firm. Keep up the good work. 💗
Please see other answers I have provided to this line of thinking. I don't have a problem answering, I'm fine, I just lack the time.
Hi, Elke here, have been watching your channel for a year or so, and live what you are doing with your horses, and how, and the knowledge you share. I have no training in working with horses, but love to watch your Chanel as well as a few others. I thought I would share my untrained observations of your incident with Gracie on the trails. First.. i noted when Gracie first started reacting/spooked/distracted, you seemed to get tense. Then I noted her fear increase with your shaking erratically with the rope (with by the way I have never seen you ever do before) I was wondering way you didn't swing the end of the rope in circles like you have done before to get a horses attention. Other thing I thought you might have done to calm her is speak low and calmly saying her name, hoo, head down, praise, or scratch. I noted when your hands were high, and shaking the rope she was getting higher too. Ok that is what an un trained eye noted. Not sure if it is helpful. Keep up your amazing work. You are the best.
Great observations! Yes, I usually swing my rope around a bit but I only had one hand due to trying to get video. Another option is to be a bit bigger but as you could see I was ineffective at this time. There was a point where she just became unreachable until we got back up to the top, there was no way to take her mind off of the path she couldn't get off of, which was to get back to the top. We needed that to do a reset and try again.
@@StableHorseTraining stay safe, you r doing great work. She is lucky to have you. Ok one more thing.. lol I can't keep my 2 cent to myself.. what about ponying her behind Mia? Maybe that is unsafe as well.
That would not be safe as Maia is not rideable at this time and she often does not like other horses near her.
32:20 let me hide in this bush where are we😢
My father just got an Arabian horse, male. He’s trained but from what I’ve noticed he doesn’t like listening. We recently brought our female from training and he’s been very energetic ever since. They (first time horse keeps or whatnot) have not walked or exercised him them) since she arrived since they are a bit nervous. Me(scared of horses) have tried my absolute best to learn and walk both. But I don’t know if I’m doing it right. What I’m asking is. What is the best way to walk a horse. 🥲 Im getting anxiety just seeing them there and no exercise. Male Arabian 8 years old has training and the female pinto is 3 years old a bit of training. Any tips would help 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼!!!
How tall is Zulu and Maia?
16hh for sure... more for Zulu I think
Wow, what an amazing video! Seeing you work so patiently with Gracie is so inspiring and I hope we get to see more as you work through this with her. You hit a lot of amazing points, and I have a couple thoughts. She clearly has major separation anxiety and just anxiety in general. As I saw you two head further and further down the path, she was getting more and more worked up especially as you went to areas she'd never been. She was telling you she was concerned and you kept going, talking to us. She eventually got so worked up by the time you got to the bridge that she was unreachable and the situation became dangerous. My thought is that you went too fast for her. Try to break it up into less overwhelming sessions and go slower, making sure you can have her listening and checking in before moving on. In dog training, there's a school of thought that goes, if the dog fails at a training exercise due to too much stimuli, the trainer is at fault for not preparing the dog properly and not going slowly enough. I know dogs and horses are very different, but I think that carries over.
Possibly. I actually shot all 4 parts of this series before releasing the first one so I would be able to answer these types of thoughts and questions. You'll see in the next video and one after that where she is quite different once that X factor was removed. This video is more about helping people understand that this can happen than a "you should have done this and you should do this" sort of video. Too many people go do something with their horse, and it could be anything!, and they find they have bit off a lot and many times it the trigger was never the person or environment but there they are having to deal with it. Does that make sense of why I've done this series with that particular goal? I'm not aimlessly taking video and made a conscious choice to release it rather than show day 2 as day 1.
Regarding your point of horses and dogs being very different. I noticed that the training methods can be quite similar.
When talking to my mom (a horse person) I (a dog person) often see similarities and can relate to her when she talks about horse training. The ground layers of calmness, confidence and assertiveness are basically the same. It's quite interesting, considering these animals are so different.
Yes, the threshold is something sometimes discovered. That is a major key to training all animals I believe, but especially horses due to size, strength and speed.
I understand; thanks for the reply! Looking forward to the other parts!
When you say that "this is the last thing you should do" Do you mean that when she is so worried you don't want her to move her feet? Does that physical energy help her to work it out? Or does it add to her worry?
She's not under control and is moving out of anxiety, by not breaking that pattern and allowing her to continue to build up for an escape is just dangerous. The best I could do is stop and calm her and find a way for her to reset
@@StableHorseTraining Thank you.
Maybe she senses something you don't hear. Horses can hear so much better then us humans. When afraid the haul butt. That is natural. I know you know all this. Just a thought, she's the second horse to reach like this. From her reaction I think she heard some thing. It is good you can help her through this. You are it
It'll take time. And patience. Repeatedly. I believe different horses have different reactions. However when 2 horses react the same to something you cannot hear just perhaps there was something going on. I always listened to my horse, she heard so much better than I. Just wanted you to tell you what I saw with them 2
Sorry. TMI?
Yes, she heard Joka screaming out at her from the arena and she wanted to get back to her. That was the X factor.
G, do you think it would poop her out abit if she went from being in the arena, then to the walk in the forest. She might be a bit calmer if she uses up some of her energy first?
No. I think you just get a physically exhausted fearful and anxious horse. Long line lunging, chasing, running a horse etc are all methods used by people that equate physical exhaustion as a way to change a horse's mind. That is the reason I NEVER do it and you'll see that each time I take a horse to do something they are as healthy, fresh and full of energy as I can get them so they don't have to worry about not being healthy, fresh and full of energy to defend themselves if need be. Also, think about what kind of exercise I would need to do to get her so exhausted, is it a drawing exercise or a driving exercise? How would that affect her mentally for the next task and/or challenge?
Graeme... What's up with Joka these days ?
She's been doing a lot of eating and pooping. Being very horse like. Cute as a button too.
Bingo…..making her feel safe in your presence. Perhaps not learning horse behavior as a young horse and confined to a small paddock, she doesn’t have the I believe she doesn’t have the necessary confidence.
Possibly
What a beautiful animal! I have a soft spot for Arabians.. they can be incredibly stubborn especially if they don’t have much human interaction. She definitely trusts you or she wouldn’t have followed you over that bridge.
Herd bound Arabians can be an absolute nightmare though. She’s already green and nervous.. the new paths and the herd calling for her had her wanting to get back to safety then crossing the bridge brought her right up to fight or flight and you successfully kept her from going one way or the other. That’s progress, especially with a herdbound Arab.
I had a friend with a gelding that didn’t get much patience or direction. He threw his rider into a fence and he would break down as soon as we would get a block away even if we had other horses with us. They had him since he was a foal and ended up selling him to an old cowboy that had him straightened out and he quickly became his favorite horse.
I’m glad you are giving this girl a second chance. I’ve been missing horses and wanting to get back into riding.. Your video made that increase times 10 so I have to subscribe. Can’t wait to learn more from you. 🐴 🦄
I doubt you'd learn much from me. I think you've got horses all figured out by now. I'd tell you that horses are never stubborn but you've seen them that way your whole life I expect. You didn't have a single question in your whole comment, just statements on what you think telling everybody how it is.
@@StableHorseTraining ouch.. I’m sorry that’s how I’ve come across. But I know very little about owning horses. I haven’t even been around one in over a decade.
I was just enjoying myself watching your videos going back in time and apparently being too damn chatty. Sorry I came off as one of those people.. I will control my fingers as I watch more of your videos cuz obviously we’ve gotten off on the wrong hoof.
Sorry, wasn't trying to be ouchy at all, it's just how I've seen the pattern across thousands of comments I've read and responded to. Apologies for the too straightforward response.
@@StableHorseTraining no worries.. I’m sure you get a lot of that and pet people of all sorts can be very.. opinionated. So that’s understandable. I was pretty chatty too, your videos just took me back to a time I miss very much. Stubborn was a bad word choice.. hot blooded is perhaps better. At least mine was very fiery. Have you had any Arabs before Gracie?
@@ldeast25 Gracie is my only and I'd never get another. Here's part 1 of Gracie's story if you're interested: ua-cam.com/video/Z7czalKnGTM/v-deo.html
Is that a Shagya Arabian??
I have no idea what that is... so.. dunno.
@@StableHorseTraining "The breed began way back in 1789 at Babolna, Hungary, when the military there combined the bloodlines of top Bedouin Arabians with larger native horses."
What if you put calmoseprine on Luke's neck?
What's that and why would I do it?
@@StableHorseTraining it's a cream that helps with itchiness. It's cooling. A barrier. Just thinking out loud. Itchy is stuff craziness is made out of 😉
I love love your horses. You are so blessed to have these 4 legged snugglers in your life.
oh, I'll have to look that up then! Thanks
Warwick Schiller explains the electric fence thing pretty well. You can have a normal fence and it'll keep the horse in, but their mind will still be off in the distance. The electric fence is a mental barrier, and keeps the horse and its mind in the same place at the same time. And thus present
I don't believe that, it makes no sense. I like Warwick but that's illogical
@@StableHorseTraining It makes sense to me. Maybe if I find the video of him saying that he can explain it better than I can
I'd watch that
@@StableHorseTraining ua-cam.com/video/A3gF3hmHMSE/v-deo.html this isn't the video where I originally heard him say it but here he goes over the concept in general
Ahhhh... I agree with that they psychologically won't touch the fence as the fence fights back, but their mind can still be out there (the horse that got zapped in this video is exactly like that), they just don't think they can go through the fence to get there.
What do you do with the horse manure? Can you use it for fertilizer? Seems like it would be very good for that. Enjoy seeing you giving your horse scratches, obviously they love it. Gracie is like a two year old toddler, I want what I want...
Gracie is afraid, fearful and worried for her safety. If you look at it correctly then the correct solution comes with the right feel. Thinking a horse is selfish and self centered about "wanting" something is never the case outside of wanting to stay alive.
@@StableHorseTraining Oh don't take me seriously. I know nothing about horses. Only rode a horse once in my life and could barley walk the next day. Horses have a majestic beauty, but I'm not telling you nothing that you don't already know.
I wonder if you're familiar with Steve Young's method of teaching a horse to relax and lower its head on command. I've never had cause to try it, but I've got a lot of trust in Steve, and I wonder if making "look at me and calm down" a task she can do would help Gracie re-focus when she's all worked up and feels alone.
Every time somebody asks me about him I wonder if he is familiar with what I do because your description just sounds so familiar of so many videos I've done years ago.
@@StableHorseTraining Yeah, he could probably stand to learn some patience from you. He's got some aphorisms I think you'd agree with, at least: "Don't get angry, get useful," and, "This horse is convinced he/she stays alive right now because he/she is (doing this maladaptive behavior)." For all he talks about giving owners tools, though, his actual YT content is all about short-term interventions, where his very direct approach serves him best, but I think it gives him some blind spots. (We've all got 'em, though.) I don't mean to imply, either, that you were wrong to judge Gracie was in an irretrievable state. Above all, I'm glad you both got out it safely, and I have full faith in you and Gracie. Thanks for your time and attention. I'll resist the urge to demand any more of it.
I never watch him, from what people have said he seems to do good, which is great. I hope he continues to teach others and spread good words like the ones above. We need more people like that in comparison to some of the "professionals" out there like in the Olympics or high competition levels.
You need to get yourself an assistant to do your camera work for you I am so afraid your going to get hurt
Thanks Teresa, I appreciate that. Where would the assistant stand in this situation? Would they get in the way? Where would my attention end up going? What about keeping that person safe? These are all things that actually make it safer to be alone and be more effective. I always put the camera away when I recognize I'm ineffective and/or in danger. Thanks for your worries 😊