Rachael Wheeler Equine Behaviourist

21/09/2022

𝘼 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚𝙣.

Dakota is almost 5 years old but she still occasionally takes milk from her Mum. This is a mutual bonding experience and something which is often cut too short between Mothers and their foals.

In many equine industries, foals are taken away from their Mums so they can be sold and trained at an early age. In this instance, they are often artificially weaned and placed in a stable or separate paddock and bottle fed.

Not only is this an ethical issue which creates huge amounts of stress for both Mother and foal, but it also very often will create behavioral issues as the foal matures.

Why❓
1️⃣Mum is a safe constant from where her foal should be able to explore the world. Without the security of Mum by their side, they can often become fearful, resulting in being more stressed and potentially dangerous due to being in a constant state of fight or flight. Stress can also lead to creation of stereotypies (weaving, cribbing).

2️⃣Mum teaches her foal in the early stages of life how to behave. In the wild, foals will also learn from one another and the Bachelor Stallions.
Artificial weaning can result in undeveloped social skills.
This means that as the foal matures, they won’t know how to act around other horses which could result in fighting or again, a fearful horse.

A horse who is in a state of constant stress can also become immunosuppressed. This means that artificial weaning can not only have negative mental effects on a horse, but could cause actually contribute to physical illness.

The only way we can stop this is to cease putting money into these industries. As the demand dies out, so eventually will the industry.

And if you ever find yourself with a “difficult” horse, try to understand. Horses are so often passed from pillar to post with no real consideration over why they have behavioural issues and it really is no surprise why so many of them do.

Taking on a horse is a commitment. Not just one of providing food, shelter and vet care. But one of understanding. And understanding is the first step to a better relationship with your horse.

(The rescue horses of Jacobs Ridge Animal Sanctuary)

15/04/2022

So important!

READ 👇

😱 Are grass paddocks the ultimate DEATH trap?

Did you know that domestic horses are staring their biggest HEALTH THREAT right in the face, in fact they are EATING it... and yet it is largely ignored by the equine industry.

Why?🤷‍♀️

The idealistic images of horses running free on green beautiful lawns of grass... needs a major RADICAL rethink.

“Horses eat grass right? It's what they were designed to eat!”

Comments like this perpetuate a deep rooted global misunderstanding of what a horse really needs to stay healthy.

Horses were NEVER designed to constantly graze on domestic, cultivated pasture grass.👎

That is a VERY BIG misconception!

They were designed to FORAGE for miles on rough fibrous tufts of grass that are generally not present in our main grazing areas for horses today.

And it’s simply not good enough to say “oh yes in an ideal world!”

Because there is an epidemic of hoof problems and lameness on mammoth proportions - and we have to stop ignoring it and putting it down to just 'poor feet' or 'bad breeding'.

So what can we do about it? 🧐

Unless the ENTIRE equine industry begins to wake up fast to the fact that horses grazing on lowland grasses are being made unwell with every mouthful they eat, this epidemic of ill health will continue 😢

There are now proven ways to help our horses and STOP this rise in hoof related problems - in fact REVERSE THEM. Such as track systems.

Just locking horses up in stables, or putting them in tiny dry lots, or strip grazing, simply compounds the health risks by causing more emotional and physical stresses.

Here's our top 5 list of the biggest HEALTH THREATS facing our domestic horses today:

1. ULCERS - fast becoming the biggest 'hidden' issue in our modern day, which is why it's top of our list 🙁 There’s no threat bigger, than the one you can’t see! 🙈

2. LAMINITIS - this is not going away, in fact, records show it’s getting WORSE 😱 Chronic low grade sub clinical signs are not even being picked up by owners, vets and pros alike - and yet they’re obvious if you know what to look for 👀

3. NAVICULAR - more and more horses are being diagnosed with this debilitating lameness problem and it's on the rise - and so are the numbers of horses being put to sleep 😤 More and more elaborate shoeing techniques, wedges, padding and drugs are not reducing the incidences of navicular diagnoses or recovery - because they just DON’T work! 🤦‍♀️

4. COLIC - goes without saying - incorrect diet, stress, gut issues - colic will kill a horse the FASTEST on this list 😬 but a very high % of colic could be avoided with better diet and management protocols put in place 🤔

5. GENERAL LAMENESS - arthritis, soft tissue degeneration, 'undiagnosed' lameness - the long, slow, often painful, burn 🔥 of general equine poor health! Chipping away gradually at your horse’s lifespan!

👉 Every single one of the problems above 👆 has its ROOT cause in incorrect diet and management, whether directly or indirectly.

And one of the biggest culprits?

👉GREEN pastures of GRASS 😳

In 2022 and beyond, unless owners take the lead in helping their horses, by grasping what it means to feed a ‘species specific diet’, then the global equine owner WALLET is just going to keep on haemorrhaging millions and millions 💰💰💰💰

Making lots of other people and companies very wealthy in the process!

Because someone always benefits from a tragedy 🎭

👉 Millions and millions of hard earned cash spent on REACTING to problems, rather than PREVENTING them in the first place.

👉 Millions of horses being unnecessarily put to sleep, with many millions more in poor health, continually lining the pockets of the big pharma companies. It's simply not in their interest to stop pathology... it's far better for them to keep it simmering away.

Let's face it - there is no money to be had from a healthy animal🤷‍♀️

Over our 33 issues so far, The Barefoot Horse Magazine has kept on facing these problems head on in an attempt to bring them to the forefront and help educate and encourage horse owners with real life stories and FACTS.

We give owners a platform to tell the world 🌎 how they prevented their own horse from being put to sleep, took them off DEATH ROW, by taking steps to stop the BIG 5 above!

And you can do it too! 💪

Remember - giving up, shrugging your shoulders and saying “in an ideal world” is not going to stop your horse becoming another statistic!

We won’t ever stop fighting to educate horse owners on how to help their horses... not ever!✊

Check out our Editor's latest videos:

🎬 Equine Hoof Problems - AN EPIDEMIC! https://youtu.be/k7lw5WVYXbg

🎬 Grass➕ Sugar 🟰 A FOOTSORE HORSE? https://youtu.be/C9GwMZC38e0

👉 And read the latest ISSUE 33 in Print or Online now👉 https://bit.ly/BHMIssue33

👉 Or Subscribe and NEVER miss an issue 👉 bit.ly/ANNUALsub

Don’t let your horse be another statistic when YOU can avoid it!

The BHM Team ❤️

12/04/2022

AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE!

Four horses are confirmed dead after the Grand National at Aintree.

Elle Est Belle - 6 years old - heart attack
Solwara One - 7 years old - injury unknown
Eclair Surf - 7 years old - massive head trauma
Discorama - 8 years old - pelvic injury

Their deaths bring the number of horses killed across the three-day event since the year 2000 to 58. Two lost their lives in the grueling Grand National race - bringing the feature race death toll since 2000 to 15.

On average, at least two horses will be killed each year across the event and a horse is more likely to be killed in the Grand National race than not.

The Grand National forces horses to jump over fences 30 times across 6.9kms. Like last year, of the 40 horses that started the race, only 15 managed to complete the course.

Trainer of deceased horse Discorama, Paul Nolan said: “I’m devastated. But that is racing and you have to accept those things."

Friends in the UK - please follow our international partners at Animal Aid to see how you can help.

09/04/2022

Sharing again as the event of animal abuse over at Aintree commences today.

As the horse racing season in the UK kicks off with the Cheltenham races, many self-proclaimed animal lovers around the UK will place a “harmless” bet. But is the death of an animal for our own entertainment ever justifiable?

Here are some common attempts at justifying horse racing and how best to respond to them:

“𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙚”
If 1 horse dies for our entertainment, that’s 1 too many. 72 horses have died at Cheltnam since 2000.
However, there are many more issues to horse racing than the deaths…

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙞𝙩. 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙟𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙮?”
Horses are herd and flight animals. A herd of horses running for fun looks a lot different to a herd of horses running because they are spooked, confused or (as is the case with racing) being forced.
Horses at races may not be an established herd but when out of their comfort zone they will follow one another because they see safety in numbers.
Moreover, horses are designed to run for a short length of time, either to get away from a potential threat or in running for fun when they will transition comfortably through gaits at their own leisure.
Horses are not meant to run long distances at a sustained high speed such as in these races. Many of them suffer heart problems (either on track or afterwards) as a result.

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚.”
Some horses do refuse at the gate, that is true. It takes a very strong-willed or learned horse to go against the flow of the temporary herd and refuse at the gate. Most horses will follow one another and take off at the gate because, not only is that’s what they’ve been trained to do, but also because the gate is designed to make them feel trapped so that when it opens they want to take the chance to get out.

“𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.”
A lot of race horses do have great care: the best vets, the best quality food and are turned out to pasture with other horses when they are not in training.
However, there are many factors linked to racing such as: stabling, transporting and being placed in a unknown, noisy environment with new horses which can cause a great deal of stress.
The other big problems with regards to the care of race horses lies in the breeding and training practices:

The majority of horses, not just in racing, are trained using methods which should be consigned to the history books.
Horses are sensitive creatures who are willing to learn when the experience is positive. There is absolutely no need to use methods of force when training horses.

The problem is though, the horses are asked to perform so many unnatural tasks and the trainers are under a great deal of pressure (both time wise and monetary) to turn an inexperienced foal into a racer.
The easiest and quickest training method, therefore, is to use force and for many trainers, it is the only way they know.
Race horse trainers should not be revered, they need to be held to account.

(Just to be clear- “methods of force” do not have to be whipping and kicking. Almost everything in traditional training methods use force: leading, lunging, driving, bridle and bit use etc.)

These training sessions are not fun for the horse and eventually they break the horse down to a state of condition suppression. This is essentially when they learn that the easiest and quickest way out of these training sessions is to do what is asked of them rather than fighting against it.
This not only breaks down the horses’ spirit and is unsympathetic to the gentle nature of the horse, it also means there is a high risk of spontaneous recovery (when an unwanted behavior that has been trained out comes back), hence horses not leaving the gate, throwing their jockeys etc.

Breeding practices in the race world are also problematic. Race horses often begin their “careers” at just 2 or 3 years old (by the way, that’s before their skeleton has even fully developed). Therefore trainers need to start as soon as possible with training.
This means that horses destined for racing are often artificially weaned away from their mother at as young as just 1 month old. In the wild a mare would not wean her foal until at least 1 year old or later if she was not yet pregnant again.
Not only is this a welfare issue, but artificial weaning can cause many behavioral problems which then become a difficulty as the horse has to try and fit in to a world of forced training methods. For example, many horses develop the sterotypy of wind sucking (or crib biting), due to artificial weaning. This is a coping mechanism in order to release endorphins as the foal tries to cope with the loss of his mother.

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”
The majority of races horses eventually end up in an abbatoir when they have been retired. Likewise if they suffer an injury (even if they could recover and live a comfortable retired life) as they are no longer seen as profitable. The only exception is if they have done particularly well and the owner decides to breed from them.

Ex-racehorses which do end up being retired to pasture are more often than not those who have been rescued by sanctuaries and independents.
Their fitting in to a retired life is not always easy due to their stunted mental development from early and artificial weaning and the coping mechanisms they develop as a direct result from early weaning and due to the stressful environment of training and racing. They also very often have health issues such as gastric ulcers, commonly developed by stress.
People may rescue an ex-racer out of kindness but not have this foresight or knowledge to rehabilitate these behavioural and health issues. Oftentimes the horses are then passed from pillar to post (thus exasperating the issues) and can still end up being euthanized out of the “owners” inability to successfully care for them.

But horses do deserve a chance at living a fear free retirement, and this is what many sanctuaries, rescues and independents give them.

“𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙣. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”
There are plenty of ways to have fun and to gamble without creating a demand for the abuse, suffering and potential (or eventual) death of innocent animals.
Some traditions need to fade into the past like many other abhorrent things we, as a society, have done and since decided against.
In order to develop as a human race, we need to constantly change and better ourselves.
We can’t slam Spain for its bullfighting culture when we have a tradition, just for the sake of entertainment, which is equally as abhorrent.

Just because something is, doesn’t mean it should be.

18/03/2022

As the horse racing season in the UK kicks off with the Cheltenham races, many self-proclaimed animal lovers around the UK will place a “harmless” bet. But is the death of an animal for our own entertainment ever justifiable?

Here are some common attempts at justifying horse racing and how best to respond to them:

“𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙮 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙚”
If 1 horse dies for our entertainment, that’s 1 too many. 72 horses have died at Cheltnam since 2000.
However, there are many more issues to horse racing than the deaths…

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙞𝙩. 𝙊𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙧𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙟𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙮?”
Horses are herd and flight animals. A herd of horses running for fun looks a lot different to a herd of horses running because they are spooked, confused or (as is the case with racing) being forced.
Horses at races may not be an established herd but when out of their comfort zone they will follow one another because they see safety in numbers.
Moreover, horses are designed to run for a short length of time, either to get away from a potential threat or in running for fun when they will transition comfortably through gaits at their own leisure.
Horses are not meant to run long distances at a sustained high speed such as in these races. Many of them suffer heart problems (either on track or afterwards) as a result.

“𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙩, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚.”
Some horses do refuse at the gate, that is true. It takes a very strong-willed or learned horse to go against the flow of the temporary herd and refuse at the gate. Most horses will follow one another and take off at the gate because, not only is that’s what they’ve been trained to do, but also because the gate is designed to make them feel trapped so that when it opens they want to take the chance to get out.

“𝙍𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨.”
A lot of race horses do have great care: the best vets, the best quality food and are turned out to pasture with other horses when they are not in training.
However, there are many factors linked to racing such as: stabling, transporting and being placed in a unknown, noisy environment with new horses which can cause a great deal of stress.
The other big problems with regards to the care of race horses lies in the breeding and training practices:

The majority of horses, not just in racing, are trained using methods which should be consigned to the history books.
Horses are sensitive creatures who are willing to learn when the experience is positive. There is absolutely no need to use methods of force when training horses.

The problem is though, the horses are asked to perform so many unnatural tasks and the trainers are under a great deal of pressure (both time wise and monetary) to turn an inexperienced foal into a racer.
The easiest and quickest training method, therefore, is to use force and for many trainers, it is the only way they know.
Race horse trainers should not be revered, they need to be held to account.

(Just to be clear- “methods of force” do not have to be whipping and kicking. Almost everything in traditional training methods use force: leading, lunging, driving, bridle and bit use etc.)

These training sessions are not fun for the horse and eventually they break the horse down to a state of condition suppression. This is essentially when they learn that the easiest and quickest way out of these training sessions is to do what is asked of them rather than fighting against it.
This not only breaks down the horses’ spirit and is unsympathetic to the gentle nature of the horse, it also means there is a high risk of spontaneous recovery (when an unwanted behavior that has been trained out comes back), hence horses not leaving the gate, throwing their jockeys etc.

Breeding practices in the race world are also problematic. Race horses often begin their “careers” at just 2 or 3 years old (by the way, that’s before their skeleton has even fully developed). Therefore trainers need to start as soon as possible with training.
This means that horses destined for racing are often artificially weaned away from their mother at as young as just 1 month old. In the wild a mare would not wean her foal until at least 1 year old or later if she was not yet pregnant again.
Not only is this a welfare issue, but artificial weaning can cause many behavioral problems which then become a difficulty as the horse has to try and fit in to a world of forced training methods. For example, many horses develop the sterotypy of wind sucking (or crib biting), due to artificial weaning. This is a coping mechanism in order to release endorphins as the foal tries to cope with the loss of his mother.

“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙪𝙡, 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”
The majority of races horses eventually end up in an abbatoir when they have been retired. Likewise if they suffer an injury (even if they could recover and live a comfortable retired life) as they are no longer seen as profitable. The only exception is if they have done particularly well and the owner decides to breed from them.

Ex-racehorses which do end up being retired to pasture are more often than not those who have been rescued by sanctuaries and independents.
Their fitting in to a retired life is not always easy due to their stunted mental development from early and artificial weaning and the coping mechanisms they develop as a direct result from early weaning and due to the stressful environment of training and racing. They also very often have health issues such as gastric ulcers, commonly developed by stress.
People may rescue an ex-racer out of kindness but not have this foresight or knowledge to rehabilitate these behavioural and health issues. Oftentimes the horses are then passed from pillar to post (thus exasperating the issues) and can still end up being euthanized out of the “owners” inability to successfully care for them.

But horses do deserve a chance at living a fear free retirement, and this is what many sanctuaries, rescues and independents give them.

“𝙅𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙣. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣.”
There are plenty of ways to have fun and to gamble without creating a demand for the abuse, suffering and potential (or eventual) death of innocent animals.
Some traditions need to fade into the past like many other abhorrent things we, as a society, have done and since decided against.
In order to develop as a human race, we need to constantly change and better ourselves.
We can’t slam Spain for its bullfighting culture when we have a tradition, just for the sake of entertainment, which is equally as abhorrent.

Just because something is, doesn’t mean it should be.

18/03/2022

Reasons for a horse's behavior

30/10/2021

I often hear the phrase “Stupid Horse” being used for those who would rather stand outside in torrential rain than make use of their shelters that their humans put a lot of time and money into.

Although it does frustrate us when we see our beloved horses looking miserable whilst standing out in the rain just feet from a perfect shelter, does that make them less intelligent than other horses who do use their shelter?

➡️ Let’s remove the anthropomorphic word “Stupid”.

Although we may not really think our horses are stupid, removing the anthropomorphism takes away the humanised element and allows us to properly analyse their behaviour.

➡️ So, we are left with the word “Horse”.

Horses are, by their very nature, flight creatures due to being a prey animal.

In loud weather conditions, horses will often stand still with their tail to the wind and stop eating and socialising. This can look as though they are quite miserable but loud wind and rain can make potential threats more difficult to hear and see. So by not performing other activities, they are remaining “on guard”.

It then makes sense that a flight animal would not want to enclose themselves during these loud weather conditions when their senses are not as sharp and they are more exposed to potential danger.

Simply put, a horse has to be more alert during loud weather and therefore often feels safer out in the open where they can flee if necessary. They don’t have the same ability to reason that we do or the same knowledge that they are safe where they are and nothing is going to hurt them.

In other instances, horses may not mind the rain. Horses coats are waterproof to a point and as long as it’s not too cold, rain often doesn’t bother them. They are hardier than we give them credit for.

So although we may think we’re being kind to our horses by stabling them in bad weather, it is much better for their mental well-being if they can have the choice.
Of course some horses are very used to and comfortable with their stable/shelter so it’s about knowing what’s right for your horse.

Either way, should they choose not to use their shelter in a storm, it doesn’t make them “stupid”. In fact, quite the opposite. It means they are acting out self-preserving behaviours, which is essential for the continuance of the species.

11/04/2021

“Stubborn as a Mule!”

We’ve all heard this saying. But how did donkeys and mules get this reputation? Are they really stubborn when compared to their horse cousins?

Horses are prey animals which means that when they perceive a stimulus as a potential threat, they are highly likely to RUN FIRST and analyse later. Of course how “flighty” they are depends on a number of factors, including how safe that horse feels in his environment and what his previous experiences are to sudden sounds and movements.

We also know about the FIGHT response but did you know there are 4 survival responses that can occur when an equine is faced with a potential threat?
These are sometimes referred to as “The Four F’s”:
•Fight
•Flight
•Freeze
•”Fiddle About” (Appeasement/Displacement)

Although donkeys and mules are prey animals too, they do not behave like horses and their response to a potential threat is very different. Donkeys and mules are much more likely to respond to a potential threat by freezing. This allows them to assess the situation and then they will proceed when they feel it is safe to do so. If they have assessed the situation as being dangerous, they will then flee.
You can see why this might make people think they are stubborn!

So if you’re leading a donkey or mule and he suddenly freezes. Give him a moment to analyse his situation. Talk to him calmly and soothingly and release any tension on the rope. You’ll usually find that in a moment he will be ready to carry on.

📸 of Steve at Jacobs Ridge by Great Bear Media.

15/01/2021

Over Rugging, by our vet Lucy Carmichael

As temperatures drop, it’s tempting to reach for one of the rugs in our horse’s wardrobe. However, when we want to throw on the layers, doing the same for them may not be the right choice. There are significant differences in the way horses stay warm to the way that we do, for example:

• Unclipped horses already have a thick, hairy coat. This coat contains natural oils to repel water, and, if required, small muscles can contract, causing the hairs to stand on end (much like when we get goosebumps). This traps air between the hair and skin, providing an additional layer of insulation

• Horses have the benefit of a wider thermoneutral zone- for humans this is 25-35˚C, whereas the horse’s thermoneutral zone extends much lower, 5-25˚C. The thermoneutral zone is the temperature range at which an animal does not have to expend any energy to keep warm. This means that horses remain comfortable at significantly lower temperatures compared to us

• Where we have an appendix, horses have a caecum. The caecum acts as a ‘fermentation vat’, where bacteria break down feed and produce heat. Breakdown of forage generates the most heat. Therefore, a diet of low-calorie forage is far more effective for keeping your horse warm than putting on a rug

• Horses can efficiently divert their blood flow from the extremities to the internal organs, maintaining their core temperature. This is why their ears sometimes feel cold to touch, and it is important to see how warm they are by feeling inside the armpit or taking a re**al temperature (See our video on how to take your horse’s TPR here - https://youtu.be/_bug-U1-hMg)

• During movement, or even shivering, contraction of the large muscles of the body burns energy and releases heat

Over-rugging will affect your horse’s ability to regulate its body temperature and may cause significant distress if they get too hot. Extreme heat stress may result in dehydration, increased heart and respiratory rates, lethargy and even colic. There are long term implications too. When rugged, your horse will use less energy, and the excess will be converted to fat, predisposing them Equine Metabolic Syndrome and laminitis in the spring. Therefore, rather than rugging, providing appropriate shelter and ample forage are likely to be more effective ways of keeping your horse warm through the winter.

There are cases, of course, when rugging is appropriate- horses standing in, or those which are clipped will need a rug. However, numerous factors should be considered when choosing which type and weight, including the environment, type of shelter available and the weather. Remember that you are likely to be making this decision in the morning, when the temperature is probably several degrees cooler than it will be in the middle of the day.

For further advice on rugging in the winter, call our team on 01323 815120

29/11/2020

There are no “bad” behaviours. A horse is a horse and does not set out to be “naughty” or “bad”. These are human terms which we give animal behaviours: anthropomorphisms.

Instead we have wanted and unwanted behaviours. For example, during a farrier visit, a WANTED behaviour is: our horse standing still and obliging to having his hooves picked up and worked on.
An UNWANTED behaviour is: our horse not picking up his feet/trying to escape/trying to kick or bite.

These unwanted behaviours do not make our horse “bad”, “crazy”, “naughty”, “mean” or any other anthropomorphic term.
As horse caretakers, we must:

♡ Be patient and understanding
♡ Investigate the reason for the unwanted behaviour
♡ Put together a Behaviour Modification Programme
♡ Train using positive reinforcement

This means that we should REWARD wanted behaviours and IGNORE unwanted behaviours.
We must treat the cause for the behaviour (which is usually fear) by creating a relaxed and positive experience for the horse. Horses are flight animals and allowing someone to hold their legs up (which they need to enable them to run away) makes them feel very vulnerable.
If we only treat the symptom (such as interrupting the behaviour with something negative) then the horse will be in a constant heightened state of fear, debilitating the capacity for learning and causing stress which may possibly even lead to immunosuppression.

In short, not addressing the reasons behind our horse’s behaviours but carrying on regardless using methods of positive punishment, negative punishment and negative reinforcement could actually make them physically ill.

We can create a better relationship and a happier learning experience between us and our horse by positively reinforcing them and by not making a big deal out of a behaviour which we deem to be unwanted.

Horses are not “bad”, “naughty” or “mean”, they are just misunderstood. And if they are in our lives, it’s our job to understand them.