Helping a buddy sour horse get over his buddies in less than 10 minutes!

[@ltrocha]

Finally a horse trainer using COMMON SENSE to solve the buddy sour problem. I've seen so many others try to BRIBE a horse out this and it never works. My hat is off to you West for telling people the truth. BTW, the girl demonstrated excellent timing.

[@OutlawRides]

Thanks Larry!

[@10mileroadie]

Larry, I have followed you many years! I used this technique with the gaited horse i purchased last fall. I don't have a good place to work. I also don't have anyone to ride with me, and there are many spook worthy situations that can arise. I was devastated that I couldn't take her out, hating myself for how tightly i had to hold her reins, and terrified she would fly home, pounding on the pavement or crashing through the crops, THIS WORKED!!!!!!! The secret is the loose rein. Reply

[@ltrocha]

@@10mileroadie 👍

[@BB-co7kp]

I want to cry over the frustration of my severely buddy sour horse. This vid made me happy and laugh. Thank you

[@OutlawRides]

Buddy sour horses can be a real BIG issue! Glad you like this approach!

[@10mileroadie]

West, I used this technique with the gaited horse i purchased last fall. I also don't have anyone to ride with me, and there are many spook worthy situations that can arise. I was devastated that I couldn't take her out, hating myself for how tightly i had to hold her reins, and terrified she would fly home, pounding on the pavement or crashing through the crops, THIS WORKED!!!!!!! The secret is the loose rein. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[@rayalencovsky1386]

Absolutely brilliant, and superb! Made me grin!

[@SelectiveCleaningDisorder]

I tried this today, and it worked so well! My buddy sour gelding is 16hh, and out-muscling him to go where I want him to is absolutely not an option. Thanks for the great video :)

[@Allisonloosemore]

Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard principle right here 🤓

[@OutlawRides]

Pretty much! 👍🏻

[@jennifercanfield6271]

Well done! I've seen quite a few but this one really went so much better than the others.

[@jlf1309]

FANTASTIC! Pretty much all about pressure and release. What an excellent demonstration! 👍😊

[@OutlawRides]

Thank you👍🏻

[@kblank9393]

I've seen this principle done a few times, never quite this way. Easy!

[@redshorse]

Excellent !

[@bethdondunlap4379]

Please no background music

[@KMF3]

I agree 💯

[@barbarawilson5719]

So good and usable! Can we also talk about the science of the knotted nose band on the horses left nostril? Just an observation and not met to take away from the lesson but as horse people we are ALWAYS learning and seeking knowledge!

[@caitlinw8351]

the knots are placed on pressure points of the horses face (nerve clusters) so they hurt more and the horse is more sensitive/responsive to the feeling

[@b.e.1023]

Thank you very much... this is great..

[@TheArtsyMomma]

Good job Mandi!

[@PapaBaush]

This is awesome. Just to add to this, what about when the horses left behind start acting up, making the one you’re riding away on start to act up also? Haha thanks

[@greykun]

This is perfect, both of my mares were buddy sour. One quickly realised that it's fine being on her own after few days of solo, but the warmblood mare is deeply attached to her friend. When I need to work with just one horse I have to tie her to a post so she can't hurt herself or destroy something. I'm amazed how quickly the horse in a video grasped the concept. I've tried patient pole and it gave almost zero results besides she is super calm while tied IF another horse is nearby. Hope your training video will help me fixing this behaviour.

[@OutlawRides]

Let me know how it goes! 👍🏻🤠

[@greykun]

@@OutlawRides It worked well! But I've got new related problem with her, now she seems to associate my second horse with work and when we're getting too close she rears to move her away from us. Same thing on lead. She is too smart for her own good... It's like one or two episodes of rearing and all is fine after that. Do I just keep my calm until she learns the difference?

[@melodyblanchard2017]

great idea

[@sseeback6754]

Awesome!

[@gchristiansenUT]

Just another example of making the wrong thing difficult and the right thing easy. I think it was either Ray Hunt or one of the Dorrance brothers that coined that phrase.

[@KMF3]

What if you can't get the other people you are riding with to cooperate with this? 😢

[@honeypie2555]

Beware, buddy sour horses will buck you off if you try to separate them. I found out the hard way. I'm selling my buddy sour horse after getting bucked off and breaking my ankle. At my elderly age, that's the last thing I need.

[@sassy6292]

You are not wrong about that!

[@seneynah]

Works great on a lazier horse. Try that on Arabian they’ll trot all day long around buddies like they don’t even care…. I’m going to try the opposite use clicker food training away from the buddies. Mine is very food motivated.

[@KMF3]

Good point. I have a half Arab

[@jordangrendel7788]

I have 2 horses and they are both very buddy sour. One is a thoroughbred who is a freak when alone. He will destroy fences galloping and stopping/sliding into them and hurt himself. Is there a way to orchestrate something like this video to help them? Is it possible to have only 2 horses and have one leave periodically?

[@OutlawRides]

Yes you can do this with only two horses, who ever is riding the horse that will be cruising will need to be a pretty experienced rider to be able to handle the drama that may be created by the horse. the key is to not pick up the reins and offer any guidance to he horse....simply let him "work" by circling the other horse....when he chooses to leave the horse gently relax inter saddle and offer an opportunity to rest...if the horse turns back towards the other horse...apply light pressure and allow him to "work" as he circles the other horse until he leaves again....REPEAT as needed until the horse can easily be rode away from the buddy horse...seriously this will take a rider that is in somewhat good physical conditioning. oh ya and have some fun!

[@charannasmith7937]

I’m in the same boat, Jordan. I just don’t have a friend skilled enough to sit my gelding while I trot around 😩

[@sketchalater4656]

You can always try using a nice sturdy place to tie, like a patience pole. I would tie up the thoroughbred and ride the other horse with a flag. Ride away from the tb, and when the tb calls, come back and using the flag to yield the tb's hindquarters back and forth and put pressure on him, or if the patience pole goes 360, you can just herd the tb round and round. Then ride away and rest both horses, not super far. But gradually increase distance.

[@daddyrabbit835]

So what happens when you want to go riding with the other horses again?

[@OutlawRides]

I would suggest ride with your friends for 15 minutes, then ride away from your friends for several minutes. The idea is that your horse feels safe being alone with you. The hardest part is breaking the neuro chemical bond between horses. Once you can ween your horse away from others it becomes easier each time..

[@amandanuss2943]

Do you have any advice on what to do when both your horses freak out when they aren’t near each other? My two horses have never had to be apart and they cant even be 10 ft apart without freaking out.

[@OutlawRides]

That can be a tough one! When horses are "buddy sour" it is actually a chemical dependency and as you know it I can be extremely addictive! The neuro chemical is called oxytocin, it is the bonding/pairing drug. It can be like taking your horse through a drug rehab type experience. If you have safe and strong facilities you can separate your horses and just wait for the drugs to wear off, this may take several days! I have worked with several horses that were extremely addicted, they climbed over my gates, pushed through fencing and even had one try to climb over the top of my horse trailer that he was tied to to get to his buddy on the other side. This can be a very dangerous withdrawal period, watch them closely I would need a lot more info as to your facilities, if it's possible move away from each other in separate corals next to each other. After they become comfortable at this distance move them a bit farther apart but still within eyesight of each other. Continue moving them slowly farther apart. Another approach is to create a stronger connection with you so that when your horse is with you the horse will get the same oxytocin drugs from you instead of the other horse, this takes time and requires building a close energetic connection with your horse.

[@seneynah]

I just discovered clicker training with horses and treats. That’s how you get them to bond and get these endorphins and dopamine hit from you instead of the friends. I can’t wait to try this on my barn sour horse he loves treats. I just haven’t done it under saddle don’t know why I just realized I should be doing this under saddle duh😮​@@OutlawRides

[@markmahnken6409]

That's interesting but I think some horses will try and buck you off. Get ready to possibly ride a bronc. Good idea but I'm not sure it will work on every horse.

[@ebonypegasus9864]

I'm the 100th like! yay. I can't do this til my horse is broke. he's a two year old and already showing signs of herd bound anxiety

[@OutlawRides]

Keep working with him now to build his confidence and connection with you👍🏻

[@roxannee8714]

Okay what part is the "science" part?

[@OutlawRides]

Knowing that the horse is neurochemically drawn to "be with the herd" (oxytocin). Changing the neurochmical state within the horses autonomic nervous system changes behavior. When the horse leaves the buddy horse the oxytocin levels will lower and then the horse will get a dopamine reward (licking and chewing) when he leaves the other horses, This is using science to change the neruochemical state of the horse...

[@OutlawRides]

Pretty much! 👍🏻