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1/28/05: A lot of people in dressage believe in the need for stretching exercises for their horses in order to improve the collection of the horse. Does the Western performance horse need this kind of thing?

1/21/05: Are horses emotional?

1/14/05: How can I get my horse to want to work cattle?

1/7/05: My horse switches his tail when I ask him to move forward. Do you have any advice?

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Question: A lot of people in dressage believe in the need for stretching exercises for their horses in order to improve the collection of the horse. Does the Western performance horse need this kind of thing?

Answer: If dressage horses need pre-session stretching to the extent of an 8 out of a perfect 10, then Western horses need pre-session stretching a 9.9 out of a perfect 10. It is my belief that a flexible and well-aligned cutting or reining horse is far better prepared to give you a top performance than one without those advantages.

The Western horses here at Flag Is Up Farms go through an extensive daily stretching regime. Phillip Ralls, who trains our Western horses, is a qualified equine physiotherapist and he and his father Ron Ralls have been leaders in this practice.

I think that too many of us tend to allow our minds to travel differently if we think flat saddle or Western. Our horses have little idea what style saddle goes on their backs and their physiological needs are just as important no matter what the discipline.

~ Monty

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Question: Monty, do you believe horses are emotional?

Answer: I am very pleased that your horse is emotional; in fact that tells me that he is normal. I am not sure how you are defining emotional, but if this means that the horse is sensitive to frightening external stimulus then he is normal. If you mean that he goes in the corner and cries if you raise your voice to him, then he is very abnormal.

Horses cannot express the same level of emotion that human beings do. They can bond with another individual but with the loss of that friend they will soon accept another if given the proper environment. Horses tend to respond to the circumstances of the moment and it is very difficult for them to dwell on any set of circumstances subsequent to that moment.

You can study more about the nature of the horse in Chapter One of my book “From My Hands To Yours”, the how-to textbook of my non-violent communication methods.

~ Monty

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Question: Dear Monty,

How can I get my horse to want to work cattle? I look forward to your response. Thanks!

Answer: One can only encourage your horse to want to work cattle. There is a clear genetic pattern where certain families display a greater tendency to want to work cattle than other families do. Once you have a horse that is willing to move with the motion of the cattle, then it is up to the trainer to create an environment where the horse likes his work.
In my book, From My Hands To Yours, I have written a chapter titled Creating a Willing Horse regarding the issue of causing the horse to be happy to perform. This psychology is applicable to all phases of training your equine student. One is obligated to allow the horse to have fun, no matter the task at hand. I have often told the story of allowing young horses to learn to work cattle while having fun with it.

One should study the fundamentals of the cow work as professed by the most successful trainers you can learn from. Information is available on this subject from world-class trainers. One should never take the position of making the horse work cattle, but always operate on the basis that you cause your horse to want to.

~ Monty

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Question: Dear Monty,

I recently got a new Quarter Horse that I adore! So far, we seem to be adjusting to each other well. He moves beautifully and I am excited about the upcoming show season to see how we do together. The only problem is, he switches his tail when I ask him to move forward. What does this mean and do you have any advice on how to make him stop?

Thanks! Corinne

Answer: Thank you for your inquiry regarding your horse's behavior. Switch-tail horses bother me a lot. I am not a fan of switch-tail horses because my study of the nature of the horse has revealed to me that horses switch their tales for the opposite reason that dogs wag their tales. When I see a switch-tail horse, I am certain he is not happy performing these tasks. Once the habit is in place, it is very difficult to overcome.

I believe that unlike many other remedial problems, some horses are born to be switch-tails. That’s not something I often say about remedial problems. I believe while being rare, it does occur. I also believe that there is a genetic link when it comes to switch tails and often is the property of females rather than males.

My recommendation is to take the pressure off the horse as much as possible. Never overtly cause the horse pain and be patient with your approach to training. Take care not to overmatch your horse on any given day resulting in an attitude of resentment. After executing these recommendations, be prepared to live with less than total success because it is truly a hard habit to overcome.

~ Monty

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