Kelly's free Lesson issue Spring 2000

BBC
misuse of 'pressure halters'.
halter point
---knot a halter your self

New for January! 

Dear Horse Lover 

I'm having fun with 'Barking Mad' this winter - it should be coming out on BBC 1 in March or April. The presenter Philippa Forrester is great fun. Philippa has a degree in zoology and is a real animal lover. She's coming for some lessons in Join Up and Intelligent Horsemanship in the Spring and hopefully we'll be working together some more as they are considering a third series of 'Barking Mad'.

This month's lesson is quite short but important. 

I've been worried to hear about the misuse of 'pressure halters'. 

As you know we sell two halters that could be described as 'pressure halters' - the 'Dually' (pronounced Dooley) and the 'Be-Nice'. I don't like to call them pressure halters because I think that can give people the wrong impression right from the start. The point of these halters is not to put pressure on a horse so you can drag him about or be severe on him but as a training. I prefer to call them 'training halters' though I suppose they could more correctly be called 'pressure and release' halters. 

One of the key points when we are training horses is for them to be able to separate our 'Yes' from our 'No'. If we apply pressure on a horse and they make the tiniest move in the right direction then we must IMMEDIATELY release the pressure. In this way we can enable the horse to learn really quickly what is expected of him.
 

Be clear

Remember this pressure and release ('yes and 'no') system works right the way through your horsemanship. Apply a little pressure to the reins, as the horse responds, immediately release the pressure. This will give your horse a payoff for your actions and he will become light and responsive to you. Practise always giving your horse the lightest signals to start with and see if you can get a response from that first. If not you can always apply a little more pressure.

Back to halters. 

Never tie a horse up in on a halter point that will tighten on him and remember training halters are for training only not for inexperienced handlers. Be extremely careful leaving a horse in any headcollar ensuring a horse can't get caught up accidentally.

I saw a poor horse who lost an eye and made a terrible mess of one side of his face from getting his normal leather headcollar caught on a hook in his stable and he totally panicked and pretty much ripped one side of his face off.

A halter doesn't need to tighten to cause harm that's for sure. If you want to test out the severity of a halter just get someone to put the headpiece at the back of your neck and pull it! You will find the thinner the material is the more uncomfortable it will be. I have done this test with the Dually and the Be Nice and find them quite acceptable but remember if you are rough enough you can cause damage with any halter.

Stress relievers

A halter doesn't need to tighten to cause harm that's for sure. If you want to test out the severity of a halter just get someone to put the headpiece at the back of your neck and pull it! You will find the thinner the material is the more uncomfortable it will be. I have done this test with the Dually and the Be Nice and find them quite acceptable but remember if you are rough enough you can cause damage with any halter.
 

A friend of mine was recently at a college that is meant to be teaching 'Equine Studies'. He saw their method of loading a thoroughbred yearling onto a horsebox (directly off concrete which is crazy with a youngster for a start) was to have one student pulling with a chifney (about the severest mouth piece you could find) and another hitting it with a broom. I am sure there are some really enlightened Equine Colleges out there. I would hate to think that sort of practise was a 'normal' education for students.

There endeth the lesson ....... 
do remember though that if you feel you or anyone else has a problem that is too much for you to deal with alone you can always ring Angela Hobbs on the Intelligent Horsemanship Association helpline 44 1 488 72772. 

She will do her best to find you a recommended Association member who can help you and your horse. 

I'm continuing to write for UK 'Horse and Rider' (email them on djm@djmurphy.co.uk for a free copy if you don't subscribe already) this month Monty and I have written an article on so called 'dominant' horses, there is also a very useful free booklet called 'Horse Insights' so do try and get a copy if you can. 

The Intelligent Horsemanship Team are having a well deserved rest at the moment and I hope you are too and getting to spend quality time with your horses. May I take this opportunity to thank 'the team':- Ian Vandenberghe, Nicole Golding, Dido Fisher, Julia Scholes, Hannah Rose and Simon Rayner as well as numerous other helpers and supporters. And I'd like to wish all our supporters a Fabulous Year 2000! 

Good Luck with your horses. 

Very Best Wishes 

Kelly 

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others articles in Hippo revue p 96 98 99  nr6 1999,  Cheval Evasion p1 2 Shagan & Equinfo

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