Considering the Horse: #2 Problem Causes

This is a very important chapter as I believe it is a subject too many people forget to investigate.  PAIN.....that's right.....maybe your crazy horse is in pain.  There are a myriad of physical issues that will only manifest themselves into what appears to be a 'training' issue.  Limping isn't the only way a horse can tell you some thing is wrong with him.  Palpating his body will only yield you results for that body part and only for that moment in time.  There is nothing you can on your own do, to observe or palpate......what is going on with his insides.....without a vet's asssistance.  Sometimes, we subconsciously ignore the fact that we may need the vet, trimmer, dentist, chiropractor, acupuncturist, saddle fitter, etc......because our finances don't allow for it.......AND worse yet....because we think that our training method is so good, that we our selves can fix the issue.  He tells some really great stories about some horses whos 'training' issues were magically fixed with one visit from health professional.  Ulcers, teeth, feet and saddles, seem to round out the top of list for 'training' related physical issues.  So it is a great reminder for me as someone who rescues to never forget the possibilities of physical causes FIRST.....because there is ONLY one way for our horse to tell us he is hurting.....and that is to act it out.

A great human example of acting out from pain....is when a woman is in labor.  We have all seen it in the movies and tv shows.......someone says something stupid, with good intentions, to the 98lb woman trying to give birth to a 10lb watermelon, and the obcenities start flying out of her mouth.....often followed by a death grip to whom ever her fingers can latch on to......concluded with some sort of death threat.  When we don't feel good we get grouchy.....why should we assume it would be any different with an animal.

The other leading cause of 'training' issues is abuse.  The scars can be both mental and physical, and he gives some great examples of this too.  Unfortunately, due to a current owners lack of horse handlinig knowledge, or lack of knowlege in medical investigation......they all too often blame that a horse must have been abused in it's past, and the investigation stops cold in it's tracks.  They cannot see that THEY are the ones teaching a horse to behave in that way, due to ignorance of horse behavior....and assume the horse has been hit before.  The other unfortunate is that often they are right....as horses are abused horribly every day.  Thru cruelty and anger, frustration of a training method not working, lack of knowledge, and well meaning owners getting frustrated.  We have a bad day, the horse gets the brunt of it, and we say to our selves it was wrong and we won't do it again.  But why do we do it in the first place?  Why do we go there?  Something to think about for sure.  Have you gone too far?  Frustration, anger and abuse...start.....where knowlege ends.  Get smart fast as your horse NEVER deserves a phase 4 because you don't know what a phase 1 is.

The good part of the chapter is that it educates you to what may be ailing your horse so that it might be corrected....the bad part is that it leads you to the next chapter......'unfixable horses'.....a stark reality.

Savvy On
Michelle

Considering the horse: Mark Rashid 2nd edition with updates.