13/01/2025
Aggression in the stable
This title is difficult for me to type, because I don't actually believe that we are dealing with aggression, but defensiveness.
I work with a number of horses that fall into his category, but chose not to use photos of any of them, as the owners already have a hard enough time with other liveries labelling their horses as "problem horses".
Some of these horses with stable defensiveness have been through rough handling, but not all.
So where does the behavior come from?
There is no "once size fits all" answer, but I do want to discuss some possible reasons, and how to address them.
When dealing with undesirable behaviors we always have to address the motivation, rather than trying to suppress the behavior. Suppressing a behavior, without addressing the cause, will result in further problems.
The most obvious cause of stable defensiveness is the fact that horses have reduced ability to escape scary stimulus.
I know this is why people often do things in stables, because the horse can"t get away.
Horse runs away from the saddle? Just saddle in the stable.
Horse runs from farrier? Trim in the stable
Vet, dentist, phsyio... The list is long and too often the " solution" is the same.
This never addresses the cause of the problem, it just removes the option of escape.
So the horse consistently has scary things happen to them in the stable. It shouldn't surprise us that they start trying to prevent humans entering their stable.
I often hear people say that their horse ISN'T scared, because once the horse is on a halter they are " fine". In the best case scenario, this is obedience overshadowing their fear, and worst case, freeze or fawn response because their body tells them it's all over, they are captured.
In the latter case, a horse can have the procedures done with the halter repeated 1000 times and they will never learn it's ' not threatening'. This is because both those states are a function of the sympathetic nervous system, which is not a learning state. Your horse isn't present for anything happening to them once they enter that state.
Obedience is a different kettle of fish. Less anxious horses tend to cope with obedience, but if an anxious horse is suppressing that anxiety to avoid punishment, it is going to come out elsewhere, or at another time, and probably be amplified. Pressure contained is pressure amplified.
So how do we address this?
Going into the stable armed with weapons is a bad idea. I don't care what certain " Natural Horsemanship" trainers say. This is still obedience-based suppression. If you're happy with the fact that some horses will cower with their head in the corner, you probably aren't the audience for this piece, but you should know that I deal with this behavior often and I would say more than half the horses that have people try using fear to correct the behavior get MORE defensive.
They are already scared. The fear is the reason for the behavior in the first place. Adding more fear works far less than people think.
My first suggestion is to have all management happen outside of the stable, with plenty space.
If the horse can't be saddled, trimmed, groomed or receive veterinary care in a round pen with space, they need training, not containment.
Secondly, reduce interactions in the stable.
Even after you stop all the management tasks that cause stress in the stable, your horse will be expecting unpleasant interactions for some time.
Often they associate their owner with pleasant stable interactions, and everyone else with traumatized interactions.
Having others interact positively over the stable door can start to make a change in the horses perception, but it will take time.
Remember, what you call a pleasant interaction might not feel that way to a horse. Even grooming is often seen as something done to them, rather than for them.
We have exercises like the forelock massage, or even just being with them without expectations.
It is, however, important to find workarounds to avoid being in the stable with a defensive horse. It is incredibly dangerous being in a confined space with a 600kg animal that feels it is fighting for it's life. It has no way of escaping(flight) and only has fight left.
I often have clients have the food put in the stable before the horse goes into the stable, and,if loose feed buckets are used, have a way to remove it without going in the stable.
A hole drilled into the feed bucket with a string attached is not as ridiculous as you might think, once you have seen the injuries I have.
If the horse can't be haltered over the stable door, I strongly recommend having an empathetic, learning theory educated professional assist with the early stages.
In an ideal situation I would recommend horses be turned out 24/7 , but I do know that quality 24/7 turn out facilities are not common as yet.
Gareth Mare'
+27724703358
heartfelthorsemanship.org
Find me where the wild hearts roam ✨🌻🌞
