Aggressive Horse Goes After Owner!

Ryan Rose

14 Aug 202322:47

EducationalLearning

32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRIn this insightful video, Valerie, the president of Northwind's Rescue, seeks guidance on rehabilitating Zira, a recently acquired horse with a history of aggression. The trainer emphasizes the importance of balance between building confidence and teaching yielding in horse training. Using various techniques such as the 'owning space game' and careful pressure application, the trainer illustrates how to establish leadership and trust, ultimately aiming to curb Zira's aggressive tendencies. The session underscores the necessity of understanding horse psychology and the critical role of clear communication in horse-human relationships.

Takeaways

🐎 Patience and Time: Acquiring a horse from a kill pen requires a lot of patience and time to build trust and work through their defensive behaviors.
🛑 Defensive Behavior: Zira, the horse, shows defensive behavior when pressure is applied, indicating past trauma or negative experiences.
🌐 Building Trust: Gaining a halter on Zira was a significant step in building trust, showing that progress can be made with time and patience.
🚫 Avoiding Aggression: It's crucial to avoid aggressive tactics when working with a horse like Zira, focusing instead on gentle and safe methods.
🌟 Positive Reinforcement: Using positive reinforcement and understanding a horse's natural instincts are key to building a good relationship.
🏃‍♂️ Space Ownership: Teaching a horse to understand and respect personal space is essential, achieved by playing the 'owning space game' at liberty.
🔄 Balance of Yield and Confidence: A balance between yielding and building confidence is necessary for effective training, ensuring the horse understands both pressure and relief.
🚫 Avoiding Over-Pressure: Over-pressuring a horse can lead to stress and resistance, so it's important to gauge the horse's comfort level and adjust accordingly.
👀 Reading the Horse: Understanding and reading the horse's body language and reactions is crucial for effective communication and training.
🔄 Drive vs. Draw: The trainer emphasizes the importance of using 'drive' techniques with Zira, rather than 'draw', to maintain a safe distance and manage her aggression.
🔄 Quality over Quantity: The focus should be on the quality of the horse's response rather than the quantity of repetitions during training sessions.

Q & A

What is the main issue with the horse named Zira?
-Zira becomes defensive and aggressive when pressure is applied to her, especially during handling and training sessions.
Why did Valerie and her team acquire Zira?
-They acquired Zira from a kill pen in Colorado to rescue her and provide her with a better life.
What was the initial success with Zira?
-They were able to put a halter on Zira after a lot of time and patience, which initially seemed like a positive step in her training.
What happened when Zira was led out of the arena?
-Zira became aggressive, charged at a volunteer, and knocked her down, indicating that her training still requires work.
What is the main approach suggested for working with Zira?
-The main approach is to play the 'owning space game' with Zira at liberty while keeping the halter on her for safety and ease of re-catching.
Why is it important to work with Zira at liberty rather than on a lead?
-Working at liberty allows Zira to have more space to move away and find relief, which is crucial for her learning process and understanding of pressure.
What is the significance of owning space in horse training?
-Owning space is a way to establish leadership and dominance in a manner that is natural to a horse's herd mentality, helping them understand the trainer's intentions.
How does the trainer plan to balance yielding and confidence building with Zira?
-The trainer plans to alternate between yielding exercises, such as driving Zira away, and confidence-building exercises, like approaching and haltering her, to ensure a balanced training approach.
What is the purpose of using a flag in the training session?
-The flag is used to claim space and create a visual barrier, which can be effective in influencing the horse's movement without physical contact.
What is the potential consequence if Zira's training does not progress?
-If Zira does not overcome her aggressive behavior and become safe to be around, she may face the alternative of being put down.
What is the trainer's perspective on the importance of understanding horse psychology?
-The trainer emphasizes that understanding horse psychology and the ability to use tools correctly are crucial for successful training and rehabilitation of horses.
How does the trainer plan to address Zira's aggression?
-The trainer plans to use a combination of driving moves, maintaining distance, and teaching Zira to understand and respond to pressure appropriately.
What is the trainer's advice for Valerie regarding Zira's training?
-The trainer advises Valerie to be more intentional with every action, go slower, and focus on a balance between teaching Zira to yield and building her confidence.

Outlines

00:00

🐎 Introduction to Zira's Rescue and Behavior

Valerie, the President and operator of Northwind's rescue, introduces Zira, a horse recently acquired from a Colorado kill pen. Zira exhibits defensive behavior when pressure is applied, leading to aggression. Despite the challenges, Valerie successfully halters Zira, but Zira's aggression resurfaces, knocking down a volunteer. The video discusses the importance of addressing this behavior safely and effectively, emphasizing the need for minimal pressure and patience. It also touches on Zira's past, suggesting she may not have been haltered or led before, and her current struggles with handling and personal space.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Balancing Yield and Confidence in Horse Training

The script moves into a discussion on the balance between yielding and confidence in horse training. It describes the process of 'owning space' with Zira using a flag to establish dominance and control without physical contact. The trainer emphasizes the importance of not only building the horse's confidence but also ensuring it understands and yields to human leadership. The session includes techniques for influencing the horse's movement and behavior, highlighting the need for assertiveness and energy in training while also being cautious of not overwhelming the horse.

10:02

🤝 Developing Trust and Leadership with Zira

This section delves into the nuances of horse psychology, focusing on how to develop trust and establish leadership with Zira. The trainer uses the 'owning space' game to encourage Zira to move away from pressure, teaching her to understand and respect personal space. The importance of using tools like flags and ropes for visual cues and pressure is stressed. The trainer also discusses the potential consequences of not addressing aggressive behavior in horses, noting that it could lead to euthanasia if the horse remains a danger to humans.

15:03

🚫 Addressing Aggression and Asserting Boundaries

The script outlines a strategy for addressing Zira's aggression by asserting boundaries and using driving pressure with a stick. The trainer aims to teach Zira to back up on command, creating a safe distance and preventing aggression. The session includes correcting Zira's behavior when she tests boundaries, and the trainer emphasizes the importance of clear communication and intention to ensure the horse understands the desired behavior. The alternative consequences for horses that do not respond well to training are also mentioned, reinforcing the seriousness of the situation.

20:05

👣 Building Confidence and Yielding in Horse Training

The final paragraph discusses the importance of building confidence in horses while also teaching them to yield. The trainer shares insights on how to approach a horse like Zira, using a combination of driving and drawing techniques to maintain a balance. The session includes practical demonstrations of how to halter a horse, the significance of 'good jobs' and positive reinforcement, and the necessity of being intentional with every action. The trainer advises on the approach to take with Zira, focusing on short, effective sessions that combine both yielding and confidence-building exercises.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Halter

A halter is a type of headgear used on horses to restrain and control them. In the video, Valerie mentions that they were able to get a halter on Zira, which was a significant step in establishing control and trust. The halter is essential for leading the horse around and is a common tool in horse training.

💡Defensive Behavior

Defensive behavior in horses is a response to perceived threats or discomfort. In the script, Zira exhibits defensive behavior when pressure is applied, such as becoming aggressive when the halter is put on. This behavior is a key focus of the training session, as the goal is to help Zira respond appropriately to pressure without becoming defensive.

💡Pressure

Pressure in horse training refers to the cues or prompts used by a trainer to guide the horse's movements. The video discusses the importance of understanding and applying pressure correctly to teach the horse to yield and build confidence. For example, the trainer uses the 'owning space game' to apply pressure and teach Zira boundaries.

💡Yielding

Yielding is the act of a horse moving away from pressure, which is a fundamental part of horse training. The script mentions yielding as a technique to teach Zira to move away from the trainer when prompted, which is crucial for establishing the trainer as the leader and for the horse's safety.

💡Confidence Building

Confidence building in horse training involves creating a sense of security and trust between the horse and the trainer. The video emphasizes the importance of balancing confidence building with yielding to avoid issues like aggression. For instance, the trainer uses the stick to pet Zira, which is a confidence-building measure.

💡Owning Space

Owning space is a concept where the trainer demonstrates control over the horse's environment by entering its personal space. In the script, the trainer uses a flag to 'own space' with Zira, which is a way to assert dominance and teach the horse to respect boundaries.

💡Aggression

Aggression in horses, as mentioned in the video, can be a response to not understanding pressure or feeling threatened. Zira's aggression towards the volunteer is an example of this behavior. The trainer aims to modify this aggression by teaching Zira to yield to pressure instead.

💡Drive

In horse training, 'drive' refers to the technique of moving the horse away from the trainer. The script discusses the use of driving pressure with the stick to teach Zira to back up, which is a form of yielding and a safety measure for the trainer.

💡Patience

Patience is a key virtue in horse training, as it allows the trainer to work at the horse's pace without causing stress or fear. The video script mentions the time and patience it took to get a halter on Zira, highlighting the importance of a gradual and patient approach.

💡Herd Hierarchy

Herd hierarchy is the social structure within a group of horses, where some individuals are dominant over others. The video discusses the importance of a horse recognizing the human as the leader within this hierarchy to ensure cooperation and confidence.

💡Safety Nets

Safety nets in horse training are techniques or tools used to protect the trainer and ensure the horse's actions are controlled. The script refers to teaching Zira a drive move with the rope as a safety net, which helps maintain distance and control during the training session.

Highlights

Valerie, the President and operator of Northwind's Rescue, recently acquired a horse named Zira from a Colorado kill pen.

Zira becomes defensive and aggressive when pressure is applied, making it difficult to work with her.

Despite the challenges, they managed to get a halter on Zira, which was a significant step in building trust.

Zira's aggression is more defensive, triggered by actions like haltering and leading, rather than routine care like feeding.

The trainer suggests playing the 'owning space game' with Zira at liberty to help her understand pressure without the added stress of a rope.

Leaving the halter on Zira during training is recommended for safety and ease of recapture if needed.

The trainer emphasizes the importance of balance between building confidence and teaching yielding in horse training.

Using a flag can be effective for managing a horse's energy and space, especially with a horse like Zira who has high energy.

The trainer demonstrates how to claim space assertively without physically touching the horse, teaching Zira where she is and isn't allowed.

The concept of 'yielding' is introduced as a way for Zira to learn to move away from pressure, a crucial skill for her training.

The trainer discusses the importance of understanding a horse's natural instincts and meeting them halfway in training.

The trainer explains that horses need to understand pressure to feel safe, not just avoid it.

The trainer uses a stick to gently pet Zira, building confidence while also teaching her to yield to pressure.

The trainer emphasizes the need for quality over quantity in training sessions, focusing on the horse's response rather than repetition.

The trainer discusses the potential consequences for Zira if she doesn't learn to be safe around humans, including the possibility of being put down.

The trainer advises against using a 'draw' technique with Zira, focusing instead on 'drive' to maintain distance and safety.

The trainer concludes by reinforcing the importance of being intentional and patient in training, and the need for balance between confidence and yielding.

Transcripts

Browse More Related Video

THIS HORSE "TRAINER" ON TIK TOK NEEDS TO BE STOPPED

Let's Judge Horse Trainers: Free Spirit Equestrian

Fake It Until You Make It Horse "Trainer"

The Dumbest Horse Owner Alive (Irresponsible Stallion Owners)

Let's Judge Horse Trainers: Steve Young Horsemanship

How To Stop A Dog From Jumping (Ft.Melvin Gregg)

Related Tags

Horse Training Aggression Management Building Trust Animal Rescue Northwind's Rescue Colorado Kill Pen Halter Training Pressure Techniques Liberty Training Herd Dynamics Patience in Training