The Revelation of the Red Mare

Back in the early Autumn, I met a lovely Chesnut mare that had some trouble around trailer loading.

Having already been seen by previous professionals, this mare would load in to the trailer, however she was loading through consequential anxiety, not confidence; her responses were busy, braced and was far from comfortable to stay in there.

During any first initial meet of any new pairing, I always ask about their background information as well as making observation; management, environment, handling and posture, to name a few.

When it comes to confident loading there are many phases, for me that often begins way before the trailer is hitched up and ready to work with.

Seeing how dysregulated the red mare was, in a consistent hyper-vigilant state, in combination with her history, postural presentation, responses on palpation and behavioural feedback, I suggested there may be something underlying that needed addressing before any productive practical training could be done; there are many times we can help the horse through emotional dysregulation, but if there are potential pathological or physiological factors, then this should be addressed before practical training; it should not be the first step.

Two weeks later, after the right intervention from the vets, and the revelation of the red mare became apparent; a personality that was exceptionally loving and the beginning of a body and nervous system starting to regulate; sure, there were some life skills, softness and attentiveness that were needed, non of which had been made available to her in her education in a mind and body running in fight and flight, but some residual trauma too.

We began a little confidence work within her groundwork, and around the trailer, with a mindset that was more attentive and thoughtful as we took each session as it came, breaking it down as much as the red mare needed.

Horses, quite commonly Chesnut and even more so if a mare, are presented with a socially conditioned bias of being reactive and difficult, but is this not more related to our lack of observation and knowledge of how to effectively HELP the horse than it is about gender and colour?

Whenever I see horses pushed over threshold and given anthropomorphic labels, it always strikes me how that in the wider society we have successfully managed to condition our way of thinking that innate, natural response of flight, fear and anxiety in the horse should be met with flooding, dominance and.. ignorance?

Maybe it is not a revelation from the red mares that we need, perhaps it is a revolution.