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Basic Horse Training
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| Basic Horse Training |
All horse owners have one thing in common… we all want our horses to
behave perfectly when other people are around. No horseperson wants their
horse to be known as that horse, and it is the simplest of tasks that seem to
earn a horse that name. Some of the scariest moments for a horse owner (and
horse) are with the vet. Deworming and vaccinations can bring out the worst in
a horse, and every vet wishes that more people would take extra time to work
with their horses to overcome this. Two minutes a day can go a long way to
making everybody feel better about a visit from the vet.
The most troublesome, yet easy to remedy area on the horse is the head.
Deworming pastes, intranasal vaccines, eye ointment, and dental care are all
things that can make your horse look like a crazy animal. Directly behind the
head is the neck, and everyone has seen a horse that hates getting a shot of
any kind. If you take a few minutes out of your day, everyday, you can get your
horse over a lot of these problems. All you need to do is say hello to your
horse.
behave perfectly when other people are around. No horseperson wants their
horse to be known as that horse, and it is the simplest of tasks that seem to
earn a horse that name. Some of the scariest moments for a horse owner (and
horse) are with the vet. Deworming and vaccinations can bring out the worst in
a horse, and every vet wishes that more people would take extra time to work
with their horses to overcome this. Two minutes a day can go a long way to
making everybody feel better about a visit from the vet.
The most troublesome, yet easy to remedy area on the horse is the head.
Deworming pastes, intranasal vaccines, eye ointment, and dental care are all
things that can make your horse look like a crazy animal. Directly behind the
head is the neck, and everyone has seen a horse that hates getting a shot of
any kind. If you take a few minutes out of your day, everyday, you can get your
horse over a lot of these problems. All you need to do is say hello to your
horse.
1. Start at the horse’s forehead. Most
horses really respond well to a good rub on
the forehead. When they are foals, and still
nursing, their forehead rubs on the mares
belly as they feed. After a while, I think the
horse learns to associate that rubbing with
good things – like eating, or safety. I think
rubbing their forehead brings back those
feelings from somewhere deep down inside
of them. Whether it works that way or not,
you start by rubbing the horse on the
forehead.
horses really respond well to a good rub on
the forehead. When they are foals, and still
nursing, their forehead rubs on the mares
belly as they feed. After a while, I think the
horse learns to associate that rubbing with
good things – like eating, or safety. I think
rubbing their forehead brings back those
feelings from somewhere deep down inside
of them. Whether it works that way or not,
you start by rubbing the horse on the
forehead.
2. Next I move on to the ears. A horse
can get a lot of bug bites in the ear that
can need medical treatment. Or, the vet
may need to perform an ear twitch to
keep the horse occupied while they do
something more painful to the horse. All
you need to do is rub by the base of the
ear until the horse calms down. Once the
horse is calm, take a hold of the ear and
gently pull the ear straight up away from
the skull.
can get a lot of bug bites in the ear that
can need medical treatment. Or, the vet
may need to perform an ear twitch to
keep the horse occupied while they do
something more painful to the horse. All
you need to do is rub by the base of the
ear until the horse calms down. Once the
horse is calm, take a hold of the ear and
gently pull the ear straight up away from
the skull.
3. From the ears I move down to the
eyes. When I worked for the vet I hated
putting eye ointment in. Almost no horse
tolerated it. To get the horse to be more
calm about having their eyes touched you
just need to rub them. Cup your hands
and rub them over the horse’s eyes. If you
really want to do a thorough job, use your
fingers and pull the eyelids apart slightly.
eyes. When I worked for the vet I hated
putting eye ointment in. Almost no horse
tolerated it. To get the horse to be more
calm about having their eyes touched you
just need to rub them. Cup your hands
and rub them over the horse’s eyes. If you
really want to do a thorough job, use your
fingers and pull the eyelids apart slightly.
4. Pick their nose. I know it sounds
terrible, but more and more vaccinations
are being given intranasally. If your horse
starts to colic, the vet may decide to pass
a tube down the horse’s nose to put
mineral oil in their stomach. All you need
to do is slide your thumb up into the
horse’s nostril. Just remember to only do
one side at a time. It is not an appealing
step, but it pays off in the long run.
terrible, but more and more vaccinations
are being given intranasally. If your horse
starts to colic, the vet may decide to pass
a tube down the horse’s nose to put
mineral oil in their stomach. All you need
to do is slide your thumb up into the
horse’s nostril. Just remember to only do
one side at a time. It is not an appealing
step, but it pays off in the long run.
5. From the nose drop right down to
the mouth. Take your finger (or thumb)
and slide it into the side of the horse’s
mouth. Rub the horse’s gums very well.
If you want, take your index finger and
rub it up the inside of the horse’s cheek.
That will let you fell the horse’s teeth. If
the edges feel very sharp, your horse
may need to have their teeth floated. If
you do this everyday, your horse will be
much better with getting their dewormer.
the mouth. Take your finger (or thumb)
and slide it into the side of the horse’s
mouth. Rub the horse’s gums very well.
If you want, take your index finger and
rub it up the inside of the horse’s cheek.
That will let you fell the horse’s teeth. If
the edges feel very sharp, your horse
may need to have their teeth floated. If
you do this everyday, your horse will be
much better with getting their dewormer.
6. At some point your vet may need to
put a nose twitch on your horse. To
prepare the horse for that idea, just take a
hold of the horse’s nose and pull out
slightly. That is usually the hardest part of
putting a nose twitch on.
put a nose twitch on your horse. To
prepare the horse for that idea, just take a
hold of the horse’s nose and pull out
slightly. That is usually the hardest part of
putting a nose twitch on.
7. To get the horse better about
shots you’ll need to pinch them. That’s
all. Just give them a few pinches along
the front if the neck where blood is
drawn, and a few on the side of the neck
where shots are given. As long as you
can manage to stay calm when you
actually do give a shot, the horse
shouldn’t know the difference.
shots you’ll need to pinch them. That’s
all. Just give them a few pinches along
the front if the neck where blood is
drawn, and a few on the side of the neck
where shots are given. As long as you
can manage to stay calm when you
actually do give a shot, the horse
shouldn’t know the difference.
You may have noticed that these are all things you probably do with your horse
anyway. Just put them into order and do each of them everyday. Walk up and pet
them on the head, wiggle their ears, and play peek-a-boo. Pick their nose, rub their
gums, and pull the end of their nose toward you as you give them a big kiss. It all
takes less than two minutes to do, but if you do it everyday you will notice a
difference. All training is not complex or mysterious. It just takes patience and
common sense. So go out and say hello to your horse.
anyway. Just put them into order and do each of them everyday. Walk up and pet
them on the head, wiggle their ears, and play peek-a-boo. Pick their nose, rub their
gums, and pull the end of their nose toward you as you give them a big kiss. It all
takes less than two minutes to do, but if you do it everyday you will notice a
difference. All training is not complex or mysterious. It just takes patience and
common sense. So go out and say hello to your horse.
Two Minute Training by Michael Hockemeyer