Case Study 1: Stormzy

Stormzy was bought as a ‘happy hacker’ by a first-time horse owner. He was amenable when she went to see him, was calm, happy to be walked, trotted and cantered, and seemed to be a very laid back little chap.

In his new home, it soon became apparent that he’d not had the start in life that had been described by the sellers. In fact, the picture was quite different. When he arrived, he had mites and a big dose of separation anxiety (to the point of panic). He’d soon bucked two people off in the arena, and his owner’s confidence took a plummet as she didn’t feel safe in handling him or riding him. He would whinny and pull on the lead rein once out of the field, and they weren't able to communicate at all. When he was anxious, his breathing changed completely, he had rapid, shallow breaths and he completely tuned out humans. This was not the horse she had wanted.

Stormzy panicked if he was in a stable and others horses were led out of theirs to the field, barging around to the point of being dangerous as he was oblivious to the human in there with him. We called in Joe Midgley, and his first lesson was with Stormzy in the stable learning to cope with standing in his own space away from the door. He was gently introduced to the flag, to enable us to stay safe as he learned that humans deserved to have some space, and his re-education began.

Joe began the foundational groundwork, and helped Stormzy’s owner understand more about his anxiety. After a couple of lessons, it was clear Stormzy needed regular, consistent lessons, and his owner didn’t feel skilled enough to do the groundwork with him. After her fall in the arena and a previous kick by another horse, she was nervous of his energy and strength. She asked me to help support Stormzy’s progression initially with groundwork, and assist her to learn the basics of this so she could eventually work with him too. We got to work.

We've met weekly over the past year. Joe checks on our progress and helps us to sets goals when he visits on a 4-6 weekly basis. The consistency of the our sessions started to make a difference. Over the first few weeks, Stormzy whinnied a little less when coming in from the field, and he was able to lead and stand on the yard more calmly as we’d taught him to observe our body cues, and move away from pressure if it was applied. He had initially been a little explosive in the arena in the groundwork, but again, over time, he began to be able to focus more on us and less on the horses around the arena. Once Stormzy was able to move his hind and front legs on cue, and he was soft and light in lateral and vertical flexion, was backing up fluidly, and was improving at lateral work, I taught him to pick me up from the mounting block. He was very bargy with his shoulder at first, but he eventually understood and now stands steadily and calmly once invited to the block.

After weekly groundwork lessons established the basics, it was time to get on and Joe hopped on first.  After that, I rode him weekly in the arena, helping to consolidate what we’d established on the ground but now using leg and rein commands. The translation was quite smooth. We were essentially re-starting him as one would a young horse. Stormzy had previously had no release when ridden, so this built up his anxiety and resistance like in a pressure cooker. By allowing him to rest or stretch as a reward for flexing his neck, or stepping his hinds under etc, he began to learn that work was not something that needed to have anxiety attached to it. He went from a horse who couldn’t focus at all in the arena, constantly scanning the other horses in the fields, to one who could do an hour with attention and a 'work ethic'. He began to understand the ‘good deal’, of being pleasant and workmanlike when with us, then he got to go out and be with his friends

We began to work from ‘both ends’, with me and Joe working to progress Stormzy’s education, while I also worked with Stormzy’s owner to help build up her skills with the groundwork. After a few weeks, she began to build confidence in doing some of these exercises. We got a point, after 2 months, where she also felt comfortable sitting on Stormzy and trying some of the exercises as she’d seen him do this successfully with me and Joe.  She might only sit up there for 5 minutes but she was doing it! She felt fine hacking Stormzy out on a ride with friends, but the arena had been where she’d been bucked off him, so both had to recover from the anxiety and stress 'hangovers' from that initial episode.

It became more and more apparent to us that Stormzy was a sensitive soul, and he began to relax with clear consistent cues and fewer 'fuzzy' messages. At 6 months in, we were thrilled with his progress as mentally and physically he was a different horse. His owner could lead him in and tack him up by herself. He no longer whinnied to other horses as he came in to work. He didn’t become as stressed when other horses left or were led past him. He could be led past grass without diving for it, and could be ridden out on a hack and in the arena. Since then he has succeeded in doing his first solo hack, something his owner would never had believed possible a few months ago.

His education continues to progress, and he is getting lighter and more refined with every month that passes. He's now working nicely in trot, with lightness in flexion and some roundness, and is more ‘together’ as his education is beginning to shine through. He is more accurate and light in movements like side pass on the ground and under saddle, he is lighter off the leg and is beginning work at canter.  His owner continues to work on her confidence, and her timing, feel and understanding of the groundwork and its translation to ridden work is improving each week.  She hacks out more confidently with him, and recently achieved a goal of trailering out for a two hour ride in the forest, dealing with new hazards like donkeys along the way.