Atlantea Society Newsletter
2002 - #3
Natural Training Q&A with Susan of Juniper Acres Saddle Club.If you have questions you'd like considered for part two of this article, please let us know!Q> We know you are a strong supporter of Natural Training... Did you train with traditional methods before?A> Not in the regular "horse breaking" sense. I has trained green broke horses before, but when I first trained my mare it was with traditional gentling techniques. She learned well enough- but was just not really "getting it."
Then in the early 90's I got a Tackless Training manual to read and decided to retrain her using their method of body language.
Q> How did it work out the first time?
A> Not quite like I expected. I had a small round pen (30') and when I tried out the tackless communication my mare really responded! She moved out well, but was upset that my body language was so close to her. Poor girl, I was virtually screaming at her with my body language!
Q> And what did you do?
A> I had no larger round pen so I did most of her "tackless" training on a long lunge line- kind of a mis-statement! This did work out much better, tho and she was really happy with my "whispered" commands!
Q> Have you used NT to retrain other horses?
A> Actually I have- and she wasn't much of a ride before NT... hard to catch, strung out and stubborn... Dusty was a handful.
She was converted to NT in the mid 90's. She was very much more responsive and friendly after NT. Eventually she was sold to a person who used reg. methods with her and found the same results and sold her to second guy.
This fellow contacted me in hopes of gaining her papers, which the original buyer had never come to collect. The current owner was a very new horseman and Dusty was too much for him to handle. So I repurchased her in the fall of 2001. After three years of unresponsive training she was rebellious, pushy, and would walk all over you.
We did a quick bonder before she went to winter pasture and I will update you on her progress this year.Q>What's the oldest horse you've retrained with NT?
A> The oldest horse I've retrained didn't need it from a training standpoint... she was an excellent beginners lesson horse.
Kind, patient, willing... 20 year-old Katie was everything Dusty was not. However, she had passed thru three owners since weaning and was never given any individual attention.
When I would whistle for the mares, Dali' would come running - Dusty would saunter over (eventually) but Katie would stand and stare. She was easy to halter when you walked out to her, but saw no reason to work to get over to you. An easy bonder made all the difference! "Whistle" and Katie is right behind Dali'Q> And the youngest with NT?
A> Although the bonder isn't reccommended for those less than three yeas old because they behave irratically, I had to bonder an unhandled nine month old colt- Sort of that is!
After I ran him into the round pen, he squealed alot for his pasture mate, but began to focus on me as someone important. We made a couple of circuits and he faced me to declare his submission (chewing and flapping his lips) I asked him to submit and follow- he ignored me.
I must have pressed hard with my body language because this nine month old colt turned and cleared a 52" fence in one bound! (he matured about 14.2 hands)Great! I thought, I've lost the bonder AND taught him to jump fences!Well, he shot right back to his corral. I sent him in and tried to see if the bonder took... Amazingly within minutes, I was touching and rubbing this unhandled colt.
The next day I just used my prescence to move him around his 30' paddock while his (previously bondered) half brother slept in the corner. I was able to halter and lead him with his brother, the first time I tried.Q> Would you do anything different the next time you NT a youngster?
A> I have found even little babies can learn the bonder by association. This is done with the mother as the object of the bonder. Run her thru a simple bonder- this works best if she has been through the experience before- remembering that the little one can't go around too many times. He will learn that his mama respects you and he will too.
If you are working a weanling/yearling- use the mother (or another older (previously bonded) horse he is comfortable with. Work the session on the older horse- the youngster will follow along behind. Keep focused on the buddy- while allowing extra personal space for them both.
After a session or two (judged bu the youngster's reaction) Try a gentle session with the youngster alone. If it donesn't respond favorably, reapeat with the buddy horse, or try one with the buddy in the center of the round pen with you.
Q> Can you end the bonder session without acceptance- or is the horse learning that he can win?
A> The object is not to "win" over the horse. A bonder should never be carried out long enough to tire out the horse or to create and environment of fear. Whether you gain acceptance on the first session or the ump-teenth - your goal is accomplished.
Q> Is it necessary that the horse be halter broke before hand?
A> Bonders work on *all* horses no matter how sparse or advanced the training. (Ed. note: *All* discludes horses with no hormonal conditions. (see below))
If the horse is not halter broke, it will have no effects on the session and will make halter training that much easier as the horse does not fear you and will readily accept further training. After bodner and halter training, lead training is usually a matter of walking away and the horse naturally follows. If not, you can teach lead training like this:loop the leadline over the neck of a trained buddy the horse is comfortable with. Tie a horseman's knot, bowline or square knot (preferred order). Lead the trained buddy and the horse will follow. Work down to having both leads inyour hand and evntaully with just the learning horse.
Repeat the bonder again and the horse should lead easily. The benefits of early bonder and halter/lead training means that the horse respects the lead the same as it respects you. This means a NT'ed horse ties the first time with out challenging the situatuion. That makes it safer for all concerned: No bucking bronco acts at the end of the lead! No need fo belly ropes or tiedowns!Q> What hormonal imbalances can affect NT/bonding?
A> Mares with studly behaviour (agressiveness, mounting other mares, irregualr heat cycles) often have ovarian tumors or cysts. This means that they are unable to naturally accept bonding- and can be very dangerous!
DO NOT ATTEMPT a bonder with mares of this type without a complete vet. inspection to rule out hormonal conditions.
Q> Stud-like behavior? Does that mean you can't complete a bonder with a stallion?
A> On the contarary stallions are the horse that should most respect humans. A bonded stallion understands and aknowledges your postion as leader. This enables you to have full contrrol of the stud - even when there are mares nearby. He needs to be able to focus on the business at hand without being distracted by mares. This respect extends to ridng and helps maintain obedience in mixed company.
