{"id":4639,"date":"2014-07-23T13:02:46","date_gmt":"2014-07-23T03:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"\/?p=4639"},"modified":"2026-02-26T11:44:31","modified_gmt":"2026-02-26T00:44:31","slug":"got-problem-solve-good-detective","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/naturalhorseworld.com\/stage\/got-problem-solve-good-detective\/","title":{"rendered":"Got a problem? Solve it by being a good detective!"},"content":{"rendered":"

by Cynthia Cooper\"ProblemHorseRider\"<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

How many times has your horse behaved badly? How often have you thought he\/she has an issue you must solve with either better discipline or a different training technique?
\nI am often contacted about problems people have with their horse and I\u2019m happy to help them get to the bottom of the issue.
\nOver the years of solving various issues, I\u2019ve realized it\u2019s generally an underlying issue behind bad behavior.<\/p>\n

A horse will usually only behave in a negative way if there is an underlying cause, so our job is to find out what that is.
\nThere are the obvious things to check like teeth and saddle fit<\/a> but when you look closely there are so many other parts of a horse that can be affected and therefore cause behavioural problems as a result.<\/p>\n

Here is my Check List:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
Pain \u2013 teeth, feet, body<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"Bodyworkercheck\"<\/strong> Physical pain is one of the major causes of behavioral problems. Some horses cope with pain better than others. It\u2019s in a horse\u2019s nature to hide problems that may indicate to a predator they could be the next choice for lunch!<\/p>\n

Even when pain is not physically obvious, it can cause the horse to avoid any activity that makes it more uncomfortable. When pushed to do things, a horse will display signs such as tail swishing, ears back a lot, teeth grinding, head tossing, threatening to kick, refusing to go forward, bucking and rearing.<\/p>\n

These are all messages from the horse trying to tell us there\u2019s a problem and it should be investigated.
\nA horse with pain anywhere in its body may show any of these signs so it\u2019s important to have teeth, hooves and body\/muscles checked out by a qualified, competent equine veterinarian, dentist, bodyworker or hoof care provider.<\/p>\n

A mare who had such bad behavior problems it was recommended she was euthanized, turned out to have a vaginal infection that caused her great pain when ridden. With a course of antibiotics, and a ‘caslick’ operation she was back to being her old amenable self.<\/p>\n

Other physical issues \u2013 old injuries or ulcers<\/strong><\/h5>\n

A horse may have limitations due to old injuries that may or may not be obvious. A well-qualified Equine body worker will be able to detect those that can\u2019t be seen, otherwise, you must rely on the horse\u2019s previous owners to reveal anything that might be a causing a problem.
\nFor instance, I have a horse that fractured his pelvis as a yearling. It is not visible, but it has affected his stance and muscular development to the point that he will only ever be a pleasure riding horse.<\/p>\n

Horses that are kept stabled, yarded and on limited or infrequent amounts of roughage, can develop gut ulcers that affect their behavior. If you\u2019ve ever had a sore gut, you will know just how little you feel like doing, so it is no wonder horses with a gut ulcer are irritable, show signs of ‘being girthy’ and behave badly.<\/p>\n

Feed (pasture, supplements, minerals, grain, hay)<\/strong><\/h5>\n

What goes into your horse will change what comes out \u2013 in the way of condition, overall health, ability to focus, strength, soundness, gut health etc.
\nHaving experienced first-hand how the lack of a vitamin or mineral has on me, I know how detrimental this is for good function. Without supplementing magnesium, I can be crabby and irritable at times, and without good iron stores, I\u2019m lethargic, tired and can\u2019t think straight.<\/p>\n

So, the same can happen to your horse \u2013 if the diet is unbalanced or lacking, then all sorts of symptoms can manifest \u2013 some physical and some mental or emotional.
\nFor example, a horse lacking in magnesium, perhaps because it is eating false dandelion, flatweed, or capeweed, will display physical symptoms of stringhalt<\/a>.<\/p>\n

An excitable, nervous, stressed horse may also need supplementing with magnesium which is one of the minerals tied up by toxins coming from weeds or grass.
\nAn oversupply of feed can cause a horse to be excitable or lethargic, irritable or unable to focus. It can cause hoof tenderness<\/a> which then causes a shortness of stride, unwillingness to move forward or to jump, inability to cope with hard surfaces and these can all manifest in behavioral abnormalities.<\/p>\n

To find out if your horse\u2019s diet is balanced ask an independent equine nutritionist<\/a> or use an online calculator like Madbarn Nutrition tool<\/a> (USA and Canada) or www.feedxl.com<\/a> where for a small subscription you can have the diet analyzed by and then make changes to get the right balance of roughage, grains, and supplements<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Equipment:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"HeadhighBit\"Whatever equipment we use<\/a> on a horse must be comfortable and fit well or the horse will show negative responses.
\nBadly fitting saddles, girths and bitted bridles are often the cause of undesirable behavior. Horses are incredibly sensitive in a tactile way \u2013 just as we are. We get cranky if our clothing isn\u2019t comfortable and get rid of it. The horse has no choice, but to wear whatever we choose to put on them, so it\u2019s up to us to take heed of the subtle signs when we tack them up.<\/p>\n

Ears laid back, avoiding being caught or the saddle and bridle, trying to bite or kick, holding the head high, head tossing, teeth grinding, biting while being girthed, are the some of the ways a horse can indicate there is a problem with the equipment we\u2019re using.<\/p>\n

Past issues:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

If a problem is ignored or the horse disciplined for reacting and showing its discomfort, then they will either \u2018shut down\u2019 and put up with it, or continue to display bad behavior, even after the situation has changed.
\nA horse, like an elephant never forgets. They can forgive but that memory of past issues is carried with them, and it usually doesn\u2019t take much for the problem to resurface. Sometimes it takes a compete change of the person’s attitude, or ownership for the horse to overcome an issue sufficiently for them to be comfortable and happy.
\nPositive based training such as \u2018Clicker training\u2019<\/a> often has good results with situations where the horse\u2019s past resurfaces frequently.<\/p>\n

Social situation:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

If a horse is socially deprived in any way during its life, it\u2019s behavior will not be normal. It can range from excitability around other horses, to separation anxiety<\/a>, intolerance of other horses, to aggressiveness.
\nIt may take some time and patience along with a change in the horse\u2019s social situation, to change their behavior. Being a herd animal, a horse needs appropriate company for its age and social status to feel happy and comfortable. It needs good leadership to feel secure enough to leave the herd, along with a consistent routine to become used to the activities we ask it to do.<\/p>\n

Training:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

There are probably as many methods of training or educating a horse<\/a> as there are horse personalities. Different personalities cope better with some methods than others and it is important to choose the discipline or pursuit most suited to the horse you have. Or go and buy a horse suited to the discipline you want to ride in.
\nEven sticking to the same old training routine can cause a horse to develop behavioral problems through boredom. Cross training is recognized as the best way to keep a horse interested and athletic in their field of specialty.<\/p>\n

Rider\/handler ability & attitude<\/strong><\/h5>\n

\"NaughtyFoal\"Ability and attitude<\/a> have a huge effect on horse behavior so it\u2019s not surprising that beginners and those with a stiff, inflexible attitude have more problems.
\nSome horses cope better with beginners, or are more forgiving, while others will not tolerate their lack of independent seat, feel, timing or balance.
\nEven amongst experienced riders there will be horses who respond better to another style or way of being with them. I guess that\u2019s why there are a lot of horses for sale and magazines like Horse Deals are so popular!<\/p>\n

As in marriage, everyone is looking for their perfect partner so if your horse is looking for a divorce, maybe it’s time to realistically assess your situation (or have someone help you do that) and make the change to a more suitable partner, or method of horse handling\/training<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instinctive responses:<\/strong><\/h5>\n

The nature of the horse has developed over hundreds of thousands of years so no matter how good the breeding or the temperament, you\u2019re never going to remove those natural reactions or instincts.
\nSome horses are more reactive than others, but an understanding of the horse\u2019s instincts and the ability to see things from their point of view can reduce many so-called problems.
\nIt\u2019s natural for a horse to shy or spook, refuse to step over or into scary things (until proven they are safe) or to leave the herd. It\u2019s natural for the horse to run from perceived danger, to fight if cornered or trapped and to experience emotions such as fear, grief, anxiety, distrust, playfulness and high spirits.<\/p>\n

Young horses and those inexperienced in the ways of the human world will turn to their natural instincts quicker than the \u2018been there \u2013 done that\u2019 older educated horse.
\nIf we can educate ourselves in the way of the horse and learn equine ethology<\/a>, we will be more tolerant of their natural behavior and be able to educate them to cope with human demands.<\/p>\n

So, the next time your horse displays some kind of \u2018problem\u2019 look behind the behavior and be a good detective to find out the true cause.
\nAfter all, displays of behavior are just one of the ways a horse can communicate with us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

by Cynthia Cooper How many times has your horse behaved badly? How often have you thought he\/she has an issue you must solve with either better discipline or a different training technique? I am often contacted about problems people have with their horse and I\u2019m happy to help them get 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