Photo by David Classen/iStockPhoto.com

While investigating a 5,600-year-old village site in Kazakhstan, archaeologists determined that its Copper Age inhabitants were among the first cultures to tame horses. The evidence? The buried remnants of corral posts. Clearly, fences have been crucial to our shared relationship all along.

Unlike ancient horsemen who were limited to sticks and stones to enclose their horses, we benefit from a vast variety of traditional and modern materials from which to choose. Unfortunately, despite over 5,000 years of development, there’s still no ideal fence for every horsekeeping purpose. Each fence choice involves balancing safety concerns with aesthetics, cost, and upkeep.

Chances are you’ll employ a variety of materials and fence designs on your property for paddocks, arenas, and pasture fences—or even mix fence materials for a single enclosure. Choosing carefully will help maximize the safety, value, appeal, and utility of your fences. Before looking at the broad range of choices, let’s discuss safe fencing construction.

Safety
America’s West was tamed by blazing guns and barbed wire. Both remain murderous when used improperly. While barbed wire is relatively safe for huge pastures holding thick-skinned, placid cattle, the use of barbed wire for horse properties has caused untold tragedies. If you have any on your horse acreage, your first fencing priority is to remove it.

Building codes may ultimately determine fencing requirements for your land, but some general rules of thumb apply nearly everywhere. Field fences should be 54 to 60 inches above ground level. Err on the side of caution and go with a 5-feet minimum height where fences abut highways or anywhere that an escaped horse can flee your premises. Six feet is the safe minimum height for stall runs and paddocks.

At bottom, an opening of 8 to 12 inches will keep feet and legs from getting trapped, and also prevent foals from rolling under the fence. Fence openings should be either large enough that a hoof, leg, or even the head can’t become trapped, or very small (no more than 3 inches by 3 inches) to prevent a hoof from penetrating. To maintain tension, most wire fences, both fabric and high-tensile smooth wire, require triangular-shaped bracing at the corners and at intervals of about 1/8 mile. The acute angles formed by brace wires represent entrapment hazards if the horse can reach them; good design (such as boards used in corners to block access) can prevent injury, even death.

Visibility, especially with wire fencing, is too often overlooked. While a white plank fence of wood or PVC is easily seen by horses, wires can be almost invisible when a horse panics and runs—the time when the worth of a fence is truly tested. Improve visibility to wire fences by adding a top rail of wood; PVC; or durable white vinyl fence ribbon, either standard or electrified. This addition not only makes a wire fence more visible, it also deters horses from reaching over the fence to graze.

Regardless of fence material and design, one of your goals should be to present a smooth side to the horses. Do-it-yourselfers occasionally make the mistake of mounting boards on the outside of fence posts, which makes them easy for horses to knock loose. Further, the exposed posts can injure a horse that runs down the fence line. With cross-pasture fencing, you may not be able to avoid this exposure; in such cases, using an electric fence wire to create a psychological as well as a physical barrier offers a safe solution.

Corners also present problems, especially if you plan to pasture horses that don’t get along well. Any corner can create an entrapment situation where one horse is bullied. The problem is especially bad when the corner angle is acute (90 degrees or less). Some solutions include corners that curve. This requires placing wire fence barriers on the outside of the posts, but this is less of a problem in corners than it is along straight runs. Another solution is to affix planks across corners to block access.

Wood posts, field fence, a highly visible electric tape, and a twisted smooth-wire top line makes this an exceptionally safe fence.

Posts
The strength and integrity of a fence come from good fence posts, properly installed. Wire fences require tension, which means that corner assemblies and gate assemblies need to be braced against the pulling forces. Generally, when using wood posts, it’s best to use concrete to set corner assemblies and gate posts. Metal T-posts benefit from having sturdy wood corner and gate assemblies as well. These are an absolute requirement for high-tensile wire.

Wood is traditional and commonly used for fence posts. Whether you’re making a plank fence or just using wood posts, local availability and custom may determine your choices in woods. For instance, while hardwood fence materials tend to be readily available in the East, Southeast, and parts of the Midwest, softwoods predominate in the West. To deter decomposition, common softwoods that are resistant to rot and insect infestation include cedar, redwood, and cypress. Unfortunately, these woods are very expensive.

For this reason, horsemen often choose pressure-treated lumber (usually pinewood or fir); such lumber costs 1/3 to 1/5 of the above-mentioned varieties. With pressure treated lumber (or “PTL”), the manufacturer impregnates the wood with chemicals that resist rot, fungi, and insects. Look for treated lumber posts that are certified for in-ground use. Paint won’t bond to the material, so PTL fences are invariably natural.

I would ask my horse, Sterling, “What brings you joy?” Joy is a special word. It connotes a state of mind and feeling that most humans don’t experience too often. We use many words to express positive feelings, but you rarely hear people describe something in their lives as bringing them joy.

Sterling has a retired life with me as his novice rider. In our 4 years together he has proven to be “A Horse of a Lifetime” and has taught me to ride, and trust, and truly find joy in sharing time with him in the saddle and on the ground. I would love to hear from him what I could do to bring him the same joy he brings me each day.

The simple and loving greeting when I enter the barn, the “discussions” we have about life and our overall trust in each other has proven to bring me joy every day of the week. I would love to hear from him what brings him joy...in what I know would be his calm and loving voice.
Debra Ladley, Pennsylvania

My family doesn’t live in a good place to have a horse, so of course I don’t have one. If I did, though, I’d ask him if I was treating him well, if he was OK with it, and how I could do better. I live near a horse farm and so I watch how the owners treat the horses and work with them, so when I get a horse hopefully he’ll have some good things to say.
Ashlyn Bair, Colorado

There is really only one question that actually matters and it’s a quote from Pat Parelli: “Was it as good for you as it was for me?” The relationship with our horses must come first. Since horses can’t speak we can read the answer to this question in the same way horses communicate with each other, in their body language.
Robin Dym, New Jersey

I would first ask if he hurts anywhere. Second, I’d ask what his favorite thing is that we do together and lastly, what is his least favorite thing we do together.
Amanda Wood, California

Our family had a horse from the time I was a preschooler until I attended graduate school. She was more of a pet than a horse—treated just like the dogs and cats in the yard. I would have asked her if we were doing everything we could to make her happy and keep her healthy. I would want to know if there was anything else she wanted from us. There were times when part of the fence would be down, but she didn’t stray, so I would like to think she was happy with us.
Joan Weston Bellinger, Columbia

I would say...How are you doing Truman? Is there anything I can do for you to make your life better? How does the saddle feel, is it still fitting you ok even though you are older & changing shape? Speaking of shape, I am sorry that I have gained a few pounds. I want you to know that I think you are the finest, most honest horse I have ever met, you are a real trooper and I really love you.
Dee Whitt, Arizona

My horse speaks to me all the time; a soft whickering when I come up, gentle look, a soft touch of a nose, a lick on my hands and occasionally my face. My horse can speak if I am truly listening. That being said I often ask him ‘Where does it hurt?’ He came to me without the ability to walk without great pain. I named him Champ because he takes everything like one and by asking him that one question and listening to his answers, he now walk, trots and canters when the weather allows. So, now I would ask him something ‘New’ and that is ‘How can I make it better?’
Leslie McCormack, via email

I would ask him one simple question. Are you happy? I chose this question because I feel it covers everything. He could respond with his answer and elaborate if needed. I would not ask him a question so specific where it wouldn’t satisfy my need to make sure he was completely content all of the time. Wanting to know and make sure your horse is happy is something every loving horse owner strives for.
Shaelyn Kelliher, New Hampshire

I am the Equine Program Coordinator at Green Chimneys, a New York State school for children who are socially, emotionally and behaviorally challenged. Much of our work is nature-based, so the equine program is scheduled into the students’ regular school day. I posted your question on our bulletin board, making it an option for any student, staff or volunteer to respond. Here is what they said:

Student responses:
Do you like this place?—Jamie

Would you like more water? How are people treating you? Do you like to be ridden? Is there anything we can do better?—Shaq

Are you happy?—Nick

Do you remember your childhood?—Jenny

Do you have a crush on anybody? If you do, who is it?—Summer

Do you like it when I ride you?—Andrea

Do you like the food that you eat here? Is Christmas bran mash your favorite? How do you feel about people riding you? How do you feel about other animals being around you? What is your favorite type of weather?—William

Buckley, why don’t you like to steer?—Xavier

Do you get jealous when I ride another horse?—Paulina

What would you like from MacDonald’s?—Matt

Volunteer responses:
Am I doing a good job taking care of you? Are you happy?—Carol

Do you remember your mother? What memories do you have—Melissa

Do you enjoy being ridden or would you rather run wild—Joanne

What were some of the most enjoyable days of your life—Frank

Why do you crib—Joan (to her own horse)

Staff responses:
Do you get tired of eating the same thing every day?—Andrea (social worker)

What can I do to make you happier?—Rachel (child care/dorm staff)
Carol Parker, New York

My first question to each of my three horses would be, “Are you happy?” If not, I’d want to know what I could do to make them happier? What can I do when riding that would benefit you and help bring out the very best in you? Does anything hurt? Do you like your stablemates? (That one would be asked individually as not to hurt anyone’s feelings.)
Victoria, New Jersey

I have a 23-year-old Thoroughbred gelding I have ridden since he was 5. I’d like to know how he wants to spend his last years and if he understands how much I love him and how thankful I am for his generous heart. Before I bought him he had an incident where he almost drowned, and I’d want to hear that story from his perspective and why he will still jump through water like it’s nothing. I’d want to know what the best time of his life was and what I can do to make him as comfortable as possible.
Lisa Johnson, Minnesota

Read more answers to this question in the May 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

A scene from the film Tombstone (1993) recreates a visit to this same ranch by Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell) and his “immortals.” Doc Holliday (Val Kilmer) lays suffering from tuberculosis in an interior bedroom as Earp departs, taking one last look at his best friend from the doorway leading out to a porch. The actual house, I now see, has no porch. Otherwise, it’s exactly the same spread where the historic Doc rolled out of bed in 1882, coughing, to saddle up and ride. The imposing Charlton Heston aptly plays ranch owner Henry Hooker, who came from a line of Englishmen known for their courage and fierce belief in liberty. According to one descendent, the first Hooker immigrated to Connecticut in 1633 and was said to have “carried a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other; preaching on Sundays and fighting Indians on weekdays.” That’s basically what it took to build up Arizona’s first

permanent ranch.

Henry Hooker (1828–1907) was well known for his hospitality, and today, I enjoy my own dose of “Hooker hospitality” when the man’s great-great-great- grandson, Jesse Hooker Davis, greets me with a handshake in the driveway. Like most cowboys, he dislikes the limelight. His private ranch is not open to the public, but he graciously agreed to my visit thanks to an introduction by his friend Scott Baxter. Davis and Baxter collaborated on Baxter’s book about old Arizona ranching families, 100 Years, 100 Ranchers (Prisma Graphic Corp., 2012), and Davis appreciated my interest in his ranch’s history and ongoing legacy.

Though he spent his youth visiting the ranch of his ancestors, Davis grew up in San Diego. Now 39 years old, the burly former running back for Cornell University moved back here permanently in 2003. He had been working in the hotel/restaurant industry and was looking forward to the day he’d own a string of bungalows on a Mexican beach, but a visit to his ailing grandmother, Jacqueline “Rinki” Hooker, changed everything. The ranch was ailing, too, since she was basically living in Tucson. The livestock had been in the care of a foreman for years, and the 4,000-plus-square-foot hacienda, corrals, bunkhouses, carriage house, and barns on the 160-acre original homestead had sat mostly unoccupied.

Jesse Hooker Davis (foreground) branding a calf, Sierra Bonita Ranch.

“She was just trying to hold onto the ranch,” says Davis, who was inspired to take charge. As soon as we step toward the house, I begin to understand how the Sierra Bonita survived the terror waged by Apaches—it’s literally a fortress. Davis’ tour of the hacienda ends with a visit to the high-ceilinged room where Doc Holliday once lay. The makers of Tombstone made replicas of the exact adobe brick walls, headboard, and dresser when they filmed on location near Tucson. I can almost see the real Doc languishing, pale and sweaty, in this very bed, as he did in real life and vividly on screen.

“Can you sense the spirits of all who have been here?” I whisper to Davis. “I think they watch over me,” he nods. “Or, at least I ask them to watch over me. Other people have sensed them, too, but they don’t like it quite as much as I do.”

Davis raises American Quarter horses on the 45,000-acre Sierra Bonita and has kept Henry Hooker’s original Hereford cattle, whose bloodlines date back a century. He runs a commercial cow-calf operation and works horseback with the help of three hired men. Davis’ cows begin calving in November, and each season’s rainfall and market fluctuations dictate how many, and when, he sells. “I’m the last of the Mohicans,” says the single Davis about losing his grandmother and father a few years ago.

“It’s my turn to take care of the ranch.” It’s been a steep learning curve, but nine years after settling in, he’s as much a part of the place as the once majestic adobe brick corral. The ranch has been listed as a national historic landmark since 1964, and isn’t going anywhere thanks to Davis, who hopes to pass on the legend of the Sierra Bonita to a seventh generation.

The grounds at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center were packed with partisans of the seven countries competing in the USA's only Nations' Cup, the first held in this hemisphere as part of the new Saudi-sponsored Furusiyya series that is geared to truly global participation.

The Tiki Hut restaurant was converted for the evening to "The Irish Embassy," complete with a sign signifying its affiliation, and it seemed everyone was wearing the colors of their nation of choice, whether on their backs or on their faces. The U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation and U.S. Equestrian Federation held a pep rally, serving all-American hot dogs and hamburgers to gear up support for the home side at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

The U.S. winning Nations’ Cup team: Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden, coach Robert Ridland, Reed Kessler, Laura Kraut

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

An Olympic veteran who has been involved primarily in show management, course designing and officiating in recent years, Robert admitted to some nerves that were understandable, but he drew comfort from the fact that he was fielding the "A" team. Although that hasn't always been the case at the Cup in Wellington, which was never part of Furusiyya's predecessors, the Eurocentric Top League and the Super League, this time the stops had to be pulled out because the U.S. wants a berth in the new league's finals this September.

The squad of Kent Farrington (Uceko), Reed Kessler (Cylana); her 2012 Olympic teammate, Beezie Madden (Simon) and Beezie's 2008 Olympic gold medal teammate, Laura Kraut (Cedric) did not disappoint, and even reserve rider McLain Ward was at the ingate to offer support. Although Beezie was able to skip the second round because the team had an edge after three riders, it wasn't much of a victory margin. Canada, which had won the Cup five times since its inception here in 2002, wound up with 5 penalties; the U.S. had 4 for its fifth win here.

Who knows? It might have gone the other way if Canada's Mac Cone had a better night. He was eliminated for a stop and a circle in the first round with Amor van de Rostal, and accumulated 17 penalties in the second. Luckily for the Canadians, only the best three scores count.

They were buoyed by the expected double clear from the ageless Captain Canada, Ian Millar on Dixon, and a less-expected double clear from Tiffany Foster -- her first in a Nations' Cup -- with Victor. You'll remember Tiffany from the Olympics, where she was eliminated in a controversial call after officials contended Victor was hypersensitive in one leg. While they didn't blame anyone for that, she was out despite Canadian team protests.

A German effort to defend its 2012 title was impressive, but 11 penalties put that team third.

After the class, I spoke with Robert, who seemed to be experiencing equal measures of joy and relief.

Listen: Robert Ridland

The time allowed of 77 seconds played a big role in how things went, and Robert noted the U.S. had a plan for that.

Since it was "a fairly important factor," he said, the strategy was for all the Americans to make an inside turn from the first fence to the second. "That really made the difference, it gave us the leeway," he commented.

Reed Kessler had two double-clear rounds with Cylana

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Reed was the only U.S. rider to go double-clear, undoubtedly providing an inspiration to the kids competing today in the children's, junior and Young Rider Nations' Cups that are an innovation at this venue, which should help the pipeline to the top for all the countries participating.

At 18, Reed was the youngest rider ever to compete in the Olympics when she appeared in London last summer. Despite that experience, delivering on her home turf was no easy task.

"It was my fourth Nations' Cup and my first win and my first double-clear, so I'm really excited about that. To ride on the home team in front of the home crowd is a really big honor. I want to do it again," she said in her usual vibrant style.

Her comfort level was affected by the fact that, "I had an all-star group of riders on the team, so I knew I had a lot of depth for me to lean on," she added.

Cylana, Reed declared, "was awesome. This is my favorite thing, when I ride her, to hear the crowd scream. She gets so animated and so wild when she heads to the first fence. She's totally focused, but at the same time, she's like a monster. She couldn't have done better."

Beezie Madden had to make only one trip on Simon as the U.S. clinched victory in the Nations’ Cup.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Beezie gave her supporters a heart-stopping moment when Simon loudly hit the box in front of the water jump. Everyone's eyes anxiously went to the scoreboard, but she was clear there and went on to produce a perfect trip. Kent dropped a rail at the last fence in the first round; then Uceko settled down in the second to produce a fault-free performance. Cedric, clean in the first round, had a knockdown from a light brush at the third fence from the end of the course, the first element of a double combination of verticals.

The Irish, highlighted by two fault-free trips on Splendor from Olympic individual bronze medalist Cian O'Connor, could have been in closer contention than fourth place with 11 penalties had Shane Sweetnam's mount, Siri, not been injured during his first trip, which garnered the 8-fault drop score for that round, and was unable to return for a second performance.

Irish Team Manager Robert Splaine said: “The boys all did a good job and Richie’s (Maloney) two single time faults with Ahorn van de Zuuthoeve measured up to a good performance, while Cian O’Connor’s double clear round on Splendor has to be singled out for praise. However, we were put at at a serious disadvantage when Shane’s horse couldn’t return for the second round."

While the top four finishers had strong teams, another threat didn't materialize as Great Britain was unable to field a squad. Although Tim Gredley and Olympic team gold medalist Nick Skelton were on the grounds, they lacked a third because Nick's teammate from the London Games, Ben Maher -- who won two major grands prix already this season at WEF -- had flown to the Masters show in Hong Kong. It was, however, perfect British weather: Very chilly with occasional sprinkles of rain. Foreign visitors who had come to Florida for the usual sunny weather as well as the Cup were unhappily bundled in parkas, as were many other spectators.

With just one more Cup finals qualifier for North America to go, at Spruce Meadows in Canada during June, the U.S. has 100 points to 90 for Canada and 65 for Mexico, which finished last here. Only two North American teams can go to the final, and Mexico would seem to be a real underdog in that department. That nation didn't have all its best combinations on hand, but even with their top guns, they'd have a lot of ground to make up in order to be part of the finals.

The three Latin teams participating, Venezuela (fifth on 34 penalties), Colombia (sixth with 41) and Mexico (seventh with 59) are working hard on raising their standard. I asked course designer Anthony D'Ambrosio how he felt they were progressing.

"A great part of their improvement is the time they spend here for a consecutive 12 weeks," he told me.

"This is a great training situation for any horse and rider, when you come to a place and you can really settle in and the horses can really relax, you can then bring them along faster than you would when you're constantly changing venues and acclimating each and every week to a new place."

He and I also discussed the course and how well it worked out. Designing for a class that combines experienced high-caliber teams with squads from countries that are still developing provides quite a challenge, but Anthony is always up to the task.

Listen: Anthony D'Ambrosio

Lorraine Ferrell and Adrienne Straus meet Uncle Sam at a U.S. pep rally sponsored by the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation and the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

I chatted at the victory party, where the Veuve Clicquot champagne was flowing, with the USEF's executive director of sport programs, Jim Wolf. At the Olympics, our conversations consisted mostly of, "so, we didn't win a medal in (fill in the blank), what do you think?," which meant it was nice to finally be able to approach him after a victory.

Listen: Jim Wolf

I think team spirit had a lot to do with the U.S. taking the top prize, not only the pep rally, but also a team dinner that helped the squad and the owners present a united and determined front.

The Cup wasn't the only thing that provided the tension this week. An outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus that began in Ocala and spread caused great concern when a horse at the showgrounds tested positive and the entire FEI tent (where the international competition horses are stabled during the show) had to be put in quarantine. This is one of the biggest weekends of the year at the biggest show in the world, and the all-clear wasn't given until Thursday afternoon, when tests on other horses came back negative.

The man in the pincers on this one was Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, which presents the WEF. With the trouble in the rear view mirror, he and I talked (over the babbling of the auctioneer) at Thursday night's sport horse auction a half-mile from the PBIEC at the Global Dressage grounds.

Listen: Michael Stone

So do you think we've had enough excitement for one weekend? No way; it's the WEF. Tomorrow is a $150,000 grand prix. I'll be interested to see some of the top riders in action again; Cian O'Connor has to be a favorite, and Germany's Daniel Deusser, double-clear in the Cup on Cornet D'Amour, also is impressive. There will be a whole lot more American contenders than just the four team members vying for this one. Come back Sunday night for my next postcard, and I'll tell you all about it. In the meantime, don't forget to go to facebook.com/equisearch for more photos.

Until tomorrow,

On-again, off-again lameness, low energy levels, a cranky attitude—those signs could point to something as simple as overwork. But Lyme disease could produce all those problems, and it may be a growing problem for horses in parts of the United States. Lyme disease can have long-term complications that include damage to your horse’s joints, skin, nervous system and even vision.

A bacterial disease spread by tick bites, Lyme is a problem for people, dogs and other animals, not just horses. As the ticks that carry this disease slowly expand their range, cases and concern are increasing. Is your horse at risk? If he develops Lyme disease, how will you know, and what should you do? Can you protect him? This article will help you make sense of the threat.

Who’s at Risk?
Lyme disease takes its name from Lyme, Connecticut, where it was first identified in the 1970s. It’s now the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, according to the US Centers for Disease Control, which tracks human cases. The disease has popped up in ­almost every state, but CDC figures show that most cases occur in the northeastern, mid-Atlantic and north-central states, with pockets in Pacific and southern states.

While no one collects national statistics on Lyme disease in horses, cases tend to occur in the same areas as human cases, says Thomas J. Divers, DVM, of the Cornell University School of Veterinary Medicine. Those are all places where the disease-carrying blacklegged ticks—mainly deer ticks and Western blacklegged ticks (photo above)—are common. In some areas up to half the blacklegged tick population may harbor the spiral-shaped bacteria, Borrelia ­burgdorferi (Bb), that cause Lyme disease.

The ticks have three life stages (larva, nymph and adult) and need a blood meal ­before they can molt into the next stage. They pick up the bacteria as larvae and nymphs by feeding on the blood of infected mice, and they transmit the infection to their next hosts—human, horse, dog, deer or any passing mammal or bird. They seem most likely to feed on horses as adults. In cold-winter regions, adults typically appear in early fall, spend the winter dormant in brush and leaf litter and come out again in early spring. This makes early spring and fall prime times for infection. But horses can get Lyme disease whenever infected ticks are active.

CDC statistics show a steady increase in reported cases. In some areas, including parts of Maryland and Virginia and northern New England, human case numbers are up sharply. Maine, for example, went from no cases reported in 1988 to 970 in 2009. Maine state veterinarian Don Hoenig, VMD, says that Lyme disease is turning up in new areas as the vectors—deer ticks—increase their geographic distribution. “We have ticks where we had none six or seven years ago,” he says. Several factors likely contribute to the spread:

• Wildlife populations: Deer and other wildlife hosts, including migratory birds, can carry the ticks and move them to new areas.
• Changing landscapes: In many areas abandoned farmland is reverting to forest, and the ticks prefer forest habitat to fields. They’re often found in the brush of the forest understory and forest edge—and suburban yards, which mimic that habitat.
• Warming climate: Warmer winters ­allow ticks to expand their range northward and to spread disease for more of the year, as they are active whenever the temperature is above 40 F.

Reports of Lyme disease have also ­increased as people have ­become more aware of it. “We’re looking for it more,” Dr. Hoenig says. Lyme is now so prevalent in Maine, he adds, that it’s no longer on the state department of agriculture’s list of reportable diseases.

If your horse is in a region where blacklegged ticks live, he’s at risk. But even if he’s bitten, he may not get sick. Even if a tick is packing the bacteria, it generally must attach and feed for more than 24 hours before it transmits the infection to its new host. And even when a horse is infected, he may not develop any signs of the disease. “There must be a distinction between infection and disease,” says Dr. Divers. Infection is common where the disease-carrying ticks are prevalent—nearly half of adult horses in some areas of the Northeast have been infected. “Clinical disease [disease that produces recognizable signs] does not appear to be common in horses, although we do not have data on this,” he says.

I might have learned enough to train horses anyway, but I am convinced that one of the luckiest things I ever did in my horse career was to get a black Labrador. Labs have always been a sharp reminder of what it feels like to have an animal in my care—and to know I don’t know enough to deal with that animal correctly. People remark to me that I seem unusually sensitive and patient while dealing with riders struggling to climb the learning curve. That is because I know exactly how they feel as they try to understand and communicate with their horses.

Although I was already a fair horseman by 1966 when I brought home my first puppy, the fact that it was a new and different type of animal convinced me I needed help. So I did what had worked for me with horses: I read books about it. It worked. My first Labrador was a lifelong friend, and I have been at it ever since, reading books on training Labradors and applying what I have learned along the way.

Since I am always trying to find—and pass along—new and different ways of learning how to train horses, I thought that as a mental exercise we would talk this month about training Labs. If you don’t quite get the points I am making, just substitute the word “horses” in your mind every time I say “dogs” or “Labs.”

Job Determines Training
Once you decide how you want your animal to earn his living, a lot of decisions fall into place. My Labs, for example, are purchased with a specific goal in mind: I want them to be good hunting dogs. This means they spend a fair amount of time around humans carrying loaded guns, so they cannot jump up on humans—ever. I start training my puppies about this right away.

My puppies usually tell me just before they are going to jump up, and I make sure they run into the flat of my hand with their noses. They seem to get the idea quickly that jumping up on humans in not acceptable. I hope the analogy with horses is clear to you. Your horse outweighs you by a factor of 10:1. Make sure you teach him ground manners. An unruly horse is a danger to himself and to you. Decide how you want your animal to behave and be consistent about applying your rules.

I firmly believe that most animals want to please us, but we have to show them how to do that. Praise or punishment alone does not accomplish what you want. You need a judicious balance of these two techniques to produce a friend for life. Of course, justice should always be tempered by mercy; we will talk more about punishment and discipline in a minute.

Are you proficient in the art of attaboy? Do you consistently reinforce the behavior and responses you want in your horse, in order to get more of them?

If so, you’re taking advantage of the most powerful training tool there is. But if you’re like many well-meaning riders, you may not be using rewards consciously or often enough to gain their full benefit in shaping your horse’s behavior.

In this article, we’re going to help you understand why you should use rewards to maximum benefit, and how to go about it. We’ve gathered insights and tips from a range of equine experts. They’ll explain the difference between the various types of behavior reinforcements, and tell you why reinforcement trumps punishment as a behavior modifier.

They’ll also provide specific examples of the kinds of rewards they’ve found most appreciated by horses, including some innovative strategies that may surprise you.

Armed with this information, you can put together your own super-high- gain “equine incentive program.”

Positive? Negative? Huh?
For starters, let’s clear up some confusion. Many people think negative reinforcement means punishment, whereas positive reinforcement means reward.

Not so, explains Robert M. Miller, DVM, in his new book Natural Horsemanship Explained: From Heart to Hands. “Both negative reinforcement (the removing of discomfort, such as leg or rein pressure) and positive reinforcement (the adding of comfort, such as pleasurable stroking) are rewards,” notes Dr. Miller. “Most learned behaviors in horses are the result of reinforcement—a reward that is given consistently after a behavior occurs until the behavior becomes a conditioned response.”

Both positive reinforcement (adding a good thing) and negative reinforcement (removing an unpleasant one) are more effective in molding your horse’s behavior than punishment is. That’s because training horses is much like raising children: It’s better to explain clearly what you want, then reward the tiniest positive effort, than to demand obedience and then punish resistance. Though punishment has a place (as when your horse shows aggressive behavior toward you), it’s not a good training tool in general (see “The Carrot vs. The Stick,” page X).

Some traditional trainers use negative reinforcement exclusively and get good results, though it might be argued that the best traditional trainers use both negative and positive reinforcement. Most natural-horsemanship-oriented trainers routinely use a combination of both types of rewards.

In negative reinforcement, the “reward” is usually the cessation of the pressure you applied to ask for a response. For it to be effective, however, the cessation must come immediately after your horse responds. When your horse takes that first step backward in response to rein pressure, a brief, instantaneous softening of the reins tells him, “That’s right!”

But if you keep the pressure on all the way through the back-up, releasing it only after your horse has stopped, he won’t get a clear association between his response and the reward. That means he’ll never learn to be light to your rein cue.

Clinician John Lyons says timing is indeed the key to specificity.

“If I said to you, ‘That was a phenomenal paragraph you wrote awhile back,’ without being more specific, you wouldn’t know what I was praising you for,” he explains. “Similarly, your release of rein or leg pressure must be perfectly timed. When it is, it’s a clear ‘yes!’ to a specific thing your horse has done.”

Reining champion and clinician Stacy Westfall says it’s the sensitive, multiple, well-timed releases of pressure that make it OK to seek top performance from your horse.

“So many people are afraid to apply the pressure needed to ask their horses to do something,” she observes. “But there should be a ‘conversation’ of pressure and release during any maneuver—a spin, for example. Ask, horse responds, release a little...then ask, horse responds, release a little. You’ll have varying degrees of pressure throughout a maneuver, and it all works if your softenings and releases are properly timed to reinforce the responses you want.”

“That is definitely true,” said Chad Masters, the heading half of the top 2012 NFR team roping tandem. “It’s the biggest rodeo we go to, and it’s something you look forward to getting to practice for. It’s the funnest practice you’ll ever have. The fun doesn’t wear off of practicing for the NFR for me.”

Masters and Clay O’Brien Cooper were the only team at the $6.125 million 2012 NFR to stop the clock 10 times. They roped 10 steers in 73.4 seconds. To take it round by round, their 5.1-second run placed fourth in round one; they were 9.6 in round two (including a leg); 14.7 in round three (including a barrier); 4.9 in round four (they placed third); 4.9 in round five (split fifth and sixth); 4.7 in round six; 6.2 in round seven; 5.3 in round eight (fifth); 12.8 in round nine (leg); and 5.2 in round 10 (fifth). Subtract those 20 seconds in penalties, and their 53.4 on 10 would have erased the 59.1-second 10-steer record set at the 1994 NFR by Clay and his fellow seven-time World Champion Team Roper and ProRodeo Hall of Famer Jake Barnes.

“That’s always a goal going there—to get the record on 10,” Chad said. “Clay roped a leg (in 1994), so that means Jake Barnes turned 10 steers in an average of 5.4 seconds. That’s a big challenge in its own, trying to turn 10 steers under 5.4. That’s hard to do. Any one little thing and Clay wins it (the world). Me not breaking the barrier; the two legs; me handling the ninth one better. We were really close to placing in a lot of rounds, and didn’t.”

It was Chad’s second NFR average title. He also won the Finals in 2006, the year he helped Allen Bach win the world but just missed his first world championship before closing the gold buckle deal in 2007. Clay’s won the Finals four times now. He and Jake won it the same year as their first world title, in 1985, and again in their last world title season, in 1994. They struck again in 2007—when Chad won his first (and last until now) world championship.

The gold-buckle margins in 2012 were so minimal they deserve immediate mention. Chad edged 2012 World Champion Heeler Jade Corkill’s partner, Kaleb Driggers, by a mere $1,211, and Jade won just $1,131 more than Clay over the course of the entire 2012 season.

“I won the average and the world, so no one wants to hear me complain,” Chad said. “But there were lots of mistakes I made that would have made the difference for Clay. I had a goal to go catch all my steers, and did that. Everybody goes there to do that, but so many things happen that you’re not really in control of, even when your goal is to go catch 10 steers.

“The ninth round is a perfect example. My goal was to catch that steer, we had a great opportunity in an easy round, we had a great steer, I missed the barrier, and before you know it, I’ve missed my slack and about missed my dally. If there was one run I’d like to change it’d be the barrier on that one. As bad as I wanted Clay to win, all the stuff that had to happen for things to turn out like they did proves it’s just how it was supposed to be.”

Chad knows all about the short end of the stick in a tight race. Let’s not forget that he watched his partner, Allen, get the gold in 2006, and showed complete grace when Matt Sherwood took center stage on the heading side, after slipping past Chad by $848. Chad’s been oh so close more than once in the last few years, and was sincere in his happiness for those who pushed past him to the ultimate podium.

“As happy as I am for Jade and as bad as I feel for Clay and Kaleb, it is nice to have won it this time,” said Masters, 31, of Cedar Hill, Tenn. “I’ve had a chance on the last one a few times in recent years and it didn’t go my way. So it’s nice for it to go the other way. Several other guys headed to win the world. I’d have been happy for any of them if they’d won it, because they roped really good. I didn’t do anything spectacular. I just caught all my steers. Things just went my way this time.”

If you’re going into a 10-steer war, there’s no more consistent warrior to have on your side than Clay Cooper. “You know going into it that as long as you worry about yourself and do your job, Clay’s going to give you a chance to win the average,” Chad said. “He’s one of the greatest catchers ever alive. He knows where he’s going to catch from. It’s just instinct for Clay to catch.

“Everyone wants to win the average. My goal was to come here and give Clay Cooper a chance to win a gold buckle. It’s weird to be sitting here, because without Clay I wouldn’t have this one. Clay was the first one to shake my hand. The only thing he was worried about when we rode out of the arena was whether or not I won it.”

Chad is 20 years Clay’s junior, and talks to and about Champ with sincere respect. Chad roped at his first of nine NFRs in 2003, and says, “It was such a huge deal to get to rope at the same NFR as Clay. I think the world of Clay. Words aren’t enough when people ask me what it’s like to rope with Clay Cooper. His attitude toward life and everyone he meets—he’s so nice. He won’t say a bad word about anybody, no matter what. Anything bad or negative is not coming out of his mouth. You can’t tell in the arena, on the way to the truck and trailer, or in the truck and trailer if he just won or lost.”

Chad’s cheering section always includes his dad and stepmom, Bob and Randee Masters; his mom and stepdad, and Debbie and Fred Head; his girlfriend (and Jade’s little sister), Bailey; and the entire Masters and Corkill clans. Clay’s cheerleaders include his wife, Alisa, and their daughters, Bailey, Quinn and Jessica. With his gamer girls by his side, Champ has, at 51, taken up snow skiing since the NFR.

“I’ve been skiing, and it is so much fun,” said Clay, who now calls Gardnerville, Nev., home. “It’s 40 minutes from my house to getting on that chairlift in Heavenly Valley. I started with a three-hour lesson, and learned how to turn and stop. It is so much fun. It’s so beautiful up there. They named it right. Heavenly Valley is what I think Heaven is going to look like, and it’s so accessible for me.”

Chad started the 2012 season heading for Jake Long. Clay kicked off his 2012 campaign with Charly Crawford. Chad and Clay first joined forces at the spring rodeo in Pocatello, Idaho. The head horse plays a huge hand in the success of any team, and it’s somewhat ironic the way this story played out, in part because Corkill’s the one who brought the black horse into the picture. Jade bought Warthog from Britt Williams, and let Chad ride him at the 2011 NFR. Chad loaded him up at that week’s end, and rode him at all but about 10 rodeos in 2012, including every round at this NFR.

“He’s hard to beat when it comes to riding one at every setup,” Chad said. “I don’t know that I’d have won the NFR without him. I dang sure wouldn’t have had a chance to win a world title. I felt really focused and confident in my horse this time. It was only between me and the steer. The crowd and nerves weren’t involved as much.”

When they set sail for what was Clay’s 26th NFR, which ties him for second on the all-time team roping NFR qualifications list with Tee Woolman—second only behind Allen Bach at 30—Clay had a clear plan.

“I was thinking that if a guy could win the average and place four, five, six times, you’d have a good chance to win it (the world—and they did place in five rounds along the way to the NFR win),” Clay said. “And at the very last you’d have a good week. Everybody who goes to the Finals is looking to win some good money for the week, so you’ve got to be able to put together at least seven or eight good runs. You can either go wide-open fast and try to win it that way, or you can try to make as good a run as you can make without messing up, place in the easy rounds and then be there to win first or second in the average when it’s over.”

Clay noticed early on that his mindset seemed to be a minority among game plans. “It looked like everybody but us, and Keven (Daniel) and Chase (Tryan, who finished second in the average with 65.2 on nine steers—Keven missed their ninth steer) were going wide open,” Clay said. “I was surprised they missed a steer, because it looked like Keven was trying to rope the same kind of roping as Chad. But even going at it that way, things can happen along the way that aren’t foreseeable. I didn’t really know what Chad’s thinking was going in. I just figured I would adapt to whatever he wanted to do. Wherever he decided to turn them, I was going to try to heel every steer.

“A lot of teams were going at ’em so strong that the odds of getting through 10 of them coming over the chute every single time are against you. But there are different ways to go about it. Just like Erich (Rogers) and Kory (Koontz, the winningest team at the Finals—they won the third round, and placed in six others). They went at ’em strong every night and won third in the average (with 46.4 on eight for a $91,875 per man week). They did a lot of winning and put together a lot of money. The average ended up wide open, so that turned out to be a pretty good strategy.”

Clay played wide receiver for Chad and Warthog aboard LB, the little bay horse he recently bought from Kory. “I was a little bit concerned about LB, just from the standpoint that I hadn’t ridden him a lot yet in competition, which is different than practicing on one,” he said. “When we got in there to rope the steers (the team ropers run the steers in the Thomas & Mack Center a couple days before the rodeo starts), LB showed me what he was wanting to do and where he was wanting to go. It gave me an idea of how to ride him.

“Once I started riding him like that, from the first steer I was OK and comfortable with him. He was very consistent all week, and he was easy to ride. I was proud of him. I thought he did a good job, and I got more confidence on him as the week went on. My concerns going in went away. As a result, I’ve got a lot more confidence in him now than I did going in.”

Like Chad, Clay praised Warthog for being a pivotal part of their team all year long. “Chad has a couple horses he thought he could be faster on at the Finals, but he knew what the black was going to do,” Clay said. “We just roped steer after steer. After the fifth or sixth round, he came to me and asked if I wanted him to switch horses. I told him it was his decision to make—that I didn’t care what he did. I was going to try to heel them wherever he turned them. He said, ‘Thanks a lot.’ I told him to go with his gut, and that I didn’t think we needed to panic about the rounds. We were trying to make a 4.4- to 4.5-second run doing what we were doing, and kept being just a little longer than that, just because we weren’t getting very good finishes.

“As a result, we just couldn’t get it to 4.4 or 4.5. We kept talking about it and telling each other to go make that run, place in the round if we could and stay in the average. We didn’t want to panic unless we really felt we needed to there at the end. We scratched and clawed our way all the way to the last one.”

Regular-season leaders Trevor Brazile and Patrick Smith, who had a $50,649 per man Finals and finished third in the world, were right in the middle of the race start to finish.

“After the sixth round, every night I expected Trevor and Patrick to blitz one,” Clay said. “They’re so great at their run and their run is 3.8. For some reason, it stopped working for them. We just kept doing what we were doing. Chad’s projected average money was going to put him over the top. We still kept thinking if we could be 4.4 or 4.5 that was going to place somewhere along the line. And that strategy worked. It worked out perfectly for Chad, and we never really had to expose ourselves. We utilized that head horse, and he worked outstanding all week long. We stayed with our game plan and the strategy worked.”

I saw and heard Clay’s reaction to the news that Chad and Jade won the world by a photo-finish margin with my own eyes and ears. Right there in that tunnel, after stepping outside the arena gate from getting their average saddles and buckles and without pause, he said, “That’s awesome!”

“The way it all worked out was the way it was supposed to be—it was perfect,” Clay said. “The guy who headed the best was Chad, and he won. The guy who heeled the best was Jade, and he won. That’s exactly how it’s supposed to work out. I thought it was awesome. I was really happy for Chad, because winning the championship was something he really wanted to do.

“During Ellensburg and Walla Walla (Wash.) weekend, we had a decision to make about going to Filer (Idaho). It was going to be all day down there and all night back, and we were up the next morning back at Ellensburg. We were up in the first perf at Filer, which was not a good run on the cattle, and I didn’t really want to go. So I left it up to Chad. I told him I’d do whatever he wanted to do. He said, ‘I don’t want to go either, but this is one of my only chances to rope with the Champ and to win the championship.

“Right then, I knew he was all-in ’til the bitter end to give himself—and me, too—the all-in effort to try and get the job done. So I said, ‘OK, I’m in.’ We went down there and placed, won a couple thousand, and that was more than the margin that got him over the top—making that one decision. It also told me what it all meant to him. Chad wanted to win it, and he wanted to win it with me. So when he won it, it was the greatest gift for me to be a part of it. I’ll always cherish that.”

My son Lane pointed out an interesting thought that struck him deja-vu style when the dust settled on the 2012 race. Clay just missing what looked to be his eighth gold buckle reminded him of the 2005 NFR, when it looked like Jake had a lock on his eighth world championship, roping with Kory. Against every odd in the book, Jake cut his thumb off in the heat of world championship battle. It was heart-breaking and bizarre, and only explainable to most of us by the hands of fate. For whatever reason, it just wasn’t meant to be.

“Chad and I had a pretty special year,” Clay said philosophically. “We did not start out good. I was struggling terribly. We finally we got to clicking over the Fourth, then we were like a steamroller fighting our way all the way to the end. The last mountain to climb was to try to win more than Trevor and Patrick. They made the best runs all year long, and made believers out of everybody.

“To Chad and my credit, after we got the ball rolling our catch-rate percentage as a team was extremely high. We placed a lot, did good at the right places and somehow or another we got ’er done for Mr. Chad. On the other side of it was Jade. Everybody who’s rodeoed the last several years understands what a special talent he is, and that winning a championship was all but inevitable—with more to come. Chad and I buddied with Kaleb and Jade all year long, so we were two teams against the whole world. It was our tandem against the rest of the field, and we pulled for one another all year long.”

Leo Camarillo, who’s won the NFR team roping average six times, owns that record. He’s followed by Tee Woolman at five, and now a four-way tie between Clay, Jim Rodriguez Jr., David Motes and Leo’s cousin Reg with four NFR average championships apiece.

“Like my hero Leo says, the NFR is the best of the best, it’s a 10-head contest and they give away the biggest check to the guy who wins the average,” Clay said. “They call you the NFR champion, and they give you a saddle and a buckle. Only the average champs and the world champions get those things. I grew up that it was a big deal to win the National Finals. It means you beat the best of the best on 10 steers.

“I’ve gone into every NFR wanting to win the average. That’s the first goal out of the box and it’s not easy to do. A lot of things can happen. If you go out on one steer, you’re toast and your whole game plan changes. In the end, even going in with a lead, no average money is what happened to Trevor and Patrick. The average is always part of the equation if you’re going for the championship. That’s the easy money. It’s easier than trying to be 3.7. The average is always in play.”

Trevor and Patrick roped such a memorable 2012 season, including the mega-wins in Salinas (Calif.) and Cheyenne (Wyo.). “Those guys are special as a team and as individuals, obviously,” Clay said. “I really respect the fact that they’ve stuck together through tough times and good times. They work hard at it—as hard as anybody in the game. As a team—and it is team roping—they have the best run in my book. They can go win Salinas and Cheyenne in one week, then turn around and be 3 four or five times in a row and rack up about $30,000 in about 10 days.

“Their run is the best run right now, and it’s a result of their hard work. They’ve figured out what they want to do in their run, and they can do it over and over again. Look out, because they will be back and they will be right back at the top, ready to blast off and get another championship. The week (at the Finals) just didn’t go their way, and that can happen to anybody, as they well know. They’ve experienced both extremes at that rodeo. But they aren’t going away. I still think they’re the best team out there. I’m excited to see what Chad and Jade will do with Chad on this black horse, because that could be really special. Those two teams will be fun to watch in 2013. I would bet a lot of money on those two teams being a good race to watch.”

Clay is ringing in the new year with Justin Davis from Madisonville, Texas. “He’s been down there rodeoing for a while,” Clay said. “He’s a young guy who’s built like an athlete. He’s strong, he rides his horse good, likes to score and get a lot of run out of his horse, and has a real sharp, tight loop. He makes things happen fast. He’s going to be a really good partner, and he’s got some good horses. He’s never really gone out there and said, ‘I’m going to make it,’ but he’s been out there enough that he knows the deal and it’s not new to him. He’s a great kid. I’ve known him awhile and he’s got the best attitude.”

No one out-attitudes Champ. And one of the coolest things about the true legends in any game is that they have the rare confidence it takes to sincerely applaud whomever deserves something most—even when it’s not them. May the best man win. They live that.

“In today’s game, there are just a few guys who really just go all out, 9-0, 100 percent to try and achieve what they’re after,” Clay said. “At all levels of the game in every area, Chad’s the ultimate professional. He’s non-stop trying to get better at every part of it—horses, technique, practice, you name it. As the winter ended and the spring started, I had a decision to make. I figured if I could somehow rope with that guy—a guy like that takes you where you want to go. He had the horse equation figured out.

“Chad and that black horse were a special combination this year (2012). They were wow, and that’s what it takes. It takes a guy who’s a fanatic about what he does. Then put a great horse under him and watch the fireworks, because something’s about to happen.”

No one could blame Clay or Kaleb for any disappointments they might have felt that last night at the Finals, when the news came down that tunnel that they basically lost the year-long battle that might as well have been decided by a coin toss.

“I’m kind of glad that I’m not eaten up with it and really bummed,” Clay said. “If I was then my priorities are wrong. I’m truly happy for those kids. I had the best time rodeoing with them this year. I feel grateful to have had the opportunity to get to know them and rodeo with them and to have a successful year. They all encouraged me all year long. I have a lot of friends out there who are young guys. I enjoy bragging on them and telling them how good they are. They’re talented kids with dreams and goals, just like I had when I was young. Not very many 50-something guys get to go back and live things like when I was a young man.

“Being part of Chad and Jade’s success makes me feel better than if I’d won it. I’m OK not having eight. I’m perfectly fine with Rich Skelton being the all-time best heeler until somebody comes and gets him. Because in my book, he’s the greatest. I love the way he ropes, and I totally admire him as a person. I have a good time every time I’m around him.

“All I can do is the best I can do and enjoy what I’m doing. I’m having a ball. It’s all good for me. What I feel like is that I should be grateful just to have the opportunity to do what I’ve done. I don’t want to be a person wishing for what I don’t have. I want to be totally thankful to my God for being healthy, having a great family and friends, and getting to do what I love to do. Gold buckles are great, but they aren’t the No. 1 meaning of life. Being content with what we have is where fun and peace are. That’s where enjoyment of life is. People who are eaten up with the stuff they don’t have aren’t happy people.”

Ever wonder what’s going on inside your horse’s head? What makes him act—and react—the way he does?

Temple Grandin has a better idea than most. She’s the celebrated animal scientist whose autism enables her to see things the way animals probably do. Her bestselling book, Animals In Translation (Scribner, 2005) teems with unique insights; the book’s subtitle is “Using the mysteries of autism to decode animal behavior.” Because of her autism, Grandin doesn’t think in words, as most of us do. She thinks in pictures. Animals, who are wordless, likely visualize their thoughts in a similar fashion. This puts Grandin in a unique position to speculate on how animals think and feel.

For this special report, we pored through Animals In Translation to discover Grandin’s most compelling observations about horses. We also spoke at length with the Colorado State University professor, herself a horse fancier who rode as a teen. We’ll share her explanations of such phenomena as why a horse’s fear is “faster” than ours; what a horse sees that we probably don’t; and why rough handling of a horse can create lifelong phobias.

We’ll also suggest how you can make the best use of Grandin’s insights in riding and handling your own horse.

Scary Pictures
We all know that, as a prey species, horses have certain hardwired behaviors designed to help keep them safe from predators. As Grandin explains it, they use emotions to “predict” the future and thereby make wise decisions.

“A healthy animal makes sound, emotion-based decisions all the time,” she observes.“He has to; otherwise he’d be dead.” For example, fear of the scent of a predator causes a prey species to run away and escape being caught.

That makes fear a basic, predominant emotion for horses. We tend to refer to a horse’s excitability or his spookiness or his level of agitation, but what it all boils down to, says Grandin, is fear, which horses and all animals experience far more vividly than we do.

“Fear is so bad for animals, I think it’s worse than pain. I always get surprised looks when I say this. If you gave most people a choice between intense pain and intense fear, they’d probably pick fear. I think that’s because humans have a lot more power to control fear than animals do.”

And that’s because, she explains, we can use our analytical faculties—courtesy of our prefrontal cortex—to understand and rationalize our fears, whereas animals cannot. All your horse knows is, “This is scary, which means I’m in danger of being killed, which means I need to get outta here.”

Another thing that “awfulizes” fear for horses is the visual nature of their thinking. Consider, if you will, how much scarier a picture of Freddy Krueger is than a verbal description of him. The image has much more impact, right?

By the same token, “a visual memory of a scary thing is more frightening than a verbal memory,” says Grandin. “When it comes to managing their fear, animals and autistic people are at a big disadvantage because they have to rely on pictures.”

Though social in their own way, horses are less controlled by social stimuli than dogs are, thus less likely to do something purely to please you.

Fast Fear, Slow Fear
Another way horses and other animals differ from us is that they tend to experience fear “faster” than we do. There are two ways fear is experienced in the brain, depending on whether it takes what Grandin calls the “high road” or the “low road.” The high road gives you “slow fear” because its physical path through the brain is longer than the low road.

“On the high road,” explains the scientist, “a scary stimulus, such as the sight of a snake in your path, comes in through the senses and goes to the thalamus, located deep inside the brain. The thalamus directs it up to the cortex, at the top of the brain, for analysis. When it gets there the cortex decides that what you’re looking at is a snake, then sends this information—it’s a snake!—back down to the amygdala, and you feel afraid. The whole process takes 24 milliseconds.”

By contrast, the low road, or fast-fear system, takes half the time. You see a snake in your path, and the sensory data goes straight from your thalamus over to your amygdala, avoiding the cortex. The whole process takes 12 milliseconds. Nature gave us both systems because you can’t get hyper speed and accuracy in the same system.

“The fast road is quick and dirty,” says Grandin. “You see something long, thin, and dark in your path, and your amygdala screams, ‘It’s a snake!’ Twelve milliseconds later your cortex has the second opinion: either, ‘It’s definitely a snake!’ or, ‘It’s just a stick.’ The reason fast fear can be so fast is that accuracy is sacrificed for speed.”

High road fear is also conscious (you know what you’re afraid of); low road fear is not—“you’re running away before you know what you’re running away from,” says Grandin.

Your horse, as you might have guessed, depends primarily on low-road, fast fear, so he’s going to respond to something scary much more quickly than you would. That’s often what catches you off guard.

Grandin says the inborn temperament of animals also plays a role, as some species and breeds are even more sensitive to fear than others. She calls these more fear- prone animals, which tend to be finer boned than less sensitive types, “fear monsters.” Arabian horses in general fall into this category; as a result, they tend to have a low tolerance for rough handling.

“Some trainers swear rough handling is effective. But what’s interesting about these trainers is that if you check out their horses, they’re all big-boned, low-fear horses who habituate fast to treatment that would crush a high-strung animal”—such as an Arabian. (For you Arabian lovers, note that Grandin also observes that high fear and high sensitivity tend to correlate with intelligence; the greater “awareness” of such horses makes them highly trainable—by the right methods.)

Keystone.

Photo courtesy of Tom Theodore

“We were looking for a horse and came upon Keystone on the Equine.com [A Home For Every Horse] website,” says the Tiro, Ohio, resident. “We contacted the Ashtabulah County (Ohio) Humane Society to express our interest in seeing her. We made an appointment and drove three hours to see her. We fell in love with her, and the rest is history.”

At the Humane Society, Theodore learned a little about Keystone’s background. The 8-year-old mare had been underweight when rescued and was treated for sand colic, he says. Unfortunately, an earlier attempt at adoption had backfired. “She had gone to another home but didn't do well with one of the horses (a mare) there, so she was returned,” he explains.

But all that is in the past. When they found Keystone, Theodore and his wife were returning to horse ownership after some time off. In fact, she’d owned a Percheron, so draft horses were right up their alley.

They couldn’t be happier with the big chestnut beauty. “She is a wonderful horse,” Theodore enthuses. “Very sweet and gentle, and our 6-year-old niece has even been up on her and led around without any problems. We also have a Quarter Horse gelding named Sunny that shares the pasture with her … they get along great and have been on trail rides together. She both leads and follows very well.”

Keystone is currently being trail ridden and is doing a “wonderful” job of adapting to new situations, terrain and obstacles. “She does not spook and is very quick to learn,” her new owner says. “Her ground manners are also wonderful, which speaks highly of the staff that worked with her at the Ashtabulah Humane Society.”

At this writing, the Theodores are having a harness made for Keystone, so she can learn to pull a cart, too.

Meanwhile, the gentle giant is making friends with another huge creature. “Keystone has become attached to one of our English Mastiffs,” Theodore explains. “When we let the dogs out, Keystone will come running to the fence and snort until the female (Marley) goes over to her and touches noses with her; then she goes back to grazing.”