Horse Training 101: First Do Nothing Explained

How can you train a horse by doing nothing? Stay with me here, I'll explain what I have in mind. Just remember, there is great power, even revolutionary transformation, in doing nothing. I feel like this is a Horse Training 101 tool that every horseman/horsewoman needs to know.

We go out to work with or ride our horse with all these expectations, all these intentions, and oftentimes we are setting not only ourselves, but the horse, up for failure by doing so.

I am very guilty of this. I spent years wanting this or that from my horses. I watched other people doing things with their horses that I wanted to do with mine. I would get that image in my head and go out with that intention. Frequently, I would leave in frustration, and often guilt for getting frustrated with my horse. There is not a horseman/horsewoman alive that hasn't done this so let me just say now, forgive yourself. Holding onto that guilt doesn't help you or the horse. Know better, do better.

Step 1 of Horse Training 101

I don't care if you've owned your horse for 1 day or 20 years, pay attention to their worries. Watch their behaviors from the moment they notice you coming. And what, if anything, do you have on your person when you are coming? Because they may not only be reacting to you, but what you are wearing or carrying. Here are some examples and things to think about:

• Are you carrying a halter and lead rope? A bridle and reins? Saddle pad and saddle?
• Are you carrying a feed bucket?
• Do they come to you with curiosity, intensity, relaxation?
• Do they come to you at all?
• Do they turn their head briefly or turn around completely?
• What are their eyes and ears doing?
• Do you have carrots, treats/cookies, or something else with a unique smell in your pocket?

Try experimenting to see how they respond with different items, or nothing at all. The best way to start is really with nothing at all. This gets you your baseline. Then you can add other items to check their responses.

Step 2. Why “Doing Nothing” is Hard

The next step is not to analyze the horse, but to analyze YOU. What are you bringing with you to the barn/pasture?

Are you bringing those expectations I mentioned earlier? Are you coming with a hard and fast goal that simply “must” or “should” be done that day? The “shoulds” are tremendous guilt and frustration inducers.

The other aspect to consider is just how much “DO-ing” or “should be doing” is pushed in our respective lives. Whether it's the horse community, society at large, or even trauma we may have experienced that is contributing. For instance, in my experience, I watched my mother unable to leave unhappy, and even abusive, marriages because she couldn't afford to do so. This led to a strong drive for me to succeed, to DO, for many, many years so that “I would never be in that situation.”

The horse community is a strong pusher of “DO.” Whether it is competition, training, riding, taking care of your horse's health, or what you're feeding them, there is an undercurrent of “DO” that runs like a constantly flowing, and occasionally whitewater, river through the horse community at large.

While I can't speak for countries other than the United States, the society here is very much a “should be doing this or that” one.

When you are analyzing yourself, and any resistance you feel to “doing nothing”, ask yourself where that resistance is originating? How can you let go of the pressure it is putting on you AND your horse?

Step 3 of Horse Training 101: Deep Breaths

One of the greatest tools you have at your disposal for eliminating resistance and pressure in yourself and your horse is to take a deep breath and let it out. Every time you are feeling frustration, anxiety, resistance, fear, or even anger, you always, always have the option of taking a deep breath and letting it out. This provides a reset not only to your nervous system, but also to that of your horse's.

If a deep breath isn't enough, maybe walk away and sit down. There is something about sitting down that changes our energy. We relax. As soon as we relax, so does the horse.

Step 4 of Horse Training 101: Work Backwards

The reason I suggested you start watching your horse as soon it knows you are there is to detect when and where they start getting nervous. You might be surprised about where you start seeing the signs. Despite halters being such an everyday part of life, many horses have fear associated with them. Wherever you start seeing signs of fear in your horse, take a step back and start training from where they weren't showing any signs. This tool helped me to figure out that one of my horses became nervous when I stepped to his side. He was not comfortable with me at his side.

If you are having trouble figuring it out in the moment, set up your phone or camera and video yourself with the horse. I figured out one of my horses was bored from watching a training video I did with him. Sometimes we have to watch as an observer because we miss things being in the moment with them.

Step 5 of Horse Training 101: Do Nothing

Once you have figured out where your horse becomes nervous, take however much time you need and “do nothing” in those first moments of fear. For instance, when I determined my horse was really anxious about my being on his side, I got a really, really long lead rope and I calmly stood where he first started getting anxious. If he moved, I moved with him and just to the very edge of where he could tolerate. And then I just stood there, doing nothing at all.

I didn't look at him directly, I even turned my back to him at times, and I just did nothing. I did this until he relaxed. And it sometimes took awhile! I had to do this several days, sometimes with a day or two in between sessions, before he finally realized that someone being on his side was not a threat. I have no idea where the fear came from. He came to me with it and I hadn't made the connection until I started working my way backwards. He exhibited fear of and frustration with lunging and wouldn't lead next to me, only behind me.

But I couldn't see the issue for so long because all I could “see” was my expectation that “he needs to lunge” or “he needs to walk beside me.”

Step 6 Enjoy the Fruits of Doing Nothing

Doing nothing as a tool for horse training is one of the most powerful tools you will have in your training toolbox. Don't underestimate it. It enables you to move forward with less frustration, less fear, less disappointment for you and your horse. Doesn't that sound ideal?

You might even do a happy dance when you surpass a significant fear! I may or may not have done this when I got my horse comfortable with my standing next to him!

I would love to hear examples of when you have “done nothing” with a great outcome with your horse or horses!

And if you'd like to have me work directly with you and your horse(s), just reach out to me via my Contact page!

The post Horse Training 101: First, Do Nothing appeared first on Julie Bradshaw.

Are There Dangers of Using Horses as Therapy?

It seems odd to say that there are dangers of using horses as therapy doesn't it? But when I say this, I'm not referring to hippotherapy, the widely successful type of riding therapy used for people with disabilities.

I'm referring to the many people who are drawn to horses because of the peace that they bring. I'm referring to the people who have experienced trauma, abuse, or neglect and find themselves drawn to the magic of horses.

My Experience with Dysfunction in the Horse Community

After a 20 year hiatus from horses, I found myself dropped back into the horse community like debris is sucked into a tornado. One minute I wasn't even thinking about horses and the next I owned a Dutch Warmblood gelding that everyone in the Austin-area horse community knew, and nobody wanted. (That's him above in the photo.)

As I excitedly prepared myself for horse ownership again, I moved my horse to a local boarding barn. Unbeknownst to me, the owner of that boarding barn was an alcoholic and prescription drug addict. After a month of her unpredictability and instability, I found another boarding barn.

I moved my horse there and thought I had found the right place. And for over a year, it went pretty well. But then the owner of that barn separated from her husband and started going through a divorce. She began to severely neglect the 15+ horses in her care, including mine. I discovered that she had a track record of doing this when undergoing personal challenge.

The Drama Continues

By this time I had 3 horses (you really can't have just one.) I found an individual that agreed to let me bring them to her place for boarding. I should have known when she told me “Some people call me a bitch” that I might be in trouble. However, I am really easy going and as she was a friend of a friend, I thought it would be ok.

That individual casually asked me one day after a month or two, if I would sell one of my horses to her. I declined. It was the Dutch Warmblood, that I had turned around, and suddenly he was wanted. But he was my heart horse and I was never letting him go.

I didn't know it then but telling her no was apparently not something she was accustomed to. She proceeded to make things as difficult for me as possible. This included trying to hold my horses hostage when I found yet another boarding barn to move them to.

At the next place, just one month after I moved my horses there, the barn manager was discovered to be a meth addict and was captured on video drugging horses. After he was escorted off the property by law enforcement, I was told that the agreement he and I had for care of my horses was no longer valid. Surprisingly, he had taken great care of MY horses to that point.

My horses would no longer be cared for in the same way however. They began to lose weight and two of them got rain rot, a skin condition often related to poor nutrition. I had hundreds of dollars of tack stolen after that as well, and the deposit I had paid to the original barn manager was never returned.

I decided I was done with boarding. Via a friend of a friend, I was lucky enough to find some land to lease less than 10 minutes away from my house. A friend helped me move my horses there and I have been taking care of them myself ever since.

Therapists Need Therapy

I was shocked at the dysfunction and drama I had experienced. I had always worked in professional fields where community and support of each other was the rule rather than the exception. It baffled me that the horse community was, in my experience to that point, selfish and unstable.

I remarked to a friend one day that it reminded me of therapists who become therapists because they need or needed therapy themselves. I said, “People find horses so therapeutic, except that some of them never get the true therapy they need.”

Years have gone by and I have mostly stayed to myself with regards to the in-person horse community. I have cultivated a small group of horse owning friends, as well as a faithful online following, of those who think the same way that I do about horses. That is, that horses are valuable, cognizant, and worthy of being treated well, no matter what is going on with us as individuals.

Having participated in numerous horse groups of all kinds on Facebook though, I see that the drama and dysfunction of the horse community is alive and well. The vehemence with which people are quick to judge, lash out, and condemn will give you whiplash.

Last year I attended a trail riding competition as a visitor. I was reminded once again of the reasons I have stayed to myself as I listened to complaining, judgement and disdain in the voices of many around me. All of this brings me back to my original thought.

Dangers of Using Horses as Therapy

There ARE dangers of using horses as therapy. They come if you are not in fact working on yourself too. Because not only does the horse lose, but the entire horse community loses as well.

The danger of using horses as therapy lies in being completely unaware that you are doing so. I think people are drawn to horses for their beauty, air of freedom, and more. Ultimately, horses have this seemingly magical ability to bring deep peace to those around them. And I don't think most are aware of the horse's immense ability to do so, or even that it may be the reason why they are drawn to them.

It simply mystifies me still that with all of that magic, there are so many unhappy, judgmental, and critical horse owners. There is so much peace available to access.

Finding Peace with Horses

One of the keys to finding your peace is to make time to experience the magic of horses.

Examples could include:

• Don't just run in, saddle up your horse, exercise/ride them, and put them up. Get to know them.
• Observe them with other horses if possible. Spend time with them grazing.
• What kind of behavior do they have when they eat their feed?
• Where are they tight in their body? What relaxes that tightness?
• Read horse behavior and training books.
• Study horse anatomy, and why and how they move the way they move.
• Learn to trim their hooves yourself.
• Only have as many horses as you can do this with regularly. (This primarily applies to individuals who own horses for personal use.) I've been guilty of having more horses than I really needed, but in this case, quality is more important than quantity.
• Have a Horse Magic session with me and my horses and let me show you what horses are truly capable of.
• No matter your regular discipline or choice of activity, take some dressage lessons. Your relationship with your horse will improve.

You have this incredible being that you have the good fortune to share your life with. Treating them solely as a tool is a disservice to both you and them.

Know Yourself

While you get to know them, get to know yourself. Each person's challenges are different but here are a few suggestions:

• Evaluate your responses to your horses every time you think about it. Are you patient/impatient, angry/happy, happy/grieving, informed/need more info.?
• After you evaluate your emotions, consider how the horse responds to you. In many cases, the horse is responding not to its own emotions or body, but to yours. For horses that you spend a lot of time with, they may even be mirroring something happening in your body. It might be emotions, limiting beliefs, or even pain or a physical condition.
• If you are responding from a place of trauma, emotional pain, grief, etc. just tell the horse what is wrong. Say it out loud. Horses generally just want us to tell the truth about what we are feeling. In some cases, it may be better to walk away from the horse. You have to make that judgment call. But more times than not, the horse will relax once you've expressed what you are feeling. And that's where the peace comes in for both of you.
• If you realize that there are dangers of using horses as therapy and it is more than you or they can process, find a good therapist. (I'm not suggesting anything I haven't done myself. I have seen therapists more than once in my life.)
• Don't give up on yourself.

These are just a few ideas for your horses and yourself. You may have to modify according to your situation.

Horse Community

Lastly I want to circle back to the horse community as a whole. If you do these things, or others, for your horse(s) and you, you will begin to see that many other horses owners have issues they struggle with too. As I said, many of us come to horses for the peace that they bring. When you understand that others are struggling, you will see that kindness and compassion will take you farther than judgement and criticism.

You will see that even in competition, you can be supportive and understanding. Boundaries can always be set with those that need them, but lead with kindness. The horse community needs as much of it as it can get, both the people and the horses.

In Closing

I close by saying that I KNOW there is a lot of goodness in the horse world too. I know because of the friends I've made and the resources I have found. But the drama IS prevalent in the horse community.

I know one article isn't going to change the horse community overnight, but this topic has weighed on me for years and I just felt like it was time to speak up. If it resonates with you, I'd love to hear your thoughts or have you share it with others that might enjoy it too.

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What are the Mice in Your Horse Trailer Seeking?

In most cases, the mice or rats are seeking food or water. They could also be seeking shelter from the elements, or a place to create a nest.

How are the Mice in Your LQ Horse Trailer Getting In?

In most cases, they are getting in where there are holes around wires or pipes coming into your trailer. This could be the hookups, plumbing or vents even.

What Pest Solutions Are There to Get Mice Out of Horse Trailers?

In my research into this topic, I've read some real horror stories about living quarters trailers being inundated with mice or rats, and destroying wiring, electrical equipment, and food. And I wanted to have a list of potential solutions to hopefully prevent mice from getting into my horse trailer. As with any list of solutions, some come with very mixed reviews.

The following solutions are ones that some swear by and some say never worked for them. All of these solutions are poison-free so won't harm wildlife or pets. I think if they work for some, you at least need to know about them. But keep in mind, apparently mice and rats have differing palates and senses in different locales. These are strictly “your mileage may vary” (YMMV) solutions. #CommissionsEarned on all below links.

“Your Mileage May Vary” Solutions for Getting Mice Out of Horse Trailers

Solutions with a Scent

• Dryer sheets. This solution is popular. Apparently the rodents don't care for the scent of the dryer sheets and horse owners tuck them in various places all over their living quarters trailer to keep the mice away. Some show a strong preference for Bounce dryer sheets specifically and others say any brand of dryer sheet will work.
  
  Unfortunately, some people say that the mice mocked them by gathering the sheets and making nests out of the dryer sheets.
  
  Personally, I won't use this solution as the chemical scent used on dryer sheets gives me a headache. I think if the chemical is bad for an animal, it's probably bad for me too. But that's just me. It really does seem to be effective for a lot of people though.
  
• Irish Spring soap. This is a big YMMV solution. Some people swear by Irish Spring soap. They hang it in their trailer during off seasons. They shave off pieces and put them in open bags or jars in various places throughout their trailers.
  
  Many others say once again that mice have attitudes and will EAT the Irish Spring soap. Some say they are even attracted by Irish Spring! I'm starting to think these mice may be poking fun at some of us. Hmmmmm.
  
• Peppermint or Lavender Oil. Used by putting it on cotton balls or spraying it throughout and around the trailer, some mice, in some locations, will avoid any areas with peppermint or lavender oil. (I prefer to use organic oils to keep it clean for use around people.) Some say application is only needed every 3-4 months and others use it more often.
  
  Still others say mice dab their tiny little paws in it and use it as deodorant before chewing through their electrical wiring or leftover breakfast. Once again, YMMV.
  

• Moth Balls. Used almost as much as peppermint oil, moth balls are a favorite for keeping mice out of horse trailers. Spread on the outside of trailers primarily, these stinky spheres work on some mice and rats in some places. The ones in the photo have solid 5-star reviews and are larger than typical moth balls for ease of use. If using large or small, one suggested use was putting them in onion bags or laundry delicates bags and draping over tires during winter storage.
  
  However, some report little to no success with them. Maybe the mice and rats are playing dodge ball with them?

Solution with a Sound

• Sonic/Ultrasonic Pest Control Devices. Using silent sound as a deterrent, some rodents will avoid areas with these devices. Thought to be more humane than poison or traps, some have had good luck with using these devices to get mice out of horse trailers. After a quick search on Amazon, there are a wide variety of these devices to choose from. Some actually go into the ground and some sit on top of the ground. Some are solar and some are powered by electric.
  
  Once again, reports vary on this method but reviews on Amazon seem to be good and the costs are low enough that it could be worth a try. Although one person in a FB group reported, “I used the sonic thing and they were hula dancing in front of it. Didn't work at all.” These mice even dance! Who knew?
  

Not As Well Known but Great Reviews from Users

A few other suggestions that are not as commonly suggested but seem to have success include:

• Placing a large sheet of plastic (like a heavy tarp for instance) on the ground before parking the trailer on top of it. The theory is that the rodents won't walk on the plastic and thus, it keeps them out of your trailer.
  
• Fresh Cab Rodent Repellent is a botanical rodent repellent that users report great success with. It comes in great smelling sachets that the user places in and around the horse trailer, typically while parked for long periods. These can be found online at Amazon or you can check with your local farm or hardware store.
  

• Rope or Strobe Lights. Some owners will place rope lights or strobe lights around the bottom of their horse trailers to keep rodents away. Rodents of course prefer darkness, so the lights deter them from coming around. This solution makes more sense if you are horse camping, rather than for long-term storage of your horse trailer.
  
• Mixture of Jiffy cornbread and baking soda. This is one of my own tips from using in my barn. If you mix up equal parts of Jiffy cornbread and baking soda (can even be 2/3 cornbread and 1/3 baking soda in my experience), and either place in an open plastic bowl or a plastic food storage container with a hole cut in it, mice and rats will eat it and since they can't pass gas or burp, it takes their life. AND it is not harmful to other animals like poison can be.

Sure-Fire Solutions to Get Mice Out of Horse Trailers

The most effective ways people report to get mice out of horse trailers can also be the most ahem….final. But for those who understand just how destructive they can be or have tried many of the above solutions without success, these solutions WORK. I have divided the solutions between those that preserve life and those that may need a little RIP gravestone.

Solutions That Preserve Life

• Secure or Remove Food. While camping, ensure that all food is secured in mice-proof containers, such as glass. When storing your horse trailer for an extended period, remove all food completely. While it seems logical, sometimes the most obvious solutions slip by us. If there is no food to tempt them, it reduces, or in some cases, may eliminate the chance of mice getting into your horse trailer.
  
• Steel Wool. The use of fine grade steel wool is a very popular solution used by many with living quarters horse trailers. Since mice most commonly use the space around wiring, connectors and in vents to make themselves at home in our home, steel wool is an easy way to say, “You're not invited.”
  
  Mice are unable to chew through the steel wool and thus can't get in. This is a safe and effective way to get mice out of trailers.
  

• Spray Foam. Used similarly to steel wool, spray foam insulation can be injected into the spaces around wiring, connectors, plumbing and vents. However, some say that unlike the steel wool, mice and rats can chew through spray foam alone. So, some suggest using steel wool AND spray foam for double protection.
  
• Bucket Trap. This is another humane method of getting mice out of horse trailers. Essentially, you use a 5-gallon bucket, an aluminum can (soda or beer can for instance), a thin dowel to put the can on (a wire coat hanger works), a piece of plastic or wood for a ramp and some peanut butter. The mouse jumps on the loose can spinning on the dowel in the bucket to get to the peanut butter, the can spins and gravity takes the mouse to the bottom of the bucket where it is trapped. You can then release the mice far, far away from your horse trailer, or otherwise dispose of them as the case may be.
  
  The “beauty” of this trap is that multiple mice can be caught using it.
  
  I found this image and step by step instructions here.

RIP Solutions

• Poison products–While I hesitate to even list this option, poison is a long-standing solution that can be very effective. Why do I hesitate to recommend it you ask? Well, the downside to using anything with poison in it comes if the rodent dies somewhere that other animals have access to it.
  
  The dead rodent with poison in its system can then take the life of a cat, dog, bird, or other wildlife that happens upon it and decides to make a meal of it. If you are going to use this solution, you must make very sure that other animals won't eat the body.
  
• Snap Traps. These are the traps that use peanut butter or some other sort of food bait to lure the mouse in to be caught in a quick snap that ends their life. However, the instant nature of the process is considered to be humane if you're going to use this method. Amazon has a plethora of choices for snap traps for mice.
  
• Glue Traps. Along with the snap traps and bucket trap, there are also glue traps. The controversy over glue traps is alive in people who find them inhumane since the mouse is still alive and according to their philosophy, shouldn't have to suffer. Some of those who used them reported finding ways to quickly put them out of their misery. But what you do with the trap after the mouse is caught is totally up to you.

I'd love to hear in the coments if you've tried any other solutions for getting pests out of trailers. (Keep it family friendly.)

This article is the first in a series of articles I will be writing as I prep to go on the road full time with my horses. (Planned time frame is fall of 2025 after my youngest son graduates from high school and goes to college.) I am starting to research things I will need to know about living full time on the road with horses. I will write about them here so that not only can they help me, I hope they can help others as well.

As a single mom of two, one with special needs, purchasing from the above links doesn't cost you anything extra and the commissions I earn help me to make this dream come true. Thank you for supporting my dream.

The post How to Get Mice Out of Horse Trailers appeared first on Julie Bradshaw.

All you need to know about horses is actually far more simple than you might expect. As a species, we often make things more complicated than they have to be.

For over a decade, I have been teaching people to trust their intuition. When I first began learning these things myself, I read lots of books, attended classes, and followed people on social media. And what I began to realize is that the experts who touted THEIR system and their way of doing things as being THE thing, were not ones I wanted to follow.

I would try their way and it didn't work for me. It made me doubt myself. Was I doing it wrong?

Follow Your Own Path

What I learned was I was not in fact doing it wrong at all. In fact, the more I did what worked for me, the stronger my intuition became.

When I got back into horses years ago, I did some of the same things. I read books, I attended classes, and I followed horse trainers on social media. I gained some great knowledge, about both what to do and what NOT to do. And I came to the same realization, the experts who had “systems” that had to be followed, that put themselves on a pedestal, that said “if you're not doing it my way, you're doing it wrong” threatened to lead me down the manure pile of doubt.

I've had stallions, geldings and mares. I've had short horses and very, very tall horses. I've had the youngest of horses to seniors. Every one of them has taught me something.

My Connection with Horses

Scout, my Dutch Warmblood gelding, who was my soulmate in horse form, taught me more things than I could possibly detail in one article. I think more than anything, he taught me that I had an innate gift with horses that I needed to believe in. From the moment I met him, we were connected. I hadn't owned a horse in 20+ years. And there was no denying that this horse, that was labeled as too dangerous to ride, and that numerous people told me not to take, was meant to be with me. I cried, I laughed, I got angry and more than anything, I loved for the short 4 years he was with me before he asked me to help him cross the Rainbow Bridge.

Every single person that saw us together, whether stranger or friend, commented on our obvious connection. Because of him, I trusted in that connection.

As other horses made their way to me, I used that trust in my connection to bond with and train them as well. Shut down horses, angry horses, crazy thin horses, overweight horses, feral horses, aggressive horses, horses in pain, and traumatized horses. I took them all in and learned from them.

The Lessons You Don't Expect

The other horse who has taught me more than I could ever detail in one article is one of my current horses, Ankh. (pronounced onk) He was just the opposite of Scout when he came to me. He had no use for people and was pretty angry a lot of the time. But he had a curiosity and playfulness at times that sucked me in. I've had multiple people tell me to sell him. I've come really close, I don't deny it, but recently I've figured out he's been trying to tell me something for a long time and I just had a very difficult time interpreting his message.

What he has taught me the most about is the importance of herd dynamics and how critical that dynamic can be to either support or break down the well-being of the horses within that herd. And sometimes that can come into play with them on the same property together, not even pastured together.

All of these horses that came to me began to heal. Some of them healed to the point of being able to go to other homes. Some could only heal so much and needed me to release them from this world. And some have stayed with me.

Training People to Train Horses

As I began to expand the work I did with my horses into working with horses owned by others, I saw that there was a great desire for people to develop that same kind of connection with their horses that I had developed with mine.

“I just want to have a better connection with them.” “I want to know if they are happy with me.” “I wish they could talk.” These are things I hear frequently.

And I used the “All You Need to Know About Horses” theory of mine coupled with neuroscience, horse behavior, and all of my experience with intuition/energy and horses to guide them. Because if you have that knowledge, you will have a better connection, you won't wonder if they are happy and you'll find yourself having conversations with them.

While a few of them raised their eyebrows at me, the vast majority were all in and discovered just how powerful and effective it was. Most importantly, they discovered just how powerful and effective THEY were.

The relationships with their horses vastly improved. But more than anything they felt more confident in themselves. Confidence begets confidence.

My Inspiration and Answer

I've been helping other horses as I'm asked by referral only, but due to a recent incident that occurred with a horse that I sold, I've decided to expand more on my training philosophies as I feel that if even one person gains something that can help their relationship with their horse, then it will make a difference.

So, all you need to know about horses is this:

Do what works for YOU and YOUR horse. Do what feels right to YOU.

Listen to your horse, not just a little, a LOT.

What I immediately hear from some of you as I type that is “I don't know what to do!”

Here are a few things you can do to start:

• Spend more time on the ground with them than you do in the saddle. I'm not saying forever, but the more you get to truly know your horse, the better the connection. There is no way to get to know them better than being on the ground with them. Walking around in the arena, the pasture, the paddock, reading a book while they are grazing, touching them if they like to be touched, just BE-ing together.
• Observe their behavior with you and with other horses. Pay attention to the smallest of behaviors. What way do they turn their head in certain situations? How are they “talking” to other horses with their behavior? How are they talking to you? The same? Different?
• Pay attention to your own energy each time you are with them. Are you tense? Are you frustrated? At peace? Feeling happy? How do they respond in kind? Horses are less likely to have a negative response to you as long as you are honest about the feelings. Don't hide your emotions. Whatever you are feeling, honor it, for yourself and them. If you're having trouble managing your emotions while training, read my article 7 Tips to Manage Emotions While Horse Training.
• Read some books. Take what feels right, what works, but leave what doesn't.
• Remember that the best expert on your horse is YOU. Experts can guide you, they can give you expertise from their perspective and knowledge, but they are not there with you and your horse day in and day out. If any expert makes you doubt your own expertise, run away. I will always ask you instead, “What feels right to you?”
• Come back and read more of my articles or follow me on Facebook (or both.) I'll be posting more and more about my training style and tips. You can take what works for you and your horse and leave what doesn't. I will never give you absolutes.

There you have it, all you need to know about horses is to trust your intuition and do what works for you and your horse. Remember you are the expert. I'm the expert on my horses and I'm still learning every single day. So, I'm no better than you are. I'm just here to remind you of your awesome expertness!

The post All You Need to Know About Horses appeared first on Julie Bradshaw.

Horses Are People Too

Ultimately, if you want to know how to get a horse to trust you, you just need to remember “horses are people too.” OK, maybe not exactly and of course there are some key differences, but if you keep that statement in mind when you are interacting with horses, you will know how to get a horse to trust you much faster than you would otherwise.

A Few Things to Think About

• I've worked with horses of many different breeds, and horses of many different circumstances and while they all show it in different ways, what most of them WANT is to trust you. (There are some exceptions, but overall I feel this is true. Primarily because a horse always wants to feel safe wherever they are. If you are part of their environment, they WANT to trust you.)
• In wanting to know how to get a horse to trust you, first and foremost is to stop thinking of horses as “just horses.” There is no “just” about a horse. There are magnificent horses, intuitive horses, inspiring horses, intriguing horses, funny horses and even serious horses, but they are never “just a horse.”
• Horses have so much more to offer than riding. Having spent the large majority of my time with my horses on the ground with them, rather than on their backs, I've come to truly know and understand them. I don't understand them only as a horse, but as a friend. One of my current geldings, Ankh, for instance, knows things about me before I know them. He has “alerted” on me for migraines. He will tell me when it is time to leave the property as he seems to know there are other things I need to do. He's not usually an affectionate horse, but he knows before I do, sometimes days before, when I am going to experience a low spot emotionally and thus becomes very affectionate. He's truly like that best friend that knows when something is wrong and calls or texts to ask about it. Except he is 900 pounds of “best friend.”

How To Get a Horse to Trust You

When you think of horses as friends, rather than “just horses”, you have discovered the key to know how to get a horse to trust you. That is why “horses are people too” is a helpful reminder of how to treat and respond to horses.

Because if horses are your friends:

• You acknowledge their need to process new places, new things, and new experiences, just like you would a human friend. You wouldn't expect a friend to move to a completely new place, city, home, etc. or even to travel to different places without giving them time to adjust, to explore the new place, to rest after travel, to mourn leaving the old place, etc. Yes, horses do need time to process change and they do have emotions. In fact, they have a rich emotional life. You therefore must honor their need to adjust if they need it. Some horses, just like some people, tolerate change better than others. But oftentimes horses are expected to tolerate change instantly and that is detrimental to the horse. Ultimately that trickles down to the owner, rider or handler.
• You recognize that past experiences, and trauma in particular, can shape who they are today. Even more so than people, horses have a memory for people, events, trauma, etc. They will hold onto memories and react to anything that reminds them of that memory accordingly, whether positively or in a challenging manner. In the same way that a friend responds to life based on their experiences, so will a horse.
  
  Using an objective view with horses, rather than taking things personally, will get a horse to trust you. You see them as a culmination of their life from the day they were born right up until the present moment. Trauma can be carried in the horse's body as tension, just like it can with people. (This is something I help clear in horses and people with my sessions.)
• You know that it takes time to get to know a new horse, just like it takes time to get to know a new human friend. When you're getting to know a new friend, do you rush them into doing something just because YOU want to do it without any regards for what THEY want? If you've ever tried to do this, you know the response can be poor. Horses sometimes aren't given a choice about what they do. (And there are times that it is necessary, but not always.)
  
  Try paying attention to what the horse likes or doesn't like. How do they respond? What behavioral signs are they showing you? Are they showing signs of stress such as a concerned eye, a lifted head, or even turning their head? Or are they relaxed, head dropped and unconcerned? Just like you have to learn what activities and experiences a human friend likes or dislikes, you want to do the same for your horses.
• You know that everyone has good and bad days, both horses and people. Some days you may get to your horse and they are a little “off” or seem different. Others they seem to be having a great day. To get a horse to trust you, you have to recognize this day in and day out. Just like you show up with your own emotions, sometimes having a good day, sometimes having a bad day, they too have good and bad days. (Not to mention horses are brilliant at hiding pain.) You respond accordingly when friends or loved ones are having good and bad days. Doing the same with a horse engenders trust. They feel seen. And really, isn't that what we all want?
• You recognize that horses have strengths that you don't. Just like your friends have strengths that you don't, so do your horses. So, when your horse looks up sharply at something, or doesn't want to go a particular direction, give it some thought before responding. What do they know that you don't? Because some of their senses are far more powerful than yours. They can hear, see, and smell things for instance that you will never hear, see or smell. They can tune into emotions, intentions, and energy even better than me, and I have done so professionally for over a decade. If you want a horse to trust you, you have to trust him/her!
• You express gratitude for them. Being grateful for your friends means being thoughtful about what they like and need. What is their “love language” if you will? For instance, Ankh, who I mentioned above, isn't super keen on being touched except in very specific areas and even then he may only tolerate it for a very short time. Touch is not one of his love languages on most days. I do my best to acknowledge that and not touch him often.
  
  But food treats? They are most definitely high on the list of rewards, as is rest. He really likes to be able to rest by himself or just with me. Fyre on the other hand, seen in the photo with his father Ankh above, would crawl in my skin if he could. He likes to be up close and personal.
  
  And of course, being grateful for them means investing time in researching the best diet, environment and conditions for them. Do they like to be stalled or do they prefer pasture? Do they do best on a forage-based diet (what my horses get) or do they do better with a commercial feed? Coastal or alfalfa hay or both? (In Texas, these are the main two types of hay.) We have a responsibility as horse-owners to provide the best care within our means for our horse friends. When they know we are invested in them, they trust us even more.

In Summary

Ultimately, creating a perspective shift in how we treat horses, how we relate to them, and how we view them overall can create an entirely new type of relationship with these animals that inspire wonder and awe in us. They give us so much, shouldn't we match their gifts?

Other Examples?

I've really only scratched the surface on this topic. What examples do you have on using “horses are people too” as a philosophy for your relationship with your horses?

The post How to Get a Horse To Trust you appeared first on Julie Bradshaw.

• Beauty: Horses captivate us with their beauty. From flowing manes and tails to gorgeous colors and color combinations, the physical beauty of a healthy horse is nothing short of magnificent.
• Size: From the smallest miniature horse to the largest of work horses, we love horses for their size. Every size holds different capabilities. Whether used as a therapy horse in hospitals or nursing homes, to move civilizations from one area to another, to herd cattle, to pull wagons or plows, or to entertain with dressage, the horse's size captivates.
• Use: The productive uses of a horse decreased with the advent of automobiles but they are still used every day by farmers, law enforcement, and businesses, such as those with horse-drawn carriages.
• History: There is no animal more involved in the evolution of modern-day man than the horse. Utilized in wars, in giving people the ability to move across long-distances, in the Pony Express, and so much more, we love the horse for the reminder of times gone by.
• Sense of Freedom: Moving from the physical attributes of the horse to the more emotional, we love horses for the wildness, the sense of freedom that they give us. Watching or riding a horse as it gallops effortlessly across a pasture, an open plain or field, lights up a part of us that wishes we could be wild again, even if just for a moment.

I recently was feeling very down about my life. While I spent the first half of my adult professional life having great success at everything I touched, when I hit “middle age”, everything seemed to fall apart. I am blessed to be “gifted” in a number of things, coaching, photography, making jewelry, and of course training anxious rescue horses, but no matter what I tried to put my focus on, I couldn't seem to get any financial traction.

And on this day, I was feeling particularly low. I wasn't making enough money to even pay all my bills. I felt restricted by my ability to do anything but have my own business due to the needs of my son with autism. My mind was in panic mode, not only hashing out all the terrible things that had happened, but those that could happen. I was the extreme of “monkey mind” that had “gone down the rabbit hole.”

Having recently rediscovered my love of journaling and the insights it brought, I grabbed my journal and pen with turquoise ink to take with me to my horses. (My horses don't live on the same property with me.) My plan was to feed the horses, hang out with them, and then do a little journaling to see if any insight came about what I should do next.

After they finished their breakfast, they roamed around a bit before following me out to stand under some shade trees. Prince, my chestnut gelding, was especially attentive. He wanted to be right next to me. And initially, he was adamant about not wanting Ankh, or Fyre, close to me. But they were persistent, as they too seemed especially adamant about being close to me. I slowly convinced Prince to let them get closer.

The Set Up for The Realization

So, there we stood, the four of us. I was leaning against a tall oak tree that was in a shallow ravine that ran through the front half of the property. Prince was on my right. Ankh and Fyre were on my left. Or occasionally Fyre was standing in front of me. He and Ankh were particularly restless it seemed, moving around each other in order to position themselves close to me without catching the disapproval of the herd leader Prince.

Slowly my “monkey mind” began to fade. I was no longer covered up in the darkness of the rabbit hole. My mind cleared and my body relaxed, shoulders dropping. The tension headache I had woken up with just disappeared. I realized I felt like I do when I go to the beach and ocean. I was so at peace. It explained to me why I hadn't felt the urgent need to go to the beach like I used to. In fact, I haven't been to the beach in several years.

As I stood there, an idea just seemed to bubble up. It was an idea for an event that incorporated a particular type of journaling and/or other creative outlets that could be done while spending time with my horses. I have had so many “ideas” that I wasn't 100% positive that this wasn't just another “monkey mind” idea, born out of desperation.

But I soon discovered, that was not the case.

The Experience

I was feeling so good and thought I should try to do some journaling just in case some other ideas needed to bubble up. My journal and pen were in the barn though, so that meant leaving the circle I was in with the horses and returning back to the barn. I wanted to grab it and come back before the horses could leave the treed area. I went at a brisk pace and hadn't made it 50 feet when I noticed I was back in “logical” mode.

Just like that, when I stepped out of that ocean of horse energy, my body and mind shifted away from that peaceful place, and into my mind. It was a noticeable and significant “re-entry” just like when you return from vacation to your own life. I went from paradise to reality in less than 50 feet.

I went and grabbed my journal, pen and folding chair and ran back to sit under the trees with the horses. Every time I tried to open the journal, Fyre or Prince came and BIT it. See the picture of Prince biting it below! They would not leave me, or the journal, alone. I literally could not write anything because they wouldn't let me open it long enough to write anything in it. I finally had to give up.

They were telling me that the idea I had been given was the only one I needed.

The Science Behind It

But the true result of the entire experience was the insight into why we love horses as much as we do.

Every time we share space with them, they are taking us out of our logical mind. The logical mind that often is filled with doubts, anxiety, self-criticism, judgement, and even choices that don't ultimately makes sense for us. The mind may encourage us to make them out of desperation or a place of fear.

But what happens when we are taken out of that place? What we feel, what we “hear”, what we experience is not our conscious, but our subconscious. Our soul even.

On a scientific note, the mind processes 11 MILLION bits of information per second. The conscious human mind, the logical mind, can only process 50 bits per second. Think about that for a second. Let it sink in.

When you are making decisions from your logical mind, you are actually making them with extremely limited information. But when you separate from the logical mind, and tap into the subconscious, you are accessing an ocean of knowledge. It's like comparing a 1/4 teaspoon of water to the entire ocean.

While there are many methods of tapping into this wealth of knowledge, many can require practice, skill, and a conscious focus (which seems ironic). Instead, one can spend time with horses, and they help you to do it much faster. Not to mention they smell so good!

Personally. I believe they are even able to do it to a certain extent by seeing them in pictures, in movies, in videos, etc. I've had many people tell me my horses have brought peace to them solely from the pictures I share of them. Horses inspire just by being them.

The Real Reason We Love Horses

But what if they do more than inspire? What if the reason we love horses so much is because they are a switch that can take us from our conscious mind to our subconscious mind, or soul, just by being in their presence? Think about the possibilities!!

My experience confirmed that. And looking back on daily experience with them for years confirms it as well.

I didn't realize that the idea they gave me to host events with them held an even deeper meaning. Each event will give attendees the opportunity to experience this switch from conscious to subconscious mind for themselves.

I pondered the idea of holding the events on Saturday mornings but in the end, decided on Sunday mornings. The time will vary depending on the temperature outside. (Summer/high temperatures will mean earlier mornings for instance.) As long as there are attendees signed up, they will be held even if the date is a holiday in most cases. And rain or shine. Check this page for all the details on Soul Sundays with Horses!!!!

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