Once Upon a Rescue

12/16/2023

Eeyore’s not going anywhere, but we wrapped him up for Christmas anyway because it’s adorable! These horses’ (and pony’s!) presence in my life is the greatest gift.

09/23/2023

Horse peoples commitment to believing dominance theory / “Alpha” theory despite the lack of evidence showing it to be a real thing is an incredible thing to watch.

There is currently very little, if any, evidence suggesting that horses have a static herd hierarchy in natural environments and that even IF they did, that said hierarchy would apply to how they view humans.

The man who initially perpetuated alpha theory with research on wolves later rescinded his enter belief system due to said study being impacted by the stressors of the domestic lifestyle in addition to the fact that wolf packs are generally family groups, meaning that the older more experienced wolves did take on leadership roles to educate their younger pups… but not for the purpose of exerting dominance.

Now, horses are not wolves but similar findings have been reported.

Much of what is viewed to be attempts of asserting dominance in domestic horse herds is actually resource guarding.

A horse guarding a PERCEIVED lack of resources, this does not mean that the resource actually has to be lacking

Reduced space, infrequent hay feedings, environmental frustration and general stress can increase the aggression we see in domesticated horses.

In feral herds, horses don’t spend much time engaging in aggressive behaviours because such behaviours are expensive physically and risk injury.

Sure, we see lots of photography and video of this happening but those tend to be the more “exciting” shots and thereby more popular, not necessarily more common.

Even in instances where feral stallions are actually fighting, it isn’t an attempt to be the “alpha.” It is attempt to protect and/or secure resources such as breeding rights to mares, space etc.

In addition to this, young horses, especially male horses, will practice fighting behaviours in play and this can be mistaken for real aggression.

Dominance theory is used by humans to label horse behaviour as “naughty” or “disrespectful” which is then often used to justify use of physical punishment.

The issue with this is that much of the behaviour we label as dominant behaviour from horses towards humans stems from fear, frustration, confusion, pain and general stress.

Escape behaviours are merely a horse trying to evade an undesirable situation, not an attempt to exert dominance.

Horses are natural peace makers and would generally prefer to not put up a fight.

But, so much of horse training in the human lens involves disciplining fear based behaviours, creating more fear and then blaming the horse for responding with stress.

We create the very types of environments that make it more likely to see what we perceive as “dominant” behaviours and then blame the horse for it.

The vast majority of undesirable domestic horse behaviours are directly caused by, or at least contributed to by, human influence.

So, it’s about time we reflect inwardly, get with the times and accept the fact that research doesn’t support the idea of dominance theory.

The level of attachment people experience with this theory despite the lack of evidence I think speaks for how desperate many of us are to justify our use of force in horse training.

It is such an odd hill to die on and the level of ferocity that people who speak out on the myth of dominance theory are met with I think exemplifies the crux of the problem: a desire for complete control at any cost rather than a desire to understand and communicate.

Communication and partnership will get you a lot further with horses than dominance, despite what much of traditional horse training may have taught you.

Here is a good fairly recent study on dominance pertaining to horse training: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080617300059

“Highlights
•
It is unlikely that horse–horse social status translates to analogues of human–horse interactions.

•
The concept of leadership as advocated in many training manuals proves to be unreliable in the horse.

•
Horses' responses to training are more likely a result of reinforcement rather than a result of humans attaining high social status and a leadership role.

•
Knowledge of horses' natural behavior and learning capacities are more reliable in explaining training outcomes than the application of dominance and leadership concepts.”

04/25/2023

04/09/2023

I heard a great quote the other day that I've been thinking a lot about lately. "The most honest person in the room is the problem child".

When it comes to horses, they are naturally designed to be good liars. From a prey perspective, they're supposed to lie to predators about their physical and mental weaknesses, because their very survival depends upon it.

"Good" horses are good liars. They're stoic about physical ailments, they tolerate mistakes, and they can perform their duties without needing to be heard by their human handler, or requiring a lot of skill from a rider. These are horses we value a lot in our equestrian society, and they're great for many reasons.

Problem horses are very bad liars. They cannot just go on with life when they are hurt, or upset, or feeling like their needs are not acknowledged or met.

They either find somebody who understands that, or they are sent to a trainer who's main job is to teach them to learn to SUPPRESS this urge to constantly communicate their emotions and needs, effectively becoming better liars. Some horses can learn this, but the ones that cannot are labelled permanent problems, and often find themselves shuffled around.

But what happens if we begin to value communication over compliance? What if we prioritize the relationship before our egos, and trust before our human goals?

We can all agree that we would prefer to be in a meaningful human relationship that ivalues empathy to a different perspective/reality. Why wouldn't we consciously cultivate the same relationships with our equine partners? Would that not be beneficial for everyone?

The next time you find yourself making a binary judgement about your horse's behavior, pause for a moment instead and consider the root cause of it. What are they trying to communicate? How can you help meet their needs and build trust instead of prioritizing your ego in that moment and demanding compliance because you've arbitrarily decided you deserve it?

09/07/2022

Had several talks this week with students about the “spiral of knowledge” and this very similar idea came across my page today, so I wanted to share it.

Tape is only as effective as the person applying it is knowledgeable in applying the tape.

A loop knife and a rasp are only as effective as the person using the tools is knowledgeable and trained in using those tools.

A laser is only as effective..

A snaffle and split reins..

PEMF..

Massage..

Modalities, equipment, and tools aren’t what “work” on horses.

Knowledgeable professionals using these things appropriately as they were trained to do so is what makes these things work.

Maybe that modality or technique didn’t work for you because the person doing it didn’t have the correct training - or training at all.

Be honest with yourself about your own skill level as well.

If you need to refer somewhere else or ask for help, do it. You will never be the expert in everything.

If you’re paying someone to do a service, please ask questions.

Can that professional explain to you exactly what they’re doing and why? Both at a 3rd grade reading level and at a doctorate level?

They should.

If you are a paying client, you have every right to ask that professional every single question until you’re satisfied with the answers.

If you’re wanting to do these things yourself, you still need to educate yourself on correct use of any tool or modality. It’s the responsible thing to do for the horse.

The horse world is so unregulated. Other than being a vet or a chiro there isn’t much regulation and there are plenty of people taking advantage of that.

Take the class. Shadow the professional. Pay the trainer.

Invest in your knowledge. No one can take that away from you.

We’re all on a journey to be better.

Let’s not let the first dot on this graph “I know everything” keep us forever because it feels best to the ego.

The more you know the more you realize you don’t know a darn thing.

09/02/2022

Turbo, 28 years old, was enjoying the sunset but then came over to say hi.

08/11/2022

Leon taking the opportunity while being bridled on a warm day to just slide on over to the fan.

07/18/2022

Unicorn Riding proudly utilizes our horses in the child-focused work they do. They aren’t an official therapy program yet, but that’s on the horizon for them- in the meantime, they still provide every lesson student support in all kinds of life skills, including emotional regulation.
Eeyore is HERE FOR IT!!!!

07/15/2022

Where is Arrow headed?
He’s going to look for us on instagram!
OnceUponaRescuePDX over on insta!

07/15/2022

Here’s Milkshake lookin’ fly ready to join her friends in turnout!
(Who doesn’t love a good pun??)

Milkshake got a small injury last week so this will be her first day back in the pasture after spending a few days in a smaller paddock with just Trey.

It was so sweet to see her immediately find Leon and match his grazing stance!

07/14/2022

Milkshake (left) and Trey would like to be acknowledged for knowing that it’s dinner time. Okay you sweet paints, we know you know!!

07/07/2022

Oh the life of a lesson pony. We love you Cricket!

06/27/2022

Lucky Leon got the first hose down this afternoon! Don’t worry, everyone else got one too, but fb only allows the one video per post.
We added fans to their box stalls this week also to give a nice breeze. Milkshake was standing in front of hers with her face pointed right at it today, so I’d say they are a big hit!

06/21/2022

We got a solid mention in the Oregonian!!
Although the reporter mis-described Arrow's colors, we still know he was the best horse trans flag ever!

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2022/06/thousands-attend-portland-pride-parade-to-celebrate-diversity-keep-fighting-for-equal-rights.html

“We’re still here. No matter how you try to legislate against us, no matter how you try to outlaw our existence, we’re still here,” said Babylon Brooks, Levi Carpenter's drag persona who is active in the charity group Sweethearts of Portland. “We’re not going anywhere.’’

06/20/2022

Success- horses in the Pride Parade!! More photos tomorrow. Right now we’re all headed to bed!!

06/20/2022

06/19/2022

Just parallel parking the 4-horse gooseneck trailer in downtown Portland, nbd.

06/19/2022

It’s almost parade time!!!!

06/19/2022

Arrow has never NOT looked amazing, but he’s especially dazzlingly clean today! He’s wrapped up snug to stay that way until he gets his Pride Parade decorations on tomorrow!

06/19/2022

Eeyore got lost trying to find our brand-new instsgram, but we believe you can find it! We’re at Once Upon a Rescue PDX over on insta. Check us out!

06/19/2022

We’re getting ready!!!!! Big event tomorrow, we can’t wait!

06/17/2022

Introducing Milkshake! These are NOT current photos- Milkshake is looking like a whole new horse now. Follow along to see her "after" glow-up photos in another post!
Milkshake was rescued from a private party last winter. She weighed 860 pounds when we got her (she went right to the vet clinic and got on their scale!)- based on her height, she should weigh 1120-1150 lbs.
In my whole life I've found maybe half a dozen ticks on horses. On Milkshake, we pulled nearly 20 ticks off of her- in JANUARY. In addition to various stages of healing tick bites, she had other skin issues and we ended up shaving her coat so that we could medicate her better.

Milkshake made a good health recovery, weighing in at nearly 1100 lbs in early May and with clean healthy skin, and as with all of our rescued horses, she is now in training to become the best Milkshake she can be.

06/17/2022

06/16/2022

Introducing Trey- “Once Upon a Third Wheel”
Trey came to us this spring as a friendly but unhandled 4 year old. He was in the hands of a trader and selling at auction to a kill buyer, and we were able to purchase him first and get him home for training.
Trey has done a lot in his short time with us, including hauling out to Colorado and back for a clinic! We will share more of Trey’s story and progress in coming weeks.
Trey is ready for adoption to a knowledgeable training home or to a home that will send him for saddle training, or he will be started here this summer and then be available.

06/15/2022

It's been a busy spring but keep an eye here- we are about to introduce the two rescued horses from this winter! Both are doing great now and are ready for their stories to be told.

04/11/2021

We love this story!
https://eventingnation.com/an-open-letter-to-my-daughters-teacher/?fbclid=IwAR2eqJNjiAd4aPMF1QNy8QzQXL-Q7oJYvjsuVYSjxkOJzn11_1zhSVDZJeQ

To my Daughter’s Teacher, Today my 7-year-old daughter came home from school a bit sad. When I asked why, she said you told her that if she kept missing days, she would get bad grades.

03/25/2021

Bug loves babies and young’n’s of all types! Here she investigates Buddy the bummer lamb. We don’t think Buddy is a bummer!

03/21/2021

Bug and Leon getting in some social grooming during rainy day recess (/indoor arena turnout).

03/15/2021

Here is our friend Ceros getting a BEMER treatment. We are new to using our BEMER blanket but with a couple horses, Ceros included, we see a noticeable difference after a treatment. Ceros is also wearing a Back on Track head cover to help reflect good heat back into his tight poll and facial muscles. Ceros loves working in Back on Track gear and we love seeing the difference it makes!
Leon and Arrow are both looking on and eagerly awaiting their turns.