Bound to the Herd Pt 2

So there I am, arriving at my lesson, and Tumbleweed all worked up about Leah leaving him. 

I wrote a few weeks ago about a lesson we had where my trainer brought her own horse and we worked Tumbleweed through herd bound issues. Riding up to, and away, from each other and many various exercises. 

The thing is, that mare was not part of his harem. 

Leah, though they do not seem particularly close when I watch them at home, is apparently very much a part of his harem. And, as such, under his “protection.” (Must be nice to be loved, huh Leah?)

Regina was finishing up with another lesson, so I put Tweed into the round pen and asked my husband to help me with a training moment. 

My plan was to have husband take Leah away and only bring her back when Tweed settled. 

Relax. You get your mare back. 

Freak out: She goes away. 

It started to work, and he mellowed to the point that I joined him in the round pen. He immediately joined up with me and followed me everywhere. 

If he left me, Leah left. When he joined up, Leah got closer. 

And then my trainer came over. 

She was impressed with how locked onto me he was by that point, but suggested I put his halter and lead on him in case he kicked out or flipped around. She wanted me to have more control and a safer plan. 

Then, she asked me to do a ground exercise we had done before.  Lunge Tweed on the circle at walk, then trot, but when his tail got passed Leah, ask him to stop and square off with me. Then do it again and again and again, until his attention was fully on me. 

After that, we asked my husband to take Leah out of his sight, and then worked more on the same thing. 

When we fully had his attention, we left the round pen and went to the obstacles so that he would have to think about his feet. 

We started at the labyrinth, using it as something for him to watch out for as I continued the circle work. Then, we progressed to the ladder (he was great at that) and finally the bridge, circling him on and off of it as his mare, Leah, disappeared. 

We ended in the arena working on gait changes and “attention to attention.” Tweed had lost much of his interest in Leah by that time, but would occasionally lift his head to look for her. Regina asked that I move his head down when he did that, and then release as soon as he kept it there. (Similar to asking for vertical flexion in saddle, but from the ground.) For Tweed, that helped him to relax and, eventually, give up looking for her. 

By the time we were done, he was standing at my side like a perfect gentleman and hadn’t even broke a sweat. 

We talked about the different approaches, one being to “take their lungs from them,” and the other to engage their mind and attention.  At least for Tumbleweed, it does not pay to run him in circles. That only reinforces there is something to be scared about. It is what he wants to do. 

For him, he needs thoughtful redirection and quiet energy and focus. I’m still using movement to reinforce it, but it’s much quieter and controlled, and ends quickly with facing up and waiting for more communication. 

I asked Regina if she thinks his herd bound issues are pretty normal for his age and time of year, and she just smiled and said “Oh yeah! Yes, yes, yes.” She told me to bring Leah to all our lessons and she will either hold her or, if my husband can ride, he can join our lessons as the “herd bound bait.”

I also asked her how long it takes to get past it. 

Her answer was very interesting. She said that if I handle it the wrong way, it could take a very long time, if ever. However, if I handle it the RIGHT way, like we did that day, it will be over very quick. 

I said, “well, it helps to have you here directing us. What happens if you’re not here, and I do it the wrong way?”

She told me to do what we did there and “match his energy.” By that she means to stay calm, don’t get big or mad, just keep applying the basic principles until he settles. 

It is a great feeling when they are so tuned into us that even their harem mares cannot break the bond. 

After I put him up, I was walking out of my barn “sanctuary” and saw this painting I did while Cowboy was still alive. It is of Cowboy receding and Tumbleweed dominating the scene. 

At that time, it seemed impossible, but here I am now, building that same bond with Tweed. It doesn’t come easy. It’s not handed to us on a silver platter. It is forged through doing the hard work. 

On another note. Something is eating my plants! Any ideas?