Do you love horses?

Do you love horses?.. well so do we! We hope that the following articles will pique your interest and get you thinking about some of the assumptions that have been made regarding horses!

PS You can now do a horse kinesiology course! Read more

Harry loves to lie down when asked

Harry shows off his well balanced rear

SPECIALISED KINESIOLOGY FOR ANIMALS

The Trend Towards Natural Aalternatives For Animals
by Margie Donde

It is currently more common to see natural herbs and supplements being sold for animals as people become aware of the natural options available to them.

Specialised Kinesiology is one of the Natural Alternative Therapies that can be used on both animals and humans. It is a simple, non-invasive, and inexpensive method that is becoming more widely utilized by veterinarians, chiropractors, medical doctors, sports trainers and natural health care practitioners.

Kinesiology, works with an animal or human’s body, utilising its own inner intelligence and ability to heal itself. The body can be used to help determine the underlying cause of a problem and reveal what is needed to address. Read More

Oliver - so intelligent that I had to learn fast!

Oliver learning through pla

THE DIFFERENCE IS ATTITUDE!

Learning from Oliver and using clicker training.
By Margie Donde (this article appeared in the HQ magazine)

Being on a horse’s back for the first time at age twelve was an awesome experience. I remember the sense of power under me and at the same time such gentleness from these large animals. I was instantly hooked and all my spare time from then on was spent walking, grooming, playing, riding, loving and dreaming horses. My interest in horses lay in schooling and doing dressage. I was fascinated with how a horse learns; noting that some learned faster than others. I have spent most of the last 30 years schooling horses and riding dressage. My experience was that a clever willing horse would work better for me than one that may have the talent but not the temperament.

However money was always an issue and I tended to inherit other peoples cast offs. Recently I decided to breed hoping that I could have a more quality horse without necessarily having to spend the tens of thousands of Rands that a good horse costs these days. I used my thoroughbred mare and bred her to an Andalusian Stallion. Equinox Centaur or Oliver as he is affectionately known was born in October 2000. Right from the start he was an inquisitive and outgoing foal. When only a few hours old he happily walked up to dogs and a horsebox and gave them both an inquisitive nibble. As he grew he bullied his mother, biting and climbing all over her and developed into a pushy hyperactive youngster. I patiently worked with him using everything that I had ever learned to teach him manners and gradually started lunging him in preparation for riding. He was constantly pushing the boundaries – crowding, biting, running into me and refusing to stand still for longer that a second. I didn’t enjoy working with him and my patience was rapidly running out. Frankly, I was at my wits end.

I heard about clicker training through a friend of mine who was backing her youngster, who was the same age as Oliver now aged three.
I was extremely sceptical. How could I risk feeding a horse that constantly bit anything in range? The poles in the paddock, the lead rope, me! Surely this would just make more problems. Feeding him seemed like the wrong thing to do!
With much scepticism I went to watch a lesson.
What I saw was a three-year-old colt being worked loose in the school. He lunged around the trainer without a lunge line, he offered walk, trot and canter, halted and backed up on command. He also willingly offered different behaviours. He was asked to jump loose over a jump – not only did he jump it but turned around and jumped it again. However the most exciting thing for me was his attitude! His eyes were bright, he was interested in his surroundings and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying his work. He worked with utter joy.
I was absolutely fascinated. What if I could get my youngster to work that way? I started clicker training with Oliver the very next week. Within a few minutes he had got it. By the end of the lesson he was backing up out of the trainer’s space, offering the behaviour in order to get the reward. As the hour progressed he was biting less and less and standing still for a second at a time. When learning to execute a turn around the hindquarters to the left, he was only clicked and rewarded when he crossed his front off fore in front of his near fore. Within a few minutes he had worked it out and did the turn correctly. He was really bright and learned very quickly – we also learned very quickly to keep him occupied and direct his hyperactive behaviour in a more positive and appropriate direction. By the end of the session he settled down considerably and was co-operating and even trying to anticipate what was being asked of him. In fact every time Jenku arrived to teach, Oliver’s head would come up, his ears would go forward and he would run around the paddock in utter excitement and go towards Jenku.

Clicker training uses the same basis as Richard Maxwell – pressure and release. The difference is that Richard Maxwell is very quick to make a distinction and is very quick to apply pressure and release appropriately so that the horse understands very easily and there is no confusion. His consistency also provides clarity and there are no grey areas for the horse. However for most of us we may not be as quick and as clear as Richard Maxwell. This can cause our horse to be confused. In clicker training, the release and reward is very clear and there is no confusion for the horse. This makes it very easy for the majority of riders to use. Clicker training is about positive reinforcement. A huge benefit of this is that it changes the rider’s attitude. The focus goes from what is wrong to looking for what is right – what can I reward – This change of attitude and focus will also influence the horse positively.

Instead of dominance and force, clicker training gives the horse a problem to solve, sets him up to succeed and the first step towards success is rewarded therefore there is a huge motivation for the horse to keep trying and to solve the problem. This also stimulates in the horse problem solving, thinking and co-operation. The power of positive thinking! With a click and reward for the appropriate behaviour, the horse instantly understands that it has behaved correctly and it therefore gains the correct attitude. This increases the motivation to co-operate.

There is a saying that comes from Neuro-linguistic Programming that says “Behaviour is geared for adaptation. The present behaviour is the best choice available. Behind every behaviour is a positive intention; identify the positive intention and offer more choices!” I learned from clicker training that Oliver’s hyperactive behaviour was as a result of his extreme intelligence and intensity not naughtiness and if I am able to channel that intensity towards what I want he is a joy to work. .
It is so easy to buy into “the horse is wrong or naughty or just being impossible to annoy or provoke his owner”. If I loose my temper it displays my lack of knowledge and understanding and has nothing to do with the horse.

I have learned from clicker training that horses are so much brighter than we think. If they are not doing as we ask – we are either asking something that they don’t yet know how to do, or they are confused as to what we want. Either way we need to find the solution -break it down into smaller junks – look for what you can reward to motivate and encourage the horse to come up with a solution. In the words of Mark Rashid from the book Horses Never Lie “Reward the smallest try and you horse will start doing as you ask!”

Oliver is now going very well – he is still a very busy horse but I am able to direct him. He stays out of my space, is able to stand still for longer and longer periods, lunges with his head down and back rounded without any gadgets and even comes round under saddle. He does basic walk, trot and canter, leg yielding, turns around the hindquarters, basic shoulder in and backs up whilst being ridden on a halter only. I also allow him playtime – he chases a ball, climbs on a pedestal, does Spanish walk and fetches a Frisbee.

This allows him to free his mind and express his exuberance however they all also have training value – i.e channelling his energy in a controlled direction but also building up his neck muscles when he plays with the ball, using his shoulder freely for Spanish walk and standing on the pedestal helps him with balance and bringing his hind legs under the body – all necessities for a dressage horse
Creating a willing partnership with a horse has been a new and freeing experience for me and one I intend to continue.
Want to know more about clicker training – www.artofhorsemanship.com

WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEARN KINESIOLOGY ON ANIMALS?

EMAIL ME FOR MORE INFORMATION – info@kinesiologysouthafrica.co.za

How Stressed Is Your Horse?
(Taken from the Kinesiology Workshop – Happy Horses written by Margie Donde)

Horses are prey animala, i.e. nature intended that they get eaten for a living. Their natural instinct is to herd together for protection and to roam looking for food. Their natural position for eating is with their head down and their backs rounded. In nature they eat for most of the day and their digestive systems are designed to work continuously.

Horses have been taken out of their natural environment where they have lived for thousands of years. The domestic horse today often lives in the stable for the most part of the day, or walks in a small paddock without adequate availability to grass. Often they do not have access to other horses to play with or groom. They are fed at times that are convenient for us, their owners or keepers, with food that has been heated and treated which may affect the vitamin and mineral content.

They may be ridden with ill-fitting saddles and bridles and when riding we tend to force them into a frame that best suits humans. They are expect to be ambidextrous when riders are very often one sided. They are ridden on uneven ground; exposed to horseboxes, car fumes, noise and taken away from the only herd environment they know – their mates back at the stable yard.

All of this causes stress. This could be mental, emotional or physical stress. Due to the fact that horses are prey animals, they easily get stressed and believe their very survival is at stake. Once they are stressed their natural ability to heal themselves may be affected.

Lets consider the different types of nutritional stress that a horse may incounter

FOOD

Studies have shown that horses in the wild roam about 30 kms per day where they are exposed to and thrive on different scrub, grass, herbs (weeds) fruits and tubers. The stabled horses today are mainly fed concentrates and processed and baled food.

In the first part of this century, there was little advancement in horse nutrition and little research was undertaken. However, in the last few years, there has been a great increase in interest in this whole area. The conventional feeds today are mostly made up of processed synthetic, chemically adulterated ‘nutrition’. It may be argued that this diet has produced healthy successful horses for many years. However many sources agree that with conventional diets we have seen an increase in ailments.

This means that we have now added a new stress to our horses – NUTRITIONAL STRESS!

Nutritional stress may consist of:

Pelleted food and concentrates may have been heated and may contain preservatives, flavourings, and waste grain products. They may have added vitamins and minerals but this does not necessarily mean that these nutrients can by utilized by the horse as these nutrients may have been exposed to heat rendering them ineffective.

The grains in the concentrates tend to create an overly acid system, which may be a problem for some horses. The wild horse seldom encounters grains.

Eregrostis, teff and hay crops contain pesticides, fungicides and herbicides used on and around pastures. Studies have shown have detrimental effects on the brain, liver, kidneys and immune system, as well as the environment, over the long term. The use of synthetic fertilizers and the resulting depleted soils that much of our baled grass is produced on eliminates much of the nutritious qualities of these otherwise natural foods.

THE NATURAL DIET

A natural diet for the horse is fresh grass, hay and herbs (weeds). If a horse eats only a diet of prepared, ‘dead’ feed it will not receive nor develop the intestinal flora that promote good digestion.

Tall, wild grass and beneficial weeds should be encouraged, and rotating pastures often to limit worm ingestion will help maintain their natural state.

Teff, eregrostis, lucerne, and smuts finger are the more popular grasses that are fed in South Africa. They should however be grown on fertile soil and should not be treated with chemicals, in other words they should be organic. The chemical residues present on most hay, even in minute amounts, counteract the many benefits that the feed has. Any baled food will also have less nutrition than fresh, so it is important to have it as freshly picked and baled as possible.

Herbs are another component of the natural horse’s diet. They provide the horse with vitamins, minerals and trace elements and have healing properties that are not found in grass. Certain herbs grow best in particular areas but there is an endless variety that horses enjoy. Herbs such as dandelion, burdock, plantain, clover, Lucerne (alfalfa) and chamomile grow almost anywhere and are very beneficial. They should be grown in the horses paddock to provide benefit to the horse at will. If fresh herbs are not available, dried herbs can be fed. They should however be organically grown.

If extra food were necessary for a competition horse it would be best to feed grains that would be eaten by horses in the wild. Organically grown whole grain wheat, oats, barley, rye and flax are the best choices. They should be fed as a supplement to the diet and not as the base ingredient. Feed enough grains to help the horse maintain energy.

Tree bark is an essential yet seldom considered part of the equine diet. It is eaten in very small quantities but provides numerous minerals and certain nutrients beneficial to digestive tract health, and helps maintain natural wear of the teeth. The horse would be less likely to chew fences and stall doors. All chemically treated and preserved wood is toxic.

Fruit and vegetables can be helpful to promote proper digestion. Organically grown carrots, apples, and turnips, are helpful and can be feed at every meal.

Probiotics may also be needed to promote better digestion especially for horses that are on concentrates and have little fresh food available.

A diet of whole, raw, living foods can only mean immense benefits for our horses.

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