Approaching the Wary Horse

Last October, on a trip to the Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe this was the first thing that Alex, my horse-trainer son, was confronted with. But before the stories about how we helped a few horses there, a bit about myself and my son:

Alex grew up with horses, competed in Pony Club competitions, Regular Showjumping and Cross Country/Working Hunter on home schooled horses. After a move to Spain he studied at 'Real Maestranza de Caballeria de Ronda, one of the most prestigious riding establishments in Europe. There, his riding rose to a new level and back in Wales he picked up BHS Stages 1 and 2 and Nat. Cert. in horse Care and Management, passed with distinction. Since then he’s worked constantly with horses and breaks and trains horses for himself.

Ás for me, I’m a supporter of U.K. B.H.S. Pony Club's and have had lifetime involvement with horses, as a child in Epsom riding on the outside of the gallops. I’ve been a sole charge groom and trek leader and taught my own three kids, including Alex, when they were young. I’ve learned from observation, trial and error, reading and listening. I now live in Spain where I care for horses and all three of my now adult children still ride.

Back to Bulgaria.. The Lucy Irvine Foundation Europe works with horses and other animals in under-privileged rural areas. Lucy, founder of LIFE, took us to where a young bay horse was loose in a Roma yard. If we ‘hadn’t been there, the mare would eventually have been chased into a corner, forced to submit and then probably not let out again without a tether or worse, locked in a shed. What use is a horse to its Roma owner, a horse that pulls a cart to provide a meagre living in a marginal part of Eastern Europe if it can't be caught quickly when required to work? Alex used a different approach:

First, he's assessed the situation, then fetched one of our headcollars and attached a lead rope. The Roma tend to use string or chain, neither good, as they can cause injuries to both horse and handler. They’re used because they’re more readily available than conventional equipment for horses – and cheap. One of the many things LIFE does to improve care of working horses in Roma areas is distribute halters. Alex talked to the horse while standing a short distance from her, walked towards her; she walked away. Alex stopped, looked to the ground, walked towards her again. This cat and mouse went on for a little while until he was able to walk close enough to scratch her neck. Again she walked away. He stood still and then a minute or two later walked up to her again and scratched her neck, at the same time slowly slipping the headcollar lead rope around her neck. Gently, he then placed the headcollar on her head and lead her up the yard - to the surprised faces of her Roma owner and a small crowd that had gathered to watch the foreigners antics. Finally, he checked her over and left the headcollar and rope as a much appreciated gift. We often saw this mare out and about, knew it was her by the red and yellow headcollar which was probably left on day and night but daily life could have become a whole lot worse for her than wearing the Spanish colours under her harness head piece..

Another task we had was for a horse breeder who’d sold a foal but had never been able to get near enough to touch it. This gorgeous foal, an Arab/Haflinger cross, was to travel to his new home in a horse box. Luckily, Alex had a couple of weeks to work with the baby before this. Each day, Alex spent time with the foal loose in his field under the watchful eye of the mare, who, unfortunately for her, was tethered. First he approached the mare, chatted to her, scratched her neck and gradually gained her confidence. Every day he used the same approach to the mare and was soon able to scratch the foal's neck or bum or whatever was nearby as the little one moved around his mother. After a few weeks of this, the foal walked up to Alex whenever he saw him arrive in the field. I was invited at that stage to come closer and join in the party for some wonderful mare and foal scratches. It was worthwhile for the foal that his first human touches were kind ones and he should be a little less frightened when he travelled onward..

This is what we do, I'm re-enacting something that just happens now after years of experience. We begin always by ensuring we’re in a relaxed and unhurried state of mind – horse- catching mode. This involves a natural dropping of the shoulders and calmly placed feet as one of us walk's into the field, chatting to each other then the horse with a carrot in a pocket if appropriate and a headcollar loose in the right hand..

The approach is always to the shoulder, taking your time, talking to the horse, some light eye contact maybe. If the horse walks away then stop, chat gently and then, if and when the horse stops, resume walking up to the shoulder, scratch the neck, keep talking, then slip the headcollar rope around the neck and the horse is anchored with you, the carrot can be given at that stage and the attached headcollar put on gently, allowing you to walk away with the horse.

Of course there are horses that are more assertive. If, on our approach, the horse should move towards us with ears back in a confrontational way, then we make some noise by flapping something to startle it, stop, take a step back and begin again slowly.. My rescued Spanish mare used to be quite aggressive in the early days, she'd pin her ears back in the open stable and try to corner me, time to back off, re think and remember never to put oneself into that position again. Four years later and those dark days are well behind us, she follows me around with ears happily forward. Three feeding times a day has helped greatly too!

Do read about myself and Alex's time Volunteering in Bulgaria with LIFE in October 2019). We’re back there this coming Autumn and I’ll be writing about how Alex backed 4 of Lucy’s rescued horses for the first time.

https://www.lucyirvinefoundationeurope.org/home

https://www.facebook.com/castaway.lucy/

https://www.lucyirvinefoundationeurope.org/volunteer/horse-volunteers