This message is from: "briar hill farm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
One of the things I used from my first TTEAM clinic ten years ago was the TTEAM mouth work - a specific and aware method of manipulating the horses mouth. The theory is that the mouth has a neurological connection to the limbic part of the brain - the seat of emotions. By bringing new awareness to the physical (mouth) you can change emotional state and behavior. I first used the technique with my Morgan stallion, who had been very mouthy and began to notice that over the next few weeks, his mouthyness subsided. I use the mouth work with foals. Most young animals investigate the world with their mouth. I do not find it a punishable offensive, as such. I'll use the mouth work on the youngster, to give him more awareness. Push his head away and give him something else to do - set up the behavior I want and reward him for it. With a nervous horse I would find ways to settle the nervousness first. Linda uses stroking with the wand and lowering the head to get the horse to think rather than react, John Lyons teaches lowering the horses head, other trainers might recommend moving the horses feet to get him to focus on you. As the horse becomes less nervous the expression of it, the biting, will subside. I would train it at home, setting up mildly challenging situations first teaching him to overcome his fear response. If I were to go to a party where I didn't know anybody , and things seemed a bit strange, I might hang out at the buffet table and eat, or talk compulsively, human ways of being mouthy when nervous. If someone came up to me and for 3 seconds made me feel like I was going to die, yes I might stop the eating and talking, but its unlikely that I would feel more comfortable and less nervous! With older horses that have a biting habit I might use clicker training. I would think about the behavior I want, make it easy for the horse to get there, then reward the horse for doing the right thing. I would try to be aware of the behavior the precedes the biting, set him up the on the right track way down the line and reward. Another 2 cents worth. Marcy Briar Hill Farm http://briarhillfarm.com
