This message is from: "Starfire Farm, LLC" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I have to agree with Dave, here. The subject of horses biting always comes up at colt starting and horsemanship clinics with Buck Brannaman and Ray Hunt and Bryan Neubert (I mention these people because they are who I've worked with, I'm sure it comes up at a lot of NH style clinics.) What they say is that if the horse bites, you have two choices: Avoid it, or say "ouch" and rub it (the bite.) Meaning, if you've already been bitten, it's too late, and it's your fault for letting the horse bite you in the first place. It's also your fault (or someone else's) for letting the horse get that poor in its behavior and disrespectful to you, to begin with. It's also your fault for not paying close enough attention to your horse to not know that he was thinking of biting you. Ideally, you would have your horse attentive enough to you that the horse would never think of biting anything; you, or a lead rope, or your tack, or another horse. This means that you have to be paying close attention to your horse, and you would direct him away from biting, getting his attention on doing something else (whether that might be clicker training, or moving his feet) before he ever got there. Paying attention to your horse can be a learned skill, but it takes concentration on your part. You have to be willing to keep your attention on your horse while you are doing whatever chore/task/action you might be involved in (like grooming your horse or talking to someone else while you're holding your horse.) It takes practice and committment on your part, and an ability to learn to recognize when your horse's attention is not on you. I'm ruminating about what Gail Russel said about the clicker training (talk about having to pay attention to your horseand have impeccable timing) and your horse's attention. I've seen video of what Gail is talking about, but wonder if the horse's attention is really on you, or is he just thinking of how to get that next goodie? And are you rewarding only that single behavior, or are you rewarding the poor behavior that leads up to you asking for the "right" behavior? Or can horses reason for that many steps? I'm not pooh poohing clicker training, just thinking, thinking.............. Of course, dealing with an already spoiled horse is another problem, and can be a dangerous situation to work with. If you don't have experience in these matters, you should seek the assistance of someone who has, who can deal with it effectively (and humanely).....and can show you how to handle the horse to keep the problem from coming back. My two cents worth. Beth -- Beth Beymer & Sandy North Starfire Farm, Berthoud CO http://www.starfirefarm.com
