Dangerous biter turned around in one day
My daughter, Melissa Mayle taught the first day of this clinic as I was locked in by fire where I was volunteering with the State Rescue Service up in Swifts Creek in the huge bushfires of 2005/6. Melissa did an awesome job of helping Kayla turn Galiano aorund in one day.
Young Kayla came into a clinic as a non rider in a very horsey family who wanted to gain competence around the horses.
The horse you see her with here, was a confirmed and dangerous biter who had torn the shirt right off her father’s back. They had kept him because he was excellent under saddle, but it was getting more difficult to justify the risk. He had a brooding air of menace around him apparently.
The techniques she used for Galiano are in the chapter called “My horse bites me”.
I had a huge light bulb moment watching an owner work with a confirmed biter one day. If you punish a horse for biting in such a way that you have him in fear, he can only react the same way as he did last time - however that was. (That’s the way that brain pathways work - more detail in the book.) He cannot think and respond to your actions when he is in fear.
We need to change that “fight” reaction to a thoughtful response, at the same time as keeping the handler safe. And that’s what you’ll get from Bobby’s Diaries - a method that allows the horse to go “Ahaa…. that’s what you’re after.” and “yesss… I’m happy to co-operate with you.”
That insight has huge implications for handling and training horses under all circumstances, particularly those that we label “problem” horses.
In fact, the same light bulb moment has implications that could be incredibly important about people and their behavioural problems too!
It was a joy to watch both Kayla and Galiano grow so fast. Follow up reports have both of them continuing to grow and enjoy being together more and more.
Even Dad has improved his relationship with Galiano!
For more information about Bobby’s Diaries Straight from the horse’s mouth to you, click here
