Advance and Retreat

Do you have a horse that is ear-shy, doesn’t like parts of its body being touched or fights you when it’s worming time?

The simple technique of “Advance and Retreat” can fix many of these issues fairly quickly and easily.

A horse will get used to or tolerate most things if they are introduced at a rate that the horse can cope with. That can vary depending on the horse’s nature, but more so on the possibility of any past abuse or rough handling by handlers who lack savvy. The racing game seems to have a lot of these types and unfortunately turns out an endless stream of horses with all kinds of issues, one or more of which you may possibly have ended up with.

To overcome some of a horse’s “touchy” areas and getting him to accept your touch - keeping yourself in a position of safety - start on a spot that the horse is comfortable at. If for example the horse is ear shy, put your hand on the neck and rub it slowly towards the ear. When you get to a point where the horse becomes un-comfortable, retreat your hand away, then slowly advance toward the spot again. You should be able get closer and closer until eventually the horse accepts your touch. You do need to be gentle, as rough handling is probably what caused the issue in the first place. At the same time, remember that you are the Alpha, so don’t put up with any unruly behaviour.

The same goes for worming (if you are using worming paste in a syringe)  - First use your hand, starting from a place on the head or neck where the horse is comfortable, keep advancing and retreating and when you finally get to the mouth, gently slide a finger (or a small stick that you've been holding in that hand) into the side of the mouth between the front and back teeth. The horse will probably start “mouthing” when you have your finger in there. You can put some honey or molasses on your finger(or stick) to make it more appealing. When the horse is comfortable with that, you can start with a wormer.    

You should get to a stage where you can touch every part of the horse safely and comfortably with the horse accepting it calmly. Again, your safety and that of the horse are most important, so use common sense and observe and “feel” the horse. Ensure you do this in a safe environment and position yourself so that you are out of harm’s way or can get out easily.

If the horse gets excited and the head comes up high, get yourself and the horse relaxed and his head down before carrying on.

Again, for the experienced horsemen and women this is basic stuff, but we sometimes do need reminding of things. I so often watch people struggle with issues such as these and get angry with their horse, which is a real shame, as these problems can usually be fixed very easily if you know how.