Lauren Fraser Equine Behaviourist

#TBT 'Mouthiness' when being haltered is a common horse-owner complaint. Horses behave this way for several reasons. What is often recommended to address the issue involves punishment: causing the horse to experience an undesirable or unpleasant consequence the moment they mouth the person, leadrope etc. This approach is not recommended by horse behaviour professionals. Punishment can't address the underlying reasons the behaviour is happening, and it can't tell the horse how... they should behave instead. This video talks about reasons horses may display this behaviour, and offers some 'triage' advice to temporarily - or in some cases, permanently - address the issue, in a way both you and your horse can feel good about. #horsebehaviourproblems #horsebehaviour #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #horsetraining #maketherightthingeasy #tbt #tbthursday

Do you know the difference between a label and a behaviour? How you describe something your horse is doing that you would like to change, matters. Knowing how to describe what the horse is doing by identifying the behaviour, and not creating a label, is perhaps the first and most critical step to becoming a better trainer. With permission, Understand Horses has kindly shared one of my blogs on this topic.

#ScienceSaturday How might whorl placement affect a horse's behaviour compared to a donkey's? Folklore (and a little bit of research on whorls on cattle) suggest that whorl placement on a horse's forehead may be a predictor of certain temperament traits. It is believed by some that horses with a whorl above the eyes are 'hotter' or harder to handle and train. Medium level whorls are believed to be seen on horses who are easier to manage and train. Low whorls, below the eyelin...e, are associated with 'clever' and calm horses. The olfactory bulb is part of the brain that receives information about odours detected by cells in the nasal cavity. It sends this information to other parts of the brain that correspond with emotion, memory and learning. Smell smoke? Your brain might ready you to escape a fire. Smell vanilla? You might be transported back in mental time to your grandmother's kitchen where she baked cookies. In horses, the olfactory bulb is almost always located directly below where the whorl is on their forehead. By contrast, donkeys have a smaller olfactory bulb than horses, and its location doesn't coincide as neatly with whorl placement. Donkeys also tend to have very low whorls - or no whorl at all - and are known for their less reactive temperament than horses. The relative size of an animal's olfactory bulb likely relates to how well they can detect odours. Could how well donkeys receive and process odours be part of this difference in temperament? While we won't know without more research, some of my favourite science leaves me with more questions than answers. If you are interested in reading more about structural differences in the skulls of horses and donkeys and the potential implications, here are some 'Learn More' options: READING: If you are interested in reading more about structural differences in the skulls of horses and donkeys, have a look at this paper, 'Morphometric Characteristics of the Skull in Horses and DonkeysA Pilot Study.' Katrina Merkies, Georgios Paraschou, and Paul McGreevy. Animals 2020, 10(6), 1002; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10061002 WATCHING: Dr Katrina Merkies talks more about this research in an interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8RvwKgG-Ws Happy pondering!

#ToughTopicTuesday 'Scared horses are pretty horses.' Misunderstood images of stressed or frightened 'pretty' horses aren't a new, social media phenomenon. But they are a problem. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining

Most owners know how to prevent and perhaps even rehab a physical injury. But what about behavioural injuries? A behavioural injury can happen at any time in a horse’s life. Left untreated, such injuries can worsen, or even affect other aspects of the horse’s life, resulting in compromised welfare. Read on to learn more about what can be done to prevent and address behavioural injuries in horses. ... #horsebehaviour #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #fearfreepets

##ScienceSunday Both over-blanketing and under-blanketing horses can compromise their welfare. Horses are born with the ability to thermoregulate: control their body temperature to keep it within certain boundaries. Unlike many mammals, horses can cool themselves when it is hot by sweating. They can also warm themselves when it is cold using piloerection - standing their hair follicles up vertically to trap body heat in the air in the spaces between hairs. Horses in cold clim...ates experience challenges when it comes to thermoregulation. For example, rain that flattens the hair coat and soaks the horse to the skin makes it very difficult for the horse to warm themselves, especially if the temperature is also low and/or if there is wind. Blanketing is not a black or white issue. While many (MANY!) horses don't need to wear a blanket, some horses do need the temporary extra insulation or rain protection that a blanket can provide. Just like most things involving our horses, it's wise to not make blanket policies (pun intended) when making management decisions for our horses. For example, my Andalusian mare grows a thick winter coat and is prone to gaining excess weight if not carefully managed. She is very rarely blanketed, usually only when we have multiple days of heavy rain. My Arabian gelding, however, struggles on really cold or wet days and benefits from a carefully chosen blanket for the conditions and his needs. When deciding whether to blanket or not, it is important we objectively make decisions on a horse-by-horse basis. It is also very important to remember that the horse's temperature-regulating abilities are very different from our own. The horse has a much lower thermoneutral zone - the temperature range in which they expend little energy heating or cooling themselves. As I type this, I am comfortably sitting in my PJs, near the fire, looking out at my unblanketed horses who are comfortable on the frosty pasture. If I brought the horses in the house, not only would my husband freak out, but the horses would suffer in the 20 C temperature. And I would suffer if I went out to feed without throwing on a coat, toque, gloves, and boots first. If you would like to read more about blanketing, Norweigian researchers recently published a paper on this topic, 'Caring for the horse in a cold climateReviewing principles for thermoregulation and horse preferences'. It is open access and you can read it through here: https://www.sciencedirect.com//artic/pii/S0168159120301593

#ScienceSaturday Yet more research against premature weaning (~ 4-6 months) of horses Weaning is naturally a gradual process, whereby the physical and psychological bond between mother and offspring is ended. To date, there are numerous studies, across a wide range of species, showing the physical and mental harm that is done when animals are prematurely and forcibly weaned. The act compromises an animal's welfare and goes against best-practices for raising a physically and b...Continue reading

#ToughTopicTuesday Horses Likely Don't Love Being Ridden While a hot-button topic for some people, it is likely that horses don't love being ridden. Here are some ideas on how we can make it suck less. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining

#TerminologyThursday All animals, including humans and horses, respond to the same powerful principles of learning. One of these principles, classical conditioning, is responsible for horses learning things we don't mind them learning, but also many things we never want them to learn. This short article teaches you about the basics of classical conditioning, so that you can avoid having your horse learn things you don't want them to learn.... #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #classicalconditioning

#ThrowbackThursday SHAPING PLANS 101: FLY SPRAY A shaping plan is a short list of the basic steps needed to teach a horse something you would like them to learn. I usually have around ten steps on my list - ending with the goal behaviour I would like the horse to learn, and beginning with the closest thing the horse can already do towards that end goal.... Watch the video to learn how to create a shaping plan for teaching your horse to accept being fly sprayed. You can use this basic format as a guide to help you teach your horse anything you would like them to learn - from calmly trailer loading to performing flying lead changes under saddle. Using a shaping plan can help you become a better horse trainer: you are less likely to confuse or stress your horse during training, and you are better prepared to troubleshoot should your horse have difficulty with any of the steps. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #shaping #positivereinforcement #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist

TRIAGE ADVICE: PUNISHMENT & HORSE BEHAVIOUR PROBLEMS Horse owners may unknowingly use punishment when trying to address or manage behaviour problems in horses. When owners seek help for their horse's behaviour problems, qualified horse behaviour professionals will often give the client helpful 'triage advice', before the first appointment even happens. This advice is designed to help the client see an immediate reduction in the frequency and/or intensity of a problem behavio...ur before the initial consult even occurs. This short video talks about 'triage advice' which recommends stopping the use of punishment. #horsebehaviour #horsebehaviourproblems #aggressivehorses #aggressioninhorses #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #triageadvice

TIGHT NOSEBANDS HURT HORSES There is no ignoring the scientific evidence: tight nosebands cause horses physical pain, and mental distress. If your horse wears one, you should be able to get at least two stacked fingers under the noseband on top of the horses nose (as seen in the image). Measuring with side-by-side fingers, or on the side of the horses nose or other location wont give an accurate reading, and may offer a false sense of tightness. ... In addition to causing pain and distress, overly tight nosebands dont allow the horse to open their mouth in an effort to avoid rein cues that are causing discomfort or pain. Unlike dogs, horses dont vocalize when something hurts, and preventing such silent, behavioural feedback from the horse may result in compromised welfare. Four years ago, my colleague Justine Harrison - Equine Behaviourist and I helped craft the message behind this infographic for the IAABC. The very talented Doggie Drawings by Lili Chin then took the message and did her magic. Thank you to all involved in helping to create this shareable message with the horse world. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist

#ScienceSaturday Using a ridden horse ethogram to detect lameness in horses An ethogram is a catalogue of behaviours displayed by an animal. Ethograms may be of two types: -a species ethogram, or a 'master list' that details all behaviours that species of animal displays, and under what conditions... -an experimental ethogram, a shorter list of specific behaviours that are relevant to a hypothesis being tested by researchers Researchers use ethograms to study animal behaviour, including the behaviour of horses. Dr Sue Dyson and colleagues have developed an ethogram that can be used to detect pain in ridden horses. Recently, this ethogram was used to look at the behaviour of both sport horses and riding school horses - all believed by their owners and riders to be sound - with some interesting results: -Horses who show 8 or more out of the ethogram's 24 behaviours are likely experiencing some sort of musculoskeletal pain - Seventy-three percent of the 60 horses observed were lame on one or more limbs, and 47% had gait abnormalities in the canter Horses communicate how they are feeling through their behaviour. Some of these behaviours may be 'small', such as ear positioning, 'intense staring', repeated head repositioning (up and down), or twisting of the head, and therefore may be missed by owners or trainers. In some instances, such behaviours are even chalked up to the horse being 'naughty' or evading the rider's cues. But as research such as this shows, when several of these seemingly small behaviours are present during the course of ridden exercise, owners and trainers must be considering that the horse may be experiencing untreated pain. You can read the full, open-access paper, 'Application of a Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram and Its Relationship with Gait in a Convenience Sample of 60 Riding Horses' via this link: https://tinyurl.com/RiddenHorsePainEthogram #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #IAABCcertifiedhorsebehaviourconsultant

#FlashbackFriday You CAN train a behaviour at the time that you need it. But you probably shouldn't. Good training involves progressively preparing a horse to calmly perform a behaviour when cued, often in distracting environments such as show grounds, veterinary hospitals, at clinics or in group lessons. This takes concerted thought, effort, and time. But sometimes horse owners and trainers are guilty of only applying this approach to behaviours they place more value on, par...ticularly those that occur under saddle. Behaviours such as loading in a trailer, standing calmly for the farrier, or accepting clipping, fly spray, or vaccines may be seen as less important. This can result in unintended, negative consequences for the horse when people try to then train these behaviours when they need them the most. Read on for more details. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #behaviourmodification #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #horsebehaviourproblems

TRIAGE ADVICE: AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOUR IN HORSES Aggressive behaviour is a common complaint of horse owners. Aggression in horses may appear as threats such as ear pinning or kick or bite threats, or it can involve actions such as biting, chasing, kicking or striking. Aggressive behaviour may be directed towards humans or other horses. In rare instances, it may even be self-directed, where the horse bites themselves.... Horses displaying aggressive behaviour are not only potentially dangerous to be around, the behaviour often indicates that the horse is experiencing a high level of stress and unhappiness which should be addressed. This short video talks about aggressive behaviour in horses, and how triage advice is aimed to help owners see an immediate reduction in the frequency and/or intensity of aggressive behaviours before a consult. #horsebehaviour #horsebehaviourproblems #aggressivehorses #aggressioninhorses #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #triageadvice

#ToughTopicTuesday Behavioural euthanasia: a guide to making a complicated and difficult decision Although it's never an easy task, making the decision to euthanize a horse is made somewhat easier when the horse is physically suffering or when their quality of life is poor, without any means to relieve this suffering. But what about when a horse is suffering from a serious or even dangerous behavioural issue? Behaviour problems in horses are common, and despite proven, low-st...ress behaviour modification techniques, in rare instances, some issues cannot ever be safely resolved in ways that also result in increased positive welfare for the horse. When horse owners are put in a difficult position where behavioural euthanasia is being considered, it is important they carefully weigh out other options first. This article, written for West Coast Veterinarian magazine, discusses three alternative options to behavioural euthanasia, as well as factors to consider if the options aren't viable for the horse and the people involved. You can read the full article here: https://tinyurl.com/BehaviouralEuthanasiaHorses #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #behaviouraleuthanasia #clinicalanimalbehaviourist Image from Lindsay66 from Pixabay.

Resolving Fear Issues in Horses: An Online Course for Equine Professionals August 29th, 2020 My colleague Dr Robin Foster Horse Behaviorist and I have been teaching this comprehensive online, RACE-approved course together for four years. While created for equine professionals with a strong interest in horse behaviour (trainers, veterinarians, veterinary technicians, farriers, clicker trainers etc.) it is also suitable for keen horse owners who may be struggling with fear issu...es in their horses, who can't find qualified help in their area. At the end of this six-week course you should be able to: recognize subtle signs of arousal and fear in horses assess the reasons for fear-based problem behaviours apply effective, evidence-based, horse-friendly protocols to manage and resolve fear-based behaviour problems You will also develop skills for working with clients, including: taking a good history creating client-friendly shaping plans preparing useful handouts creating a plan to reduce the risk of relapse The online format offers flexibility for students worldwide, with weekly online meetings every Saturday at 1300 PST. The course provides 18 RACE, CCPDT, IAABC, and KPA CEU credits. Spaces are limited, and the course fills quickly! For all the details, and to register, visit this link: https://m.iaabc.org/courses/fear-in-horses/ Feel free to share this post with anyone you think may be interested.

#ScienceSunday Good water-crossing training is boring to watch and it puts deposits in the trust bank account. 'Making the wrong thing hard', circling the horse when they balk, vigorously 'moving the horse's feet' in an area away from the water before then allowing them to rest by the water and other such techniques use punishment to teach the horse what not to do (balk) at a water crossing: by adding an undesirable consequence when the horse performs a behaviour other than t...Continue reading

How healthy is your horse's trust bank account? Dr Susan Friedman coined this great term to describe how our interactions with animals can impact the trust between us. As much of what people do with horses involves training, it's important to understand that some horse training techniques put deposits into the account, while others take withdrawals. Despite our best intentions, 'manure hits the fan' moments occasionally happen in life, taking withdrawals from the trust bank a...ccount. For example, your young horse may whack their cannon bone while you are teaching them how to step up into a trailer. This may startle them, taking their confidence - and trust in you - down a notch. This is just one reason why we should strive as trainers to use training techniques that build healthy trust bank accounts. Such accounts can better weather occasional withdrawals, without going into the red. Read the attached article for more details. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #IAABCcertifiedhorsebehaviourconsultant

COVID-19 UPDATE: RETURN TO IN-PERSON CONSULTS & A NEW HORSE BEHAVIOUR TRIAGE HOTLINE SERVICE As B.C. enters Stage 2 of reopening the province, I have begun seeing clients in-person again within my travel area. I am also offering a new service, available remotely worldwide: a horse behaviour triage hotline. Similar in purpose to telehealth triage services for people, the horse behaviour triage hotline is a new, affordable way for people to get 'first aid' behaviour help for th...eir horses when they need it most. I can provide a brief assessment of your horse's problem behaviour, answer general questions about horse behaviour, and/or provide general advice tailored to help you see a reduction in the frequency or intensity of unwanted behaviours your horse may be showing. For more information and a list of FAQs about the hotline, visit the attached link. #horsebehaviour #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #fearfreecertifiedprofessional

#ScienceSaturday Being a domesticated stallion can suck While domestication offers horses certain advantages, many stallion management practices fail to provide stallions with the very basics needed for optimal welfare, what I call the 3 F's: Friends, Forage, and Freedom. Ironically, often the more highly-valued a stallion is, the more likely he will have decreased access to Friends and Freedom. Many breeding stallions are kept socially isolated and lack the ability to freel...y engage in normal behaviour, particularly as it relates to social behaviours associated with breeding and raising offspring. This is usually done to prevent unwanted pregnancies, and minimize injury to the stallion and other horses, but it results in compromised welfare. When it comes time to breed, common breeding practices fail to consider normal breeding behaviour of both stallions and mares. Practices such as live, in-hand cover prevent opportunities to engage in normal behaviours related to courtship and breeding. As a result, stallions will be behaviourally frustrated and can develop issues related to their libido and fertility. As discussed in the attached article, there are serious issues with how we manage breeding stallions: "Currently, the balance is too far towards maximizing the stallions productivity and preventing physical injury, and not enough attention is being paid to their psychological and emotional needs, including the need to express their natural behaviors in breeding and associating with members of their own kind. Breeders should try to understand more about the ethological needs of the stallions in their care." But life could be better for stallions, if breeders (and the offspring-purchasing public) were willing to change. Breeding farms such as the Swiss National Stud have shown that even valuable stallions can safely be housed together in bachelor groups, allowing the stallions to live much more normal lives (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3559779/) When we know better, we can do better. #horsebehaviour

If your horse is mouthy when haltered, here is some triage advice to help you both. When implemented, triage advice provides an immediate decrease in the frequency or intensity of problem behaviours. This advice may just be for the short term, before a retraining plan can begin to teach the horse how to behave instead. But as this article points out, this triage advice for mouthy horses may help some horse owners solve this problem for good. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist

What does your horse's eating:fasting pyramid look like? Doing a little basic math is the first step towards making some pretty profound welfare changes for your horse: improving your horse's ability to learn and manage stress, and reducing the likelihood they suffer from physical or behavioural problems. #horsebehaviour #horsewelfare

Could this low-stress training protocol reduce cribbing behaviour in horses? I shared a post last year about an experiment to see whether a positive-reinforcement based training protocol could be used to reduce the frequency and/or duration of cribbing bouts. Cribbing is a stereotypic behaviour - one which seemingly serves no apparent purpose (to the observer) - and which is repetitive and unwavering in its form. Stereotypies, such as cribbing, have been called a 'disease of ...domestication'; they aren't seen in animals living under natural conditions, and are created when an animal lives in a sub-optimal environment where their needs aren't being met. Have a look at a current video of Blondie, as well as a flashback to her cribbing behaviour at the start of the experiment. While this is currently a 'one horse' study, these are exciting results. Im eagerly looking forward to seeing this study published in the near future. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #science #positivereinforcement #stereotypies

#ScienceSunday Happy Mother's Day, Mares! Mares often don't have it easy in the human's world. For example: -Many people have preconceived assumptions about the behaviour, temperament and rideability of mares which can compromise their welfare. (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/3/414). ... -Common breeding practices, such as in-hand breeding, may fail to take into account mare's sexual behaviour: mares possess the longest estrus period of any animal (resulting in periods of extended courtship with stallions), and it is usually the mare who determines when copulation occurs (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4320(00)00136-6). Forced copulation does not occur in horses under natural conditions, and breeding practices which fail to appreciate mare's sexual behaviour likely result in stress for mares - and stallions (https://www.sciencedirect.com//a/abs/pii/S0378432001001531). -The mare-foal bond can be damaged by invasive handling of the foal during the critical bonding period. Premature weaning (~3- 6 months of age for the foal) causes both mares and foals stress, and can even cause the development of permanent behaviour problems and compromise health and welfare (https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/2/361/htm). By understanding the behavioural needs of mares, particularly as it relates to breeding and raising foals, we can lower their stress levels and enhance their welfare. The good news is, when we know better, we can do better. Breeders who have a solid understanding of mare reproductive behaviour can alter their breeding programs to account for these behavioural needs, and in the process reap the benefits of lower stress and better welfare for their horses. And wouldn't that make every day special for mares? #horsebehaviour

Despite thousands of years of domestication, our horses still retain the basic needs of their wild ancestors, what I like to call the 3Fs: friends, forage and freedom. Horses who have been raised with full time access to the 3 Fs are less likely to develop behaviour problems, are safer and easier to handle, are physically healthier, and are less at risk for developing stereotypic behaviours such as cribbing. The next Humane Horse Handling webinar is tomorrow, and in it Dr S...ue McDonnell will be discussing the first F, friends, and the complex social lives of wild and feral horses. Only $5, the webinar starts at 9 am PST. You can register at the link. With Dr Sarah Low.

Wild about all-things horse behaviour and training? An excellent webinar series begins this Friday, May 1st. Each week, Dr Sarah Low and Dr Sue McDonnell will be presenting on different topics about the behaviour, training and welfare of feral horses: -GENTLING MUSTANGS USING POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT AND PROTECTED CONTACT... -WILD HORSE SOCIAL ORGANIZATION 101 -FOAL BEHAVIOR AND DEVELOPMENT UNDER NATURAL FREE-ROAMING CONDITIONS -TRAPPING FERAL HORSES IN HAWAII And much, much more. Each webinar is only a minimum $5 donation, which supports Humane Horse Handlings ongoing research into low-stress gather and handling methods for wild and domestic horses. A few years ago I had the pleasure of attending an invite-only horse behaviour forum with both Dr Low and Dr McDonnell, and I thoroughly enjoyed hearing both women present. I'm sure these webinars will be both educational and entertaining.

Its #worldbookday so I thought I grab some of my personal favourites off the bookshelf and share them with you. Do you own any of these? PS - My cat is obscuring Angela Glatthaar's great little book, written in English, German, and French, featuring her lovely hand drawings of free-ranging Camargue horses.... #horsebehaviour

Case study update: Lynda and Frodo the mini mule have been busy, and making wonderful progress. #minimule #minimuletraining #behaviourmodification #fearfreepets #fearfreeprofessional #clinicalanimalbehaviourist #systematicdesensitization #positivereinforcement With Lynda Marie Vanden Elzen and Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS)

Please trust me on this: your horse needs to learn to yield to pressure. #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #clinicalanimalbehaviourist

In need of a good news story? Samwise, the (formerly) fearful mini mule, has an update and video that are just the ticket. With Langley Animal Protection Society (LAPS) and Lynda Marie Vanden Elzen.

New Blog Series: 'What I Am Training Wednesday' Let me know in the comments what YOU are training your horse this week. #horsetraining

#SundaySmile Sometimes I reinforce my non-horsey husband for interacting with the horses by using back massages as the reinforcer. Not saying I personally give said massages. But still. #behaviouralscience #positivereinforcementforme with Dr David Lane of Points East West Veterinary Services

#ScienceSaturday As Eminem so eloquently said, "You only get one shot to help your horse learn not to fear _____, do not miss your chance to blow, this opportunity comes once in a lifetime." Yo. In all seriousness, humans can accidentally play a role in creating situations that result in horses fearing experiences or objects, for life. This can happen in as little as one, brief experience. For example, if a young horse becomes frightened by a single episode of rough handling... during his first hoof trim, he may develop a life-long fear of farriers or trimmers. Once such 'fear conditioning' occurs, it can take a concentrated program of two low-stress and evidence-based behaviour modification protocols, systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning, to change the horse's fear and stop any subsequent emotion-driven escape responses when faced with the stressor. Even with such a program, for the rest of the horse's life, steps must be taken to prevent relapse, where the fear reoccurs. This is because while systematic desensitization and counter-conditioning are great at changing emotions such as fear, they can never erase the memories of the previous fearful experiences. Nothing can erase these memories. If conditions are just-so, this fear can return and will need further treatment. This is why it is critical to do your best to ensure that your horse has positive experiences while learning. Whether we realize it or not, associations about experiences are always being created while our horse learns new skills. We can create positive associations during training by using techniques such as shaping and reinforcement, in ways that minimize stress, anxiety, or fear. Shaping breaks a training goal down into small, achievable steps. Reinforcement-based training tells the horse what it is you would like them to do (vs. punishment-based training, which can only tell the horse what not to do). Used thoughtfully, such training techniques can minimize the likelihood your horse develops any life-long fears that can be challenging to overcome. Yo, science. Image from https://tinyurl.com/PixabayFarrier #horsebehaviour #horsetraining #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #behaviourmodification

#TBT 'Positive Veterinary Care for Equine Clinics' Fear, anxiety, and stress in horses need not be a routine part of veterinary care. When clinic staff implement positive, low-stress handling techniques, the many benefits can be enjoyed by the staff, horse owners, and the horses themselves. Whether on the farm or at the clinic, low-stress handling can minimize or reduce both animal and human stress, increase patient compliance, reduce the risk of injury, even positively aff...ect diagnostic tests and treatment. I wrote about this topic for the Fall 2017 edition of West Coast Veterinarian Magazine, and you can read the full article at this link: https://tinyurl.com/PositiveEquineVeterinaryCare #horsebehaviour #equinebehaviour #equineveterinarymedicine #equineveterinarian #fearfree #fearfreecertifiedprofessional #cooperativeveterinarycare

LET YOUR HORSE TEACH YOU HOW TO SCRATCH THEM There is no single better way to develop the bond between you and your horse than for you to let your horse teach you how to scratch them. Important tips on this topic are covered in this article: ... Where to start Techniques to use (and avoid) Getting consent Learning from feedback Happy burning finger tips! #horsebehaviour #horsetraining

COVID-19 & HORSES To complicate matters during the current Covid-19 crisis, false and/or alarmist information about human-animal and animal-human transmission is being shared on social media. Such a spread of misinformation potentially has serious welfare implications for our animals, so the sources of information you currently digest should be carefully vetted. Your country's government-run agriculture department and national veterinary association should be your go-to for i...Continue reading