Horse Behaviour Problems and Issues
Sorting out horse behaviour problems is complex.
As we said on the home page article on this site, it is critical for both the horse and rider safety to ensure that pain is not the cause of the horse so called “misbehaving”
Equally the next this that should be looked at is environmental change. This could be major, for example, change of owner or yard, to something quite minor such as feed change, or perhaps a seasonal influence.
Your pony or horse may struggle with fly bites or react to pollen during the warmer months but show no adverse problems throughout the winter
Once you have ruled out any underlying physical or systemic issues or possible management problems as the cause of unwarranted behaviour, the next step is to try and isolate the trigger points. Is it a handling issue confined to on the ground, a ridden issue or something specific such as anxiety about travelling or fear of clipping or worry about the farrier?
Once it has been established that behavioural issues are not due to pain or trauma, a sympathetic combination of diet and training should be considered
Mark Rashid is one of the great horsemen. His training approach is gentle and from the horses perspective. We have seen his demonstrations live and the results are truly amazing.
The Horse’s Memory
A key element of getting to he bottom of horse behaviour problems is trying to determine whether it has been caused by a past event in the horse’s history. Horses learn through repetition and so a bad experience can create behavioural problems in future similar situations.
For example, a horse that has had a bad incident loading or travelling will quickly associate the trailer or lorry with that experience and the subsequent fear or anxiety. He may become reluctant to load or agree to load but travel badly.
His reaction to the unpleasant experience may be anything on a spectrum of mild resistance or disobedience through to temper tantrums and life-threatening behaviour.
How the owner or handler responds to this is crucial.
An ill-informed, novice or aggressive person will only make the situation worse. A pattern of repetitive behaviour often ensues and the more this continues, the harder it becomes to spiral up and out to better things, instead the spiral is downwards and worsening.
Supplements
Most owners look for supplements for two key reasons:-
1. High spirits. This could just be a sharp horse, on his toes, looking forward to the season ahead. Something that just exerts a calming effect can make the horse more attentive and rideable which, for a competition horse, can make the difference between success and failure.
Calmers can be particularly helpful as the season changes so going into spring and the switch to the colder days of autumn, most horses naturally react to these environmental differences
2. Fear and anxiety.Whether the trigger is fear of the clippers, a distrust of travelling, agoraphobia when hacking alone or horror at the arrival of the farrier, a well-chosen supplement can help support the horse and handler through a tricky situation
A System of Behavioural Management
Natural horse food supplements can work well but only as part of a holistic management approach that considers the animal in the round. They are no substitute for good stable management practises and veterinary intervention which is why it is so important to consider the horse in his entirety and try to identify any underlying causes that might be contributing to the behavioural concern.
As part of a support package, therefore, natural supplementation which works with your horse is the perfect complement to other measures which may perhaps involve further training, rehabilitation programmes or a change or improvement to the environment.
All Horses are Different
Knowing your horse is a very big part of analysing why there is a behavioural problem.
Horses are as different fromone another as people. If you took a control group of wellhandled youngster and presented them with their first experience of travelling on a lorry or trailer, they would all react differently. Some would load at once and show no concern at all whereas others would need coaxing and patience. There may be one or two that plant their feet and refuse to go anywhere near.
Understanding the character of your horse in his home environment throughout the changing seasons is a key part inunlocking the cause of behavioural problems.
Moody Mares!
This is the time of year when those horse owners with mares brace themselves for what can be some fairly exciting times ahead.
The seasonal cycle of a mare is perfectly natural but can nevertheless, can result in some challenging behaviours that just could benefit from some supplementation to make life more comfortable for both the mare and their owner.
If you are having behavioural problems with your horse, your first imperative is to ensure that you remain safe. Take qualified advice if you think there are underlying causes which need attention from a professional – vet, farrier, therapist, saddle fitter. Consider your horse’s management and your own competency, talk to a trusted friend or instructor, don’t resort to social media where you will likely receive ill-informed commentary from people who don’t know anything about you or your horse.
Design your own solution for the horse that you love and cherish. This may include any number of a raft of measures – different handling, schooling, training, pain management or relief, even rehabilitation and alternative therapies– and dietary supplementation can be an essential part of your package.
As with so many management issues with horses, solutions are often multi-faceted and the other key point to always bear in mind is that one size definitely does not fit all. What works for one horse may not work for another so always view each animal as the individual it undoubtedly is.
If you are seeing a sudden change in horses behaviour, please ensure you go through the logical stages above:
- Ensure the horse is not in pain or ill
- Identify any changes to husbandry
- If a new horse, try to find out its history that might promote reaction or “bad behaviour”
There is rarely a “badly behaved” horse.Working out why you are seeing sudden change in horses behaviour can require some clear thinking, logical analysis, and sometimes a bit of detective work!
