Managing difficult horses: loading, clipping and needle-shy horses

Most "difficult" horses aren't being naughty. They're frightened, in pain, confused, or have learned from past experience that a float, clippers or a needle means something bad. That's good news, because fear and learned behaviour can be retrained – but it takes patience, and forcing the issue usually makes it worse.

This guide covers three of the most common problems: horses that won't load, horses that are hard to clip, and horses that are needle-shy. It's general guidance. For a horse that is dangerous, get help from an experienced trainer and your vet.

Start with the horse's welfare – and yours

Both countries' welfare codes set clear limits. Victoria's Code of Practice requires training methods to be humane and not cause unreasonable pain or suffering, prohibits beating or abusing horses, and bans electric prodders (Code of Practice). It recommends that restraint is the minimum necessary, warns that prolonged or over-zealous restraint such as nose twitches can cause a severe reaction in many horses, and says painful practices shouldn't be used if painless alternatives exist.

New Zealand's Code of Welfare expects horses to be handled so they stay relaxed, and lists signs of discomfort or anxiety to watch for – hind leg kicking, flared nostrils, contracted lips, visible white of the eye and tail swishing. It says the mildest form of discipline that achieves the change should be used (MPI Code of Welfare).

The BHS Stage 2 syllabus lists signs of an unsettled horse as trying to run away, calling to other horses, fidgeting, pacing, sweating, raised breathing and becoming withdrawn (BHS Stage 2 Care). If you see these, slow down.

Safety first: wear a helmet, gloves and sturdy boots, work in a safe enclosed area, and never wrap a lead rope around your hand.

Rule out pain first

New Zealand's Code recommends that gradual or sudden changes in behaviour are investigated, with a vet assessing the horse for pain before other methods of correction are considered (MPI Code of Welfare). It also recommends seeking advice from someone knowledgeable in horse behaviour at the first signs of unwanted behaviour, because problems caught early are easier to fix.

A horse that suddenly won't load may be sore in the back or legs, or may have had a bad trip. A horse that is fine to clip except around one area may be sore there. See signs of a healthy horse and equine professionals.

How horses learn: pressure, release and rewards

Two kinds of reinforcement come up again and again in horse training:

• Negative reinforcement – applying pressure (on the lead rope, for example) and removing it the moment the horse does the right thing. The release is the reward.
• Positive reinforcement – adding something the horse likes, such as a food reward or a scratch, when it does the right thing. Often paired with a clicker or a word as a marker.

Both can work. What matters most is timing and keeping the horse below the point where it panics. Read more in how horses learn.

Horses that won't load

What the research says

A Danish study took 12 horses with severe float-loading problems – all had bad past experiences and couldn't be loaded by their owners – and trained them with either negative reinforcement (lead rope pressure and whip tapping, released as soon as the horse complied) or positive reinforcement (clicker training to follow a target into the trailer) (Hendriksen, Elmgreen and Ladewig, Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2011).

• Horses trained with positive reinforcement showed significantly less discomfort behaviour per session.
• They also needed less time per session to reach the goal.
• Average heart rate didn't differ between the groups.

The authors concluded positive reinforcement could be the preferable option for training horses in stressful situations. It was a small study, but it's one of the few direct comparisons.

A step-by-step approach

Pony Club Australia's upper certificates expect members to discuss methods of loading difficult horses (PCA Syllabus). A common evidence-informed approach:

1. Check the float first. Make sure the floor, ramp and partitions are safe and the float is hitched. See horse float safety checks.
2. Teach the basics away from the float. The horse should lead forward, stop and back up from light cues, or follow a target.
3. Break it into small steps. Approach the ramp, one foot on, two feet, and so on. Reward each step.
4. Keep sessions short and finish on a good step, not a fight.
5. Don't shut the horse in until it's relaxed standing inside.
6. Practise when you're not going anywhere, so loading doesn't always mean a stressful trip.

Avoid chasing, crowding or hitting a horse onto a float – Victoria's Code prohibits beating horses and requires humane training methods (Code of Practice). More in loading a horse.

Horses that are hard to clip

Clippers bring together several things horses can find frightening: noise, vibration, a cord, and being touched in sensitive places.

• Rule out skin problems or soreness in the areas the horse objects to.
• Get the horse used to the sound and feel in short sessions, starting with clippers switched off, then on but away from the body, then the back of the clippers resting on the shoulder.
• Start on less sensitive areas, such as the shoulder, before the head, belly or legs.
• Reward calm behaviour and stop before the horse becomes upset.
• Use the simplest clip that does the job. See our horse clipping guide for clip types.

The clipping guide also notes that young or nervous horses can be introduced near a quiet, experienced horse being clipped.

For a horse that can't be clipped safely, talk to your vet about sedation. The Australian Veterinary Association lists administering anaesthetics and prescribing restricted medicines among acts that should be done by vets (AVA – restricted acts). Don't use leftover medication or another horse's sedative.

Needle-shy horses

Some horses learn to fear injections, often after one bad experience. This makes vaccinations and vet care dangerous for everyone.

What the research says

A 2018 case series in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior described the rehabilitation of five ponies with aversions to specific health-care procedures, using systematic desensitisation (gradual exposure, a step at a time) and counter-conditioning (pairing the procedure with something pleasant, such as food) with positive reinforcement (Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2018). Case series are early-stage evidence, but the approach is consistent with the welfare codes' emphasis on minimal restraint.

Practical steps

Work with your vet, who can help plan a programme and advise on sedation when an injection can't wait.

1. Break the procedure into small parts – touching the neck, pinching the skin, pressing with a capped syringe or a blunt object, holding the pressure for longer.
2. Pair each step with something the horse values, and repeat until the horse is relaxed before moving on.
3. Keep restraint minimal. Victoria's Code warns that over-zealous restraint such as nose twitches can cause severe reactions (Code of Practice).
4. Ask your vet whether they're happy to work in with your training plan, for example by giving the horse a little extra time.
5. Keep a record of what works – see horse vaccinations.

When to get professional help

• The horse rears, strikes, kicks or barges.
• You feel unsafe, or the problem is getting worse.
• You've tried for several sessions with no progress.

Victoria's Code recommends that people training horses are experienced, or work under the direct supervision of an experienced person (Code of Practice). Find a trainer or coach near you on horse.work.

FAQ

How do I get a horse to load that won't?

Rule out pain, check the float, then retrain in small steps with rewards. A study of horses with severe loading problems found positive reinforcement caused less discomfort behaviour than pressure-based training (Hendriksen et al., 2011).

Is positive reinforcement effective for horses?

In the loading study, it was faster per session and less stressful than negative reinforcement (Hendriksen et al., 2011). A case series also used it to retrain ponies afraid of health-care procedures (JVB, 2018).

How do I clip a nervous horse?

Go slowly, reward calm behaviour, start with less sensitive areas and keep sessions short. Ask your vet about sedation if it can't be done safely.

Should I use a twitch?

Victoria's Code warns that prolonged or over-zealous use of nose twitches can cause a severe reaction in many horses, and recommends the minimum restraint necessary (Code of Practice).