Fear-free Horse Training

Fear-free Horse Training EvEry StEp of thE Way

an equine exposé by

NEil DaviES

K I P C O R P

P U B L I S H I N G

DisclaimerThis book is intended as an outline of what can be achieved with horses. It doesn’t attempt to cover every situation with every horse. Horse handling and horse riding are dangerous activities which may result in serious injury to the participants. The author and publisher make no guarantees or warranties as to the safety or otherwise of using any information or instruction given or implied in this book and will not assume any liability for your actions. The author and publisher are not responsible, nor liable for any damages, negative consequences or loss, to any person or entity after reading or following the information contained in this book. This is a comprehensive limit of liability that applies to all damages or loss of any kind. © Neil Davies 2013 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronically or mechanically, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without prior written permission from the copyright owner, except in the case of brief excerpts in critical reviews or articles.

National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entryAuthor: Davies, Neil Henry, author.Title: Fear-free Horse Training Every Step Of The Way ISBN: 9780992291006 (hardback)

Subjects: Horses – Training. Horsemanship.

Other Authors/Contributors: Davies, Christine Margaret, editor.

Dewey Number: 798.2

Text: Neil DaviesPhotographs: Steve Evans and Jim DaviesEditing: Christine DaviesDesign: Prue Mitchell pm3 www.pm3artdesign.com.auProject Management: Laurel Cohn Editing and Manuscript Development Services www.laurelcohn.com.auPrinted in China by Everbest Printing Co Ltd

This book was written on behalf of horses everywhere,

because they can’t speak for themselves.

Photo slideshows for most chapters can be viewed at:

www.fearfreehorsetraining.com

CoNtENtS

FOREWORD 1

1 HOW IT ALL BEGAN 5

Fear is the enemy 10

2 CATCHING AN UNHANDLED HORSE FOR THE FIRST TIME 17

3 LEADING – THE FIRST STEPS 25

4 TEACHING A HORSE TO WALK A CIRCLE 36

5 LEG HANDLING BEGINS 47

6 LIFTING A HORSE’S LEGS FOR THE FIRST TIME 56

7 TRAILER LOADING 63

8 STARTING A HORSE UNDER SADDLE 75

Teaching a horse to accept a rider for the first time 78

9 MOVING FORWARD WITH THE RIDER 87

10 INTRODUCING THE SADDLE 94

11 LEARNING TO GO AND INTRODUCING THE BIT 105

Introducing the bit 107

12 THE TRAINING SEQUENCE 113

Using my legs for the first time 116

The first canter 117

13 EASY INTRODUCTIONS 121

Rugging 124

Hosing 126

Tying up for the first time 130

How to mount safely 133

14 THE HORSE TRAINING CODE 136

The respect myth 145

15 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RELAXED AND CONFIDENT 147

Starting a horse that others have tried to ride 148

Why correct early training is so important 151

The overfed and underworked horse 153

16 OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND MOVING FORWARD 156

CoNtENtS

17 TEACHING A HORSE TO GIVE 163

Stopping 170

Backing up 172

Spurs 173

18 COMMON PROBLEMS 176

The dangerous situation 176

The rearing horse 177

The shying or spooking horse 178

My horse won’t walk 184

Your position on the horse 185

Teaching a horse to move from walk to trot and from trot to canter 186

19 LEADING PROBLEMS 187

Pulling back when tied up 194

The head shy horse 196

The hard to catch horse 200

20 FULL CIRCLE 206

Teaching a horse to spin 206

Teaching a roll back 209

Science and horses 212

Introducing a stockwhip 212

A message for every horse owner 217

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 224

1

forEWorD

HE AMBLES OVER. THE HORSE turns, looks at him. He approaches, casually. Rubs the

horse’s forehead, rubs the neck. Soon the head of the horse drops, eyes half closed,

and then, that murmuring sound of a happy, relaxed horse. It is at this point Neil Davies

goes to work. There are horse trainers, and there are clinicians, then there is Neil Davies of

Australia. He grew up working with horses on his family dairy farm, a time of no DVDs

and few books on horse training. So Neil as a young teenager trained horses on the rim of

the Outback, working with what he felt about horses, from his heart and his soul and his

intuitive connection with the horse. Thus emerges his book Fear-Free Horse Training,

an amazing bank of original knowledge. And this is very important. It is not something

somebody told him, or he read, or he saw. It is what he, personally learned from the horse.

This original knowledge is in this book. Read it, and it will forever change your life with

your horse.

Neil grew up learning from the many horses he worked, horses nobody wanted to

handle, or ride, and when Neil rubbed their forehead and neck they became supple and

fear-free. Horses that couldn’t be ridden, Neil rode. Horses that kicked, bit and bucked

no longer behaved that way with Neil, because they had no fear under his loving, gentle,

rotating hand on the forehead. And that simple action would become his ‘hand shake’ with

all horses. He connects. His skill comes from the trust horses give him, because he takes

away all fear. His message to the horse is: ‘Be with me, mate, and I’ll show you the easy way.

We must do this together. It will be fun. You will enjoy being with me.’

Neil quickly learned not to ‘break’ a horse, but rather to get into a relationship where

they would do this ‘training thing’ together. He wins their trust, and then they do whatever

Fear-Free horse training | EVERY STEP OF THE WAY

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he asks. This book will show you, very clearly, how you too can achieve this interaction

with your horse, or at least start on the correct path. Be guided by Neil’s wisdom. Be

patient. You will get there if you think it through, and follow all of his philosophy.

When I first met Neil Davies 20 years ago, and he worked with my horses in Malibu,

California, I saw what he did in such a short time with ‘problem’ horses. I immediately

suggested he should become a ‘clinician’, back when there were few. My promotional

plans stalled because Neil became frustrated with people who kept blaming ‘bad’ horses,

or listing other excuses about why the horse behaved badly. His style was so gentle it

became boring to people who lacked the ability to concentrate on the subtle. He sees no

connection between terrifying a horse and entertaining a crowd. “Good luck to them,” he

says, “but I don’t think entertainment should be at any horse’s expense. I don’t think it’s

funny to see horses rushing around in fear or bucking when first saddled.”

Here is a man who believes that every horse born is a blank canvas, and what you put

on that canvas is what you get. Treat the horse badly and you will get a horror picture. Treat

it with love and kindness and you will get a horse that will give you absolutely everything

it has. Neil became disillusioned with the popular US attitude of horse training: put them

in a round pen, run them around until they are exhausted, then get a flag on a pole and

terrorise them into submission. He went back to Australia.

Thankfully, with a book, not a DVD, he is reaching out again, two decades later, a move

that will be of enormous benefit to horse lovers everywhere.

In the 4th Century BC, the Sarmatians, who lived in what is now Southern Russia, began

riding horses instead of just eating them. In 2300 BC, the Sumerians, to the north, put horse

management into words. In 1400 BC, the Egyptian Pharaoh Horenhab commissioned his

account on how to train a horse. A thousand years later, Alexander the Great did the same.

Every century thereafter produced somebody who wrote a horse training manual. For

some strange reason, Australia has produced horse trainers on the same scale as Ireland has

produced writers. Which would put Neil Davies in the category of Brendan Behan. Neil

Davies has penned the defining horse training manual for the 21st Century.

Another observation: Neil Davies has never made a living as a writer, and never will.

Yet, when he writes about the horse he is a writer. The writing is simple, and eloquent.

When Neil asked me to write this foreword, I read through the manuscript and marked

highlights. When I finished, I realised I had marked about 20 percent of the book! I

readjusted my approach. I selected, at great task, a precious few bullets.

3

w Horses don’t know if you ride English, Western or Calathumpian.

w It takes years for a human to learn how to understand horses, yet a poor old �‘dumb’

horse can assess his rider or handler very quickly and out-think him in a few

minutes.

w The horse learns only from the immediate results he gets. My reaction must be

immediate. If I react three or four seconds after the event, the horse won’t relate

my reaction to the event.

w Overcoming the horse’s fear of humans is the problem.

w A horse must never be hit around his head or neck. Whether you’re riding him or

you’re on the ground, you must not hit him in front of the girth.

w You must teach every horse everything you want him to do.

w If all horses were started off without fighting, bucking, being chased around or

confronted with things that frighten them, there would be no problem horses.

In Fear-Free Horse Training, Neil considers absolutely everything a person who

owns a horse has questioned. In a simple step-by-step approach, he is relentless in his

explanation. And he is absolute: you either take all of his wisdom, or none. He has enhanced

this treasure with a vast number of photographs, showing each step he takes, and explaining

why.

This is a book every person who owns a horse must read. It is right up there with

needing a licence to drive a car. If you own a horse and want to ride that horse, you need

to read this book because it will show you how the horse best works. It will be a very long

time – if ever – before a better user manual for horses is written.

Colin Dangaard

Malibu, California

Foreword

4

5

1hoW it all BEGaN

GROWING UP ON A FARM in Australia in the 1960s was a different world to today. We had

black and white television, no internet and no video games. Every day after school

I had to milk cows, feed calves, chop wood and do other farm work. For entertainment I

rode my pony, hunted rabbits and swam in the local creeks and waterholes. The big events

of the year were the Picton Show, Camden Show and the local rodeo.

Kids practised flag races and bending races at home in preparation for the Picton Show.

School closed for the day and everyone looked forward to the sideshows. There was the

‘Wall of Death’, where motorbikes were ridden around a type of silo. We stood at the top and

looked down as the bikes climbed higher and higher up the wall. On the evening before one

show, some of us pushed the merry-go-round by hand and had a free ride. The sideshow

owner was furious and

chased us across the

showground.We copped

a thoroughly deserved

boot to our backsides for

our trouble.

No one could afford

a horse trailer so we rode

our ponies to the show.

Flag races and bending

races were held in age

groups and competition

was always fierce. There My first ribbon at Picton show in 1961.


6

was a walk trot and lead event, a walking race, a trotting race and other novelty events.

There was always a poddy ride for the kids and everyone tried their hand at riding a

bucking calf.

On rodeo day, I remember getting up at daybreak and riding ten miles to another farm.

We mustered about one hundred head of cattle for the steer ride and wild cow milking

then drove them up the main street of Picton to the showground.

There were no professional rodeo contractors in those days, so the steer ride was the

main attraction. The showground fence was only one rail, about a metre or so (4 feet) high,

and steers ended up all over town after being bucked out. They ran into house yards and

tore up gardens and on one occasion, a steer was chased down the main street and ended

up in a shop. You can imagine the carnage. We spent days finding missing cattle and taking

them home.

Weekends were often spent mustering cattle or riding in the Nattai Valley where my

father had cattle on a bush run. There were no fences in the Nattai as the valley formed a

natural barrier. During school holidays, we sometimes camped in the bush for a week or

so looking for cattle.

My working life

with horses began in

my early teens when

I was still at school.

Ponies were often sent

to us to be ‘broken in’

and with my father’s

help, I’d get the job

done. I left school at

sixteen and worked on a

dairy farm for a couple

of years. In the mid-

1970s, the Department

of Agriculture started a

campaign to eradicate

brucellosis. This involved a blood sample being taken from every cow and bull in the state.

When I was nineteen, I started work with the Department on their brucellosis campaign.

My schoolmate george ray and me sizing up the competition at Picton show in 1967.

7

I enjoyed going to different farms to collect the blood. Though some farmers only had one

or two cows, we still had to take a sample. We had all sorts of fun. If there wasn’t a yard, one

of us would hold the cow bulldog style, while our partner took the sample using a needle

under the tail. We were young and enjoyed the challenge. I remember an Italian farmer

who tied his prize bull to a fence for us. When I put the needle in the bull’s tail, he charged

off and dragged the fence with him. He pulled down about ten panels of fence before he

stopped. It was all just part of our day.

About this time, I began competing in local campdrafts. I wanted to improve my

horsemanship and decided to take a few horses to start under saddle. Early mornings were

spent collecting blood samples around local farms and in the afternoons I had three or four

horses to work.

When I was twenty-one, I left the Department of Agriculture to train horses full time. It

was a hard way to make a living but it was all I wanted to do. When I finished riding clients’

horses for the day, I rode three or four of my own campdrafters. I rode all week and competed

in campdrafts on weekends. I gradually improved and started enjoying some success.

Over the following years I worked with hundreds of horses that were unhandled or

had been very badly handled before arriving at my stables; horses of all breeds and ages.

This was long before videotapes or the internet, so I read everything I could find on horse

training. I tried a lot of things and made a lot of mistakes. When I made a mistake with a

frightened horse, I had no choice but to try again the next day. It wasn’t always easy.

I soon learned that if I scared a horse, he was even more frightened the next day. I

learned that if a horse bucked with the saddle, he’d look to buck in his next lesson. I also

learned that if I could get the saddle on without bucking, the horse wouldn’t look to buck

the next day. My goal was to find a way around every horse, without bucking and fighting.

There was no future for me if I had to ride eight or ten bucking horses every day.

Even back in the seventies, I’d heard of the idea of chasing a horse in a round yard

until he came to you. I tried this once with a frightened horse and although he eventually

stopped and faced me, he was too frightened to let me near him. I could see this wasn’t the

best thing for a horse and I never did it again. Rather than try and force the horse to come

to me, I found it far better to keep a lead on the horse and to work in a small square yard.

Then I could easily go to him and show him I wouldn’t hurt him.

This book has evolved from my experiences working with hundreds of different horses,

day after day and year after year. These are my thoughts on horses and horse training. They

chaPter 1 | HOW IT ALL BEGAN


8

don’t come from anyone else. They were taught to me by horses, the best teachers anyone

could have.

Very few people will have the opportunity or the inclination to do what I’ve done;

to work with so many different horses for so many years. I wasn’t here today and gone

tomorrow. When I started a horse, I had to finish the job and hand him back to his owner.

My wife Chris once proudly said, “I’ve ridden my horse every day this week.” I replied,

“I’ve ridden twelve horses every day this week with one day off.” Seventy-two rides and

seventy-two different lessons. That was a normal week for me, week after week, year after

year.

I’ve worked with all sorts of horses from all sorts of backgrounds. I had to go out and

overcome problems day after day. My work wasn’t about entertaining a crowd or trying

to show how much I could do in one lesson. I worked with hundreds of horses that had

previously been frightened and learned to fight and buck. Sometimes it wasn’t much fun

overcoming problems that others had made.

These days, I hear of a great revolution in horse training. Yet, in the 21st century, I still

see horses bucking when they’re first ridden or kicking up when they’re asked to go. I still

see frightened horses chased around until they’re distressed, heaving, puffing and dripping

in sweat, then saddled for the first time and let go to buck. Horses are still being terrified

with flapping bags, flags on sticks and other paraphernalia. Horses are still being hobbled

and restrained. A lot of archaic ideas are still passed off as being the best way to train horses.

Why these things are accepted in this day and age is beyond my comprehension.

I’ve read many articles with different ideas of how to train horses. I’ve read of trainers

who can make problems disappear with a special process or method. I’ve read that running

a horse in a round yard forms a magical partnership. I’ve even read if you tie a horse down

on the ground, he’ll be obedient ever after. The truth is that no method or special process

can erase a horse’s memory. The truth is that chasing a horse in a round yard relies on fear

and tying a horse on the ground is cruel and cannot be justified under any circumstance.

Nobody can wave a magic wand to train a horse or make him forget frightening

experiences. That’s why it’s so important not to frighten or fight with any horse in the

first place. Every interaction a horse has with humans teaches him something new. Horses

never stop learning, be it good or bad.

I’ve seen what happens when horses are chased around or saddled and let go to buck.

I’ve seen horses struggle and fight against restraints on their legs. I’ve seen frightened horses

9

chased into a narrow chute, rearing and fighting in sheer terror. I’ve dealt with frightened

horses that someone had handled in this way. Many times I had to pick up the pieces when

such horses were sent to me.

I find it upsetting to see horses bucking, fighting and being frightened. I know it’s no

fun for the horse. I know there’s no need for it. Why is chasing a horse, flapping things

at him and letting him buck accepted as being the best thing for a horse? I know it isn’t.

Some horse trainers are in the entertainment business. Good luck to them, but I don’t

think entertainment should be at any horse’s expense. I don’t think it’s funny to see horses

rushing around in fear or bucking when they’re first saddled.

The message I’m trying to share is that there is a way around every horse without

reverting to harsh methods. There’s never any need to frighten horses or use restraints. You

can’t put a horse through a frightening experience and hope he’ll forget it.

Training horses can be dangerous. You can’t expect to read my book then go out and

start a horse under saddle. That should be left to those with the relevant skill and experience.

However, everyone can go

to the stable and rub their

horse around the head

and show him it’s nice and

pleasant to be with you.

This simple rub will be the

start of a new relationship

between you and your

horse. Perhaps you’ll start

to question some of the

things you’ve been told

about horses. Hopefully

you’ll question some of the

things you see.

Understanding how

horses think and learn will

be of great benefit to you

and your horse. I truly believe we can all improve and be better horse people. I also

believe that reading this book will make life more pleasant for your horse and easier for

Building confidence at the california state Fair, sacramento in 1989.



10

you.

fEar iS thE ENEMy

Fear is always your enemy when training horses. At every stage of his education,

training your horse without frightening him gives far superior results in a far shorter time.

Horses have survived for millions of years by being frightened and suspicious of

anything they see as a threat. Their natural reaction to a frightening situation is flight – to

run away and escape danger. Only when cornered will they defend themselves by kicking

and striking.

That’s natural selection at work. Every attack is burned into a horse’s memory. In

ancient times, horses that weren’t wary and suspicious became easy prey.

When you frighten a horse, it puts your training back days, weeks or even months.

You’ll have a lot of extra work to do trying to overcome this fear. Some horses never get

over being frightened. If they have a similar experience at a later date, they’ll remember

being frightened and immediately panic.

Many people ride horses that are nervous and frightened. The horse may walk, trot and

canter but is never relaxed. He always expects trouble and he’s not happy in his work. This

can go on for years. Even though they ride and often compete, these people don’t have the

first step – a confident and relaxed horse. When a horse is confident and relaxed, teaching

him is very easy. Without confidence and relaxation, you don’t have much at all.

When you set out to train a horse, forget about leading, saddling, riding, loading into

a trailer, flying changes, spins or turns. The first step must be to teach your horse to be

relaxed and confident.

You may think it odd to say that the horse is a very logical animal, but it’s true.

Everything a horse does has a simple and logical explanation. Some things may not seem

logical to us but they’re always simple and logical to the horse.

Humans often try to go directly from A to B. Sometimes this step is too big for a horse

and not logical to him, so he reverts to flight. He rushes away, fights, kicks up or bucks. We

have to break lessons down into small steps that are logical to the horse. Understanding this

logic is the key to horse training.

Unfortunately, most people prefer magic to logic. They want some magic piece of gear

or a magic method to fix their horse problems. They go from one idea to the next and send

their horse to a trainer, thinking he’ll return with all his problems magically solved. There’s

11

nothing magical about horse training. If you’re looking for a magic fix, you’re reading the

wrong book. What I’m talking about is logic, not magic.

It’s very easy to use different labels to categorise horses: this horse is going to be a

champion, this one won’t be much good, this type is highly strung and hard to teach, this

breed are all ‘cinchy’ and will buck, this type will kick, this horse is bold, this horse is timid.

The list is endless.

When I start working with a horse, I don’t categorise him. I don’t care if he cost

one hundred dollars or one hundred thousand dollars. He’s just another horse. If you

pigeonhole a horse as a particular type or temperament, you’ll adjust his training to suit

your preconceived ideas. This will lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you approach a horse

thinking he might buck or kick, it won’t be long before you have him bucking or kicking.

Every horse can learn to kick. Every horse can learn to buck. These are only things he

learns and some people are very good at teaching them. Every horse is merely a reflection

of how he’s been handled.

To think a horse is good or bad is just a way of putting human values onto horses.

Horses aren’t good or bad, they’re not born to be buckers or fighters; they’re just horses.

Instead of categorising a horse, let him show you what he’s been taught, then deal with

whatever you find. If a horse rears or turns his tail and kicks when you go into his yard,

that’s what you have to deal with. He’s merely doing what he’s been taught. There’s no point

getting upset with him or thinking he’s a special case. Another horse may be confident and

relaxed when you walk into his yard. You could say the first horse is wild, mad or bad and

the second is quiet and sensible. You become prejudiced against the first horse and think

he’s no good. You like the second horse and think he’s much better. That’s putting human

values onto horses. There’s no point disliking a horse because he’s been badly handled and

taught to fight, rear and kick. I understand if you dislike the people who made him that

way, but it’s pointless to blame or dislike the horse.

All you need to do is teach the ‘wild’ horse to have the same frame of mind as the

‘quiet’ horse. If it takes a day, a week or a month, it’s a small investment to make. After all,

you may ride him for the next twenty years.

People often think talking is the best way to communicate with horses. After all, that’s

how we communicate and convey our message to another person. Though a soothing

voice may calm an upset child, it won’t calm a horse that’s nervous or upset. Why should

it? Horses don’t communicate with speech and don’t understand our language. You can



12

teach a horse verbal commands but that’s a completely different circumstance to dealing

with a frightened or nervous horse. When you handle a nervous horse you must be silent.

No “Whoa boy,” no so-called soothing noises and no yelling.

People ride in different styles: English, Western, dressage and endurance to name just a

few. We think these styles of riding are different and I suppose they are to a certain degree.

However, horses don’t know or care if you ride English, Western or Calathumpian. A horse

just goes about his business, no matter what saddle and gear he wears.

People who ride a certain discipline often think they have nothing in common with

people of other disciplines. A showjumper may think he has nothing to learn by watching

cutting. A jockey may think he can’t learn from dressage. The reality is, a racehorse doesn’t

know he’s any different to a showjumper, who doesn’t know he’s any different to a cutting

horse or a pacer. Teaching horses is the same, no matter what discipline we ride or what

breed our horse may be. We’re all dealing with the same animal.

You often hear someone say their horse loves to jump or loves to perform in front of a

crowd. If you think your horse loves to jump, put some jumps in his paddock and let him

go. He’ll be able to jump day and night and no doubt will be very happy. If you think he

loves being in front of a crowd, let him free at your next show. I wonder if he’ll complete

his performance in front of the crowd or make a run for it?

It’s very difficult for humans to think in the same manner as horses. The human mind

is far more complicated than a horse’s. We’ve evolved to perform complex tasks but we’ve

lost the ability to relate on a simple level with animals. You may assume an ‘intelligent’

human can always out-think a ‘dumb’ horse. However that’s not the case. It takes years

for a human to learn to understand horses. Yet a poor old ‘dumb’ horse can assess his so-

called ‘intelligent’ rider and out-think him in a few minutes. A horse sums up his rider or

handler very quickly and works out if he has to concentrate on what the person wants, or

if he can do his own thing.

A visiting trainer once rode one of my old stock horses. This horse had been around.

He was a well-trained ten-year-old who’d won campdrafts and show ribbons around the

country. The trainer was supposed to be an expert. They walked and trotted around the

paddock and everything went fine. When asked to canter, the horse’s ears moved back and

forth, reading and listening to his rider’s every move. I could see the man wasn’t in tune

with the horse. He had a loose rein, didn’t have his legs on and there was no real direction

from him.

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Though the horse reluctantly

cantered, it was interesting to

watch this experienced horse

sum up his rider. You could

almost hear the horse say, “Hang

on a minute, I don’t think this

bloke knows what he’s doing.”

The horse’s inside ear went

back, he slowed a little and

next thing he was trotting. Why

canter when you can trot? The

rider gave a few ineffectual

kicks. The horse took no notice.

He’d worked out the rider’s

competence level in less than

five minutes and knew he could

trot when he wanted. Every

horse thinks all the time on a

very simple level. He thinks about the gait and the exact speed and path he wants to travel.

He knows if he can dictate these things, he’ll soon be able to do whatever he chooses.

My grandfather, born in 1901, was an ‘old school’ horseman. He left home at thirteen

to work on a cattle station and worked with horses and cattle all his life. When I was

growing up, my father often killed a steer for meat. Grandfather salted the hide, cut it into

strips and plaited greenhide whips for all his grandchildren. He cut bush saplings for the

whip handles. These days, not too many people have such skills.

During World War II, Grandfather managed the largest dairy farm in the southern

hemisphere. Petrol was rationed, so he ploughed and harvested with a team of draught

horses. Local farmers often brought problem horses to him to be retrained. Grandfather

had a saying: ‘Work beats the best of them, man or beast.’ So he’d put the farmers’ horses

in his team and wear them down with work. My father then had to ride these horses after

they’d been in the team. He often told stories of how they still bucked or bolted when they

freshened up. They hadn’t learned anything from being worn down with work.

Seventy years later, some trainers still have this philosophy. They chase a horse until he’s


My grandfather edgar davies riding ‘ranger’ in 1943. ranger won many jumping competitions and was the foundation sire of a long line of champion stock horses.


14

too tired to react when confronted with a saddle or flapping bags. Tiring a horse teaches

him nothing. Wearing a horse out with work doesn’t solve problems. A horse worked to

the point of exhaustion may appear docile simply because he has no energy left to run or

buck. Chasing a horse relentlessly is a bad experience for the horse. When given a few days

off to freshen up, he’ll still be worried and frightened. Next lesson he’ll expect more bad

experiences. Chasing a horse until he’s tired and distressed won’t teach him anything and

won’t help him to learn.

We’ve all seen trainers chase horses in a round yard. Next thing the horse is saddled

and let go to buck. Then, a rider hops on and the horse bucks some more. When the horse

eventually runs around the fence, the crowd claps. They think the trainer has broken a wild

horse. They think the horse has been dominated and has learned that humans are superior.

At least I guess that’s what people think because I don’t understand it.

When a horse is chased in a round yard, he’s given a problem with no obvious solution.

The horse is subjected to a lot of stress and unpleasantness without a break and has

absolutely no idea that he’s supposed to approach the trainer. Some horses handle this,

edgar davies judging at the Jindabyne rodeo in the snowy Mountains in the early 1950s.

15

others don’t. Some horses run until they’re very distressed and worried. If they’re already

frightened of humans, the last thing they want to do is come near the trainer. The more

frightened a horse is, the more he’ll run, and the more he runs, the more he’s chased.

Some horses are so frightened, they run to the point of exhaustion rather than come to

the trainer. The last thing you should do with a frightened horse is chase him and frighten

him more. It’s pointless.

There are variations on this theme. Every time I see a horse bucking, chased around, or

confronted with flapping bags and things that frighten him, I wonder why he has to be put

through this level of stress. A horse runs in fear and bucks because he’s frightened. If he was

relaxed, confident, and knew what was wanted, he wouldn’t run and buck.

If you like to watch bucking horses, go to a rodeo. I enjoy rodeo as much as the next

person. Bucking should have nothing to do with starting a horse under saddle. Training

horses should have nothing to do with rodeo. In fact, when a young horse bucks with the

saddle or kicks up when ridden, we should see it as a failure. A confident, relaxed horse

won’t buck or kick up when saddled and ridden for the first time.

Another common idea is to confront a horse with things that frighten him. Flap bags

or flags on sticks around until he settles down. Push the horse through his fear until he gets

‘used to’ whatever frightens him. He’s then supposedly ‘desensitised’. This approach never

builds confidence and shows a total misunderstanding of how horses think and learn. Some

horses may get over frightening experiences, others never do.

It’s not a matter of getting any horse ‘used to’ a saddle or things flapping around. It’s

a matter of introducing everything in a manner that doesn’t frighten him. There’s a huge

difference between these two approaches. The key to having every horse confident and

relaxed at all times is to introduce everything in a manner that never frightens him.

If you confront a horse with things that frighten him, you then have to try and overcome

his fear. You can’t say, “I’m sorry about that,” and ask the horse to forget that you frightened

him. If you frighten a horse even once, it’s burned into his memory forever. Some horses

never get over this fear. They never trust people.

Horse training is about showing a horse what you want and rewarding the smallest

improvement. You don’t have to put any horse through stressful experiences to achieve your

goals. You don’t have to keep after your horse time and time again without a break. Always

give him time to relax. This helps him to stay confident and relaxed. He learns that there’s

always a simple answer to any problem you set. He learns that pressure doesn’t keep going on



16

and on. He learns that lessons are short, easy and don’t keep going until he’s confused and tired.

In an ideal world, every horse would be handled correctly in his first few weeks of

life. Though he’s not strong enough to be ridden, a foal can learn just as much as a horse

that’s two or three years old. You can teach every foal to be confident and relaxed. If all

foals were handled correctly at an early age, there’d be no problem horses.

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2CatChiNG aN UNhaNDlED horSE

for thE firSt tiME

I START WORKING IN A square yard between 4.5 metres (15 feet) and 6 metres (20 feet)

square. In this size yard, a frightened horse will stop in a corner and won’t keep running

uncontrollably. The fence should be at least 2 metres (6 feet) high, so he isn’t tempted to

jump out. To safeguard against injury, it’s important to have a soft base of sand or sawdust.

When handling foals, a 4.5 metre square yard is ideal. To start a horse under saddle, a

6 metre square yard is ideal. These sized yards allow enough room for a horse to walk and

trot freely forward. If a horse has been badly handled, a 6 metre yard allows enough room

so I won’t be kicked if he becomes frightened. I never work in a larger yard when starting

horses under saddle. I don’t want any horse running around wherever he chooses.

If the horse has never been caught, I need to put a rope around his neck. I use it to

stop him running and show him what I want. It doesn’t matter if I throw the rope or use

a catching pole.

Using a pole to catch the foal for the first time.


18

If the horse has been caught before, I

may be able to go to him and place the rope

around his neck. In a square yard, I can stop

him in a corner to catch him.

When I handle a foal that isn’t weaned, I

lead the mare into the small square yard and

the foal follows. At first the mare is held in

one corner of the yard, so the foal isn’t upset. After a few lessons, the foal is more confident

and the mare can stand outside.

I use a soft cotton rope with a metal ring to make a loop. Cotton rope is softer than

nylon on a horse’s neck. The metal ring allows the rope to loosen when I’m not pulling.

Even though I have a rope around his neck, a frightened, unhandled horse won’t allow

me to touch him. I have to spend time building his confidence before I can rub his neck.

I start by moving my hand along the rope towards the foal. This worries him but before

he becomes frightened, I withdraw my hand and back away.

The foal accepts my hand moving towards him along the rope. Nothing has frightened

him, so he’ll accept my hand at the same distance when I approach again. This time I move

my hand a little closer. Even though he’s worried, he’s not frightened. If I push too far, he

LeFt: i must be careful not to pull and create a fight when the foal is first caught. BeLow: the foal is nervous when i move my hand along the rope. i back off before he becomes frightened and moves away.

19

this time, i touch his neck with the back of my hand. i hold my hand on his neck for a few seconds then move away.

will be frightened, so I withdraw my hand and step back before this happens.

I repeat the process and move further along the rope each time I approach. After four

or five repetitions, I’m able to touch the foal’s neck. I hold the back of my hand against his

neck for about five seconds, then take it away and step back from him.

Every horse has an excellent memory. If the foal allows me to touch a small area on his

neck, he’ll allow me to touch the same

area when I approach again. I now

move my hand in a slightly larger area,

using a circular rubbing motion. After

a few seconds I withdraw my hand and

step away to let him relax. I don’t want

his worry to turn into fear.

When he’s had a break I approach

again. The foal hasn’t been frightened

by my hand rubbing his neck and he

allows me to rub the same area this

time. I again expand the area I rub

then step away.

I work in small increments, rub-

bing a slightly larger area each time I

approach. I back away and give the foal a

i loosen the rope to relieve any pressure on the foal’s neck, then rub a slightly larger area before i back away to give him a break.


20

break before he becomes frightened

and sees the need to move away.

If he does move, I make things

a little unpleasant by applying firm

pressure on the rope around his

neck. Not a jerk, but a firm pull

as he moves. I don’t keep pulling

and create a fight. I don’t want

the foal to stop thinking and start

fighting. When he stands with his

head towards me, I give with the

rope. He gets rid of the unpleasant

pressure of the rope by standing

with his head towards me. It’s easier

for him to stand than move.

At every stage of his training,

every horse learns only from the immediate result he gets. My reaction must be immediate.

If I react three or four seconds after an event, the horse won’t relate my reaction to the event.

By increasing the area I rub on each approach, I work my way around his neck to the

other side and always retreat before he becomes frightened. Then I work my way up his

neck to his head.

If a horse is worried by my hand approaching his head and ears, he’ll try to rid himself

of my hand by throwing his head. When he throws his head, the usual thing is to take your

hand away. “Don’t worry he’ll settle down in a minute,” is the common thought. If you do

this, you’re teaching the horse to throw his head to get rid of your hand – he throws his

head and your hand goes away.

Let’s take a different approach: If the foal moves his head, I keep my hand in the same

position on his neck and apply some pressure on the rope as his head moves. Immediately

he stops moving his head, I remove my hand from his neck and give with the rope. He gets

rid of my hand by keeping his head still. If I’m consistent, the foal will learn to hold his

head still when he’s worried, instead of throwing his head to get rid of my hand.

I take my hand away only when the foal holds his head still. The first time he holds

his head still, I immediately take my hand away. Next time I approach, I keep my hand

if the foal moves, i keep a firm hold on the rope. when he stands, i give with the rope. it’s unpleasant for the foal to move and easy to stand.

21

on his head for three seconds. I approach again and keep my hand on his head for six

seconds before taking it away. Each time I approach, I build up the amount of time I leave

my hand on his head. Eventually, he won’t be worried by my hand in this new position.

Nothing’s been done to frighten him. All he has to do is keep his head still and his worries

are soon relieved.

When I start with a young horse, my aim is to have him keep his head towards me. I

don’t want him to turn his hindquarters to me. People often think they have to teach a

horse to lead first lesson. Though this first lesson is a step in the leading process, leading

isn’t my aim. Leading isn’t the problem I have at this stage. Overcoming the horse’s fear of

humans is the problem.

It’s often thought that the best way to overcome a horse’s fear is to confront him with

whatever frightens him until he gets ‘used to’ it. A common idea is to flap bags or ropes

around a horse to ‘desensitise’ him. If you do this, the horse will become frightened and

next lesson he’ll expect to be frightened again. Some horses may eventually get over this

but others never do. Frightening a horse doesn’t build confidence. Flapping bags or flags

on sticks around a frightened horse should have no place in horse training.

LeFt: i’ve worked my way to his other side. centre & right: i work in small increments and rub along the foal’s neck, towards his head. i must back away and give him a break before he becomes frightened and sees the need to move.

chaPter 2 | CATCHING AN UNHANDLED HORSE FOR THE FIRST TIME


22

Instead of flapping things around and frightening a horse, I find a way to introduce

everything in a manner that won’t frighten him. I move in small steps that he can

understand and accept. If I don’t frighten the horse today, he won’t expect me to frighten

him tomorrow.

When I was a teenager, we had a thoroughbred gelding that we rode in the bush.

He’d been broken in the hard way – saddled up and bucked out until he got ‘used to’ it.

Unfortunately for me, that horse never got used to it. He bucked every morning, even

when he was ten years old. Every time something went wrong, his first reaction was to put

his head down and buck.

Many horses never recover from an initial bucking or sacking out. You can’t put a horse

through a bad experience and expect him to forget it. He has an excellent memory. You

can’t tell any horse to remember one part of a lesson and forget another part.

Every horse is like a blank canvas, so it’s important to work on both sides. If I only paint

half the canvas, there’s no information on the other side. If I rub him on one side only, he’ll

learn it’s nice and easy when I’m on that side. He’ll learn to position himself so I can’t get

to his other side. I must spend as much time on one side as the other. I can’t overdo rubbing

the foal and showing him it’s easy and pleasant to be with me.

Depending where you live, a headstall is also known as a halter. It doesn’t matter

what you call it, the most important thing is to use a plain headstall or halter. Never use

anything made from rope or thin cord. Never use anything with knots, pulleys or ‘special’

contraptions designed to put extra pressure on the horse’s head, nose or poll.

By working in small increments, I may be able to put the headstall on first lesson. I hold the

the foal now accepts me rubbing his forehead. he’s learning it’s pleasant to keep his head with me.

23

halter strap around the foal’s neck so he can’t move away. To prepare him for the noseband, I

rub along his cheek and work my way under his eye to his nose. When he accepts this, I hold

the noseband with my hand as I rub under his eye to his nose. I can then ease the noseband

on and fasten the halter strap.

If it takes a couple of lessons before a horse is confident enough for the headstall, that’s fine.

I never go into a lesson thinking of what I must achieve. If it happens today, tomorrow or the

next day, it doesn’t matter.

Never underestimate a horse’s memory. If I end the lesson and come back in a week or

a month, he’ll only allow me to rub the area I’ve already worked in. I’ll be able to continue

exactly where I left off.

At this stage, I’m merely teaching the foal to accept the headstall. It’s far too much to

try and lead him at this point. I don’t pull the foal around or try to drag him forward with

the headstall. I simply rub him for a few minutes to build his confidence then remove the

headstall and end the lesson.

Never leave a headstall or rope on any foal or any horse in between lessons. Headstalls

and ropes easily snag on fences, yards or stables, causing injuries and sometimes death.

Many years ago, our local vet told me that the most common injuries he treated were

those caused by leaving headstalls or ropes on horses. As well as being dangerous, a headstall

on a frightened horse encourages people to grab at their horse, thereby making him even

more frightened.

It’s very important to work in small steps that the foal can accept without being

in preparation for the headstall, i work my way under his eye to his nose on both sides.


24

frightened. Remember, this is his first human contact and he’s very worried by my presence.

I must keep this in mind every step of the way. I don’t expect the foal to be immediately

confident and relaxed just because

he’s wearing a headstall. I must build

his confidence one step at a time.

Fitting a plain headstall or halter for the first time.

rubbing the foal’s forehead can’t be overdone.

25

A HORSE AND RIDER OFTEN come to a happy agreement where a horse works happily

while the tasks are easy. Whenever the rider asks for extra effort, the horse resists in

some manner because he knows the rider will give up.

It might be as simple as asking the horse to canter. The horse raises his head and runs

along for half a dozen steps, because this is easier for him than cantering immediately. The

rider thinks, “Oh well, at least we’re cantering,” and so a habit forms. The horse is taught

to run a few steps every time he canters.

Perhaps the rider asks the horse to step up a creek bank or over a log. The horse may

decide he doesn’t want to step exactly where he’s asked, so he takes a different course.

When the rider tries to correct him, the horse pulls the rein, throws his head and increases

his speed, or wrings his tail and kicks up. So, for the sake of an easy life, the rider gives

up and allows the horse to move wherever he chooses. To a casual observer, it looks as if

everything is going along fine. However, the truth is when things don’t suit the horse, he

knows all he has to do is raise his head and speed up, or kick up and run off and his rider

will give up.

Many people have this happy agreement with their horse. You could call it the path of

least resistance. The rider is happy to kind of do what he wants, most of the time. It makes

for an easy life. If you and your horse have this happy agreement, sooner or later you’ll

want to do something your horse doesn’t agree with. After all, he’s the one who decides

exactly where he’ll walk and how hard any task will be. If your horse thinks the task is too

difficult, or he wants to go home, he may decide to resist and throw his head or kick up

instead. Your happy agreement then becomes unhappy. Like everything else, you must go

back to basics and make a new agreement.

16 ovErCoMiNG rESiStaNCE aND MoviNG forWarD


26

My brother Jim often tells the story of the day a fellow asked him to ride his horse at

a campdraft. Jim tried to canter left but the horse wanted to go right. The horse pulled on

the reins and kicked up and bucked when Jim tried to canter left. Rather than make a fight,

Jim let the horse go where he wanted. It was the path of least resistance for Jim. The horse

cantered happily around to the right. Whenever Jim tried to change direction, the horse

resisted and kicked up. When Jim sat still and let the horse decide where to go, there was

no problem. The horse changed direction when he was ready.

To see the owner ride his horse, you’d never know there was an issue. The horse

appeared to canter smoothly and happily at all times. The reality was that the horse made

the decisions and the rider was merely a passenger. They had a happy agreement where

the horse did what he wanted, when he wanted. Any time the rider asked the horse to

do something he didn’t agree with, the horse knew he could kick up and resist, then do

as he pleased.

This horse competed in campdrafts and had learned to chase cattle. If the rider wanted

to turn left, he had to wait until the horse was ready. Imagine the improvement if the horse

was taught to try for his rider at all times.

Any horse can be taught to resist and fight when he’s ridden. If he’s chased or hit

without understanding why, he’ll soon wring his tail, kick up and resist, because he sees no

other way. He’ll soon learn to resist and fight every time he’s asked to do something. You

may come to an agreement where he half does what you ask. However, when the horse

decides he doesn’t want to do something, he’ll resist and fight. He hasn’t learned to try for

his rider. He hasn’t learned to move forward and give. He hasn’t learned that there’s always

an easy way.

This behaviour can go on for years. When he’s asked to step over a log, the horse re-

sists. When the rider taps with the stick or touches with a spur, the horse wrings his tail

and kicks up, rather than step over the log. He’s learned to rear, kick up or buck when he

doesn’t want to do something.

When the horse kicks up, rears or bucks, the rider stops using the stick or spur and

hangs on. He’s too busy staying on to do anything else. In the meantime, the horse turns

away from the obstacle and does as he pleases. Not only does the horse fight and resist, he

learns that all he has to do is rear, kick up or buck to rid himself of stick or spur. The horse

finds relief by rearing, kicking up or bucking.

Over time, some horses become very good at this. The behaviour starts through fear,

27

resistance and fighting. Then the

horse learns to use this behaviour to

his advantage. If he rears, kicks up or

bucks, he can do whatever he likes.

If he’s been doing this for months or

years, you can’t overcome it easily. In

fact, you may never completely over-

come it. You can’t wave a magic wand

and ask any horse to forget what he’s

learned. You can’t wave a magic wand

and fix your horse problems. There’s

no such thing as an easy fix.

You can improve every horse

and teach him to move forward and

give. Whether a horse shies, kicks up,

bucks or rears, the problem is al-

ways the same. These aren’t different

problems with different solutions. It’s

always the same problem, with the

same simple solution.

All you have to do with such a

horse is have him relaxed, confident

and moving forward in the exact

this horse has learned to resist, instead of moving forward when he’s asked. remember, he’s not being disrespectful, naughty or bad.

chaPter 16 | OVERCOMING RESISTANCE AND MOVING FORWARD


28

circle you ask for. When he does this, he’s not shying, rearing, kicking up or bucking.

Though this theory is simple to understand, it’s not always easy to carry out.

You can go out and buy all sorts of bits and gadgets that are supposed to help with

horse problems. I guarantee that none of them will really help. None of them will teach

your horse to move forward, relax and try for you.

When I ride a horse that has a happy agreement with his rider, I put my leg on and ask

him to move forward. I drive him onto my hand and ask him to give. If he doesn’t move

forward when I ask, I touch him lightly with the spurs. Because the horse has learned to

resist, he’ll kick up or buck, rather than move forward and give. I don’t punish him for this.

I don’t thump him with the spur or hit him with the whip. I simply ask the horse to walk

forward, by touching him with blunt spurs. All the horse has to do is walk forward and the

spurs will go away. As he kicks up or bucks, I give him the same light touch with the spur.

When he comes back to the ground, I touch him again. Immediately he moves forward, I

stop touching him.

It’s unpleasant for the horse when I touch him with the spur, and he doesn’t get rid

of the unpleasantness by bucking or kicking up. He gets rid of the unpleasantness of the

spur only by moving forward in the manner I ask. Remember, I’m talking about a horse

that’s learned to avoid doing as his rider asks. I’m not talking about a frightened horse who

doesn’t understand what’s wanted.

The other thing I can do to make things unpleasant is to pull the horse around in a

tight circle. As he kicks up or bucks, I pull his head right around and make him move in

a very tight circle. This is physically difficult for him and he’ll find it most unpleasant. My

timing is critical. I must pull him around exactly as he kicks up or bucks, not after the event.

Kicking up or bucking is then unpleasant for him. The way out of this unpleasantness is to

move forward and give.

If he’s been bucking or kicking up for months or years, it may take some time to show

him what I want. Bucking or kicking up won’t get rid of the unpleasantness from me. He

gets rid of the unpleasantness only when he moves forward and gives. If I don’t get the

result I’m after the first time, that’s okay. I allow him to relax for a while, then again ask him

to move forward. The horse must learn that he doesn’t relieve unpleasantness by bucking

or kicking up. The only way to relieve unpleasantness is to move forward and give.

I’m not punishing the horse for his behaviour. I’m showing him that it’s easy and

pleasant to do as I ask and unpleasant for him when he resists.

Documents

Fear-free Horse Training