Learning and Exploring With Ivan -The Two Step Way

Over the past year, I have been working with two lovely feral horses named Izzy and Ivan. When I met them, Izzy had been haltered a few times, but she was still very nervous about being approached with a halter, and Ivan was almost untouchable. He would briefly make contact with a hand, but then he was out of there.

Izzy was easy. I spent 15 minutes the first time I met her, retreating out of her stall every time she looked concerned and advancing back in when she met me with two eyes, expressing curiosity. By the end of 15 minutes, she was following me around as I strolled back out of her stall and back in. We had her sticking her head in a halter with a relaxed expression by the third time I visited.

Ivan, on the other hand, was different. Ivan and Izzy are siblings who were rescued from a kill pen. None of Ivan’s previous contact with humans had been a positive experience for him before he met his current owner, Tracey. Unlike Izzy, he would have had the added trauma of being gelded on top of his weaning, round-up and experience at a kill pen facility where almost all of the horses are fearful and traumatized.

Work with Ivan was slow. I would enter his pen and stand as close as he would allow without overwhelming him, and I would ground my nervous system by being present and noticing his calming signals, concerns, and observations. Both grounding your nervous system and being highly aware of the horse can give a horse a sense of security.

I made slow progress with Ivan, moving closer to him and keeping him below a threshold of worry that would cause him to move away, but I could see that he was still very tense. Even when I would open the distance, his head would stay tucked in, his mouth tight and his eye rather frozen; he looked away often, and I would back away. He did not really want to engage. Over time, he came to like the feeling of my presence and would doze on and off on his feet at a safe distance of about 4 feet from me.

I eventually added a low-value (non-stimulating) treat to offer a little incentive for touch. If he touched his nose to my hand and allowed me to rest my hand on his nose, I offered him the treat. Then, I continued to keep present and still so that he could think about what he had done to earn it. I reinforced his letting me keep my hand on his nose for a moment after he touched my hand by giving him a few more treats after he had performed this action a few times.

Then, I upped the ante by asking for allowance to touch higher up on his face and to allow my hand to linger there. I spaced treats and did not give him one every time he allowed me to do this. Instead, I tried to make my touch feel good, a soft caress and a gentle scratch; soon, he started to want to explore the feel a bit. I began to play with his lips a little and rubbed his face with a bit more vigor.

Ivan is now starting to come out of his shell. He will come out of his stall and find me in his pasture to play our little game together. The last time I was there, I brought some things that he could explore and smelled of strange places and strange horses. Using another one of his senses (smell) will help him to be present and rewire his brain away from trying to protect himself from past traumas that are not happening now. Ivan will start to rewire (re-myelinate) his brain and realize that the current humans in his world are nice and want him to have a good and stimulating life. Slowly, now, if we don’t break his trust by going too fast, and we help him keep his mind and nervous system in the present moment, Ivan will find confidence and blossom. I am so proud of the slow, steady progress he has made.

Ivan is helping me as much as I am helping him. It’s not a one-way street. Ivan has taught me many valuable lessons. He has nailed home the importance of patience. He has deepened my understanding of the power of stillness. He has embodied the principle that the horse’s pace is the only one that matters. He has taught me to really let go of all expectations and agendas. He has shown me that horses like strength; they do not want you to feel sorry for them or tip-toe around them. They do not want you to think of them as damaged or weak. They have pride and expect a considerate relationship. I like the mutual learning between Ivan and myself; I hope we can both continue to grow in each other’s company.