Rehabbing girthy horses - Part Two
You've addressed the pain, you've checked saddle fit, but the horse is still acting up while being tacked up. What now? The answer lies in the nervous system.
When rehabbing a girthy horse, we can use the nervous system to our advantage.
Last week we discussed the importance of getting to the root of the problem, when it comes to horses showing unwanted behaviour during tacking up. But even after the pain had been addressed, the saddle checked, the muscles built up, some horses still exhibit signs of irritation when they are being tacked up. In these cases, it's important to address the nervous system.
If tacking up has been a painful process for a longer period of time, naturally the horse will expect to experience that again when being tacked up. The stress of expecting pain will make some horses display unwanted behaviour even though the process is no longer painful. This can be frustrating for the rider as well, who will also get stressed and will very often try to »get it over with« as fast as possible. This does not help the situation If we want to address the root of the problem, we need to show the horse that not only is the process no longer painful, it can actually be a pleasant experience.
The first step is to find a so called »basic comfort mode«. This is a position or a move which the horse finds relaxing and pleasant. For a lot of horses, this can be gently rocking them from side to side, with one hand on the withers and the other on the midline, just behind the elbows. Start by just placing your hands and introducing a very slight movement left to right until the horse relaxes. Most horses find this very pleasant and will start to relax and close their eyes. Encourage this »basic comfort mode« for a couple of days, so the horse gets used to it and knows immediately that when you place your hands, something pleasant follows. Here’s a short video on how to perform the rocking motion.
Next, bring your horse to the area where you usually tack him up. As soon as he starts to look worried, find »basic comfort mode«. When he relaxes, take him away. The next time you can bring out the saddle and do the same with the saddle in sight. After that, place a saddle pad on his back. And so on, gradually building up. Break the process up into tiny steps, so as to not overwhelm the horse. Don't expect to put the saddle on in one day. Take as many days as it takes. Never rush it, and always come back to the »basic comfort mode«. The key here is not the move itself, but how your horse reacts to it. The most important thing is for your horse to keep coming back to a place where he is relaxed and feels comfortable in his body. When he is in that state, the nervous system is telling the brain that it is safe to relax and there is no need to be stressed or alert. Slowly, the nervous system will learn that the entire process is something comfortable.
Here we are working with the horse's interoception, asking him to focus on pleasant sensations in his body. Finding comfort in their own skin is very important for horses who have experienced prolonged periods of pain. The key to success is teaching the nervous system that it does not need to be alert all the time and that tuning into the body is not only not painful, but very much enjoyable.