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Soaking Time Your Horse Needs

March 2, 2017 by John 2 Comments

Your Horse Needs Soaking Time

Horses need a lot of things to figure a particular move or task. They need repetition, consistent cues, and time. Yes, time. Some call it soaking time.

To understand “soaking time” you first must understand animals don’t experience time like humans. You’ll never see a horse checking the clock asking, “Isn’t this lesson over, yet?”, even though you’re certain they think it. Dogs don’t worry about time either. I left the house the other day, quickly realized I had forgotten a piece of mail that needed to go out, and returned home within five minutes. My dog greeted me as if I had been gone all day.

I have two horses, a Quarter Horse mare named Jessie, and a feral horse I started named Scratch. When I got Scratch, one of my first tasks was to get him trailer loaded. He was 10 and I wanted a vet-check to have his teeth floated, wormed, and vaccinated. I needed him comfortable with the trailer. It worked out much better than I thought. It was my first time training a wild horse and I thought the last place he would be comfortable was in the trailer.

Soaking Time and Trailer Loading

Once Scratch was in the trailer and standing comfortably I pet him, rubbed his neck, and whispered sweet nothings in his ear for 60-90 seconds of soaking time. Then, we backed out, and either tried again or worked on something else. As a result, Scratch learned to trailer very well. We went to a ranch to help gather cows. The crew needed to trailer about 5 miles back to the cattle. We wanted to take only one trailer, a three-horse stock. One of the cowboys looked at Scratch, a typical small mustang, and asked, “Will he get in the trailer?” While I was pretty certain he would, I didn’t know how long it would take. You see, there were already three horses and five dogs in that trailer.

The cowboys popped open the door. I asked Scratch to go in. The other horses weren’t giving him much room, but when they did, I asked again. Scratch jumped right in. I stepped up, gave him a quick rub, and jumped out. The cowboys gave me a quizzical look, but I didn’t care. The first time my horse was asked to get in an overcrowded, strange trailer, he did it.

My Horse of a Different Color

My Quarter Horse mare, Jessie, never refused to go in the trailer, but she certainly never enjoyed it. No matter how long the trip, she came out sweaty and nervous. She had 60 days training, including trailer loading, when I bought her. She was born 2,000 miles away and at some point must have been trailered out to California. There’s no telling if that was a traumatic experience.

Anyway, one day we were loading her up and I noticed that I just put her in the trailer and did not give her the soaking time I always offered Scratch. No pet. No rub. No sweet nothings. She had already learned the skill of trailer loading, I thought she didn’t need soaking time. From then on she got the same soaking time I gave Scratch. Her transformation was amazing.

She is much more relaxed in the trailer. Comes out more calmly, less sweaty, and takes less training once she is out. She simply needed a little more reassurance.

60-90 Seconds That Make a Difference

Horses are quick thinkers. If you give them a moment, they have the ability to noodle through a thousand scenarios and come to a rational decision, most of the time.

Make certain you offer soaking time after desired behavior. If you give them a break after bad behavior, you will be encouraging – you guessed it – bad behavior.
It doesn’t have to be a long time. Sixty to ninety seconds at first, but when your horse starts learning, sometimes 15 seconds is enough.
If your horse has a problem learning something new, like side-passing or backing up, and struggles with it, take a step, stop, soak, then ask for another step. Then, work up to two steps, then three, and so on.
Take advantage of the soaking time yourself. Use the few seconds to take a deep breath and think about what you are asking your horse, how you’re asking, and what he is offering. Are you guys on the same page?

Using soaking time as a training tool gives you time to think. It gives your horse time to think.

Correcting Bad Habits

February 24, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Correcting Bad Habits

Does your horse have a few bad habits? They may not be serious, but just the little things that get under your skin from time to time. I was listening to a Tony Robbins interview and one quote – there were many – that stuck in my mind was, “Kill the monster whiles it’s a baby. Don’t wait until it’s Godzilla-sized eating the city.” You know, this is pertinent to your relationship with your horse and correcting bad habits.

Horses are professional cheaters. They see it as part of their job to test your resolve on EVERYTHING! For example, you’re walking down the trail enjoying a wonderful ride with your friends. As you pause to let others catch up, your horse casually drops his head and grabs a bit of grass. You are watching your friends, and your horse’s movement is so subtle, you barely notice it. A few minutes later, there’s a turn in the trail, and as you slow down, there he goes, another chomp of grass. Before long, you can’t take two steps without him grabbing for food. This is exactly how bad habits develop.

When you finally get around to discipline, it’s too late. Your horse is saying, “What?!? What did I do? You didn’t complain the first six times I did it, why now?” Now, he’s getting all pissy because you ask him to move his feet or yank on the reins every time he grabs a bite.

Your horse has a point. Every time you allow a behavior, he thinks it’s ok. If it’s nibbling your sleeve or rubbing his head against your back, when you allow it once, he thinks it’s okay ALL THE TIME!

Nip it in the Bud

Do a little Barney Fife on your horse, nip it in the bud. Play this game. Actively look for the behaviors you would rather not see in your horse. We ride along a canal bank and there are ducks who like to enjoy the canal. Our horses would jump every time the ducks would fly off. Ducks are not a threat to the extinction of horses. So, each time they flinched when a duck flew off, yielded hindquarters. It took about three times before they understood that ducks were not a threat.

My mare Jessie had the habit of throwing her head up when asked for a lope. It wasn’t a big deal. Gosh, I didn’t even notice it for quite some time. It was only when I wanted to develop a “collected” lope that it start to bother me. My solution was to shorten the reins before asking for the lope. When I asked, if her head came up, she ran herself into the bit. It didn’t take long before she stopped lifting her head.

Solve the Problem Now

They say the only problems that going away if you neglect them are with your teeth. If you are aware that your horse is going to try and test you on something, get out ahead of it. Be prepared with an exercise or a response that will communicate with your horse that the behavior is unacceptable. You’ll be amazed at how many bad habits you can chip away at with your horse. Once you do, your relationship will only get better.

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Your Horse’s Feet Builds Trust

February 17, 2017 by John Leave a Comment

Working with Your Horse’s Feet

Here’s a quick tip when working with your horse’s feet.

Do you pick your horses hooves before you ride or as part of the grooming process? Do you do each foot in the same order? Does your horse offer you his feet?

Try this for a week or two. Each time you ask your horse to pick up his feet, start with the same foot. I like the front off-side (right front) for some reason. I tap on the back of the fetlock three times, then pick up the foot. After cleaning, I set it right back down. Then, I move to the right rear, again tapping three times on the back of the fetlock. I repeat the process on the left rear, then the left front.

My horse now picks up her feet right after the tap. As I move around her, she shifts her weight getting ready to lift the next foot. By the time I get to the left front, it is usually off the ground. Then, when I’m finished I’m in good position to do a cinch check (if she’s saddled and we are going riding).

You will find that working on your horse’s feet builds confidence and respect between you and your horse. Your horse’s feet are essential to his survival. When you get him to offer you them, he demonstrates trust and willingness. Build on those characteristics and your relationship will really blossom.

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