Solace Training (Animal Behaviour)

20/10/2022

Helpful post here from Independent Equine Nutritionist Nikki Meggison.

I always recommend straw beds if the horse’s health will allow for them. (No risk of impactions or respiratory problems.)

Please take your time changing over to straw beds, to avoid impactions.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=523202033145200&id=100063662226190

Friday focus....changing management and routines for winter!

It is autumn, the days are getting shorter and lots of horses routines will be changing soon if they have not already.

The horses digestive system needs time to adapt to any changes in feed or forage and I cannot emphasise this enough! It is so important to make ANY changes to your horses feeds or forage very slowly, particularly forage as this is what they eat the most of. If you do not make changes gradually, the risk of digestive upset is significantly increased.

Please keep this in mind next time you go to the feed merchants and they do not have all of your regular feeds in stock. Try to buy feeds before you run out and if you do have to make changes, please do it slowly. If you are constantly chopping and changing feeds as to what is in stock or on offer, your horse or pony is at greater risk of digestive disturbance.

Today, I really want to mention about introducing your horse or pony to a straw bed, whether your horse is currently out 24/7 or if you are changing from a shavings type bed.

Changing from inedible bedding such as shavings to an edible bedding such as straw can all too often lead to an impaction as the novelty of having a different type of forage all around them can be too hard for some to resist! I am already hearing about cases of impaction colics from routine changes and these horses have all been on straw beds, so please change as gradually as you can. To help reduce the risk;

• Introduce the straw very slowly a couple of weeks before changing the bedding or bringing in from 24/7 turnout, into his or her diet. You could start by mixing a handful into their hay or haylage (or giving alongside) and gradually increasing the amount so that it replaces around 30% of their forage ration. This will help them get used having straw in their diet.

• If they are out 24/7 and will be coming in soon, I would advise bring them in every day for a while to have some of the hay or haylage they will be eating when they come in plus some straw if they are going onto a straw bed.

• Ensure that your horse or pony has enough hay or haylage to last them overnight when they are on their new straw bed, so they do not eat their bed if they run out of hay.

Getting your horse or pony used to the forage they will be having when they come in and introducing straw very slowly if they are going onto a straw bed will help their digestive systems to adapt to the change and will help reduce the risk of digestive upset.

13/09/2022

My new website is live, please take a look and let me know what you think.

Using up-to-date behavioural science, Kelly is able to support you to create long lasting change Let’s work together to make life as easy as possible for you, your horses and dogs. Let's talk Kelly and her ridiculously handsome hound

07/06/2022

This isn't about dogs or horses, but I'm certain many of us will know this type of love.

22/05/2022

This place looks absolutely brilliant for socialising puppies. So much has been considered as this was being set up. What a great example of how to do enrichment well.

08/04/2022

Who else is often drawn to the dog, before the person walking them ? 😂

Dogs rule humans drool 😁

13/03/2022

A difficult read for this Sunday morning. Sometimes it is the safest and kindest thing to euthanise on behavioural grounds. Many might disagree on that. But this is my experience and that of other equine behaviourists too.

https://www.noellefloyd.com/blogs/sport/when-every-option-is-awful-struggling-with-a-dangerous-unpredictable-horse?fbclid=IwAR1BwFLnemXwpeqeeqx_TQG_-4mo8Myb6LRiovD3tUgApZ6Qcj4WbSoYPDQ

It started slowly. The horse came to me, a few years under saddle but quite green, and he was charming and uncomplicated until one day, he wasn't. Shortly after mounting one day he bucked me off in a blind panic. I was injured. But I healed, and I got back on later, and slowly built up confidence to...

07/03/2022

I've signed up to watch this webinar and can't wait.

Many mares who are demonstrating concerning behaviour are often labelled as being "hormonal" and though of as having ovarian dysfunction. But this is not always the case. In fact it is often pain, that is at the root of their behavioural changes.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/equine-behaviour-problems-ovaries-or-not-by-dr-sue-mcdonnell-ms-phd-tickets-289777280647?aff=ebdssbonlinesearch&fbclid=IwAR3xQIfavc3Ft3ga8owm1C7ScahukYlniZkqUdZbykMyJQPCMqgux-sVke8 #

Dr Sue McDonnell discusses mares with behaviour/performance problems - caused by ovarian issues or other causes?

28/02/2022

Here are some useful links from War Paws in support of those needing to leave Ukraine.

**UPDATE 27 Feb 22** We are still working hard to try and get verified information of shelters that need help in Ukraine and a trusted colleague, Darya, in the US who has been supporting Ukrainian rescues for many years has set up a fundraiser to support many rescues that have been verified at this time. Many of the shelters she is supporting are included in the shelter information you have sent to us and money is already being transferred to those shelters.

You can donate to the campaign for the shelters at the page Darya has set up below

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/raising-money-for-animal-shelters-in-ukraine?fbclid=IwAR1Li6Ox4-3QuOc9luFPm6UaFsUV17YvjW4lmr-dU5k6SrKB1WXLMmGmpBc #/

**UPDATE 26 Feb 22**

Kabul Small Animal Rescue have put together the list below for people who are leaving Ukraine with animals. The information has been verified as far as possible and states how it was verified. Please get this information out in the public domain.

We are still working with our rescue partners to establish who the animals shelters are that cannot leave and find out how help can be given. Right now banks are closed, paypal doesn't work, a key bridge has been blown up cutting some rescues off from being able to get out to buy supplies but we are working hard on trying to verify rescues and find ways to get help to them.

****This is a work in progress, and just the basics of export regulations as we can find them now--PDF coming****

VERIFIED INFORMATION ON REGULATIONS FOR COMPANION ANIMAL IMPORTATION

February 25, 2022

*All escorts for animals must be either female, or men not between 18-60 years of age*

POLAND
~verified by Chief Veterinary Inspectorate (wetgiw.gov.pl)
“Temporary procedure for the movement of companion animals from the territory of Ukraine to the territory of the Polish by persons who do not have a set of veterinary documents for dogs, cats and ferrets”
• Allowing entry without paperwork
• Animals can be vaccinated on arrival
• Allowing refugees to bring unowned/stray animals and providing care through DIOZ

ROMANIA
~verified by the National Authority for Veterinary Health and Public Sanitation (ansvsa.ro)
• Allowing entry without paperwork
• Form completed on arrival

HUNGARY
~verified by Hungarian National Veterinary Authority (https://www.nebih.gov.hu)
“Hungary ensures that those fleeing Ukraine can bring their companion animals with them”
• Allowing entry without paperwork
• Form completed on arrival

SLOVAKIA
~verified only by Slovakian Border Police Official Instagram page, not ministerial level
• Allowing entry without paperwork
• Form completed on arrival

SLOVENIA
~verified by the Slovenian State Veterinary Authority (https://www.svps.sk)
“In accordance with the guidelines of the European Commission and Article 32 of the European Parliament and of the Council (EC) No 576/2013 of 12 June 2013 on the non-commercial movement of animal animals and on the destruction of the Regulation (EC) No 2003 In the extreme situation of political unrest in Ukraine, the State Veterinary and Food Administration of the SR allows for the non-commercial transfer of animal animals to the territory of the Republic of Slovenia for the payment of fugitive refugees.”
• Allowing entry without paperwork
• Form completed on arrival and turned into Slovenian Ministry of Finance

GERMANY
~verified only by NGO at this time
• Animal documentation required most entry points
• Exception at Munich. To engage in this process, contact: https://tierschutzverein-muenchen.de

MOLDOVA
*Unofficially, women allowed to transit through Moldova with animals to Romania

*****************************************************************

War Paws is getting many messages from caring supporters who are concerned about Ukraine and its people and animals. War Paws is devastated watching the news of Russia’s invasion on Ukraine. We see thousands of people fleeing the country with their pets and we are truly thankful that they have not left their pets behind but we are deeply concerned for the many animal rescues in Ukraine who are not able to move because they are caring for multiple animals in shelters with already stretched resources.

Rescuers are refusing to leave the animals in their care and are risking their own lives to ensure that they can provide the care these animals need but as we have seen so many times before in areas of conflict it does not take long for food, medicine and other supply shortages to take hold so we are speaking to rescuers on the ground in Ukraine to establish what we can do to help them during these dark times.

Orgs across the world are working together gathering information on how they can help the animals and rescuers of Ukraine as well as many European countries opening their borders to people and animals and we hope that this continues. Our rescue partners Kabul Small Animal Rescue and SPCA International are also gathering information to see what can be done to help but these efforts will take some time to co-ordinate how help can best be given and establish legitimate routes for donations before any fundraising begins.

Please keep the people and animals of Ukraine in your thoughts, as we have seen so many times in recent decades the cost to both human and animal life as a result of war is completely devastating.

If you know of a rescue org in Ukraine that needs help please do send us the information and we will be sharing this information with our rescue partners so we can try and get together valid information on how to make donations that will reach them and help them to continue their work.

🇺🇦

28/02/2022

This is why it is crucial that you work with someone who understands all of the factors that may be contributing to your animal's behaviour. The behaviour that you see is literally the "tip of the iceberg" and many trainers, working from a "top down" approach don't consider or know how to look for what is below the surface. We need to work from the "bottom up" to really create safety and lasting change.

IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT BEHAVIOUR

One of the most common questions we as dog training professionals get asked is ‘Can you give me a few tips on [insert behaviour here] and whilst I can give you a few tips, I want to explain to you why I probably won’t and the reasons behind it.

Recently on a FB live I did in my Romanian Rescue Community Group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/TheDogsPointofView)
I shared a slide I had quickly put together to help me get this point across, and I want to share that again with you here, although I’m glad to say I have since made the slide look a whole lot better! (You can see the shockingly bad original one on my FB live recording in the group, when I also shared a few general tips for Romanian Rescue Adopters)

As you can see from this picture, the observable behaviour you actually see your dog ‘DOING’ can be underpinned, driven by and be a result of a large number of OTHER things. These could be major contributing factors or minor contributing factors, it doesn’t really matter, but what it means is, if none of these POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS to your dog’s behaviour are taken into account and considered from the DOG’s Point of View, then any ‘tips’ I give you are unlikely to be the best advice I can give that would help.

Not only that, but I could give you tips or recommendations that might be wrong for your dog and your particular circumstances. I could give you tips that make the behaviour worse. I could give you tips that may upset your dog, or cause them to feel threatened in some way, because I’m missing important pieces of the puzzle.

This could result in them changing their behaviours in a less positive way and/or doing something unexpected. This is why giving a ‘few tips’ or ‘bit of advice’ can actually be dangerous in some cases.

People seem to forget we are living with an animal that has 42 teeth that were designed to rip into flesh and crush bone! Thankfully, for the most part, our dogs avoid using them in a confrontational way, but that doesn't mean they won't if pushed.

This is why I am often horrified to see some of the advice given on Facebook posts where someone has asked for some ‘tips’

Often it is advice that is incorrect, given by the general public, but even if it is advice that is suitable and worked for that person and their dog, it doesn’t mean it will work for someone else and their dog, who will be experiencing the world in a completely different way.

To give an example...

A question I see asked often in Facebook posts is around excessive barking, a common issue for adopters of Romanian or Foreign rescue dogs because of their GENETICS (that’s one contributing factor there)

Even if I gave one BEST piece of advice I could, if that dog had just ONE thing from that list of possible contributing factors, let’s say elevated baseline stress levels, then my advice is likely to be ineffective.

Not only that, but it’s likely to create frustration and discord for both the human and canine halves of the partnership in trying to apply it because the underlying cause of the behaviour is not being addressed.

In fact, let me just say, relative to the seemingly simple problem of excessive barking (most pet parents perceive a dog barking is simple to resolve, which it isn’t necessarily), it is entirely possible that all of those contributing factors could be impacting on or driving the behaviour and they NEED to be taken into consideration for progress to be seen, that not only reduces the degree and intensity of the barking behaviour, but that also supports that dog’s physical and emotional wellbeing whilst doing so.

Can you see how it really isn’t as simple as ‘just giving some tips or advice?’

Even something as simple as how long a dog has been in the home or how old they are can make the progress plan for that dog look very different.

It is SO IMPORTANT to remember your dog is A THINKING, FEELING, EMOTIONAL BEING, JUST LIKE YOU, BUT DIFFERENT.

They can be affected by not only life and the world around them as much as we are, but also by how they are experiencing the world at any given moment, in the same way that we are. They are as individual and unique in both their perspective of the world and how they respond to it, as much as we are.

I hope this article has helped provide you with a bit of a deeper understanding of your dog and of why it simply isn’t possible or appropriate to ‘give you a few tips.’

#

17/02/2022

Good advice from Danielle Beck for dog guardians.

I’d be inclined to leave horses out too as flying debris from stables and shelters can hurt them, especially if they have no way of running away.

Do check your field boundaries too for fallen trees or broken fences.

Stay safe everyone.

Stay safe. For most of us ‘UP NORTH’ grab your big coats 🤣. However, the wind will be loud, strong and flying debris is a safety risk to your dog so it’s best to keep them in. Please bare in mind that loud noises, bangs, whistling, can be scary and distressing to your dogs. Also changes in temperature and pressure can affect joints and muscles.

Be patient with them, storms are scary. Some will appreciate touch and comfort, others need distance and distractions. It’s ok to keep them indoors 💕 stay safe 💕

07/02/2022

Dog barks to alert her owners to a man stranded in the sea !!

Thank goodness little Poppy heard the man calling and alerted her owners. What a super dog she is !!

The dog walker called 999 after her cockapoo, Poppy, kept barking and alerted her to a man in the water.

01/02/2022

Some important information from Root Behaviour and Pet Services.

Putting a badly fitting muzzle onto any dog for the first and leaving it on, despite how the dog responds is cruel and unnecessary.

Such a shame that dangerous advice gets aired on our TV's !

05/01/2022

Good advice from Jenni Nellist. Thanks Jenni !

Arguments at the gate? 😬

The grass is dwindling, it's muddy everywhere and the horses are hungry and want somewhere dry to rest their legs. Add to that the anticipation of bucket feeds.... And the race to get through the gate first is on!

Only that doesn't always get sorted out amongst themselves because we humans are the ones to fetch the horses in and out. And quite often we only fetch our own, at a time convenient to us, and not necessarily in relation to anyone else getting their horses also resident in the field.

This means the horses can't sort their own order out, and they can't tell who is going to be picked out and when either. So they get agitated and irritable and anxious depending on their character and how they are handled around the gate way.

Of course fighting is not inevitable. Chaps, Penny and Bronwen are not fighting here in the picture. I even stood in the muddy gateway in the next field doing their tests yesterday, rustling the package they came in and putting them in and out of my pockets.

What's my secret? Although mine don't actually come in, Penny gets medicine in a sandwich l, Chaps gets a small bucket feed and they all get hay. I handle them one at a time and in the same order from most to least competitively successful: Chaps (the grey), Penny (chestnut) and Bronwen (dark Bay). And because I always go in the same order they are able to arrange themselves in order too - you can see that if you zoom in on the picture.

My advice to anyone using shared facilities with their horses to collaborate with other owners and enable the horses to be handled in the order they would naturally fall into, in order to prevent dangerous aggressive behaviour in the muddy gateways, scaring everyone and potentially having a nasty accident.

25/12/2021

Happy Holidays to you all, however you are spending today. I wish you health and happiness. And ofcourse I wish that for all of you animal family too. Hoping that next year is exactly how you want and need it to be.

18/12/2021

Well this is just fabulous ! Dog bunk beds 🙂

Safe to say my dog bunk bed design is a hit. That’s the solution to my ‘too many dogs for the sofa’ issue…Yey!

02/12/2021

Gosh such sad news.

Thanks Dr Rossdale, for all that you have done.

DR PETER ROSSDALE - 1927-2021

It is with great sadness that we announce that our Founder, Dr Peter Rossdale, passed away on 26th November 2021, at the age of 94 years, following a short illness.

Described by Rossdales' former Senior Partner Professor Sidney Ricketts as 'the 'giant', whose shoulders we 'stood on', Peter was the catalyst for the fabulous practice that has influenced so many people.

We all thank Peter for our opportunities, and we are very grateful to him for his foresight, direction and kindness.

We are very sorry to lose him.

More to follow, with his full obituary, in due course.

27/11/2021

Seeking consent is super important, regardless of species ❤ I love this cartoon.

New comic on Tinyview! Consent! Full comic and bonus here: https://tinyview.com/lunarbaboon/2021/11/25/consent

21/11/2021

I’m sure many of you here will know what this is 🙂

WHAT'S THIS?

What animal is this part of?
Hint: posted by M & W Stables

17/11/2021

I see this so much and agree with this quote. The main thing is that people simply don’t know that their dog’s behaviour might be overwhelming another dog. What is obvious to one, is not to another.

11/11/2021

Hate is such a strong word, but I can say that I’ve felt moments of overwhelm when supporting my dogs at times. It’s human to do so. Be kind to you and to them ❤

I have a confession to make. Today was a down day, that kind of day where I wasn't my best dog trainer self. At all. To paraphrase a Reddit that I found when I furiously googled "I hate my dog," in that moment of frustration, I hated him with the passion of 10,000 suns. A … Continue reading Confes...

02/11/2021

Please use this link to log each time that your animals are affected by fireworks. It's sadly coming up to the 5th November when lots of our pets, livestock and wildlife will be traumatised.

STOP PRESS: The RSPCA reporting log has gone live. Please use it to report any problems you have with fireworks/animals as the government need facts and figures before they take any action. Up to now there have been no official figures because no one is collecting and collating the information. This is an official RSPCA initiative to provide government with the information they need.

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TKWMJJC

Although it may look like a one off survey it CAN and should be completed EVERY time an animal is affected by fireworks. You can complete it as many times as you need.

We understand that you may want to check it is bona fide before completing so you can find it on the RSPCA website. From their main page https://www.rspca.org.uk/ go to the menu and select:

* Get Involved
* Campaign
* Fireworks

Then Scroll down the page until you see the green box with "share your story" (almost at the bottom of the page). Click on the "share your fireworks story" button to begin.

You can see the RSPCA privacy notice at the bottom of their page.

11/10/2021

Helpful phrases that we can use when feeling challenged. Life is full of speedbumps, but how we navigate them is more important than knowing they are there. Thinking this way allows us to give ourselves some grace and to provide the same to our animals too.

Source: Wholehearted Counseling

07/10/2021

I love everything by silent conversations. Let's let our dogs sniff. They ares biologically programmed to.

Sniffing is vital to the way dogs gather information and interact with their environment. Scent is the predominant way in which dogs make sense of their world.At times, depending on the context, a dog is not just sniffing a scent; he is communicating. What he is communicating can vary according to t...

20/09/2021

“Three-quarters of dog shelters in the UK are now almost or completely full after a sudden spike in dogs under two-years-old being given away.

Shelters say half the dogs and young puppies being handed to them have behavioural problems.”

Pandemic puppies/ lockdown puppies/ Covid puppies have all been significantly disadvantaged due to their experiences being limited and also having guardians at home all of the time. This is a recipe for disaster for many of them. Not to mention the hike in prices. I know humble Labrador pups which were around £900-1000 each pre lockdown, have been selling for £2500-3000.

It’s been a sellers market and now these animals and their caregivers are struggling in a multitude of ways.

I offer remote consultations or in- person consults, depending on where you are. We can work together so that you feel supported.

More than half the dogs being given away are now under two years old

14/09/2021

Here's a really GOOD example of how horses let us know when things are wrong, when they feel pain and when they are scared and how we often miss those symptoms because they are still "sound".

BY LINDY GUTMAN Friday afternoon, while taking the longer route to our larger outdoor arena, I started to think. Our horses talk to us. Sometimes they even scream at us. They do it in the only way that they can—by nipping, kicking out, balking, spooking. They do like to be groomed, or they don’t...

08/09/2021

Brilliant info graphic! We don’t like everyone we meet. It’s the same for our dogs.

I am continuously managing expectations on how tolerant and social dogs should be. If early cut off ("no thanks") signals are ignored, dogs will have to shout a bit louder to be left alone. If a dog has not given consent to an interaction and it’s forced upon them, they may object!

These are the signals that often scare people, but, in some cases ritualised aggression is PROPORTIONATE and IN CONTEXT!

Examples;

If I tried to disengage from someone and they followed at me tugging on my arm, trying to force me to chat, I would probably turn round and assertively ask them to back off. A growl, bark, tooth flash or stiff, upright posture is little different.

If someone I didn't know rushed up to me and gave me a massive hug, I'd find it quite the intrusion of my personal space and ask them 'excuse me, what on earth are you doing?'. if they grabbed me from behind I'd probably have a moment of feeling in total danger and may respond quite strongly to protect myself.

I don't hurl abuse at people across the street who are minding their own business and I don't punch people in the face for politely saying 'good morning’ to me. That's disproportionate and out of context.

I may not appreciate or always tolerate poor social etiquette, but if it's clear someone isn't trying to hurt me physically, I try to avoid hurting or scaring them while communicating my thoughts or navigating myself out of the situation. My level of response depends on their behaviour, and even then, I try hard to avoid escalation. That's proportionate.

However, some days I'm less tolerant than others, such as if I'm in pain, tired or unwell, I may be more quick to say something rather than ignore it. Other days, I may say nothing and walk on.

I am also not consistently social. Occassionally, I keep myself to myself intentionally. Some days I may have short, polite conversations with people before being ready to move on. Other times I may hang out and chat or continue to walk and talk with someone I've just met. I don't always want to avoid nor do I always want to chat (generally, I chat more than I avoid!).

I also may migrate towards certain personality types than others. There are certain behaviour traits in humans that I wish to be around, and others I would prefer to avoid.

Selectively social and varying levels of tolerance (depending on the situation) is normal in dogs!

Learn to spot what 'mood' your dog is in today, which dogs they enjoy being around and which dogs bring out the best in your dog! Give dogs that are an obvious mis-match a wide berth if you can- to set your dog up for success and prevent stress for all.

Remember- selectively social is NOT dog reactive/aggressive. If your dog reacts from a distance or responds to situations with disproporationate levels of aggression, get support from a qualified behaviourist (check out the ABTC register)

Thanks for this fab infographic Every Dog Behaviour Training

31/08/2021

Here's a lovely example of how to begin teaching lunging to a horse. At liberty and using positive reinforcement.

You can see how the environment is set up to ensure success and how each small step (moving from one bucket to the next) is reinforced. Nice work !

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=saved&v=803473863502115

30/08/2021

Awww life with seniors, what a gift.

❤️❤️

Ladybug Art

24/08/2021

This event is going to be fascinating. Sleep deprivation in horses is much more common than you think. Pain and stressors in their environment can all make it hard for horses to get the required amount of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) sleep that is necessary for them to stay healthy. Horses need to lie flat out to get REM sleep and many reasons can make this difficult, sometimes impossible.

Book your ticket by following the link.


https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/sleep-disorders-in-horses-a-review-of-over-400-cases-tickets-167916148721?fbclid=IwAR2Zy2EL81oPVai-xxjYx8HGryNq1rgITfomi1_o8pjThqYDe9nd1ghHHiY

A review of over 400 cases of sleep disorders in horses presented by Professor of Equine Medicine, Dr Joe Bertone DVM MS DACVIM