Equine Facilitated Mental Health

Un affectionate horse

Horrible habits from a bored horse

14-year-old child and a 3-year-old mare with very difficult behavior

Do horses have a 6th sense?

Pony of your dreams??

Change in horse's behavior after being given a shot and administering butte.

Cranky Mare

Gaining the trust of an abused tb

Horse mouthing and licking my hand

Equine Facilitated Mental Health
We are a non-profit ADHD Support Group and we are planning to organize a Horseback Riding Program for our ADHD children, can we seek your advice? Do our certified horse riding instructors need the full EFL training course even if we give them seminars/workshops on ADHD........

Un affectionate horse
...she is totally ignorant not only to me but to anyone (unless you have a carrot) but even then when the carrots are gone she turns her back on you and walks away. She doesnt even acknowledge you when you call her name. What I do know of her is that she was badly abused by someone before I got her but that's all I know. She is friendly and loving to the other horses but not to people....

Horrible habits from a bored horse
I am about to begin work with an ex racehorse that was then used in rodeos as a roper.  From the history I've been able to gather his roping experience wasn't a good one.  They constantly tried to domineer him.  He has been kept in a stall practically 24/7 and only riden sparingly...he charges and won't respond to anything...  He seems to have a fairly dominant personallity.  The more you try to outright dominate him the more he retaliates.  He also constantly tries to bite... 

14-year-old child and a 3-year-old mare with very difficult behavior
A little 14 year old girl, whose grandmother brought her a 3 year old Dash for Cash mare to learn barrels on, is having major issues with the horse. The horse was broke and ran around barrels and sold to this green rider as a barrel horse. The horse has almost no riding time, so I have agreed to take the horse and trail ride it and put time on the horse. The horse in the course of the last month, has started bucking, rearing, biting and just being nasty. I believe the horse needs to be restarted. Can you offer some suggestions on how to make this horse stand for brushing, and getting her feet done, without rearing and biting?.

Do horses have a 6th sense?
...I am taking a human to horse connection class and I am doing a paper on Horses and their 6th sense/intuitiveness. I am having problems finding very interesting information on this subject. Would you possibly have any information on this that you wouldn't mind sharing or know of a resource that would be good for this project...

Pony of your dreams???
...She is handled daily by an assortment of knowledgeable and not so knowledgeable teens... we have a big treat box about 7 feet from her open top stall door, she leans out begging treats all day long, we happily give her them, she's gentle & soft in taking them, but leans far out of her stall, we laughingly & happily give her about a dozen a day....  She is not required to stand back or yield in any way for her treat... 

Change in horse's behavior after being given a shot and administering butte.
On my 34th birthday I was given a horse that I trained for someone early in the year.  He was passed around a bit while its owner was getting it "trained".  An Amish family had him for a while early in its life and they broke him to ride and drive in addition to castrating him.  The story is that this horse tore apart stalls and caused all sorts of hell...

Cranky Mare
...I work at a barn with 7 geldings and 1 mare and this 13 year old mare drives me up the wall.  She's a sweet and sensitive lady when you're riding her but she's aggressive and nippy if you go into her stall to get her or, if the turn out areas are icy, clean with her in there.  She knows she's going to be smacked if she bites, but she does it anyway and then runs (or turns) away immediately...

Gaining the trust of an abused tb
.....I have just purchased a 4 year racetrack rescue. He has a great mind and loves to please, but he is very fearful! He is backsore and the chiropractor is working with him, says he was really out of alignment. He is very uncomfortable with grooming and handling... Do horses usually get past issues like this once they have learned to trust a bit? Do you have ... some insight about how to help a socially handicapped horse learn to be a horse?

Horse mouthing and licking my hand
.....I have a question regarding licking. Sahara will sometimes take me hand and lick it all over. I have even had her try to gently hold her teeth around my finger. She does this in a very gentle and concious manner...Is this affection? In terms of the licking, do you think that she is just tasting something on my hand (maybe salt from my pores) or that she is being affectionate. Just curious...