Testing, testing!

After much anticipation, the hoof boots have finally arrived!  It's taken a lot of saving up, equal generosity from my husband and much deliberation in choosing them.

Once I knew that we had the funds necessary to purchase the boots, (which nearly entailed taking out a second mortgage!), I emailed Liz Hapgood from Hoofbootique, (Hoofbootique), for her expert advice.  I can't recommend this service highly enough and Liz is very generous with her time and detailed suggestions and explanations.

The first thing that she noted was how much our measurements had changed from when I had first given them to her.  I can only attribute this to the ponies being on the Paradise and our three week trim cycle.  As it's quite interesting to see these changes, I have recorded them below.

Alfie - old 140mm wide x 135mm long; new 130mm wide x 130mm long.

Wish - old 130mm wide x 130mm long; new 130mm wide x 125mm long.

Dougal - old 150mm wide x 150mm long; new 150mm wide x 145mm long.

Skylark - old 95mm wide x 95mm long; new 100mm wide x 100mm long.

Based upon the new measurements, here are the boot choices that Liz recommended for each horse:

Alfie: Renegade - a 2W cut-back in length to 130mm. Other options would be Equine Fusion size 13, Back Country in 2W, Trail in size 5, Cavallo in size 3.

Wish: Renegade - same as Alfie, 2W 10mm cut-back. A Trail in size 5 or a Back Country in 2W.

Dougal: Renegade 4WW 6mm cut-back or size 9 Trail. Only other option size 6 Cavallo but possibly too big.

Skylark:  Renegade size 00 cut-back to around 105mm, Equine Fusion size 10, Back Country size 00.

Liz then gave me some advice and info on each boot to help me decide what might be the best choice for us.  I have put some of this below to help anyone else who is trying to make hoof boot choices at the moment!

Renegades are the most adjustable and tweakable, so with a difficult horse or one that might twist, these can be a good choice. All other boots are an unknown when it comes to twisting, but what we can do is go for the best fit possible to limit any issues. Renegades are pretty tough but the tread wears fairly quickly if doing lots and lots of roadwork.  If doing a mix of on and off road work they will last extremely well.  The cables will most likely need replacing at some point. Very quick and easy to put on and off, (once the initial adjustments are done), and definitely quickest to wash and dry.

Equine Fusion - good boots but fiddly and straps, and take a while to dry, so possibly not ideal for us.

Back Country - This boot is very similar to the Trail but with a Glove shell at the bottom, so it is a little more hard wearing. Over time the material part can go a little 'saggy' if doing lots of off-road riding, much like the Trail, but it can be replaced. There is a need to break these in gently so they don't rub. They can be blasted off with a hose and the drying time is not too bad - quicker than the Trail, longer than the Renegade.

Trail - Very easy to use, lasts fairly well but not as long as the Old Mac. The fabric will most likely go before the tread and then you need a whole new boot!

Apart from fitting well, our main criteria were that we wanted boots that were easy to put on and off and easy to clean.  We also wanted boots that could accommodate some hoof growth as we begin to stretch out our trim cycle. 

Based upon this criteria and Liz's advice, we decided to hire Renegades for Alfie/Wish and Skylark and to get Trails for Dougal and a pair for Alfie/Wish.  We got the Trails for Alfie and Wish, (who are the same size), because we felt that Wish would probably be fine in them but also wanted to try the Renegades on her.  The hire service at Hoofbootique is a brilliant idea.  You basically pay the full cost of the boots plus a £40.00 hire charge which gives you two weeks to hire the boots.  Should you decide to keep the boots, Hoofbootique will discount the cost of the hire to £25.00 and refund you £15.00.  If you send the boots back, you will be refunded the cost of the boots.  I would really recommend this to anybody trying out boots.  It doesn't matter how carefully you measure the feet, each boot is very different and a mm here or there can make all the difference.  Not only can hiring help you in obtaining the correct size but also in trying the boots out and seeing how your horse goes in them.  Practicalities like cleaning and ease of use can also be assessed without having made a full commitment.  

So, the boots arrived and we couldn't wait to get them out of the box.  When we opened the Renegades, we all gasped at their beauty!!

Conversely, when we opened up the Trails, we couldn't believe how cumbersome they looked next to the sleek Renegades!

We have actually already seen the Trails but in a much smaller size.  In both the size 5 and 9 they just looked really clumpy and primitive.  We had been using Old Mac G2s for Dougal and had decided to try something different as these were rather heavy and restrictive.  Their leather straps also drove us mad when clogged with mud and they consequently took ages to get on and off and to clean.  The Trail is based upon the Old Mac G2 chassis but has been stripped down to be lighter and more user friendly.  So, despite the less than appealing look of the Trails, we were still sold on the fact that the Trails were really easy to put on and off and that the Renegades looked a little complicated.  How wrong we were!!

We tried the Renegades on Wish first and couldn't get over how easy they were to put on!  You simply peel back the heel captivator at the back of the boot and slot the base of the boot on the hoof.  You then tension the cables by pulling the strap on the toe of the boot.  To finish off, the pastern strap is done up but not tightly as this is not the primary means of holding on the boot.  Due to it's clever design, the tension cables run from the heel captivator which sits on the heel bulbs through to the strap on the toe.  So once you've tensioned the toe strap, the boot stays put even with the pastern strap undone.  The pastern strap is just there as a fail safe incase the horse overreaches and thus keeps the boot even more securely in place.  This set up also means that unlike some other brands that have a low profile design, the boot can accommodate growth because it doesn't have to be too snug a fit.  It is the cables that provide the security and thus some wiggle room in the boot itself.  As an added bonus, the base of the boot can also be cut back to offer further flexibility when fitting and so these boots really can accommodate a wide range of sizes.

Wish has never worn hoof boots before and having seen how the others walked when introduced to Old Macs etc I expected a similar performance.  However, not only did she not do this, her movement actually improved when trotted up!  We couldn't believe how obvious this was.  Having seen this, I decided that pending further testing, I would not even open the box of the Trails for her.  The Renegades were so easy and allowed her to move so naturally, even enhancing her movement that the Trails suddenly seemed very outdated.

The same thing happened when we fitted the Renegades to Skylark, they were easy to fit and she moved beautifully.  The 2w Renegades were a little small for Alfie but foreseeing this as a possibility, Liz had included a 2ww Renegade fitting shell.  This proved a better fit and we'll be ordering him a pair in this size.

So to Dougal.  We'd been really unsure what to order him between the Trails and the Renegades.  On the one hand Issie fancied the ease of the Trails but worried about all that velcro amongst his mass of feather!  The Renegades seemed like a good option but again the feather loomed large.  In the end, we decided to give the Trails a go just because we were familiar with them and had used them fairly successfully in a smaller size.

Oh boy, what can I say?  Velcro and feather really are not a good combination!  It was really difficult to wrap the Trails around Dougal's rather large legs, battling to get his feathers out of the way.  The Trails in a size 9 just look massive and are really restrictive around the pastern.  We did get them on but Dougal seemed distinctly unimpressed.  When he tried to move he looked as though he was wallowing around with wellies on that were a few sizes too big!  Not exactly chuffed but determined to see the test through to the next level, we got the tack out..............

We decided that in order to fully test the boots we would have to go on roads, through deep mud, canter, gallop and jump!  If the boots stayed put and the ponies moved well throughout these tests then we would be able to declare them a success.

As we set off, Wish strode out in her usual enthusiastic fashion.  Dougal, on the other hand, was decidedly sedate and looked as though he was walking through sinking mud!  He even put on his best 'I'm terribly neglected' expression!  Things didn't get better for Dougal when we came off the tarmac.  He struggled through the mud, tripped over roots and generally seemed to have lost his ability to connect with the ground. Actually, the Trails are so large that we wondered if they were interfering with Dougal's proprioception.  They did stay on but I think Dougal would have been more than happy if they had slipped off!

Wish, meanwhile, was floating on air!  She felt amazing, moving better than ever and negotiating all the obstacles uneventfully.  The deep mud could have been an expensive arena surface and the roots and ditches went by apparently unnoticed!  The Renegades did not falter, staying firmly put whilst allowing Wish to move freely.  I kept looking down expecting them to have fallen by the wayside due to their low profile but was greeted by their reassuring presence on her feet.

We then tried a canter with Wish bouncing forward and quickly progressing into a flat out gallop!  The Renegades did not budge an inch which was impressive as the gallop had been in fairly deep sand.  Again, her movement remained completely unaffected by the boots and again she actually felt more springy and sure footed.  Issie tried the same on Dougal and although he managed a canter he was much slower than usual and Issie said that he felt like he was labouring with the boots on.  When they came to a stop, it was obvious to see that the left boot had twisted about an inch to the outside and Dougal consequently was dishing on that side.  

I then went on to jump Wish, again without any dramas and with the Renegades staying put.  We decided not to jump Dougal as he seemed so compromised with the Trails on that we didn't think it would be fair on him to ask him to jump or particularly safe.  Below is a little video showing some of these tests!

When we got back and took the boots off, both were pretty muddy.  The Trails took a while to clean off with mud being stuck to the velcro and time consuming hosing mud off the fabric part of the boot required.  the Renegades were much quicker to clean given that most of the boot is constructed from plastic.  A quick hose off soon had them looking as good as new whereas even after washing the Trails remained a little grimy.

The Verdict

I'm sure that by now anybody reading this will be able to guess our favourite boots!  Yes, the Renegades were our overwhelming favourite in terms of ease of putting on and off, ability to fit a wide range of feet, a design which not only doesn't interfere with a horses' movement but appears to enhance it, ability to stay put through demanding terrain and ease of cleaning.  The Renegades may take a little adjustment out of the box when first fitting but this is well worth it for the performance they offer once this is done.

We can see the thinking behind the Trails, design a lightweight boot that is easy to put on and off at a competitive price point.  However, in making these factors a priority, too much has been compromised.  The fact that these compromises appear to result in less comfort and freedom of movement for the horse mean that for us the Trails wouldn't be an option we would ever consider again.

Seeing these two boots perform side by side has actually lead me to come to what some might consider to be a rather controversial conclusion, (darn it, why can't I steer away from controversy, it seems always to find me!).   Boots that wrap around the pastern such as the Trails, Old Macs, Cavallos, Equine Fusion and Boa are more likely to interfere with the natural biomechanics of the horse or at least mean that optimum freedom of movement is unlikely to be achieved.  Boots such as the Renegades that permit freedom of movement whilst providing some shock absorption set a new standard in what barefoot horses deserve to be wearing.  We spend so much time caring for our barefoot horses and this is what led most of us to make the decision to take shoes off/not put shoes on in the first place.  Why then would we compromise in what we choose to put on their feet when riding/exercising them?  As a result of our testing, we would now not put our horses in anything but Renegades, feeling that even similarly designed boots from competitors do not offer the same levels of comfort to the horse.  So, it's hire boots back and Dragon Fire Reds for Skylark, Sport Orange for Dougal, Jade for Alfie and Burgundy Blitz for Wish.  I'll be writing further posts on what we get up to in our Renegades and making any observations that might be of use to those who might be considering using them.  In the mean time, Happy Easter everyone and I hope you are all enjoying this fabulous dry weather!

DOG, DOOR, GRAVEL!!!

After my last post on clicker training and SATS, (Equine Cognition- The Final Frontier), I received an awful lot of feedback.  Some of this was good, some undecided and some, well, rather negative!!  Overall I'm delighted that both my own post and that of Jane Holderness, (Magic's Own Little World), provoked so much discussion.  I believe that in order for our knowledge to evolve, such exchange of ideas and opinions is vital.  However, there are a few issues I would like to clarify and a couple of areas I would like to expand upon.

Firstly, it is not my intention to criticise clicker training per se.  Rather, I am attempting to highlight some of the issues that can be encountered if clicker training is not used with care.  One treat one click training when used with horses can achieve amazing results.  These results are, however, subject to a number of parameters being adhered to. 

The trainer must have a keen eye for detail, seeing both the smallest try and also remaining aware at all times of subtle signs that might indicate that the horse is becoming over threshold, (whether that be fear/anxiety/tension/arousal etc).  The trainer must know exactly when to switch to a variable schedule of reinforcement and also when to fade out the click altogether.  The trainer must know how best to set their horse up for success and be able to adapt readily if things don't go according to plan.

Arguably, these are attributes that all trainers should possess.  In practise, we all live in the real world and many of us fall below these standards.  I for one try the best I can for my horses but am of average ability and have like many people below average funds to pay for the coaching that might help me to progress further.  So in the real world, this ability gap in equine one treat one click training can result in horses becoming frustrated, anxious, tense and over aroused.  This highlights the real issue with equine clicker training.  It is not intrinsically flawed but in it's interface with us less than perfect human trainers, the science behind it can easily become distorted.  I believe that a successful training method should have some tolerance to error built in to accommodate a whole variety of abilities and resources.  This is why I started to look for ways to build upon the lessons I had learned through clicker training, to compensate for my own shortcomings in a way that would enhance my training partnership with my horses.

This leads me to another point of clarification.  Many people have begun referring to SATS as a method or claiming that SATS perceives itself as a method.  I would disagree on both counts.  SATS does not reinvent the wheel or start with a fresh sheet of paper.  Rather, it uses a variety of tools that are out there, some more accepted than others, and assembles them in a way that makes the end result more user friendly.  I think that the difficulty that some people are having in understanding exactly what SATS is derives from the fact that SATS, unlike many other ways of training, does not have a vertical hierarchy.  By this I mean that it's structure does not go from Lesson One at the bottom, progressing through the lessons until the top of the ladder.  Rather, the structure is horizontal with many components being taught simultaneously to give the animal as much information as possible and the trainer multiple tools with which to do this. So why does this make SATS user friendly?  Surely vertical is easier than horizontal?!!  Well, here's some reasons why I believe that SATS is suitable for all abilities and has some tolerance to error built in.

The first feature is the use of the Intermediate Bridge, (IB).  When using a terminal bridge, (TB) exclusively, timing is everything.  It is easy to miss the exact moment that we should be clicking causing confusion and even frustration in our horses.  By using the IB, it becomes clear to the horse exactly when what they are doing is getting closer to the answer.  Rather than having to experiment a little to get to the answer, we can give them real time feedback on how they're doing.  This then reduces the possibility of uncertainty in the horse and gives us human trainers a little leeway if we miss the exact timing on the TB because the horse knows that they are in approximately the correct place.  

The thing that I'm noticing with great surprise is how unbelievably reinforcing the IB becomes to the horse.  In fact, I'm now hardly giving food treats and the TB seems almost inconsequential to them.  I suspect this is because the IB gives so much confidence to the learner, (horse), that they are doing the right thing that they really begin to relish the actual process of learning.  The IB therefore motivates them, informs them and keeps them in the game.  I suppose this is hardly surprising given that we all like encouragement to learn.  Imagine if every time someone asked you a question they praised your efforts until you got the answer, you would be motivated to try something else, perhaps even something more challenging.

As a trainer, another surprising effect of the IB has been to help me see the smaller steps and tries on the part of the horses.  When only using a TB, although we are shaping approximations, I believe that the TB keeps the link to the finished behaviour fresh in our minds.  When using the IB, the whole focus becomes the try and the end result seems to fade.  I know every day I'm becoming more able to see the smallest steps because of  using the IB.  The IB therefore enables things to be trained much more quickly both because the horse is more motivated and informed and the trainer more available and observant.

The IB is further enhanced by the idea of 'naming and explaining' the training process to the horse.  So not only are we giving feedback in the form of the IB, we are naming for the horse exactly what is happening at any given time.  So if I wanted to teach my horse to lift up her left leg, I would firstly name her front left leg for her.  I would then using targets teach her 'up' and 'down'.  I would then ask her to lift UP her FRONT LEFT LEG.  I have put in capitals the words that are meaningful to the horse because they are words that I have 'mapped' for her.  After making the request, I would watch for any sign of a shift of weight off the front left leg, giving the IB and then TB.  If the leg remained down, I would merely tell the horse that their LEFT FRONT LEG is DOWN and not bridge.

This leads me nicely in to my next point which although has been made elsewhere is worth emphasising.  In SATS, there are no wrong answers, just information!!!  In the example of lifting the leg, although what I am seeing is eventually for the leg to lift, the leg remaining down isn't wrong, it's just not up at the moment!  I can take the opportunity to explain to the horse what DOWN feels like which will save me a job later.  Most importantly, instead of the horse potentially becoming demoralised as she seeks the answer, she is always learning about something.  The IB then helps to point her in the direction relevant to my question and the TB confirms this.  It is easy to see that compared to the use of just a TB, this equips the horse with masses of information and therefore confidence and motivation.

I'm also discovering that naming things has a purpose beyond the basic training scenario.  This is in the reduction of anxiety and fear when encountering bothersome stimuli.  We have to hack past a house nearby that has a very loud dog flap!  When we go past, the flap springs open, slams closed and then two dogs scramble across some very loud gravel before barking.  Our ponies began to become worried about going past the house, beginning to show signs of anxiety progressively greater distances from the house.  Even Dougal, (who wouldn't be disturbed by a nuclear bomb going off underneath him), began to show mild signs of disdain for these two small creatures who insisted on disturbing his peace and quiet!).  On a serious note, this was becoming a safety issue as the house adjoined a road on which we had to pass.

So, we embarked upon a programme of counter conditioning and desensitisation on the ground.  We retreated to a point where the ponies could hear the dog flap and dogs but remain below threshold.  At this point, we encouraged them to be calm and treated them before retreating further away.  We would then get a bit nearer and repeat the process.  The ponies improved greatly but the trouble was that the dogs would come out of the their flap at different times.  Sometimes it would be before we got to the door, sometimes whilst we were passing it, sometimes just after we had passed and sometimes they would wait until we thought the coast was clear before running out!  As a consequence, the ponies remained a little on edge as none of us were sure when the menaces would reveal themselves!

I was riding Wish past there the other day and decided to experiment with the idea of 'name and explain'.  She is familiar with the names of DOG, DOOR and GRAVEL, (don't ask- her mind map has taken some odd detours!!).  So, as we approached and before she became at all tense, I told her that we were about to come to the DOOR where the DOGS would come out over the GRAVEL and would then bark, (I then made woof, woof noises).  Wish stopped for a moment and I asked her if she was ready.  She turned and bumped my knee so I asked her forward.  As we got nearer I said the same thing again and told her it was about to happen.  She strode on.  The dogs did come out and perform their now boring ritual and Wish remained cool as a cucumber!  Not really believing that it could be that simple, I engineered a route back past the house on the way home.  I repeated the same experiment with exactly the same results.  Since then I have tried similar things with the same effect.

This is where I believe we begin to voyage into the mysteries of cognition.  Even if most of 'name and explain' is attributed to classical conditioning, (which in itself is unproblematic if it is helpful to the horse), to me this shows an ability to transfer concepts to different contexts or to generalise.  The take home point here is that this generalisation is occuring after very few trials.  I haven't repetitively drilled Wish on DOG, DOOR and GRAVEL, naming them for her three times at the most in a very different context.  However, she seems able to understand them sufficiently to be able to apply them in a way that reduced her anxiety due to this  understanding of them.

I suppose it is analogous to a small child walking next to a busy road whilst clinging to their parent's hand.  If a large lorry should come rattling past and the parent gives them a reassuring squeeze, the child will probably feel better but will always wonder what that monsterous metal thing was!  The next time one came past, the child might be likely to experience the anxiety that comes from the unknown. The parent could have given them a squeeze and told the child that it was a lorry that carries goods for us to use or to eat and that there are many of them on our roads. When next confronted with a lorry, the child could then have used this information to understand what the lorry is and not feel the same levels of anxiety.

It is in relation to anxiety or rather calmness that I would also like to comment.  I am aware that there have been many claims about clicking for calmness, asserting that it is both possible and impossible.  Some people say it isn't possible to train emotional states just their physical manifestations, some claim otherwise.  I am currently reading a brilliant book by Stephen Biddulph called 'Raising Girls'.  (I can't recommend this book highly enough for those of you reading this who have daughters/grand daughters/nieces.  It highlights the tragic erosion of girlhood and the all too early sexualisation of our girls whilst giving useful information on how to empower daughters into womanhood).  In the book he talks about mothers as role models, specifically in relation to remaining calm through the storms that life throws at us.  Stephen refers to calmness as a skill, something that can be learned, practised and passed on to others.  Through developing an awareness of breathing, groundedness and exercises to rid our body of tension, we can make calmness a self reinforcing habit.  I think this sums up to me how SATS addresses calmness.  By identifying our horses' body parts, by helping them to understand how they feel when they are both alert and relaxed, we can help them to understand what calm feels like.  Further, we can help them practise achieving the state until it becomes reinforcing for them too.

My final point relates to semantics.  I believe that it is important to try to understand things scientifically in order to provide some objective framework against which to analyse our training interactions.  However, not only does science not have all the answers, whether something is X or Y will not influence the ultimate training outcome and remains both unimportant and unknown by our horses.  The danger with feeling beholden to science is that it may stifle our interactions with our horses by robbing us of our instincts and creativity.  For those people reading this who use the science to their advantage and are content with their training relationships with their horses, I have great respect for you and I will seek to learn more from you.  For those of you who like me either encountered issues with their training or merely who feel that their training has become rather unidimensional, I would encourage you to liberate yourselves to go out and experiment!  

Equine Cognition- The Final Frontier

When I started this blog it was with the caveat that I would stray off piste from time to time.  This post does not deviate too far but it certainly examines matters beyond gravel and hooves!

After many discussions on various forums and a personal journey of discovery and experimentation, I have been feeling moved to write something on a subject that is little researched, acknowledged and talked about-the cognitive abilities of our equine companions.

But this is to start at the end, perhaps a little background would help.  Like many other horse owners, I have long been searching for the best ways to communicate with my horses.  Many years ago, disillusioned with much of what I had witnessed in conventional horse training and seeking a better relationship with my horses, I began what would end up being a winding journey through different methods.  This journey also involved much self discovery, often uncomfortable in nature, and continues today.

I stumbled firstly upon natural horsemanship, attracted by the ideas of interacting with my horses in a language more familiar to them and beginning to understand their body language and communication.  I studied clinicians such as Pat Parelli, Mark Rashid, Tom Dorrance, Monty Roberts and Carolyn Resnick to name but a few.  All of these very experienced trainers have valuable input on different levels and all have their own unique insights into the horse/human relationship.  I was disturbed, however, by the escalation of pressure used by some and the resultant tension I observed in some of the horses being trained.  I also felt that the fundamental flaw with some of these methods was that the human was encouraged to act like a fellow herd member whilst horses were clearly capable of recognising that we are infact human!

Taking away the knowledge I considered to be of value, I began searching for a means of communicating that was more precise and scientifically underpinned.  I have a very good friend who has been clicker training her horse for many years and she kindly invited me to watch a training session she was doing with her horse. I was immediately struck and impressed both by how passive she was able to be as a trainer and also the clarity with which the click and reward was able to communicate her intention to her horse.  Further, her horse seemed engaged in the training interaction and was sufficiently self directed to be empowered to embark upon some problem solving activities.

I decided to research clicker training before giving it a go although the idea of clicking and rewarding behaviours to make them happen more frequently seemed remarkably simple and therefore seductive.  My research, however, indicated that I was wise to wait before experimenting with the horses.  Yes, clicker training is an incredibly effective, clear and motivating communication system but an understanding of the science is really important.  As I read more and attended some clinics, I developed certain concerns.  Would it be possible to addict the horse to being clicked and treated?  Would I really be seeing my horse's 'real' behaviour if our training interactions were based upon positive reinforcement?  Could I cause conflict in my horse if I attempted to ask her to do something with the clicker that she would otherwise be unwilling to do?

I remember attending a workshop with Ben Hart, (http://www.hartshorsemanship.com/), whilst I was in the process of doing this research.  I made a complete nuisance of myself by challenging Ben on all these aspects of clicker training and he answered my concerns with great patience and detailed explanations.  Whilst an advocate of clicker training, it is Ben in his book that actually addressed these potential pitfalls and how to avoid them.  Precautions such as using variable schedules of reinforcement, phasing out the click as soon as possible and intermediate bridges were all discussed.  Did I listen?  NO!

When I finally started clicker training with my horses, I followed the more accepted methodology in equine circles of one treat one click.  I became excited and transfixed by what I could now achieve with my horses. I got great pleasure at seeing that light bulb moment when each horse realised that they could influence the training transaction by their actions.  I loved the feeling of passivity in free shaping and the idea that my horses were stretching their intellectual capabilities by becoming problem solvers.  The only limit it seemed was my imagination.

Despite all of this, some nagging doubts remained.  Some of our herd were becoming rather over stimulated during their clicker sessions.  Some seemed just generally tense.  I also felt that although we were communicating at a different level, there was something rather clinical about the stimulus- response- reward transaction.   I continued clicker training and began expanding my horizons and looking at other trainers, particularly those for whom relaxation and lack of tension was a training priority.  I began paying much more attention to achieving relaxation, not beginning a training session until the horses were calm in the first place and doing much work on clicking for calmness.  I also began being really aware of switching to variable schedules of reinforcement and phasing out the click as soon as possible.

All this helped to an extent, but I still felt that for all the advances clicker training had facilitated, something was missing from our interactions.  I also began to question the more positive aspects of clicker training such as free shaping.  Was it really desirable to be so passive as a trainer, leaving the horses to figure out the answer albeit in small approximations but also to figure out the question?  Would I do this to my kids, put them in a room, not give them any guidance and wait for them to offer behaviour that I could reinforce?  In the human context I would label this inappropriate so why was it ok to be doing this with my horses?  Is trial and error learning really expanding problem solving/intellectual abilities?  I also had times when I couldn't help but feel that the little plastic box that had been such a part of our lives over the last couple of years bore a resemblance to Pandora's Box.  It was now well and truly open and I didn't know how to either close it or mitigate its effects.

Fate, as it has a habit of doing, then intervened.  I had bought a training manual pre clicker training on SATS.  I had given it a rather cursory glance and then dismissed it as complicated and scientifically unfounded.  Whilst wallowing in a state of uncertainty, I noticed in a friend's blog that having experienced similar sentiments, she was exploring SATS.  I dusted off the manual I had bought a few years previously and began to read, not expecting to have much light thrown into the situation.  

What I found, however, was many answers to the questions I had been asking and a way of communicating that would take the best of operant conditioning but also harnessing the cognitive abilities of animals.  SATS, stands for Synergistic Alliances and more information can be found at http://synalia.com/  SATS is not so much a system or a methodology but a philosophy.  In it's most basic form, it can be stated as a way of working with animals that utilises our understanding of learning and behavioural theory by using bridges and targets but also acknowledges the cognitive capabilities of animals.  Perhaps a practical example would help!

It we wanted to teach a horse to be calm, with a clicker we would ideally only start a session when the horse was relatively calm or at least not overstimulated.  We would then be looking for small signs of relaxation and reinforce these signs such as a relaxed muzzle or ears or lowered head.  Our own relaxed stance would gradually become a cue for relaxation and thus over time we would aim to have a relaxed horse.

With SATS, recognising that the horse is actually capable of understanding what relaxation is and feels like, we would seek to provide them with the information necessary for them to achieve this state.  We would firstly therefore name for them all their body parts such as ears, muzzle, nose, shoulders etc, creating a mental map of their body.  We would then help the horse to achieve a relaxed state by massaging them or for touch sensitive horses, other means that would be likely to induce relaxation.  As we are doing this, we would tell the horse that we want them to be calm and as we see signs that they are beginning to be calm would give the intermediate and then terminal bridges.  Further, we would talk them through when their individual body parts look calm such as 'good calm ears, muzzle etc'.  If the same ears became alert, this is reported back to the horse, 'those are alert ears, can you give me calm ears'?  By undergoing this process, the horse begins to 'own' the state of calmness very rapidly and to consequently be able to reproduce it.  No food is used throughout the process in order to avoid over stimulation, the bridges being sufficiently reinforcing.

What is the difference between the two examples and does it matter?  In the clicker training example, the horse is shaped over time to be ostensibly relaxed.  I use the word 'ostensibly' deliberately.  Does the horse really understand that what we are training is relaxation or merely standing still for a prolonged period?  Can the horse generalise relaxation easily so that it is on cue in a variety of contexts?  I am not sure.  In the latter example, I believe that the horse is indeed equipped to understand the concept of relaxation because they are given an awareness of what different parts of their body feel like when given the cue to relax.  Relaxation means something to them.  As they are also taught the contrasting state of 'alert' at  the same time, relaxation is put into context for them as well.  

If we accept that horses, (and many other animals), possess the ability to understand many of our words and concepts if only we talk to them, this dramatically changes the training landscape.  Of course we still want to use the principles of operant conditioning as part of our communication, (it would both inefficient and naive to think that we could or should exclude them).  However, we can greatly enhance the learning experience by mapping out the animal's world for them in our language and then using this knowledge when interacting with them.  

Of course it is perfectly possible to teach words and concepts by using operant conditioning alone but generally labels are only attached once actions are learned.  This artificial distinction between words and actions can result in misunderstandings and a lack of appreciation of meaning.  If the animal is taught words contextually, I believe it makes much more sense to them.  This claim is made several times by Irene Pepperberg amongst others in her books The Alex Studies and Alex and Me.  She used the rival/model method to teach Alex his vast vocabulary and understanding of concepts.  This essentially involves two trainers demonstrating infront of the animal the task that they intend the animal to learn.  The animal then gains an understanding of the context with which the words are used and thus their meaning.  Although it is claimed that equines lack the ability to learn by imitation this seems strange for a social species and may be down to the design of the studies undertaken to date rather than a comment on this aspect of equine cognition.

To conclude, this post is not intended as a critique of clicker training but rather an observation of the issues that can occur if it is not used with care.  It is also a recognition of the cognitive abilities of horses and an encouragement to other owners and trainers to experiment beyond the parameters of operant conditioning.  We have become so concerned to do the right thing for our horses, to be ethical and fair it is as if we are now afraid to interact with them on a  more instinctive, energetic level.  Whilst I certainly would not advocate abandoning those principles that are effective and inform our relationships with our horses, I also feel that it is time to abandon the more clinical aspects of behaviorism for a little cognitive revolution of our own.

That Elusive Concept of Hoof Balance!

There's been a lot of discussion recently about how best to trim hooves for barefoot performance.  In the 'minimal intervention' camp, there is an arguement that hooves are pefectly capable of responding to anatomical and biomechanical abnormalities.  Resulting deviations should therefore be left well alone as they are nature's way of providing support structures to the horse.  Flare on the other hand is by nature weak and will wear away over time, thus being viewed as unproblematic.  Concerns about flare placing leverage on the hoof capsule are unfounded as the stretched white line is no match for healthy laminae.   A good representation of this position can be found on Rockley Farm's latest blog- http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/flare-deviation-and-does-it-really.html

On the interventionist side, the arguement goes that flare does effect the overall integrity of the hoof capsule and is therefore undesirable.  Further, deviations merely perpertuate incorrect movement patterns and leaving the deviation reflects a failure to address the reason for the underlying anatomical/biomechanical issue.  

These competing positions raise an important question- what exactly is a balanced hoof?  Or more precisely, what is hoof balance?  Unsurprisingly given the heated and continuing debate over subject, there does not appear to be a widely accepted definition of hoof balance!  To make matters more complicated, there are many different parameters which apply in examining hoof balance.  The hoof pastern axis, (HPA), medio-lateral balance, static and dynamic balance, solar plane and coronary hairband to name a few.  For those of us who do not have expertise in the intricate marvel that is the hoof, it is understandable that we might sometimes feel disempowered from making good decisions about our horses' feet.

For a long while, I was a proponent of the less invasive approach believing that within reason the ponies' hooves were sufficiently remarkable to compensate for any anatomical/biomechanical variances.  That the hoof may not be pleasing to the eye was unimportant if it was functional.  As long as the horse was sound and capable over a variety of surfaces, this was the ultimate test.  Aesthetics were not the priority.

In recent months I have not so much moved from this position as been forced to examine it from a new angle, if you'll pardon the pun.  Since the ponies have been on the Paradise, we began to see that flare was being reduced, (as predicted by the minimal intervention camp).  We started with some deviations, particularly with the lovely Alfie who has been blessed with pigeon toes and moves like a Kenwood Chef, (no offence intended and I would never say it to his face!).  When our lovely foot trimmer went off to have babies we enlisted the help first of a farrier who had worked extensively with Dr Sheila Lyons in the States and more recently with a brilliant young farrier, Conor Parsons- http://www.facebook.com/connor.parsons.520?fref=ts  Both suggested that we start to gradually reduce the deviations, (the more interventionist approach), with a view to balancing the foot in the more traditional sense, (based upon ideas of symmetry following landmarks), thus theoretically improving the horses' way of going.  I was somewhat sceptical of this but agreed to give it a try.  This wasn't something I took lightly but as all the ponies were sore when we moved from our sandy soils and hacking to the much harsher environment of tarmac/flint hacking, I thought the experiment would be interesting and worthwhile.

It has not been long since this experiment started but I have to say that I'm astounded with the improvement in all the ponies' feet.  Yes, they are aesthetically pleasing but much more importantly, all the ponies are becoming increasingly capable on the tarmac, flint and other surfaces.  They seem to be gradually developing greater concavity and their frogs are becoming bigger by the day.  Their soles are thickening and it is as if the compact integrity of their hoof capsules is building ever stronger and tougher feet.  I've included some 'before and after' photos of some of their feet to show this, the date stamps on the photos make the progression self evident.

Dougal:

Alfie:

Wish:

I would attribute these changes firstly to the ponies being on the Paradise.  The gravel is wonderful for wearing away flaking sole and really seems to be 'building' greater concavity.  The concrete seems to be helping to develop really tough toe calluses.  We also had the ponies on a strict three week trim cycle in the beginning to try and resolve the deviations.  I was prepared for this to continue being necessary as the hoof inevitably fought back against our attempted changes.  The fascinating thing has been to witness how once the hoof capsule was really 'tight', (not a technical term but hopefully this conveys the meaning I am trying to convey), the deviations are not coming back and the trim cycle is being pushed ever backwards.  I do not have an explanation of why this could be but wonder if  that once the new balance is 'set', the horses' movement and therefore hoof adapts accordingly.

So it's so far so good for the ponies' feet and we're slowly starting to increase their mileage and doing less booted.  To give an idea of what they are currently capable of, each pony is now happy to do up to one and a half hours of hacking of which 25% is on roads each day.  I do not think of myself being a proponent of either camp of the elusive notion of hoof balance, but rather a pioneer who is trying to do the best for her horses.  Should this particular path prove unfruitful at any stage or the ponies become less capable or uncomfortable then of course this will provoke a review.  The more of us that experiment and push the boundaries, the more data we will have on what trims are the most successful.  It is unlikely in any case that one particular style of trim will ever suit all horses and to this extent, it is still the horses that will always dictate what is best for them.

The Art of Compromise

It's been quite a while since my last post.  It's taken fresh snow to confine me to barracks and to give me long enough indoors to scribble down an update.

It's a little over a month since we built our Paddock Paradise and in that time I've learned quite a bit about keeping the horses this way.  The main thing that has struck me is that it is a very labour intensive exercise.  As we have a relatively small space it is important that we keep up to date with poo picking, sifting hay from the gravel, ensuring there is adequate hay/water available and of course providing the all important enrichment activities.  Infact, I sometimes feel like the manager of a five star hotel, constantly keeping an eye on my guests, (horses), in order to make sure that their every need is met including an interesting and varied entertainments programme!  Red coats, (or whatever they are these days), eat your hearts out!

On the subject of enrichment, I'm staggered both by the extent and variety of activities that the horses enjoy.  The first thing I have been doing for them is foraging.  Yes, foraging!  Each day I go out with a builder's sack and some dangerous looking secateurs and comb the countryside for anything that looks tasty for the horses.  I've actually become rather OCD about it.  I've started noticing particularly juicy looking gorse bushes whilst driving past, slamming on the brakes and jumping out, feeling the thrill of securing such tasty looking morsels. Although somewhat time consuming, this has really helped me view the countryside through the horses' eyes. What would they find appealing, what would they be drawn to?  I've been filling the sack and taking it back to base camp where the horses await in anticipation.  The once scary yellow flapping builder's sack has now taken to resembling impending treats and is thus a favourite object on the yard!  

The picture shows a bag full of flowering gorse, heather and brambles.  Unbelievably, the four horses usually take less than 15 minutes to devour the whole lot!

I was amazed to find that all the horses actually crunch through the gorse, the picture being proof of this!  They particularly seem to enjoy delicately picking off the flowers and then eating their way through the thistles!  I've also included the rather long video which not only shows the first release onto Paddock Paradise but lots of film of the ponies browsing the extra forage I'd brought home for them.

In addition to the forage that they can eat, we've also been putting out around five big tree stumps and large branches each day.  All the ponies enjoy spending time stripping the bark off these with hazel and birch being favourites.  It's amazed us how quickly they go through these with us having to replace them every couple of days.   A good tip is to make friends with a local tree surgeon and to ask for any off cuts that aren't otherwise useful. 

This has all made me realise just how much of a varied diet horses actually need and it makes the traditional notion of a rectangular grassy paddock seem far from what they actually require.  I've also thought a lot about about stereotypies and it's easy to see that a horse deprived of opportunities to chew/strip wood and browse a variety of forage could easily become frustrated.

Other enrichment ideas include filling old milk bottles with gravel and letting the horses make them into rattles.  For those of you who haven't seen it, I've included below a video of Alfie getting to grips with one of these!

We've also put apples and pears in their water buckets so that they can spend time bobbing with them which can be highly amusing to watch and consumes much of their time in an effort to grab hold of the prize!  We've hidden carrots all around in strategic nooks and crannies for them to discover during the day and it's really interesting to note which ones have been discovered and which ones have been left.  It's fascinating to notice that once the ponies have learned a hiding place, they are quick to gravitate towards it upon being turned out!!

The other item that has been turned into an unexpected enrichment activity is the wind chimes!  The ponies quite often can be seen nudging the chimes to make a noise, perhaps they are trying to start their own band!  I'll try and get some video of this in due course and it's inspired me to get creative with the enrichment programme.  I'm going to experiment with leaving out more interactive play objects such as a keyboard and I'll report back on this in a future post.

In terms of practicalities, I've learned that the best way to pick poo from gravel is to resort to good old marigolds!  It's actually far quicker and more efficient to sift through this way then to try any other way.  We're still trying to come up with a solution for feeding hay.  Not only are the haynets not good for the horses' posture but it is a bit of a nightmare when the hay becomes mixed with the gravel!  We're currently in the process of constructing some prototypes as ready made feeders are incredibly expensive.  When we've had the opportunity to test some, I'll include the details in a future post.  The railway sleepers are doing a great job as a muck heap and continuing to provide a lovely surface for itching on!  I'm also so pleased that we went for such a lot of gravel.  The ponies spend so much time on it and can be quite boisterous.  Thus far the membrane remains well hidden and even with the gravel having settled, the depth still withstands cantering and digging hooves!!

Apart from the intensive nature of keeping Little Paddock Paradise ticking over, my main worry has been over the lack of space.  I've questioned whether it's ethical to keep the ponies in a relatively confined area during the worst of the wet weather and  I have had some sleepless nights worrying about this.  I've had to give myself a bit of a break recently and have realised that most of us sadly are not in a position to give our four legged friends the exact environment we would desire.  Recognising this, it becomes all about compromise and doing the best we can with the resources we've got.  If it weren't for Little Paddock Paradise, the horses would be spending long periods of time confined within the four walls of their stables.  The Paradise enables them to move about, to socialise and to fulfill a variety of their other basic needs.  It also enables them to remain barefoot year round and in so doing contributes further to their overall well being.  Looking at it from this balanced perspective I would say that the whole project so far has been a resounding success and has fulfilled the goal of enabling us to give the ponies some turnout area which enhances the condition of their feet.  More than that, it's given us a valuable opportunity to learn more about their needs and to observe their preferences across a variety of areas.  As far as compromises go, I think we can all live with this one!