{"id":93190,"date":"2022-10-11T15:57:54","date_gmt":"2022-10-11T13:57:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/antares-sellier.com\/?p=93190"},"modified":"2022-10-11T15:57:55","modified_gmt":"2022-10-11T13:57:55","slug":"competition-equine-ethology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/antares-sellier.com\/en\/2022\/10\/11\/competition-equine-ethology\/","title":{"rendered":"Competition and equine ethology : Andy Booth and Gwendolen Fer share them experiences"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Andy Booth<\/strong><\/a> and Gwendolen Fer<\/a><\/strong> may both be world-renowned horse riders and trainers but their paths haven’t crossed at competitions. They share the same passion for horses and have devoted their lives to them. Yet their respective trades, equine ethology<\/strong> and elite sport<\/strong>, are often separated. Read the joint interview with these 2 great Antar\u00e8s riders.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How did you get together?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I’ve been interested in equine ethology for a while. Ana\u00efs (editor’s note: Gwen’s employee for 1 year) has state qualifications in ethology and she introduced me to it. You never have any spare time in my trade so my pregnancy gave me a chance to learn about it. Maxime (editor’s note: Gwendolen’s partner) knows Andy through the French endurance team and I asked him to call him so we could do a course. I really wanted to learn and broaden my horizons. Andy liked the idea and invited me to the stables.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Booth<\/strong>: That’s right, I met Maxime on a course with the French endurance team. We realised how much our trades have in common. He works on mental preparation<\/strong> for athletes, which involves stress and the rider’s emotions<\/strong>. I do the same but for horses<\/strong>. So we discussed different mental and emotional issues and their physical effects. Then Max contacted me about a course. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

First of all, I didn’t want to run a “normal” course because I know Gwen’s reputation as an elite athlete. I needed time to introduce and explain the subject to her before being in a situation with 8 students and as many horses to handle. I wanted a more “laid-back” working environment to address different subjects and work with the horses together, without involving the work a course requires. I don’t always have the time to chat if I have to train students. It’s hard to make the connection with “sport<\/strong>“. I’d have to focus on the “basics” and I’d have all the other clients talking to me. It’s hard to have a one-on-one. Gwen came up with the idea of having a real dialogue. I’ve always been fascinated by working with elites<\/strong>. There’s real credibility,<\/strong> which you don’t always get.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Elite sport and equine ethology are 2 sectors that tie into each other. What do you think you can gain from each other’s experience?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: Ethology came to mind when I had issues with certain horses who had all the elite hallmarks but difficult personalities<\/strong>. I couldn’t teach them, despite my efforts. Or rather, I just ran out of solutions. By that I mean non-technical solutions. Let’s take health… I may have experience with so-called “difficult” horses but I told myself there must be another and better way<\/strong> to handle them. I didn’t know about equine ethology but it gave me really helpful solutions. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Obviously there’s the “sport” side with all its technical difficulties. I can’t take my foot off the gas if I want to be competitive. What I mean is that the two go together, unless it’s groundwork <\/strong>which I had no knowledge of. It wasn’t taught back when I was taking my Galops and state exams. So I just didn’t know anything about it. That said, I thought it could tie in and help me work with my elite horses<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How do you handle a horse’s stress in competition?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Andy Booth<\/strong>: First of all, you have to start with the basics<\/strong>. Handling stress in competition sometimes comes from missing a trick. That’s something that the rider should have spotted beforehand. We talked a lot with Maxime about stress in people, it’s an important topic. If we can’t control our own emotions<\/strong> then that makes it hard to control a horse’s emotions too. You have to have very solid foundations in place to do so. If you don’t then everything crumbles when it comes to building something else. So you have to have a very good base<\/strong>. If you manage it, you should have fewer issues with stress during competition. If you don’t have a very strong base then the horse can soon get into difficulty. Fail to prepare, prepare to fail.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just take how I reviewed breaking in with the horses we’ve worked with today. Even though they’re elite horses. The basics<\/strong> are key.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I think different things can make horses feel under stress: a rider under stress, unpleasant situations for the horse that we fail to notice etc. And this is just my opinion, but it can be when things move too fast. When you put horses into difficult events<\/strong> too quickly, they can worry and become stressful. So it partly depends on how you handle young horses<\/strong>. If you’re patient with them and gradually move them into more advanced stages without rushing them then they feel comfortable. But if it doesn’t work out, it’s trickier. That’s where Andy comes in.
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There are other situations which I’m unsure how to handle and I need solutions for. Like when a horse is alone on the track when they were in a stable with lots of horses just before. That kind of situation is where I need to learn more.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Booth<\/strong>: We discuss the basics<\/strong> before going into competition but the rules mustn’t change during the competition either. Let me paint you a picture. Imagine the “rules at home are the same as in a restaurant.” I’ve seen horses get colic just because their hair is being braided. That’s when you know there’s an association issue<\/strong>. So you have to ensure that the start of the competition is like at home. It has to be as close as possible so that the horse doesn’t think being in competitions is horrible! So yes, you can up the pressure a little because you’re in competition but you have to avoid the association that competition = serious stress<\/strong>. Otherwise problems soon arise. At home everything’s fine but it’s awful in competition. The rules at competitions often differ from those at home. The horse shouldn’t make the distinction between home and competition. You just dress differently, that’s all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I do demonstrations, as small as they are, there’s always a microphone, music and external features that give the event scale. It’s an opportunity to make amends. The first show is never the best because I have to pick up on certain things that I can’t let drop. And that can take time. It would be far quicker if I let things slide. You mustn’t confuse correction with punishment. If something happens that I didn’t want to then I have to correct it. If it’s fine at home but not in the public arena then that won’t work.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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How do you make sure your horse enjoys the competition?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Andy Booth<\/strong>: The horse mustn’t lose sight of its environment or rider. I like to say “the horse thinks its handling its Australian” (editor’s note: Andy Booth is Australian). Especially during rest. I squeeze my leg, my horse reacts well, I stop squeezing my leg. I use my hand, my horse reacts well, I stop using my hand. Every time I apply pressure, the horse knows how to make it stop<\/strong>. I let them win but I don’t use my aids to force them. Not using my aids is my way to get the reaction and train them. I let the horse manage the environment<\/strong>. If they think that there’s a solution to every problem, they shouldn’t be stressed or feel like it’s a bad experience. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now then, do they think they’re having the time of their lives? It’s us who choose to go into competitions, not the horse! But the sense that they are still in control of their environment is the best possible outcome. I think that if demonstrations outside my stables go well then there may be an appealing association<\/strong>. It’s up to us to explain to the horse that it’s fun. Most of my horses think I’m more fun in demonstrations than at home. So they behave properly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gwendolen Fer<\/strong>: I have competition horses. For example, Romantic is meek at home but as soon as he gets on the field his eyes glint and he wants to give all he’s got to win. On the other hand, there are introverted horses that feel “small” when they start competing. That’s why I think you have to be able to soothe them and reproduce a similar layout to what they have at home. Even though it’s not always possible. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For example, my horses go to the meadow a lot and they’re in stalls when the’re competing. So they need to get out more. In the end they get more attention because there are fewer horses to handle. We’re with them more and can massage and treat them. So I think they enjoy it<\/strong> too. Elite horses, the ones I’ve ridden and taken cross-country anyway, may feel a little stressed but they still want to go. If they didn’t really enjoy it, after a certain point you wouldn’t be able to force them any more. They have to be very brave<\/strong> and trust<\/strong> their rider to get past it. So I think elite horses enjoy it and we make them feel comfortable<\/strong>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Andy Booth:<\/strong> That’s an important point. We’re even more present at these times than we are at home. Some of my horses probably think I want them to do more exciting things when I’m competing than when we’re at home. It’s an appealing association. It’s harder with more sensitive horses.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n