SOUTHWEST  RESTRAINT  SYSTEM  METHOD:
 
 

This method of training uses a modified chute to restrain the horse. The horse's head is out of the chute through a padded portal in the chute door. Approximately 60 bushels of wheat or wheat / oat kernels are poured down the sides of the chute surrounding the horse's body to approximately 6" over the back. The horse is confined in the chute, which is frequently called the "Box," for 30-45 minutes, although for only part of this time is it completely covered by the wheat kernels The handler uses hands and brushes on the horse's head, ears and neck. The handler also exposes the horse to items such as umbrellas, plastic tarps, sacks with empty cans, etc. The horse is then haltered with a 14' - 18' dragline attached.

The wheat or wheat / oat kernels are then removed from the Box and further training is undertaken in a small roundpen attached to the Box.

Additional roundpen training is conducted in a larger roundpen.

The horse then goes through a period where it is tied to a rail. The number of days the horse is tied varies and is in part dependent on whether the horse is adopted or receives further training by Southwest Restraint System employees.

According to Southwest Restraint System, at the end of this period the horse will respect and not challenge a fence or corral, will allow itself to be caught, will respect the leadline, lead, turn left, turn right, and back up.

SPECIFIC  ONSITE  OBSERVATIONS:

On Aug. 29 and 30th, at the request of the BLM, I was able to observe horses going through the Southwest Restraint System in Lindsey, Oklahoma at the BLM contract holding facility.

Each horse was moved by a handler walking behind the horse from a holding area through an alleyway approximately 8' wide, into the open-pipe panel small roundpen attached to the Box. On the opposite side of the Box is a second small pipe panel roundpen. Both doors of the Box are left open to allow the horse to pass freely through the Box. A gentled horse was brought in to stand outside the far roundpen as a visual barrier for the feral horse entering the Box. The gentled horse also has a calming effect on the feral horse. In general, the horses I observed passed through the Box, turned and went through the Box, turned and went through the Box again, an average of four (4) times.

The bottom half of the restraining door was then closed by hand and secured by latch. The horse was then allowed a few minutes to observe the closed door. A handler on each side of the far roundpen moves a 5' pipe panel inward to form a V behind the horse. This restricts the backward movement of the horse.

One horse did hit its head several times while attempting to turn or enter the Box. Additionally, the horse's leg became caught in the pipe panels of the far roundpen as the panels were closed. The handlers were able to move the panels out with only minor abrasions to the leg. This horse was then passed out of the entry roundpen and down the alleyway, back into the turnout area. It was decided that this horse was a poor candidate for training for adoption and may have had a difficult personality for a adopter to handle.

The next horse was then moved into the Box.

Some horses moved voluntarily and others were encouraged by voice or touch. The horse enters the Box but is stopped by the bottom half of the door. Some horses challenged the door to a minor extent. But none reared or attempted to climb over the door. Most attempted to push through, which they were unable to do.

A tame horse is place just outside the restraining door for visual blocking and a as calming influence. It also encourages the horse to extend its neck through the door.

When the horse extends its neck, the upper part of the restraining door is lowered by pulley. The upper door is not latched. The head portal is padded with a felt material approximately 3" thick and extending about 3"-4" on the inside wall and over to the outside wall. There is no padding on the left or right of the portal.

The horses were observed challenging the restraining door but without incident. The horses appeared to begin to yield to the restraint either by stopping movement or by visible signs of relaxing i.e. looking around, ear movement, blinking, licking lips. This occurs within no more than few minutes.

The wheat / oat kernels are then released into the Box. From the time of release until the horse is surrounded and covered with the kernels, is approximately 5 seconds but may vary slightly. The horses did experience an immediate reaction of apprehension when the kernels were surrounding the body. The horse is then completely immobilized and unable to move the body, but the head and neck which are through the portal are mobile.

Half of the horses appeared to hold their breath for a period of 9 seconds or less (about three (3) breaths with a rate at approximately twelve (12) per minute) after being surrounded by the kernels. They then blinked, appeared to relax and began to breath normally.

Horses were observed moving their heads up and down but not side to side.

A well padded bar is tied approximately 2' below the head portal which prevents the horse from injuring the mouth and chin. Approximately half the horses bit or attempted to bite the padded bar after the filling of the Box with the wheat kernels.

Horses were touched on the head, ears, and neck. Initial touches were brief and guarded. Horses did attempt to avoid touch but appeared to accept touch in a short time. The horses appeared to accept this touching without undue struggle.

The handler then used touching similar to T.E.A.M. training which was developed by Linda Tellington-Jones and is based on the premise that most behavior and training problems stem from tension, sensitivity or discomfort in the head and neck area. This included messaging the mouth, gums, outer and inner nostril, face, inner and outer ears.

Each horse was offered water several times turning the time they were in the Box. Only one horse did not drink.

The horses were then brushed on the face and neck with a medium firm bristle horse brush. This appeared to be accepted with little resistance.

The first horse was "sacked" out with a plastic tarp, a cloth, and a burlap sack. The objects were not introduced (by smell) to the horse before they were placed over, under or on the head and neck. The horse appeared to become excited and struggled against the restraint in an attempt to avoid the articles. The horse with reluctance did accept the articles on the head. This was done by a trainee and not the usual handlers and is not common practice. Subsequent horses were introduced by being allowed to smell the articles first and only the plastic tarp and cloth were used. These horses accepted the articles more readily.

The horses I observed were generally "soft eyed," accepting and curious except for brief times when there were significant changes in what was being done i.e. filling and emptying of wheat, introduction of sacking items, and initial hand contact.

As the wheat is removed from the Box, the horse may "ride" the kernels down or sit on the kernels as the wheat is being removed. It appears that the animal is struggling but is in fact getting its legs positioned back under its body after being supported in total by the wheat. When the horse has its legs positioned, it then settles down again and becomes relaxed.

The horses continued to be handled after the wheat kernels were removed but they were still restrained by the Box.

The horses were haltered with a dragline attached. The dragline was made of lariat rope which has been untwisted and then rebraided "inside out" and approximately 15' -18' long. This type of rope is pliable and strong.

The horses I observed were in the Box approximately 40-45 minutes. But time was taken out to explain to me exactly what was happening and may have accounted for additional time. The total covering with the wheat / oat kernels was as little as three (3) minutes although the body was partially covered for fifteen (15) - twenty (20) minutes.

When there are higher outdoor temperature and /or humidity the horses will be totally covered, partially covered and remain in the Box for a shorter period of time to prevent over heating. Thin horses will receive a longer treatment than horses with a higher fat covering.

One previous horse did display symptoms which are consistent with Azutoria (tying-up). A veterinarian was contacted and instructions were given to Robby Richards of Southwest Restraint Systems which included administering Banamine. The horse exhibited no other indications of problems and appeared comfortable within 30 minutes and displayed no complications in the following days.

The wheat / oat kernels were then removed from the box. The handler then opens the upper portion and then the lower portion of the restraining door. The majority of the horses stood for several minutes inside the Box even though they were not restrained. One horse allowed the handler to step into the front of the Box and touch its side with a brush on an extension handle. One horse did bolt from the Box as the handler was opening the door.

The horse enters roundpen approximately 12' in diameter, consisting of approximately seven 5' long 6' high pipe panels. The roundpen was shaded by an overhead cover. The handler then used a cattle sorting pole to pick up the dragline from the outside of the roundpen. The horse was allowed free movement. The handler then works the horse by using the dragline to turn the horse to the left and right by a slight pulling on the halter which teaches the horse to yield or "give" to the pressure or "cue" from the handler. The horse is also given the verbal cue "Here." The horses reacted in a manner that was consistent with other halter / leadline training of feral horses. No horses were observed challenging the pipe panels or rearing. One horse did hit the pipe panel while turning but did not challenge the roundpen. The horses were worked until they were "giving" to the cue or pressure to turn left and right readily. This was accomplished in approximately 45-60 minutes. As a significant amount of time was spent discussing the process and the horses reactions, this may have been longer than is normal. Previous horses have been worked for as little as fifteen (15) minutes and as long as thirty (30).

The horses were then tied with a quick release knot to a pipe panel of the roundpen. One horse did rear several times and hit its head on the Box which is used as one side of the roundpen. The horse did not receive significant visible injury nor was the impact life threatening in this instance. The remaining horses did "sit back" or challenge being tied but not beyond the what would be considered normal. Each of the horses were standing calmly before they were released. The horses were tied for approximately 10-20 minutes. Some horses would allow themselves to be touched on the face while tied without setting back.

The pipe panels were then opened into an open area which lead to the larger roundpen. The horse was lead with a second and sometimes third handler walking behind the horse.

A specific handler worked with the horses in the larger roundpen. This person uses the John Lyons type training methods. The handler stated that he was a graduate and had obtained certification from the John Lyons School.

The horses were turned out in the large roundpen, watered and fed and allowed time to rest, think or absorb what they had experienced. The horses were then worked in the approximately 50' roundpen about fifteen (15) to thirty (30) minutes. The horses did not appear to be overheated or over stressed. The horses generally responded to cues.

The horse is then walked by the second handler or with the assistance of a person walking behind the horse to move it forward to a tie rail. The tie rail consisted of approximately 2 5/8 " diameter top rail with several rails below made of "sucker rod." No shade cover was provided.

One horse broke from the handler and ran into the tie area of another horse. The horse then moved out of the tie area and was recaught by the handler and tied in its own area. No injury occurred to either horse.

One horse handled three days before was involved in an accident when it was tied in a large pen and spooked when a horse and rider passed behind it. The horse broke a leg and was euthanized.

The horses were tied with a quick release knot. Hay was placed in front of the horses on the ground. Water was provided in a 20 qt. bucket. The horse is tied with enough length for the head to reach the ground and available feed and water. Each horse was separated from other tied horses by an 8' pipe corral piece approximately 6' apart. A handler touches the horses face and neck when possible, several times a day.

Additionally, the horses were sprayed with water from a garden hose several times a day. My understanding is the purpose of this is to cool the horses off and to habituate them to touch. The handler also walks behind the tied horses to teach them to accept someone walking behind them.

Water and feed are renewed several times during the day. The horse is tied for the rest of the day. The next morning the horses is untied, walked and retied. That night the horse is turned loose in a pen with the dragline on.

One horse out of the approximately one hundred (100) horses done by this method did get caught up in the tie rope during the night and the tie rope was cut loose by the individual living on the ranch. The horse did not sustain injury.

The horses I observed stood tied without complications, although some would set back on the tie line when approached. All horses were generally seen to give to the tie line and step forward. Two horse were observed coming forward rapidly and bumped the tie rail.

At the end of the second day the horse is then turned into a turnout area with other horses. The halter and dragline are removed. The horse is caught and haltered then tied up each day. This is done by a BLM employee as time allows. When time is available the horses are also walked. At the end of the day the horse is unhaltered and turned back out with other horses for the night.  This process is done until the horse is comfortable with leading etc.

Horses are adopted out at any time in the process after the large roundpen work.

Next: Interviews with Adopters