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Why Do Horses Do That? - The Full Bucket Theory
The other day I was talking with a student about her horse’s behavior, which she found mystifying. The horses had been in the barn for several
days, due to cold rainy weather, and today she had come to get her horse out for exercise. “I took Isadora out to the round pen and longed her
for a little while and she was very laid back” she said. “you know, she just kind of trotted around la-de-da, so after a few minutes I went
ahead and took her to the covered arena and rode. She was ok until she saw a horse out in one of the round pens. Then she began to act like she
wanted to buck and act crazy. I tried to ride her through it, but she just kept on acting like rodeo was on her mind, so I finally got off, took
her back to the round pen and longed her.” She went on “Well, she just exploded and bucked and bucked and cantered around. What do you think
made her do that after she was so laid back when I gave her an opportunity to play in the beginning.?”
It’s a good question isn’t it? Why do horses DO that? I think it is an accumulation of factors.
Horses, as you know, are herd animals and prey animals. They have survived as a species by responding to stimulants and reacting according to
their anxiety level, after checking in with the herd to see if every body else thinks it’s dangerous too.
Horses have a physical and psychological need for movement. Lack of movement builds this need to an explosion point.These factors and how
they create the horses’ need for movement can be compared to a bucket that can overflow, causing a flood, when too much stimulus accumulates
in the bucket. I define stimulants as things which cause the horse to feel agitated, (not necessarily afraid) and therefore push it towards
acting from instinct or emotion rather than thought.
Factors that may increase the level of stimulants in the bucket are the horse’s character and breed type, weather, the horse’s happiness in its
work, poor fitting tack…. I’m sure there are more, and if you think about it you can think of a few which affect your horse and increase the
level in the bucket.
For instance, every horse’s bucket has some level of stimulants in it all the time. A horse with a nervous character has a higher level of
stimulants in his bucket to begin with, so it doesn’t take as many added stimulants to “send him over the top”. A hot-blooded breed of horse has
a higher level of stimulants in her bucket than a cold-blooded breed. Horses stalled regularly have a higher level of “need to move” stimulant
than horses turned out all the time. Horses fed high protein or high concentrated carbohydrate diets have a higher level of stimulants in their
bucket all the time.
Add to this the environmental stimulants. The horse that is not happy in it’s work has a higher level of agitation. Cold weather can cause
agitation in the form of “need to move”. Poor fitting tack can definitely be a stimulant, causing the horse to want to buck or “run out from
under it”. Remember, to your horse, on an instinctual level, a saddle that stabs him in the back with a predator (you) perched on it is not all
that different than a big cat. This is not to say that horses can’t tell the difference. They are incredibly more intelligent than most of us
imagine. But agitation can short circuit thought, and then your horse acts from instinct.
So back to Isadora, the perplexing horsey Queen in question. Lets see if we can add up the stimulants in her bucket to understand the
“overflow” and why such a small thing as seeing another horse in the round pen might send her “over the edge”.
Isadora is a wamblood of the generally laid back type, so she doesn’t have as much in her bucket of stimulants all the time as say, a typical
Arabian. She is still a horse, a hunted animal in instinctual terms, so her bucket has a certain level of “high awareness” type of stimulation in
it all the time. In this case she had been stalled for several days with minimal exercise. Add a half-bucket. She is fed a diet with a moderate
amount of concentrates. These were not eliminated during stall confinement. Add another quarter of a bucket. The weather had been cold for
several days. Add another big dollop. She originally went out to the round pen and the arena alone. Add a some more for leaving the sameness of
the stall, getting circulation and movement going, and stimulation of sights and sounds of the area. Poor fitting tack? Don’t know—could be a
stimulation factor. We are getting close to the top of the bucket now. So here comes a herd member moving around freely in the round pen. On
another day, or even this day with fewer stimulants filling the bucket, shouldn’t be an issue. But this day, the bucket of stimulation is already
full and this last bit causes the overflow. Once Isadora erupts, she needs to move in order to lower the level of stimulation back to the level
where she can think, rather than react.
If you learn to notice all of the stimulation or agitation factors filling your horse’s bucket, you will be more able to predict when they will
have an “overflow” situation brewing. Give them a chance to move and dispel some of that agitation and stimulation. If , like Isadora, you have
reason to believe that they are “on the verge” you may want to add stimulation to push them into movement mode, or you may want to do some
anxiety lowering movement exercises like TTEAM groundwork which will help them think and not react. Either of these strategies may help
them be better able to think and respond to your partnership requests in a cooperative manner. Which one you choose depends on your horse’s
character and your knowledge level.
The other day I was talking with a student about her horse’s behavior, which she found mystifying. The horses had been in the barn for several
days, due to cold rainy weather, and today she had come to get her horse out for exercise. “I took Isadora out to the round pen and longed her
for a little while and she was very laid back” she said. “you know, she just kind of trotted around la-de-da, so after a few minutes I went
ahead and took her to the covered arena and rode. She was ok until she saw a horse out in one of the round pens. Then she began to act like she
wanted to buck and act crazy. I tried to ride her through it, but she just kept on acting like rodeo was on her mind, so I finally got off, took
her back to the round pen and longed her.” She went on “Well, she just exploded and bucked and bucked and cantered around. What do you think
made her do that after she was so laid back when I gave her an opportunity to play in the beginning.?”
It’s a good question isn’t it? Why do horses DO that? I think it is an accumulation of factors.
Horses, as you know, are herd animals and prey animals. They have survived as a species by responding to stimulants and reacting according to
their anxiety level, after checking in with the herd to see if every body else thinks it’s dangerous too.
Horses have a physical and psychological need for movement. Lack of movement builds this need to an explosion point.These factors and how
they create the horses’ need for movement can be compared to a bucket that can overflow, causing a flood, when too much stimulus accumulates
in the bucket. I define stimulants as things which cause the horse to feel agitated, (not necessarily afraid) and therefore push it towards
acting from instinct or emotion rather than thought.
Factors that may increase the level of stimulants in the bucket are the horse’s character and breed type, weather, the horse’s happiness in its
work, poor fitting tack…. I’m sure there are more, and if you think about it you can think of a few which affect your horse and increase the
level in the bucket.
For instance, every horse’s bucket has some level of stimulants in it all the time. A horse with a nervous character has a higher level of
stimulants in his bucket to begin with, so it doesn’t take as many added stimulants to “send him over the top”. A hot-blooded breed of horse has
a higher level of stimulants in her bucket than a cold-blooded breed. Horses stalled regularly have a higher level of “need to move” stimulant
than horses turned out all the time. Horses fed high protein or high concentrated carbohydrate diets have a higher level of stimulants in their
bucket all the time.
Add to this the environmental stimulants. The horse that is not happy in it’s work has a higher level of agitation. Cold weather can cause
agitation in the form of “need to move”. Poor fitting tack can definitely be a stimulant, causing the horse to want to buck or “run out from
under it”. Remember, to your horse, on an instinctual level, a saddle that stabs him in the back with a predator (you) perched on it is not all
that different than a big cat. This is not to say that horses can’t tell the difference. They are incredibly more intelligent than most of us
imagine. But agitation can short circuit thought, and then your horse acts from instinct.
So back to Isadora, the perplexing horsey Queen in question. Lets see if we can add up the stimulants in her bucket to understand the
“overflow” and why such a small thing as seeing another horse in the round pen might send her “over the edge”.
Isadora is a wamblood of the generally laid back type, so she doesn’t have as much in her bucket of stimulants all the time as say, a typical
Arabian. She is still a horse, a hunted animal in instinctual terms, so her bucket has a certain level of “high awareness” type of stimulation in
it all the time. In this case she had been stalled for several days with minimal exercise. Add a half-bucket. She is fed a diet with a moderate
amount of concentrates. These were not eliminated during stall confinement. Add another quarter of a bucket. The weather had been cold for
several days. Add another big dollop. She originally went out to the round pen and the arena alone. Add a some more for leaving the sameness of
the stall, getting circulation and movement going, and stimulation of sights and sounds of the area. Poor fitting tack? Don’t know—could be a
stimulation factor. We are getting close to the top of the bucket now. So here comes a herd member moving around freely in the round pen. On
another day, or even this day with fewer stimulants filling the bucket, shouldn’t be an issue. But this day, the bucket of stimulation is already
full and this last bit causes the overflow. Once Isadora erupts, she needs to move in order to lower the level of stimulation back to the level
where she can think, rather than react.
If you learn to notice all of the stimulation or agitation factors filling your horse’s bucket, you will be more able to predict when they will
have an “overflow” situation brewing. Give them a chance to move and dispel some of that agitation and stimulation. If , like Isadora, you have
reason to believe that they are “on the verge” you may want to add stimulation to push them into movement mode, or you may want to do some
anxiety lowering movement exercises like TTEAM groundwork which will help them think and not react. Either of these strategies may help
them be better able to think and respond to your partnership requests in a cooperative manner. Which one you choose depends on your horse’s
character and your knowledge level.
| I want your questions! Email Penny at penny@wholehorsepower.com |
| You can get Penny's expertise direct! To schedule a hands-on workshop for your farm or horse club call 512-847-996 8, or email wholehhorse woman@ yahoo.com |
Hello,
I have a question concerning my horse. She has had an injury that we are not sure when or how it happened. It started with her left hip
with a small bump on it and progressed to the right side which now has a torn ligament near her knee. She is only 13 years old I have had
three different vet's look at her and the last vet is the one that has made the most improvement with her and we still have a ways to go. I
have had the Sound Wave Therapy done on her twice no difference. She is still stiff first thing in the morning and at night. I have had her
stalled for 3 months and have been giving her the bute twice a day DMSO and the Aniflex twice daily. We have recently started given
injections to help stop the Arthritis from being so bad. My
question is is there any other suggestions that you might have. The vet has asked another vet and they could only think maybe she hurt her
back at some point.
Thanks for any suggestions you may have,
Dell Shiver
Hi Dell,
Without seeing her, it is hard to say so I'll just go on what you are telling me now.
Are any of the vets you have been seeing holistically oriented? You don't say where you are located, so I can't make a referral on that.
Sometimes arthritis is a systemic inflammation. Diet and nutrition can help in these cases. Being sure that the horse is getting adequate
magnesium is key. It may be that the bump was just a trigger, but without seeing how bad it is and how it progressed, hard to tell.
With the torn ligament going on I can see the need for stall rest, but I can tell you from first hand experience that light exercise daily will
go a long way towards easing arthritis pain and inflammation. She should be at least hand walked every day. Preferably for a short time in
the AM and then again in the PM.
For easing pain and inflammation, Laser Therapy is amazing. With what you are telling me, I would think it would be worth your while to
purchase a Low Level Laser to treat her at home. Laser works best if used regularly. It can be used daily to speed healing and reduce
inflammation, with no side effects. A good one is made by Lasers Inc. and is called the Q laser. You should use it on the site of the torn
ligament and on any spots where you know there is pain or inflammation. It will take you about 10 minutes per site per day- and after about
two weeks you can cut back to every other day. If the condition proves to be chronic, the laser will reduce pain and make it easier for the
horse to move. It has been proven in numerous studies to speed healing time and reduce scarring, and can even cause old scarring to begin
healing again.
TTouch can also go a long way in speeding healing and reducing pain. Depending on where you are located, I can do this work on her, or can
teach you techniques to do yourself. Or if you are far from me, you can find a TTouch Practitioner near you by searching on www.ttouch.com.
TTouch is safe to use directly on injuries, has no negative side effects and does not requiere to giver to learn anatomy.
Penny Stone
| Pay it Forward! If you found these questions and answers useful, please pay it forward by referring others to this site. Just copy and paste the address in the address bar into your email. Thanks! |
Subject: a mouthy horse
Dear Penny,
I very recently found your information on the Linda Tellington-Jones website listing for practitioners, and looked at your because of your close
proximity to me. I had been introduced to T-Touch a few years back on a pretty basic level, and have some of Linda's books and dvds. I have my
equine and canine sportsmassage certification from Equissage, but it is not like TEAM. Here is my reason for contacting you:
Back in December, I purchased an American bred Knabstrupper that has had a lot of hunter/jumper training, and I have been learning the discipline
for about 31/2 years. (I am 55 yrs. old.) He turned 5 in mid April. He has a really good work ethic when you are on his back, but his ground manners
are lacking as far as being still in the crossties, and cleaning his feet, but the biggest problem is that he is incredibly mouthy! We have to stay
away from his head or he is all over you trying to lip and nip. When putting the bridle on, it is like trying to manuever a toy away from a litter of
puppies. He is amazingly quick to grab whatever piece of the bridle he can get to! He tries to nip at you whenever he can. I decided this past week
to get out my book on problems and solutions of Linda's and have started doing abalone and head work on him. Oh my goodness! After three
sessions with him, I can't see any improvement and my back and arms are so sore from holding him so that he can't get to me. He thinks the chain
is just another "chew toy" provided for his chewing enjoyment! I have also noticed that when I go up to his neck during the T-touch, he will try to
turn and get at me, but when he can't reach me, he will start lightly nipping the top of his front leg. Help! I am desperate to make this work out.
He is a very smart horse and is quiet and good in the saddle. He is truly a lovely horse, and I want to do the very best I can by him.
I live in the NW Houston area and he is boarded up near Magnolia. I am feeling like such a failure with him. -- I am not an agressive type person,
and I don't enjoy agressiveness from my partner, plus I DO NOT believe in bopping him to solve the problem. Thank you in advance for any help
you can give me. I am so open to the best perceived solution for us that you might have.
Sincerely,
Lajan Lugar
Hi Lajan,
I feel certain that I can help you with this. One of my current riding students' horse had very similar behavior when we started working
together a year ago. We found that it is his way of showing anxiety and that we needed to resolve several issues to stop the behavior. The
TTouch will help and it is not necessary for you to start by doing it on his head and neck. The fact that he gets more agitated when you go up on
his neck leads me to believe that one of his problems is stiffness, pain or tension in his neck or head, but it is probably not the only thing creating
this behavior.
I am with you on not bopping him to "solve the problem". The only way that bopping him would even help at all is if his "agression" is motivated by
dominance, and I really doubt that it is. You might try downloading my book "Uncommonly Good Horsesense". It is full of information about
understanding what may be motivating him. You are not a failure . You are continuing to search for ways to change this behavior without trying
violence, and that alone makes you NOT a failure. You are steadily heading towards success.
There are a few ways I can work with you on this. I can come to Magnolia and work with you. I can work with you through telephone
consultations, or he can come here for a month. Telephone consultations are $70.00 per hour, $35.00 per half hour. Monthly "training" which in
his case would be TTEAM groundwork, bodywork and riding would be $1000.00 for a month (includes board), a trip to Magnolia would be $350.00
for the day. I would drive down, work with you for a couple hours take a break for an hour and work another hour, then head home. If you bring
him here, we would still work with the two of you for probably three hours. The cost is $65.00 per hour. Last, but not least, if you are good at
organizing and marketing you may want to get together a clinic among your friends. I need a minimum of 6 paying people, your tuition is paid by
you organizing and booking the clinic. If the arena is no cost to me the cost per person is $225.00 for two days. If the arena costs me, I need to
add some to that to pay for it. Realistically, changing this behavior will take some changes in what you are doing with him and will likely take some
time.
It is not uncommon to have a horse be very well behaved under saddle and not on the ground. They may learn that when someone is on their back
unwanted behavior can lead to some serious discipline. In his case it may be that this is just his way to try to let you know something is making
him very upset. The challenge is to be good enough detectives to figure it out, be patient enough to take the time it takes and be consistent
enough to do what is necessary every time it is necessary.
I would like to see a video of his behavior during grooming, tack up, leading and riding.
By the way, my student Janet's horse has stopped this behavior except very occasionally if he is in pain or discomfort. Now it is a reliable
indicator that something is bothering him, and we can quickly find out what is up and attend to it.
Penny
Dear Penny,
I very recently found your information on the Linda Tellington-Jones website listing for practitioners, and looked at your because of your close
proximity to me. I had been introduced to T-Touch a few years back on a pretty basic level, and have some of Linda's books and dvds. I have my
equine and canine sportsmassage certification from Equissage, but it is not like TEAM. Here is my reason for contacting you:
Back in December, I purchased an American bred Knabstrupper that has had a lot of hunter/jumper training, and I have been learning the discipline
for about 31/2 years. (I am 55 yrs. old.) He turned 5 in mid April. He has a really good work ethic when you are on his back, but his ground manners
are lacking as far as being still in the crossties, and cleaning his feet, but the biggest problem is that he is incredibly mouthy! We have to stay
away from his head or he is all over you trying to lip and nip. When putting the bridle on, it is like trying to manuever a toy away from a litter of
puppies. He is amazingly quick to grab whatever piece of the bridle he can get to! He tries to nip at you whenever he can. I decided this past week
to get out my book on problems and solutions of Linda's and have started doing abalone and head work on him. Oh my goodness! After three
sessions with him, I can't see any improvement and my back and arms are so sore from holding him so that he can't get to me. He thinks the chain
is just another "chew toy" provided for his chewing enjoyment! I have also noticed that when I go up to his neck during the T-touch, he will try to
turn and get at me, but when he can't reach me, he will start lightly nipping the top of his front leg. Help! I am desperate to make this work out.
He is a very smart horse and is quiet and good in the saddle. He is truly a lovely horse, and I want to do the very best I can by him.
I live in the NW Houston area and he is boarded up near Magnolia. I am feeling like such a failure with him. -- I am not an agressive type person,
and I don't enjoy agressiveness from my partner, plus I DO NOT believe in bopping him to solve the problem. Thank you in advance for any help
you can give me. I am so open to the best perceived solution for us that you might have.
Sincerely,
Lajan Lugar
Hi Lajan,
I feel certain that I can help you with this. One of my current riding students' horse had very similar behavior when we started working
together a year ago. We found that it is his way of showing anxiety and that we needed to resolve several issues to stop the behavior. The
TTouch will help and it is not necessary for you to start by doing it on his head and neck. The fact that he gets more agitated when you go up on
his neck leads me to believe that one of his problems is stiffness, pain or tension in his neck or head, but it is probably not the only thing creating
this behavior.
I am with you on not bopping him to "solve the problem". The only way that bopping him would even help at all is if his "agression" is motivated by
dominance, and I really doubt that it is. You might try downloading my book "Uncommonly Good Horsesense". It is full of information about
understanding what may be motivating him. You are not a failure . You are continuing to search for ways to change this behavior without trying
violence, and that alone makes you NOT a failure. You are steadily heading towards success.
There are a few ways I can work with you on this. I can come to Magnolia and work with you. I can work with you through telephone
consultations, or he can come here for a month. Telephone consultations are $70.00 per hour, $35.00 per half hour. Monthly "training" which in
his case would be TTEAM groundwork, bodywork and riding would be $1000.00 for a month (includes board), a trip to Magnolia would be $350.00
for the day. I would drive down, work with you for a couple hours take a break for an hour and work another hour, then head home. If you bring
him here, we would still work with the two of you for probably three hours. The cost is $65.00 per hour. Last, but not least, if you are good at
organizing and marketing you may want to get together a clinic among your friends. I need a minimum of 6 paying people, your tuition is paid by
you organizing and booking the clinic. If the arena is no cost to me the cost per person is $225.00 for two days. If the arena costs me, I need to
add some to that to pay for it. Realistically, changing this behavior will take some changes in what you are doing with him and will likely take some
time.
It is not uncommon to have a horse be very well behaved under saddle and not on the ground. They may learn that when someone is on their back
unwanted behavior can lead to some serious discipline. In his case it may be that this is just his way to try to let you know something is making
him very upset. The challenge is to be good enough detectives to figure it out, be patient enough to take the time it takes and be consistent
enough to do what is necessary every time it is necessary.
I would like to see a video of his behavior during grooming, tack up, leading and riding.
By the way, my student Janet's horse has stopped this behavior except very occasionally if he is in pain or discomfort. Now it is a reliable
indicator that something is bothering him, and we can quickly find out what is up and attend to it.
Penny
| For more answers get the book "Uncommonly Good Horsesense" Clik here for a preview |