Release Party by BittenbyBooks and Ilona Andrews with many prizes including a sony eReader.
See more info on Ilona’s blog: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/2009/09/23/on-the-edge-contest/
Live Journal: http://ilona-andrews.livejournal.com/367027.html
Also for Sony eReader contest go to: www.bittenbybooks.com
When I bought one of my mares as a four year old, she was exhibiting a pattern of behavior at feeding time I wasn’t thrilled with. As soon as I started distributing food, she would begin pacing almost frantically, wanting immediate service. Since I certainly didn’t want to encourage this behavior, we started learning to communicate from day one; by ignoring the bad manners and reinforcing the well mannered, model pony behavior.
Why would I care that she exhibits eagerness for her food? Bottom line is her continuing health and protection. If I continued to reward her high levels of anxiety by giving her the ultimate reward (food) when she is at her worst; that could, in it’s turn, reinforce anxiety/reward behavior patterns that may lead to serious harm for her.. Fast learners that equines are, they will continue to find things to be anxious about, until they live their entire life in anxiety, injuring themselves with the constant pacing and ulcers, damaging the facilities and footing (bedding). It can also teach the other horses to follow this kind of behavior. Monkey see; monkey do. What a mess.
Since I like to drive, one of the most important lessons is hurry up and wait. They need to be able to stand in harness and relax. This is a safety issue for all concerned. I see these feeding anxiety behaviors as not being conducive to that stand and relax mentality. So we began from day one, our Red Light; Green light game.
Did you play that as a child? One child is in front and they turn their back (green light) and the rest of the children try to sneak up. When the child up front turns around (red light) and catches someone moving, they are out of the game, until someone gets close enough to tag them; then they become “it”.
So the horse feeding version is similar. I first allow myself plenty of time to take care of this properly. The feeding ritual starts and pony starts pacing. I feed everyone and leave her last. I stand as far away from her as I’m able, but staying in her visual field, holding her hay. I’m not saying a word, just letting my body language do the work. Horses talk with their bodies to each other. Yes, they nicker and snort, but think of that as punctuation. So in order to send the right message I think zenny thoughts; my body is relaxed and I’m not irritated or thinking about the waste of time. I’m just focused on my goal, paving the way for the rest of lives together.
Of course pony notices me; FOOD. Pacing picks up; anxiety picks up; tail swishing, head tossing. She can hear her buddies munching. To emphasize how little that means to me, I partially turn my back; I’m only watching her from my peripheral vision now. She still hasn’t clued in that I’m talking with her and continues with her self destructive patterns. Finally after some time she pauses briefly in her motions and I immediately turn to face her. My sudden movement catches her attention and she freezes, and I take a step toward her. She immediately starts pacing again. As soon as a foot moves I stop.
She becomes more frantic in her movements and I again partially turn my back. When she pauses again, I again immediately turn to face her. My attention to her become a reward. She stops to stare at me again. I again start walking toward her and she becomes excited and starts moving. I stop. She stops to watch me. I start, she starts; I stop. She becomes emotional and starts ripping around and I turn my back again and ignore her.
A couple more repeats of this cycle, and suddenly she ‘gets’ the game. Horses are into patterns of behavior. She doesn’t have much control yet, she wants to move so badly, but she has figured it out the first day. Horses are master manipulators, and all on her own, she understands that she can ‘remote control’ me and get her food to herself faster by standing still. Self motivated self control with the ultimate reward, her dinner. It’s a win-win situation all around.
It’s not easy, and the first few days may seem to take forever. In a matter of days it went from 45 minutes to 5 or 10 minutes. But now after a few years, she may test once in a while, but the overall picture is calm at feeding time that that transcends to all her other life and work. She may start to wiggle once in a while in waiting for dinner, just to make sure I’m paying attention. As soon as she moves a foot, I freeze. She quickly plants all four feet and gives the big eyed look of starving horse look, whiffling in her nose. She so gets this game.
The big picture benefit, is that she hasn’t taught all this pacing to the rest of the animals, she has learned to watch me, as I speak more with body language than by voice, and she has much more patience. She has a lot of self pride and satisfaction because she thinks it’s all her idea. Humans are easy to wind around one’s hoofie.
