Discipline and horses - breaking spirit vs teaching manners. Naughty horse or poor handling?
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- Опубліковано 11 вер 2024
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This is Tamme in a stable in our yard - he was already broken prior to coming to us and had been doing commercial work, both with his current owner and with his previous owners. Here we explain about his attitude - he turns his quarters towards you on entering the stable (he did this with his owner prior to coming here; in order to catch him she would tempt him to the door with some feed). In our opinion this horse was not suitable for commercial work due to his behaviour - if a member of the public approached him from behind, he could kick. This gelding thinks he is in charge of the handler and this is highly dangerous, especially for horses that are working with the (generally non-horsey) public.
There is a big difference between disciplining a horse and breaking a horse's spirit. Lots of people think horses are only well-mannered because their spirits have been broken and they are afraid to misbehave - this is not true. Horses we train are not frightened of us and they have not had their spirits broken, but they are well-trained, well-mannered, and they trust and respect the handler; this makes them safe, confident and happy in harness. Many people put up with "bad behaviour" or "bad manners" and say "That's just his nature" when it is actually poor training/handling. Just because a horse is well-trained doesn't mean it has had its spirit broken. Exchanging one fear for another is no good - i.e hitting a horse with a whip to get it to go past a noisy lorry - the horse won't trust you and will let you down one day. We train horses to have confidence in themselves and confidence in their driver; even if they are faced with a scary situation they haven't encountered, they will trust the driver to keep them safe and listen to instructions. Although its a partnership between horse and man, man must be in charge. After all, the driver tells the horse what side of the road to stay on and when to stand still at junctions etc; if we expect our horses to obey us without question in those circumstances, we should also expect them to do as they are told on the ground. You wouldn't go out for a drive with no reins and let your horse choose where he wants to go, and at what speed; the horse must therefore respect and obey the driver if they are to be safe in harness. In turn, the driver must keep the horse safe and be a positive trustworthy influence in his life. This is why we can drive young, newly-broken horses in potentially frightening environments in soft rubber bits. Our horses are also kept full of food and fit for the work they do; if they will behave when fresh out the stable on plenty of feed then we know we have done our job and they will be safe when they go home.
Lots of "horse" problems are caused by incompetent handling/bad training; this can lead to the horse being labelled as "bad" when it is actually the people who have caused the issue; rather than admit their own shortcomings, they then blame the horse for being "difficult". We believe it is better to be blunt and speak the truth for the horse's sake, rather than try not to offend people.
This is the same horse that swishes his tail when touched with the whip in the other film. We don't know who trained him originally, but he has been allowed to behave like this. He has been sent to us so we could put him as a pair with Syb (the friesian from Holland) - he was only with us for 2 weeks and in our opinion, although the owner knew he had this attitude, in our opinion he would benefit from further training as he is currently not suitable for the job. He could kick a groom or handler, an unsuspecting member of the public or a customer at a wedding. He would also barge forwards - for example when unloading him off the lorry or leading him out the stable.
The rug also belongs to the owner.
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If more people would watch videos like this, and listen to what this man says, we'd have less of the "Bambi syndrome" concerning horses. Years ago, some people were too harsh with horses, but now the pendulum has swung in the opposite direction and too many people think that if you love and pet a horse enough, the horse will love you and do what you want. In truth, though, a spoiled horse is a liability for the owner, a dangerous to itself, and may find itself (here in the US) in a kill-pen destined for Mexico or Canada, while a trained horse has a much greater chance for a happy, productive life.
Duckminifarm it's a bit of both. Need to show dominance and status but still kind and loving
It is exactly the same with dogs sadly! The ' all they need is love ' syndrome
A few years ago? It still happens quite often. You have to have BOTH, not one or the other. Love your horse obviously, but train them to behave correctly so that they are not a liability to people and don't take shit from your horse who wants to push you around. Sometimes it's miscommunication between horse and owner as well. A good horse sometimes doesn't have the kind of communication they understand best from a person. That doesn't mean you have to accept or tolerate bad behavior from your horse, just that sometimes it's a deeper issue.
Honestly, this applies to humans (your comment and these videos)
@@marleneclough3173 Love does not mean all you need is treats & kisses. It means helping the horse learn trust in you enough to want to change its behaviour to benefit both it & you. It is guidance & discipline & direction & teaching, and all of that is done with kindness patience & consistency.
I really liked his last statement... the horse is doing what i ask of him, not because i can make him with a big piece of metal, but because i asked him to. wondelfull
Amen, brother!! Preach it! Horses and children both need proper manners!
Perfectly said there's a big diffrence between discipline and aduse
I am in no way knowledgeable about horses, but the phenomenon that he’s talking about here is also happening in the dog training world. People buying working breeds (German Shepherds, Malinois, etc) and thinking that if you give enough treats and don’t tell them no that they’ll eventually come around. It fails every time. It is good that he’s speaking out about this in the horse world.
@@sfdf1979 yes! The 'all they need is love ' syndrome
He's clearly been used to an owner who is scared of him and throws his weight around. Lots of ground work.
The stable I'm riding at rotates horses on a monthly basis. So one particular gelding had exactly this same attitude showing me his rear. I was taught in the stable to move along his right side and turn him but this behavior kept repeating itself until I put a lid on it. I researched different methods and tricks and in the end what worked was I took a longish dressage crop and tickled his legs, I completely took him by surprise (he spooked, his face expression was priceless), he turned, saw me standing there with confidence ready to tickle him again if need be, and that was it. Not only did he stop challenging me on the ground, this also translated beautifully into riding. Last week we flied! He is now my best buddy and follows me like a puppy.
I'm glad you have him now. Please fix the poor thing
This is an older video that I've put up to show the dangers of bringing up horses without discipline; they have no respect for their handlers and this can lead to other problems in harness.
Where do I see more of this horse and how is he doing. Horses are so amazing and I always say the bond on the ground is so important and guidlines but gentleness
RareEnoughToFind22 Yes, by "bring him up" we mean the period of time when he is handled by humans during the training process, not hand-rearing him from a foal. Problems generally arise when the handler either does a poor job initially, or (seeing as we do not know this horse's full history), when he passes from a good handler - where he may have been perfectly well-behaved and respectful - to a poor one, who allows him to behave in this manner and does not correct it. We made this video shortly after his arrival on our yard to show how he behaved with his owner (i.e. replicating their behaviour with him with regards to catching/feed bucket etc) and why this behaviour would not be acceptable in our view, but we do not know whether this issue started with his current owner, or whether it was ongoing from years ago.
Ur mad at this beautiful horse because hes or shes not a diciplin horse?! Cuase if that is then thats just stupid maybe his or hers owners BEFORE u didnt teach this horse diciplin maybe U should teach it to him instead of standing there complaining and talking bad to this beautiful horse geez
karina melgar They aren't ''mad'' at the horse-they are simply frustrated at the past handling that made this horse the bolshy arrogant disrespectful horse he is in this clip. If you listen to what Barry is saying, he is concerned for the horse-if the horse kicks someone, or kills someone, [which is possible] then it will be bad for the horse, who could be sold on, or worse.
Oakleaf700 or worse put down
The very first video I watched from Mr. Barry Hook and I was hooked! He can read a horse like people might read a menu, a very smart man. xx
@@bjbrown he is brilliant absolutely brilliant
I've raised a number of Welsh colts. The only time I will get "tough" with a horse is when he does something dangerous that an alpha mare would never tolerate. Kicking, rearing, trying to nip...NO! I never whack a horse in the face, and usually I don't need to whack at all, not even on the chest or neck.. Had an 18 month old colt rear on me awhile back....his knee smacked me right in the mouth. Knocked me back a few feet, split my lip inside. I spent one microsecond checking to see it any of my teeth felt loose, then I went for him. I wasn't even mad at him, I knew he was just "playing" but he had to learn, right then and right there, that rearing and striking out at a human would never be tolerated. I never hit a horse in the face; I actually didn't hit him at all.. I just acted as though I were going to kill him--roaring at him, "charging at him"--dropped my head, deep voice, the equivalent of a mare dropping her head and pinning her ears. He almost fell over backward trying to get away from me, Three seconds later, it was over--and he was walking forward, cautiously, to see if I was still angry. Nope. Never was actually angry. Now this was a young colt, who was just playing....the gelding in the video would probably have clobbered me. I like, and have done, the idea of just waiting until they do what you want. Sadly, a lot of people don't have the patience for that, and the horse soon learns it!
Yis. THAT is a good way to discipline a horse.
I do understand your comment.
Remember though that stallions lead the herd and not mares.
There are high mares that's very true
But a gelding or stallion is always higher than a mare.
The best way to discipline a horse is by moving their feet forward left back or right.
A higher horse moves the lowers horses feet
You could try this with your colts or any horse.
Move their feet groundwork works excellent for this
They react to body language.
How serious are you? that's what they ask themselves.
They will test you and see if they can push you until they know you're the leader..
@@rachaelsunshine580 If the stallion leads the herd, whos watching the back door for predators and bachelor colts!! The stallion has two duties in the herd...serve and protect! The lead mare makes the decisions, where when and what they eat and drink, she also dishes out discipline, and is backed up by a second in line mare.!
syrynus876 l
there are many ways to teach a horse something. Some good, some bad, some work better, etc. One whack is better than a thousend little taps if you get what i mean. It's very impotant to redirect bad behaviour in horses and don't wait untill they hopefully listen to you. Teach things slowly, be clear and direct, make the wrong thing hard and the right thing easy.
famous quote, 'i'm not interested in people, i'm interested in horses'
horseygirl70 trouble is you have to deal withthe people who ruin the horses!
That horse is stabled. He has high energy. And he shows an above average intellect.
That is exactly the combination needed for bad behaviour. Just add high anxiety and confinment...and you have a horse so wound up all he CAN do is act out towards anybody who comes near that stall. I had a great horse once. I could trust my life to her, and she trusted me. When I got her she bit, kicked, bucked, and cribbed. She was just like this horse. Previous owner had 'handled' her with whips & more confinement. But 6 months later she did none of those things. One year later she was the sweetest most loyal animal. She did a complete 180. The big secret? Give her room to run & roll. Give her something to occupy her mind & energy. Be kind, yet firm. Be consistent & fair. Get to KNOW the horse, not just USE it. A horse is not a machine. Form a relationship, form a trust with it. This is not all a secret. Think of horses as 1500lbs with a 2 year old mentality! Think one step ahead, establish rules & boundaries. And LOVE your horse. Truly see it for the beautiful sentient feeling creature it is. Make that connection. It is not hard to do. Invest yourself in the process. Invest yourself in discipling the horse. Adapt to situations that let YOU stay in control as the constant reassuring presence in the animals life. Learn to read their body language, the things they 'say' It is not hard to do. My horse was just like this horse...only on steroids. Gentling a horse to cooperate & do what it should do is not hard. Commit 100%. If you only commit in a half-assed way... then you will only get half-assed results.
If you don"t commit to the process...
I reread this with “humans” in mind and had a whole new insight to raising children. It’s so quite simple. Good words of wisdom. Thank you
Its so great to find someone who actually notices this as dangerous behaviour and that it should be trained out!
When I was young and training on a yard we were rotated on a yard to who was caring for which horses, the horses permanently(which personally I think is cruel and bound to create problems in even the most well behaved horse) were stabled.
I was given one which was much worse than this horse here, he would literally leap to the stable door to bite you, paw the ground and as soon as you opened the door would be kicking out. I was 'bullied' to some extent by others for refusing to go into his stable unless he was removed, turned out quite a few were refusing to go as he had pinned the yard manager in a corner and broke her ribs. It was blamed on him having a 'bad' day or something absurd. And this horse was used for college students.
What people don't seem to think about(or maybe they do) is when they are letting their horses have 'spirit' their also creating a dangerous horse that only so many people will go near and if they are paying others to look after their horse, it seems quite inconsiderate to say the least to expect someone to risk their life because you want to keep a horse 'spirited'. I agree people are losing standards and not just with horses but with society in general XD
Horses should get to be 'spirited' whilst out in the field playing being horses with each other. It expected of humans to behave when they are working, you wouldn't expect someone to go into work and start kicking their colleagues and everyone just says 'oh hes having a bad day, really its safe to go near him, you won't get hurt'
+Scarlet Peoni True; we have always believed that a horse should know the difference between "work" and "play" - fine to kick and buck etc in the field but as soon as the headcollar goes on then they should be in work mode. Sadly we experience a similar thing sometimes when retraining problem horses; people do not want to admit that they cannot train the horse or rectify its behaviour, or worry what we will think when they tell us what it has done, so they do not give us the full story. As horse trainers we put our lives on the line to give the horses a chance when more often than not it is the humans involved that have actually created the issue. In some cases, they do not want to change themselves, or understand how they created the "monster", but simply expect someone else to correct all of their mistakes, even if this means that person could get seriously hurt in the process. However I believe this is where some people mistakenly think that teaching a horse to have manners is "breaking his spirit" and as they worry that this could happen, they would rather stick with the bad behaviour. We try to explain that having a well-behaved, disciplined horse does not mean it will lose its "character", and that training one to behave does not involve having his spirit broken or turning him into a robot. It simply means teaching him boundaries, as you would with any child for example if you want them to grow up into responsible adults. If people maintained high standards to begin with, and sorted the little issues out before they turned into big ones like this horse, then he would never have got to this point in the first place.
barryhook2
Exactly! I guess you also said it there though, some people obviously do not teach children boundaries and wonder what has 'gone wrong' or think its just the childs nature or personal vengence against them or in some cases the child keeps going until the only authority they hit is the police etc A horse with boundaries(the same ones that another horse would give it to some extent) is not the same as an abused horse like you point out.
+DK Dempcey Knight DK was your reply to me or Barry? youtube is being weird.
Anyone who doesn't recognize this as dangerous behavior is an idiot and frankly deserves whatever happens (I mean anyone who claims to know horses), though I suspect the horse will be the one who gets hurt. He will shy or kick and then be put down as a "dangerous" horse because as the gentleman says in the video the owner has not bothered to train her own horse.
DK Dempcey
Beautiful horse but I agree.... he needs a bit of discipline. You are right that discipline has become a dirty word and the behavior of children, horses, dogs alike shows the lack there of.
I recently discovered your channel and I must say that I really enjoy your videos. Your mannerisms, the way you talk to the horses...very calming just to watch. I've had a fear if horses that goes back to childhood and recently started riding with a friend. Your videos have inspired me to try and understand horses better. I never had a traumatic experience, just always feared their size & strength and not knowing how to interact with them.
Brilliant, your so right in everything you say. Problem is people expect the horse to understand them. But you have to start by understanding the horse first. I love your videos. Your straight to the point. Barry your a legend!
You're so right when you say the standards are falling...
He is so right about the new horse owners. They try to bribe their horses with treats.for the animal to work.
He is a true horseman and horse psychologist. Thank you for taking the time to make all your wonderful videos. I found them so helpful and working with rope horses.
Couldn't agree more. After spending a day with racehorses being smacked by their handlers, it was heartbreaking and plain to see that the abuse wasn't fixing the problem. There is a clear distinction between discipline and abuse. ❤
Good to see an owner who cares enough to want to find a permanent solution for a bad habit. Thank you for the video. Good reminder of the vast difference between discipline and beating.
This horse needs a experienced owner. Actually, horse is being pretty nice for everyone grabbing his head/halter, feeding for wrong reasons and telling the horse he is in control. He has been taught to have this attitude. Also, Horses like a leader and knowing their place. YES, just like this man is explaining.
Beautiful Horse without a partner or friend to understand what he needs.
You can see this is not a happy horse: there are a few horses who like to be left alone, they are not anti people, they just want to be a horse, there are others, like this one which has been abused or has had bad handling, so they don't like people to mess with them, generally they will come round with good handling.
horses are not are slave
100% respect to Barry one of the best horsemen about 👌
Truly! Truly! ❤🙏🏻
You share some excellent thoughts in this video. 'The standards are folding'. So true. "There are many people that have horses, but not many horsemen now days.' Also so true. The proof is in your horses. The horses are your mirror. I LIKE what I see in your horses.... Keep up the good work, for the horses. :)
No animal should ever be "broken" to be safe around humans. That is an unfortunate term which has been attached to horses. It is more, as you say, about learning good manners. I find your vids fascinating... You really understand horses, and care about them.
+Mehitabel Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy watching our videos as much as we enjoy making them. There are lots of phrases that are still in use around horses that people nowadays think of in a negative manner. "Breaking" to us does not mean "breaking its spirit" or "breaking it down", but it allows us to differentiate between starting a horse who is a completely blank canvas, and "reschooling" or "retraining" a horse. Plus, as Shakespeare once said, "that which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet" - it doesn't matter what you call it, what matters is how you do it.
I like the way he thinks. Never force a horse to do what its not capable of. His method is gentling... I had a trainer that worked with a BLM mare (Mustang) that my daughter adopted and her thinking was very much the same and the results she always got was just incredible. :-)
Thank you SO much for sharing your knowledge!You really have a good grasp on the REAL world of horses!People need to understand that horses are like children. They will get away with as much as their handlers/owners let them get away with.I've got a gelding that will try his mess with anyone new. If he knows you don't put up with it, he's GREAT. But if he thinks he can bluff you into not working him, Heck yeah, he'll try to get a free day. LOL
I knew a horse that would pretend to be lame with every new rider, hoping it would be taken back to his stable. New people struggled with the order to just ride on for one or two rounds because it would pretend to walk on a broken leg and he would like a miracle walk normal again when it was clear he had to finish his work. And no it was not arthritis, he would never be lame with his regular riders who know to ride him through it right away. :) We also had one that would persist to roll if you didnt carry a whip, there was no way you would get him stand up without it, he would let you get off first as well. But yeah that was usualy when someone lost a whip on the way because we would make sure the rider has a whip with them (you never needed it, he would not even try rolling if he knew you had a whip with you). Horses are smart beings.
Woah, HUGE middle finger from that horse! You are very common sense in your theory's and down to earth about it. I applaud that, thanks for sharing your knowledge and opinions! Great videos, I am learning a lot from them. I plan to start a Shetland pony driving and your advice is great, love your way with the horses.
Ah a man that speaks sense, not this mamby pamby grud they tell you these days; discipline and respect are also a dirty word when used about kids and look at the state of them these days!
Thanks for the video, Barry. I have watched many of your videos and have always been impressed with the progress you make with your horses. A horse that hasn't been taught good manners is a danger to itself and those around it. Not really good for much. Thanks for showing good technique.
Damn excellent observations and talk!!!!! I have seen horses like that turned around and six weeks later they are back with the horse claiming that they don't know what's gone wrong!
I feel so sorry for that horse missing out on your training....it's a pity you didn't have more time to put into him......!! You are so very right in what you say!! Thanks Barry for another good video
6:13-6:41 ❤ every equestrian should know! Stay golden, you're one of my favorite ppl in the world!
Could listen to Barry all day. He speaks real sense!
Excellent video and explanation of the horse's behaviour. Firm and fair discipline will correct this and earn trust and respect. I had hoped Barry would show how to achieve this, but it does need training and an understanding of horse body language. Don't try this at home unless you have had some practice at using your body language to move horses away from and towards you.
With any horse, the first thing I do when I meet him in his stable, is make him step back from the door (I use my posture and eye contact). A horse like this does not want conflict, so will do, exactly what Tamme does: flee to the far corner and present his back end.
I enter the stable, and keep my eye on his eye, but stay in the doorway, so he isn't threatened by my approaching, and I haven't thus put myself in danger.
I knock the headcollar or hook of the rope on the wall by my side, and if the horse turns or looks towards me, I lower my gaze and the squareness of my shoulders. If the horse turns away again, I raise my eye contact and posture and tap the wall again. If he looks, I drop my gaze. I have never had to do this more than three times, and the horse will come to me. I keep my posture soft and attach the rope.
One thing, of course, that I never ever do, is take grain-based (hard food) to a horse in the stable. If he needs hard food, it is always miraculously waiting there when he's brought from the field to the stable!
Interesting! I'm dealing with a food aggressive mare who is kind of like the horse in the video... do you try not to associate yourself with the food?? Is that why it's waiting and you're not bringing it to them 🤔
I want to see or hear how Barry disiples him and yes you are a genius with horses
Amen to that - common sense, discipline - I know plenty of horse owners (and their horses) who would benefit from some.
What he's explaining as "discipline" is absolutely right. I often explain it to folks as "boundaries" - with any animal. Consistent, firm but gentle. The expectation is the expectation and it does not waver. Fair, consistent boundaries and expectations make a good animal-human partnership.
You're so right in everything you say Barry. Keep up the good work!
I could easily see him biting someone in the face once he's caught and out of grain. Very dangerous, but I'm sure with consistancy he could be 'fixed'. He's a horse I definetly would not turn my back to him or bring around strangers until his behaviour has been corrected.
I've handled hundreds of horses, and what Barry says is correct, spoilt horses are no fun, and can easily get dangerous.
I used to look after five stallions, one had been labelled "killer", he had chased his former groom out of his stable because he was being bullied.
He allowed me in to his stable after three days. The vet came along one day and said to me, this stallion is dangerous, I will have to twitch, then sedate him! So I told the vet to send someone else out, or I would handle him, but no way was he going to mess about with him.
I had a quite wilful chestnut mare & being petite myself, it was dangerous to have her try and push people around. It only took my voice to make her stand back for me to enter her stable with feed. Same with putting a rug on, something must have tickled because she cow kicked. She only did it once and it was only my voice that reprimanded her.
On the same yard there was a mother & daughter with a beautiful gelding, just like this but palomino, and they were scared witless of him. Their answer to feeding was to feed him over the door and their answer to turning him out? Too frightened to lead him so they’d tell everyone else to put their horse away while they turned him loose from his stable and herded him to grazing!
Thankfully they eventually saw sense and sold him to an owner who instilled discipline and he’s now much happier, much more secure and a total gentleman. Discipline isn’t a dirty word, herd and pack animals need it.
When I visit Europe again I need to visit you!! Love your videos and logic! So rare nowadays!!
Tragic! Great video. This poor, big gorgeous boy is 100% like this because his owner (not the man speaking!!!) SUCKS, and she treats him like he's a machine or a toy. Horses need daily training, and they need to be out in the pasture with OTHER HORSES. The gentleman in the video is saying things that are very similar to horsemen like Rick Gore. They know how to treat and train horses with mutual respect and daily work. Gore would point out the same crucial issues -- that this horse is imprisoned in a stall for hours and hours, has not been trained TO SHOW RESPECT (which as this gentleman says is not about "breaking" the horse or whipping a horse), and has been taught very bad habits like only approaching humans gently if he thinks they have food. This horse is a big beautiful boy with a great spirit. This gentleman could make him into an excellent horse but the owner will ruin this horse. She will hurt him by not training him properly and then blaming him when he spooks or kicks. When I heard she used him for "weddings" I just cringed. Awful, and it will not go well for this boy.
AGREE WITH YOU !
He's a beauty
I enjoy your videos very much. Would really like to see many more videos of HOW what is shown has been achieved. This horse for example turning it's arse on anyone entering the stable, what did you do to sort it and can we see video of methds you used and end result please?
A true horseman not many like you about now Barry and its lovely you are training the next generation
+barryhook2. love your answer. I have a Miniature and so many mini people let thier minis get away with to much. They think because they are small that there bad behaviour is cute or that since it's easy to deal with its ok. A friend of mine breeds miniatures and with the work she has put in to them anyone can go in to the field with them and be safe to pet and play with them.
Absolutely the same with pooches. Our local park is choked with micro mutts charging around and two-legged creatures with their repeated (ignored) command-yips. I’ve often thought if horses were undisciplined in the same way as these mutts, A & E would be packed to the gunnels.
I love animal lovers,but I really respect and admire animal trainers who get results. I've seen some in my day that are miracle workers.
Well said, Barry. I love your channel. Keep up the good work.
I remember this one time me and my BOCES Equine class were teaching some vet tech students on handling horses such as grooming and safety. As we were leading our horses to one of the larger paddocks to teach them how to walk and lead them, my horse, (a gelding mexican Quarter Horse), began prancing and holding his head high because he thought he was going to turn out. I brought his attention back to me by putting pressure on the lead shank and saying releasing it whenever he lowered his and saying "Easy" to calm him down.
And it worked, I kept his feet moving and talking to him to keep him focused on me. He wasn't being rude or mean he was just excited but i knew if i allowed him to get too excited it could be dangerous to the vet students who weren't as experienced with handling horses.
Thanks for your wise words and lessons
congratulations, Mister. respect.
It's unfortunate what some owners do to their horses. I had a horse come to me for training after his owner left him to a border who starved, beat, and kept the horse outside for an entire year. Through the winter with no shelter and no other animal or human contact, other than a stick to ward off the poor yearling. This horse has been with my mom and I for several years now, only returning to that border by the owners wishes to come back to us 4 months later in a worse condition. He has attacked me in his stall and bitten my mom and sister. When he feels like he won't be getting his food, he freaks out, and when he feels like he is going to be left outside he will break down the fence. However I have also been able to compete with him and place well, regardless of his disposition towards people. It was not his fault that he became malicious, and deep down, he has a kind heart. It's sad how horses are so misunderstood and I agree that the old way of understanding a horses behaviour and the reasoning behind it is fading. They are more like people than most people think. I hope Tamme's owners are able to understand him, and show him how to respect them and other people. Discipline is not malice, its manners.
Cheers from Milwaukee USA Barry! love your horse videos!
He does appear to be a tad "spoiled" not overly aggressive however,its unfortunate that some people believe that the way to a horses heart is threw their stomach ....he just needs a refresher course on ground manners,and hopefully his owner will educate themselves as well.Its all about respect ,just like in the herd. Great video,thanks for sharing
I really appreciated this video. Can you bring us up to date on what you did to get this horse better behaved. I am keenly interested. Thanks.
"Authority with Love". if the foal, yearling or 2 y.o. is not "reared" right then you got a problem when 3 to 6 y.o. or older. "Foals need to be handled" BUT not treated like a Pet. I remember a farmer bought a TB mare to bred a race horse well the farmers family treated the mares colt foal, then as a yearling, as if it was a dog feeding it sweets, tit-bits in the stable and not really handling it or maybe letting him away with things. When my Grandfather came to exercise (lunge) the 3 y.o. thoroughbred gelding he had bad habits of biting when you near his head. Never won a race. But another chestnut 3 y.o. N.H. TB gelding I lead around at the sales as my Granda told me to take it off the Dr.'s son (the owners). This horse was reared as a pet too. Even as a gelding he tried very hard to bite / nip me. So I shortened my grip (very short) my right hand and lead him tight so he could bite me every few seconds. An oldish man at the sales pre-parade ring said to me as we walked past "your holding him too tight". So next time round I said to the man "He'd ate ya". the owner got IR£3,200 (1990) went to Limerick to be trained never won in Ireland, went to Scotland called Barnstormer and won the lowest class hurdle race on the easiest racecourse to win at in UK or Ireland "Musselburgh". Gordan Elliott sends a lorry load to the three Scottish tracks as them grade of horses Can't win in Ireland and can hardly win in Scotland.
You have wonderful and great insights
Brilliant video and a brilliant horseman. That's a big powerful horse, being a horse and will benefit from this man's direction.
Amen, horse needs discipline and leadership, and you need to meet thgem in a place of understanding and communication-this guy is absolutely right, also consistency, and nip it in the bud immediately, not 5 minutes later, never fight a horse, they will beat you physically and often mentally, work with them, let it be their idea that they do what you ask, because you are their leader.
Excellent video - I totally agree with what you said.
love your straight talk barry! watch your videos all the time. well said
Well said Barry!!!
You make absolute sense - thank you.
I enjoy your videos :)
Well said - totally agree with you. Love your vids, please keep them coming.
That horse is bored to death!! By putting him in a stall isn't going to help with her catching him anyways.
I learned a lot in Pony Club from the British lady who ran it & our barn owner taught quite a bit about horse knowledge, but my dad taught me-dont get on in the barn due to low rafters & possible rearing if it got spooked. But I started in 1977 & I noticed many younger people not getting as much training or learning about tricks some horse sellers do like drugging a horse to calm them at your appt. My trainer had a feeling so I did a surprise visit & yes the horse was too wiggy at surprise visit. Glad to learn that. Thank you for your knowledge!!!
Great video! I've been working with horses for 12 years, and I am lucky enough to be under a trainer that absolutely does not tolerate this behavior whatsoever. All the horses at our barn are very respectful, kind and a pleasure to be around. Consequently, however, I don't have a lot of experience in how to correct disrespect.
That being said, how would you go about correcting such nasty behavior in somewhere as tight as a stall? I find it easy when the horse is in a pen where he can move around, as I simply put pressure on them and make them move until they decide that I'm worth respecting. However, I could see it being very difficult to fix nasty behavior in a stall due to its small size and potential for trapping the trainer/owner. How would this be done?
+Kirstin McLendon Thanks for your comment. Obviously it is dangerous when you are in a stable or stall with a horse, but in this particular case this was one of his "problem" areas, so in our opinion this is where you need to work with the horse. Its the same principle when we retrain horses that have bolted; we don't just put them back in a carriage in a quiet sand school, we get them driving again happily in the environment where they had the problem, so they no longer associate it with a bad experience. I can't give anyone any specific advice about working in a small area with a horse where you could get trapped, injured or killed, because this is a very real possibility - its a risk that Barry and myself accept every day with the job, but it would be irresponsible of us to suggest anyone else does what we do, because we don't know how other people read horses, or how quick they are at reacting to things. What I would say is that certainly in this case, a lot comes down to personal confidence levels and not being intimidated by the horse, which is often easier said than done! The same principles apply as they do when working in an arena, or out in the yard, but you have to be far more aware of what the horse is doing/thinking when you are in a more confined space. We are currently producing some videos that will be for sale showing more of the work we do "behind the scenes", and explaining our training philosophies in more detail, which may be of interest, as some will feature case studies on particular horses with specific problems.
I agree discipline is important in everything not just in horses or in dogs but in people we all need discipline he needs lots ground work
I love horses but I 'm scared of them because they're so big and powerful, but so beautiful and majestic ,,
I like this man he is wise and honest. The owner might not know it but they taught this horse I’ll manners and rewarded him for it
Amen!!!
My Grandmother was born and raised (in 1909) on a ranch on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Eastern Washington State USA and their horses were worked with the reward of confidence (and sometimes an apple), not the threat of abuse. The horses worked hard because they were proud the job they were doing and knew their humans appreciated them. Their humans were the herd leaders and there was NEVER any question about that, by the humans or the horses. It’s always been the way Native American’s have gotten the best from their horses.
He got away with it for way 2 long,time to established leadership,this can become very dangerous for the horse and owner,this guy is 100% right thank you for sharing,I bought a mule with really bad behavior and its been a journey to correct the bad behavior
I really like this video! You are so right!
Terrible. I knew a woman who ruined horses' attitudes by constantly feeding treats. She didn't understand how she was actually causing anxiety to them by causing a constant anticipation and distraction in them. They had little focus or confidence in themselves; as if they mirrored her own lack of confidence. I found it very frustrating to witness.
The same people should not have children.....
Quite correct -- the old horsemen are not around. I'm of an age where I know the difference and have been lucky enough to have learned from the genuine thing. I can totally relate to the commentary. The art of horsemanship is long gone and especially in North America.
I will never honestly hit any of my animals nor children but in my opinion you really don’t need to physically discipline a horse all you need to do is do ground work.. and if you keep at it you should be good or you can get a professional trainer to do it if you want.
I like to use the word LEADERSHIP compared to Discipline, I'm the herd boss or Leader.
This is what Im afraid my horse would become like if I let his fear rule a situation. He also doesnt like me to be in his stable and turns his ass to me on occasion or should I say, wants to, because I by now know how to avoid this (so far at least) because I know this is how horses think. I too would wait outside sometimes until he is little more relaxed to begin with, but I NEVER go home if I didnt finish touching his head and neck and him being relaxed inside his box without 'ordering' me to get out. I try not to have him lear a connection between him being nasty and me leaving. Its really not about me being there, I can be in his box as long as I dont touch him right away or even worse, halter him that makes him go into fight or flight mode. He will usualy sway his head away from me a few times to threaten me but will easily turn his head towards me again if I give him time to think and process and call him back and I got it so far that he is not proceeding to throw his back end to me which would be the follow up if I dont very subtile back up. It takes time, he goes bonkers if I try to halter him, he is halter trained (even ridden a bit) but he learned how to avoid it over the years (or is very traumatised I dont know) and the only way is to let him out and halter him in the alley. Which is same as this Friesian does. But my horse is doing well with the proces to be haltered again slowly. Because there is no way that he will only be haltered on his terms. He learned this as a foal so good luck to me. Using too fast forward approaches dont work with him, he would become dangerous because of fear thats stopping his thinking sadly so he needs a soft, calm but straight forward approach. Process is slow that way, but seeing this Friesian is the reason why I never fall for it to keep working with him from outside the box because he is so nasty if someone is in it. Because he would have learned this is how to avoid it. He will become like this Friesian if I let him and he will most definitely kick you out without warning if he takes charge. So until the end of time I go in his box and approach him, touch him, scatch him and reward him. Over and over again. Until he does without panic without stress and without swinging his head away from me. Only then I go home. He is by the way not aggressive, not dominant, just fearfull and thinks too much for himself. He is very calm and sweet by nature, I wouldnt have kept him if he werent. But scared horses are the most dangerous horses imo, so I am careful around him.
Beautiful horse!!!
DON'T break a horses spirit, just be kind to them & teach them what to do.
Brilliant video and horseman, thank you, would love to see more, as you said the knowledge isnt around much anymore, its rare. Tamme is Friesian or Friesian Cross?
Excellent and sage advice good man
Thanks barry. wish there were more trainers who actually understood horse behaviour.
That horse was saying AMEN
you are one in a million - your knowledge is invaluable - however, the saddest thing is the point your brought forth - it's the "people who have changed" - and the standards are so much lower than that of 'yesteryear. Thank you, still, for sharing your knowledge and experience.
This horse is not a good match for its owner, she is terribly afraid of him. I hope this poor animal didn't have a sad life of being stalled all the time. He wants/needs to move his feet. Poor horse! Take the damn halter off when he's in the stall.
Great video thanks for posting
I wish I had a dad like you. My family don't care boat animals. I share your views n I respect the hell outta you and your work force. Your videos have been very helpful I sometimes watch your videos with me horse lol I think he likes ya too cos he'll stand an watch ya lol. All the best guys
I worked at a carriage stable once as a teenager. They owned three draft horses and all of them were in standing stalls when not being out in the pasture or pulling the wagon/carriage. You could walk right behind them talking to them and they wouldn't do anything, do the same to enter their stalls, guide them into a wagon with their reins behind them. The owner said that 90% of all draft horses training is from behind. It's pretty amazing to see this guy be so threatening to everyone when it comes to trying to enter it's stall or any respect whatsoever.
I agree with you, btw... This horse can never be used with the public, it's too dangerous. Or even the sides. Whoever owned this horse ruined him and the new owner reinforced it with treats and food. It can be broken of the habit, but it takes a while to do so and then the owners have to keep on working with said horse to keep him from breaking back into the habits.
Exactly Sara Nightfire - in our opinion he wasn't suitable for commercial work due to his behaviour, but it is amazing how many people assume that the important thing is only the horse's looks, size, or the fact that it is broken to drive. Many people also miss the link between behaviour and handling on the ground, and how this translates when they are actually in the carriage! We discuss in the video where he swishes his tail when touched with a whip that he is threatening to kick, and if he is capable of kicking back at a carriage, it is shows that he is likely to answer in that manner when "pushed" on the ground, which could end in a nasty accident if he was around members of the public. The cause of the behaviour needs dealing with, instead of trying to avoid the issue by "bribing" the horse with food. I agree with the owner of the stables that it is crucial that driving horses are happy with things going on behind them and being approached from behind (standing stalls are great for helping with this) and as you say, it is vital that the owners keep working with this horse else he will revert to this behaviour.
barryhook2 Sensible advice as ever. Sadly, Fresians in particular appear to attract the sort of owner who wants a ''flashy'' horse. As you say, the horse may respect you all at the yard, but when he gets sent home again, the old pattern may resurface. Horses are great readers of people, and all the retraining you do could be unravelled rapidly unless the owner also undergoes 'retraining'.
barryhook2 Am reading a book about a London funeral director in Wartime London, and he was a 'prentice at 14, and they all used Freisians for Funeral work- he writes of the sirens, the bombers, and how he stood at the heads of the horses in an air raid, and how the horses were good as gold.
Except these horses were owned by the sort of people who had 'horse sense' and a 14yr old lad was able to keep six horses calm, because they were brought up to respect people, and knew their job.
I know of a Fresian owner who ''breeds'' a foal now and then, and the mare is pushy as hell, and broke her little boy's leg by barging.
Solution? more titbits to make the ''pony'' like the little boy. Sigh.
+Oakleaf700 What's the name of the book? Do you remember? =3 It sounds very interesting.
Sara Nightfire
Oh blast...I have returned it to the library,Let me google.... ''An East End Farewell'' By Yvette Venables. [who interviewed the Undertaker]
It is interesting, and the horse bits... lovely...but I did cry at one point, as any horse person would.
Won't put in any spoilers :)
Probably a ''spoiler'' type owner that crams the animal with treats from the pocket, and the horse learned to walk all over the owner. Horses and pocket titbits =bad idea in my opinion.
YES especially as a Foal, yearling, 2 y.o., 3 y.o.
Well said.
I love your horsemanship rules your firm but fair contistant very much like raising a child ... you can across so well you remind me of me first boss ... she was firm but fair loved her horses and worked real hard ,taking real pride in her yard ... she would not put up with bad behaved horses.. if a horse had some problem it was pushed thru the problem by desensorising .. my part breed arab ,rig ...was A huge problem with cleaning as hated the hose .. we kept hose out on the floor near his stable ,we would hold foot long piece while grooming , touching him with it .. by the sixth week he would drink from the hose .... with that horse having problem coming out stable we may have to get out 20/30 times aday ..over expose to desensorise .... This problem can lead to allsort and yes someone could be hurt x x x x
I agree with you. It's the same with dogs and kids!
Only horse I ever trained, I picked him up and carried him around the day he was born. I think he thought from then on I was stronger than him. :D
Horses need a leader just like dogs do! They have hierarchy exactly the same! Unruly horse is dangerous for everyone including themselves.
yeah she taught that horse that if it acts treathening people will either leave it alone or feed it treats.
Fascinating. Subbed.
Maybe he doesn’t like being in the stall
thank u