Why you should play with your horse (and 14 games to play)
Games are a fun way to improve our horses work ethic and trainability. Here are a few reasons why and suggestions for games to play!
All work and no play makes Doris a dull girl – and it’s just as true for your horse as it is for you!
Building a little bit of play into your routine has significant benefits, including:
Improving the bond between you and your horse
Improving your horses work ethic (and your own work ethic as well)
Increasing training techniques for you and your horse
Improving the physical, mental and emotional well-being of you both
Playing with your horse doesn’t have to be complex or difficult, nor does it have to eat into your training time. But given the benefits of playtime, is it not worth 10-15 minutes?
How to play with your horse
Here are just a few suggestions of games you can play with your horse.
On the ground
Come – teach your horse to respond to the command “come” by taking a step towards you (immediately reward the effort to step towards you). You may initially need to start this on a lead rope then progress without it. Once your horse is taking a few steps voluntarily, extend the distance and eventually you can begin to cue with other signals, such as raising both arms. Remember, your horse is motivated by a release in pressure, so always reward a small give towards you. (It could also help you with the uncatchable horse, but perhaps start in a smaller enclosed area if they are).
Fetch – this is a great fun game where you drop an item and ask your horse to pick it up for you. A great game that will help avoid dismounting if you drop your crop!
Follow the leader/Tag – These games are an extension of the come command.
Hug – a hug from a loved one is an amazing feeling, so why not teach your horse to hug you! Have you horse stretch his neck around your body.
Soccer – many horses love to play with inanimate objects! You can teach your horse to play with a ball with you if they are inclined to play with objects. Start with proper horse balls – these have handles and are larger but still light so as your horse nuzzles the ball it will move. The handles also drive the inquisitive mind to grab them and also make the ball move in unpredictable directions.
In the saddle
Hack it out! Go for a trail ride, explore the paddock – whatever you do, just get out of that arena!
Ride a different discipline – if you are training dressage, why not set up a small jump course, or some barrels, and have a burl. Get some friends together and compete in your own at home pony club session! (Make it even more fun by handing out some cheeky mock awards, such as shiniest bum or widest turn).
Go to a show – just for fun – What if you just went to a show with no intentions of winning? The stimulation of the show along with the fact that you will be much more relaxed will not only be good practice for you both, but break up the monotony of work. Don’t think you are ready to show? Who cares? Be that annoyingly blissful person that is looking after your horse, gaining experience and doesn’t care about points or opinions.
Simon says – this is another great group game to play. Someone will need to play Simon but you can swap it around so everyone has a turn. Simon says do a twenty meter circle, Simon says halt, Trot on – oops Simon didn’t say that- you lose!
Maze run - using poles, cones and barrels, create a maze and obstacle course to navigate through. Just remember to ensure you understand how well your horse turns, as you don’t want to make it too difficult… it is, after all, a game!
Horseback archery - if you haven’t had a go at this yet, it is truly time to try! We run an archery session in our school’s mastery classes and everyone enjoys it. It is also great for teaching emotional agility within yourself and your horse!
Quick fun
Find that itch and scratch it – horses are herd animals so contact is something they enjoy. Even better, it’s something they need for those hard-to-reach itchy spots. Give your horse a moment of pleasure by giving one of those favourite hard-to-reach areas a good long scratch!
Carrot stretches – what horse doesn’t like carrots (and if yours doesn’t, try their other favourite treat). Encourage them to reach forward, between their front legs, and to the sides to get the carrots – preferably while staying still. It’s also great for stretching out their neck and back muscles before a riding session.
Squeaky toys – as with the soccer ball, some curious horses may enjoy the stimulation provided by flicking around and jumping on a squeaky toy. Laughter will be guaranteed as they discover the different noises they make. Just make sure the toy is much larger than a mouthful!
What games do you play with your horse? Comment below!
Is Your Horse Coping With Your Training?
The way we train our horse has a massive influence in how successful that horse is going to be - not just in competition, but also in general riding, future life, and the bonding with its rider. To understand this, we must understand how the horse adapts to changes in its environment.
Adapting
Horse movement and behaviour is dynamic in essence. What we get one day will be different to the next. However we generally see the full scope of the horse’s tricks within the first 12 months. Each mood or behavioural trait we experience is an expression of the horse’s personality. Our goal is to channel the horse’s physical, mental and emotional energy positively toward progress.
This can be emotionally exhausting for the rider (and trainer). Eventually, though, the horse runs out of new tricks and we end up revisiting the same issues. Sometimes this makes it feel like we are going backwards but it’s not necessarily a bad thing. We have learnt how to resolve this issue before, so we can work through it again. Each time we work through a problem we get through it a little quicker and a little easier until all that is needed is just a finest of tuning.
Mentally
What we think our horse understands and what the horse actually understands is not always the same thing. In training, riding and teaching I use a training scale of exercises to ensure the horse understands each individual aid and then different combinations of the aids.
It’s akin introducing the alphabet to a child. They may pretend they understand it when it is first learnt but things get harder when you then have to put that alphabet into words and the words into sentences and the sentences into stories. Sometimes we have to go back and consolidate their understanding of the alphabet.
The horse’s learning curve is very similar to a child’s. Initially when you introduce a new exercise or aid they are very keen to learn and they try hard. This, however, may only last 2 or 3 times practising the introduced exercise before they understand what is expected of them. We then enter the testing phase. The horse knows exactly what is expected of it and is now trying to figure out every way it can possible think of to not do as he or she is asked.
This is generally where most people come unstuck, once a horse knows how to get out of work it becomes a battle of the wills to get them to cooperate again.
And finally, Acceptance. Generally one the other side of a great huff or snort, the horse has accepted that it just has to do as it is asked and will start trying.
This is where we should stop and reward them for trying even if it’s not at the standard we had hoped. If we encourage a horse to always be trying it will be giving us 100% - if we push for more we start creating our own problems.
Emotionally
A horse that is not in control of its emotions cannot control its behaviour. Showing a horse how to work through his or her own emotions is important for a controlled, focused and attentive horse. We need to teach the horse how to breathe...
Sound strange?
Horses are such intuitive and emotional animals. They feed off the energy around them, whether it be coming from their environment, other horses, their riders, trainers or carers. The energetic stability of those around them is what enables a horse to cope, trust and respect others.
Every horse I compete knows how to breathe with me. It is essentially the art of dancing. At the start of each test at our halt salute, I take a deep breath and my horse will take a deep breath so they can focus and give 100% without emotional tension. This also allows for maximum fluidity and suppleness throughout the test.
Our riding must be designed in a way that is fluid and dynamic, just like the horses ability to adapt, for us to succeed. Mental, emotional and physical components all play a part (read about the physical adaptation here).
First Aid for Horses: A Dose of Medicine
Dread the thought of medicating your horse? We have collated some tricks to make the chore easier!
Sooner or later, you are unfortunately going to have a situation where your horse is required to take medicine. For some horses, this is as simple as adding to their food. For others, it's a nightmare.
How can we get a horse to take medicine? We've collated a few tricks to help you succeed!
1. Mix with their regular feed
Sometimes, changes to the usual routine can make horses suspicious and less likely to cooperate. Try adding the medication to their normal feed and see how they respond. It may be worth introducing the medication at a lower dose initially to get them used to the subtle differences
It can also help to add some water to the feed to hide the powder.
2. Bran mash or molasses
Bran mash or molasses can be a great treat for some horses. Before you know it - medications are gone!
3. Apple sauce
Again, another sweet treat! You can make powder or pastes into an apple sauce slurry and place it in their feed bowl. Alternatively, if you have a wide tipped syringe, dose it like a wormer. If apple sauce isn't up your horses alley, you can try strained carrots or pears - these jars of baby food are an ideal single dose size!
4. Sandwich
Powders, smaller pellets and pastes can all be put between a folded piece of bread for a quickly gobbled dose. For powders and pellets, put something sticky on the bread, like molasses, jam or peanut butter. Remember, these are just treats to hide med's, so don't go overboard!
5. Hollow Apple
Try partially coring an apple, making sure not to go all the way through. Add the medication, then use part of the core to 'cork' it. This works really well if you use smaller apples and your horse is happy to take big bites (preferably the full apple).
6. When all else fails, ask your vet for an injection
Some medications are available in an injection - and your vet may be able to provide the injections or dose your horse regularly themselves.
HOT TIP:
If you use some of the treats, like apple sauce syringes or jam sandwiches, regularly or semi-regularly without medication, your horse will be much more willing to gobble it down when it comes to medication time!
What tricks do you use to get your horse to take their medicine?
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Change your routine but still engage your horse’s learning