Horse Training - Cure Aggressive Horse Behavior with Mike Hughes, Auburn California 

I'm so glad you said this was a 45 minute video. I thought you cured him in three minutes. :)

Wow can’t say enough about the gift of healing you have . You are bringing the best out in this Horse ♥️ All these years that soft Spirit was inside of Him . Great video Mike ❣️Your New Horse Friend, Laura

I've been working with horses all my life and the very first aggressive horse I encountered was when was aged 10. I have always used the same methods as you as I was taught by an old man who had also worked with horses since boyhood. The 'horse whispering' behaviour therapy isn't anything new and people have used it for a really long time. I really enjoyed your video it's nice to see methods like yours and Monty Roberts getting wide coverage because, believe me, there's still the 'breaking the spirit' school of thought alive and kicking all over the world (scuse the pun).

I just can't help but comment on this. He's using body language- the horse's first language- to communicate with this horse. He's doing exactly what the herd mare would do in a wild herd with a sour colt. Pushing him out and controlling his movements until he shows submissive behavior, and then releasing and "letting him come back in." All horses understand this. This man truly knows the language of the horse, and has the "feel" to speak it.

Beautiful to see your work. Wonderful for you to show others that abused horses can come back. Killing should not be a solution to any abused animal and you must move at a pace that each one can handle. Not all could move as fast as this couragous horse did. And, feeling sorry for them when you are working with them will set them up for failure. What animals can forgive and move on from should teach humans a great deal. We need stronger Laws on Animal Abuse. What Mankind is capable of is terrafying in Abusers and inspirational in those that are willing to rehabilitate them properly with no pain nor anger.

Can't say enough about how much I appreciate and learn from your videos

Great video Mike! You explain it more precisely and concisely than a lot of so call horse whisperers. I'd like to point out to the public how precise your timing is. Every time you've put pressure on the horse and that he gave you what you wanted, you gave him release right away. I think that timing is the most crucial thing in communicating with horses.

A true pleasure to see a brave kind man work with an unsure horse

I was also taught this method by "old" trainers back in the 90's. I trained for a while but now I only take on clients that are referrals and they are normally like this or worse. Had a stallion who was kept in a stall and was an orphan the first two years of his life and he was charging the stall and grabbing at kids and people with his teeth to yank them over and bite them. Even the barn manager wouldn't clean his stall because no one wanted to get trampled, kicked, bitten, etc. Been doing this since age 10 and took on younger 4H clients at 16. Happy to have had the older trainers and some of the trainers who don't have their own DVD collections in my life because I learned much more from them about riding and training and happy to have had the horses I have had and worked with to teach me along the way. Men like you who don't do it for DVD sales and really see the horse.

Great job mike. Your timing with this horse is spot on. This is how it should be done, nice to watch.

Thank you, glad you enjoyed the video.

I know this is an older video but you may see this. You're such a great guy! Your heart is so big and open for these poor abused horses. God Bless you Sir Keep up the great work!

Respect for everything you do... You give horses in need there selfexteam back ♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

Hey Mike, Enjoyed it. The level of respect for the animal and what he is, is impressive.

A horse,. Such a forgiving animal.. Hard to believe there are thumbs down on this

Mike Hughes You're really amazing with horses !!!

Wow! What a nice, fast transformation.

You are absolutely amazing! I'm so impressed with how you're able to get so much done in such a short amount of time. I just love how you obviously care a great deal about these beautiful animals. God Bless you Sir

Thank you, he was a lot of fun to work with once he over came his aggression towards people.

Mike- Thank you for making these videos. I am subscribing, and will view more, and put your suggestions into practice with my mare.

Great video! I've owned/trained horses "forever", but over the years I've learned to never think that I know it all. Thanks for sharing your knowledge on horse behavior and training, this will help a lot of horse owners.

Thank you for sharing this video!

We can all learn so much from Mike. Makes me really feel good that this beautiful stallion is getting the care and understanding he deserves. I'm pretty sure that I've read articles about Mike in The Western Horseman and got a lot from them. If a person has practiced poor horsemanship, it is difficult to learn better ways Some of the progresses hinge on having a program

Thank you so much I'm going to try this I bet it will be the only thing that has ever worked for me

Mike Hughes is amazing! I own a feisty Arabian who wasn't gelded or ridden until he was 13. His first real owner was unable to ride him because he was so challenging so he went a year without being worked with. When I got him from her, he was extremely head-shy and would snap his head up high the moment he had been haltered or bridled. After using the method Mike taught in his video about the head-shy horse, he was a different animal. Even when I would struggle with him in other areas I could place my hand on his poll and he would say, "Oh! I know this one!" and instantly drop his head. Now his head is actually his "sweet spot" and his reward for a job well- done is to have it scratched and rubbed all over. I've watched videos from a lot of famous trainers and clinicians but have never experienced the dramatic improvement that I saw after watching that first video of Mike's. He's got a fan in me!

Beautiful horse.

Thanks Mike

mike thank you do much I was just given two horses, ones hoofs are in very poor shape and the other afraid of almost any noise or sound, I have been working with both of them for about two weeks. amazing the changes just with affection and love. Your videos are awesome as I have not owned a horse that has been abused or neglected, So we are learning together, I will be watching all of your videos you are a GREAT TEACHER

this video is great! you really know how to properly train a horse!

I like your work, so far you're my favorite.

great vid!

awesome vid, your great at what you do.

Great horse handling

if you have a open pasture you would still do the same exercise or you can build an area about the size I am working in. The most important part is that the horse leaves when you ask him to leave. If you can build a round pen that would also work good.

I didn't know about the "ear shy" symptom and what it represents. Yes! I understand what abuse and how it can be indicative in/from the horse, particularly the head region (human beings-Glory be to God my saviour; we humans can stuff up a lot of things, especially me....( oh! I never whipped an horse into submission and any abuse whatsoever) I'd love to fly to the States to, just ask permission to ride that truly magnificent horse. Mike! It's just glorious indeed. Thank you so much.

Nice technically awesome good job mate

Stopping for a moment like you did letting him soak in what you just did head down meaning relaxed good sign

Thank you, it is always nice when an aggressive horse becomes submissive.

I think you did a super job I have an agressive biter and I´´m kinda hesitent when I work with him on the lunge line can you do a video with an agressive horse on a lunge line???

May God Bless You! AMAZING:)

Hi Mike, I've been watching your videos on curing aggressive behavior over and over because the big paint in your video somewhat mirrors the emerging behavior of Rocky, the horse I've just started working with. He's not mine, I started patting him over the fence last summer when I went for walks. He's the only horse on an edge-of-town property of about half an acre, divided into 3 pastures. He has access to all 3 through open gates, also a barn, so he doesn't have to hang out by the sidewalk if he doesn't want to. In fact he doesn't have to do anything he doesn't want to do. He's been a neighborhood ornament for a number of years. Probably he would be satisfied to keep it that way, except that he does seem bored. I got permission from the man who pastures him to go visit and work with him a little. He said Rocky was ridden in years past, but I don't know details. The first day he came right over and seemed amused that I was inside his fence. After he tasted my hair and jacket and pulled my shoelaces, he decided it was alright at least for the moment, and became very interested in what was in my gear bag, pulling out a rubber brush. Even when his eyes are soft, he is pushy and uses his head like a battering ram. I've had about 4 sessions with him and have haltered and walked him. He backs up, moves forward, moves his hindquarters out of he way when asked. But his manners are almost non-existent, cooperation is short-lived and his attention span is very short. He bolts when I lunge him longer than about 4 feet, and I have to constantly push him out or he walks on me as if he doesn't know I'm there. It's apparent someone worked with him in the past, but he's not had to submit to anyone or take direction or even get himself moving in a long time. I don't know how old he is, but he's huge, big in neck and shoulders, gorgeous when he sheds out. He acts very stud-like, holds his head up and shakes it around, often his neck is arched, tail out, ears forward, snorting and making all kinds of racket. Likes to stomp when he runs. He is gelded, but he sure doesn't act like it. Now that I've had a few sessions of moving him out a bit, he seems to have decided he liked me better on the other side of the fence. That is why I say that the aggressive behavior is emerging. Today his head butting was escalating and he was pushier than ever. He seemed uptight and I couldn't keep his attention for more than a few seconds. So I closed the pasture gate so he couldn't leave that 1 area, and waved him away with the rope to get him moving. He immediately reared and kicked and snorted and bellowed and tore off around the fenceline. It was a lot like your video here, except that when he got winded and stopped to face me, he was still across the paddock, his head was high and his eyes showed white, his ears forward, and he headed toward me watching the gate, not me. So I whacked the ground with the rope to send him away again. We did that over and over for a good 10 minutes. He didn't trot or canter, he ran, and I know he got tired, but instead of winding down he seemed to get himself more worked up. I let him take a few breathers because I know he hasn't been worked and I don't want to stress him physically. But I don't see a convincing nod toward my authority, and we've got to get to that understanding. Although the overt behavior is really similar, this seems different at it's root than the horse I'm watching in the video, and I get a different demeanor from him as well, like he's tired and wants to stop, but isn't going to concede anything. Does this make sense? I want to be sure I'm reading him right, whether this is a fear/trust issue or a respect issue. He can go from a curiously engaged, interested, cooperative state to tense, rigid, high alert, possibly fearful in a blink. I'd sure be happy to hear your thoughts on this, and I'm game to try whatever you suggest. Thanks very much! Cheri Sullivan

You’re controlling his feet he’s not controlling yours. Get control of their feet you get control of their mind interesting lesson I never thought about this with charging horses. But when you’re riding you always turn to the outside anyway so this is a good exercise for future I like this

If it comes to you think the horse is going to go through the fence then there is to much pressure, when I have to do this in a pasture like that one I only put on enough pressure to get the horse to make the turn. If I think they are going to go through then I will find a round pen to get then into and do it that way.

nice !

Great tool to know, about outside turns, thx! My mare used to aggressively rear and turn into turns. A question, what if they run backward at you to aim in a kick? On thing that would prevent this, is not let them lug out in that turn, right? I have a young mule who stalls out very badly on turns. Also, she pulls very hard on the rope when working her on the line in a circle. Do you have a vid of a very disrespectful, hard-to-move donkey or mule?

Hey Mike we r facing a very violent male pony at a rescue centre in Bangalore India.. two of the staff have been hurt. Going to try this out this Saturday.

hello mike .. have a question i just bought a horse recently that had been sitting for a while and her daughter rode him apparently a lot supposably he's been on trails and when i went to see him.. before i bought him the lady actually was tacking the horse up in front of me as she was doing this his ears pinned a few times , but as usual nothing went wrong she climbed on him and walked him around for me he seemed very docile was falling asleep with her on him .so i was really thinking he was a decent docile horse that probably just needed some tuning . after she delivered him to my home . i could then clearly see he had some serious pent up energy that needed released , so i made its point to get up the next morning to lunge him keep in mind she told me that he just likes to buck a little bit because he has not been worked in a long time ..so as i started to work him the next morning, i noticed he threw a bit of attitude but then he started to walk and trot as i asked and being good when i asked for a lope he then really started to act up a bit he reared a few times. and was pulling away from me until he rope burned my hand and got loose and ran through the feild and my husband caught him and we met in the middle to get him back to me but i noticed i took him back down to the feild where he ran off to remake him lunge again so we could stop on a good note .as i was loping him to the right he seemed more willing to want to lope and not act up but when we loped to the left he was more acting stud ok well the bit I'm wondering if it wasn't hurting his mouth because he was more focused on the bit and trying to pay attention to me and trying to be lazy about lunging the previous owner never said anything about these habits she treat fed him all the time so there seems to be some spoiled ness going on with him to where he gets pissy if sometimes you don't have a treat for him and not to mention he has found a corner in the paddock now after 24 hours of being here just stands there and completely stares and gives me the impression he waiting for his previous owner to come back to get him because he stands calling and running up and dan the paddock as if he doesn't want to be here and going crazy when he sees a truck and trailer and will do this all day long. but last and not least i have lots of experience with horses but its been five years forgot some stuff because my heart isn't into training like this any more just wanted something already finished and trail ride with ..but mike i need your help because in a 24 hour period my gut feeling keeps telling me i can't trust him like the gut feeling that tells me i don't know if he's going to bite me , kick me or hurt me at any giving time , i don't want to give up on him but this isn't what i wanted in a horse i feel she dooped me and yes i could have asked her to do more with him when i was there but it all happened so fast . now i have a horse that seems he doesn't want nothing to do with me unless i have treats , i took the treat reward away cause that could play a lot into why he is the way he is and her not handling him properly plus she used a o ring twisted wire snaffle on him he doesn't like for training but will let you ride him with it has me confused , so now i feel stuck because i have a horse that i want to help so to speak but then i have a horse that i some what fear to an extent to even want work with him again.. feared me in the last 24 hours with his behavior that puts me in 2 positions 1 sell him and get the horse i want or hire some one to adjust his attitude????? what do you suggest mike??i need all the help i can get!!!

Hi ,I have a rescue horse who is dominant , I have worked in this way with him and it does work. But how often do you do this procedure?

i have an 8 month old mini filly pony who is hard to catch and halter. she is being agressive, trying to bite, kick etc. i tried this method and she did the turning out circles great but when i would ask her to come in she wouldnt. she would just stand and ignore me. should i just keep going and going or should i just leave jer and do small bits at a time??? thanks

How did you get the halter on? Absolutely some other ground work proceeded this supposed first session.

Hi mike I have a 2 yr old palomino horse that was put to pastures with other horses. But never worked with.. I got him two weeks ago.. well my problem is that he tries to charge me bit in kick me turns his but to kick me. I have tried to use a lead rope to get him to move away from me in he doesn't he comes charging back at me.. I really need help on getting this problem corrected..

Hi Mike, Your vids are the best. I ride a horse who can be v. sweet sometimes, cranky most days, & a demon on some days. Yesterday he lunged at me & smashed his teeth in my arm right through his box stall.I was just visiting him as I'd ridden another horse earlier. (lease situation; I ride a gentle giant;18 hands! 2 days/week & "cranky" 1x/week.) I'm to ride "cranky" tomorrow, but don't want to take him out of his stall if he's going to attack me. The trainers/instructors say "oh that's just the way he is walk up to him with some hay" I guess like a bribe?...(a priest & some holy water may be more appropriate though lol) But isn't that reinforcing his bad behaviour? It's a rather delicate situation as I'm merely the student, & the teachers call the shots. Any advice you could give would be greatly appreciated! (Btw he also hates other horses, kicks them, & everyone is warned to stay away from me & "cranky" in the arena) Thanks for your brilliant work!

Yes, just make sure you do only out side turns with the horse, the inside turn will only set him up to charge you. Then secondly make sure you do it enough. with horse like that I want complete submission on the first lesson and if that means they have to work really hard and they are really tired and sweaty by the end of the lesson then so be it. Also with the outside turn make sure you are far enough back to where if they kick out you do not get kicked, let me know how it turns out;

Cesar Millan for horses, :-) Very good, man!

He’s also putting you in the eye he’s comfortable with when you get I am to put two eyes on you then he’s focused and connected

i recently purchased a mini abused horse. She rears up and strikes walking towards you. I was told it was a trick but i highly doubt that as she does it to any and everything that may seem diffrent. What can i do to stop this she also doesnt stand still or stop unless i drag her into me

Great video. I'm all for hiring a competent professional though in such a situation. It sounds expensive but it saves on medical bills.

Hi Carolyn First thing you need to do is take her out of the therapeutic riding and focus on solving these aggressive problems she has. I have other video's on youtube on biting and kicking that you may want to look at. Do you have a round pen there or small arena. get back to me and let me know if you do so I can tell you how to go about fixing these problems the mare has

What is the key to getting a horse to do an outside turn?

hey i have a horse that i got three years ago and she stays in flordia with my grandparents and i live in georgia she is very agressive and she charges at me every time i go to get another horse to ride she used to be a very nice horse she never charged at people and i could ride her bareback with no hands and no bridle or head stall now she wont let me ride her with a saddle i dont know what happend can you help me please

With in time you will be able to go up to 50 feet away then 100 feet away. this exercise will take you some time to get through as in 4 to 6 weeks.

Hi Bill, I don't think you have really been around horses for very long, but this stallion and charged, kicked out as he was going by, and other things, He does show aggression in the video if you were to watch it and instead of just putting up a comment.

Hi my name is Nicole I own a warmblood cross thoroughbred cross arabian horse he is bay and 15.3 hands tall . I need help . His name is Romeo ; these past few months he has been difficult to brush , because he would try to bite me and while I am brushing he would be throwing his head up and down with ears back and also pawing . He also would pull his ears back the whole time when other horses are around . Is there something I can do about this ?

Hey Mike I know the ears indicate alot of there frame of mind but I noticed he purses and licks his lips alot too... Is this another sign of nervousness and anxiety? I know when a dog does this it means there anxious... BTW fantastic work and communication 😁🐴👌

Thank you, I would really like to come out to New Zealand, if you are on facebook type in Crib-Free and become a member there then we can talk more about training in New Zealand, When you do become a member leave me a message in the pinned post on The 2014 Crib-Free Tour, Thank You

my horse keeps freezing and booking everytime your go on m

Where are you located,I'm having lot of problems with my horse and looking for a trainer who can help me,I live in West Virginia

I have a 4 year old aggressive when she doesn't want to do something, wont lunge on the one rein etc, rears and tries boxing you. help :)

I have a young mare who can be a bit aggressive and pushy. When I go to lunge her she will try to come in on me ears pinned and ready to bite. She does ok under saddle, gets a bit of attitude but after a few circles it will stop. I just am not sure what to do on ground. Would working her like this help?

I have an 12 year old mer she is an arena horse who has started to be aggressive and not wanting to put a halter on it takes at lest half an hour to get a halter on her she leans her head in and then pulls away right at the last minuit i have to get her in a small round pen to catch her but even then it take half an hour. i can't catch her in a field. Her head is always up, and she wont go into arena alone.

how would you get through buddy sourness

Hello Sir , i would like to personally train under/learn from you , please...

what if the horse is in a stall and you don't have as much space as you have here?

my friend has a mustang that resists correction by leaping in the air and kicking out. She has developed a fear by anticipating him doing this. How can she break him of this habit as the more she attempts to correct him the more he resists.

Hey I have 8yo Q-H mare. She bites, kick, rear, buck, charge when lunging, she do these things when she can't get her way. She bucks during gallops and trots. She bites when leading, mounted, and when I'm on her. She can get real aggressive towards me. Don't know why. She rear at me and actually try to hit me with her hoof when I tried to lung her.

I need your help. I have a stallion that I rescued he has been by himself away from other horses his whole life from what I understand. I have been taking care of him for approximately three years now. I decided that he should go to my moms house to be gelded later on this year. And also to start training. He is 10 to 15 years old ( I know that is a risk to geld this old) just today my mom put him in the round pin to start basic ground training well he charged her mouth wide open and stomping she barely got away. She is telling me that he is way to dangerous and wants to put him down humainly of course, but he was Never aggressive towards me I mean he kicked me pretty hard once but I immediately started lunging him when he did to show dominance, he never kicked me again. I really don't want him to be put down I love him too much, but she won't listen to me she says he is a danger to everyone at this point. Can you help? Please contact me if you can. Melody.

Hi Mike . .. . .I am saving a 8 year old (apparently she might be younger) Quarter Horse Mare now I don't know this horse from a bar of soap. Her current owner will be sending her to the slaughter house this weekend if she doesn't sell her. So I said I would buy her. I was told by the current owner who has had her for three weeks that you are able to touch her hind legs and she doesn't do anything but as soon as you touch her front legs even lightly she pins her ears back and grinds her teeth at you. The current owner also says that she will push her back end towards you or into you. I was wondering what your thoughts was on this behavior and how to correct it when I finally get her home and start working on her. Bear in mind this mare has never bit anyone.

I'm working with a mare that you have to sedate to trim her back hooves. The more time I spent trying to desensitize her, the more aggressive she has become. I did all of the touching with ropes, plastic bags, running the whip on her back legs and she didn't flinch. I looped a rope around her leg and she kicked every time. Then she wouldn't stand still anymore to loop the rope around her leg. She kicks out like a donkey. So I ran her in the round pen, she stopped on command and walks in. Go to use the loop again and she kicks. Ran her more. This went on for two hours, she didn't give an inch. The kicking actually became more violent. Now she pins her ears and behaves aggressively when I catch her. I don't back down ever. What am I doing wrong?

Wish I saw the whole progression.

So it usually takes to dominate a horse one way or another? Isn't there a way to calm him by staying nearby for some time, put some food on the ground next to you so he could see, then feed from your hands? I mean, is it possible to teach a horse who's been abused that you wont hurt him by actually just not hurting him?

Just watched your video. Very good but the stallion I have is a 6 year old black and white mustang. There is no way that pen would have held him. He has torn panel Gates to pieces. Five foot corals will not stop him. He will take food from hand. Will let grand kids pet him. I on the other hand have not ever touched him in two years. It is not my way of doing it I have two other mustang stallions that will let me climb all over them.so how do I start with him???

First where do you live, second horses are going to make there own pecking order, all you can do is feed them apart from each other. Your first problem is buddy sour behavior. When you take them apart go to an area about 20 or 30 feet away and start a longing exercise that takes work on the your horses part. Do the exercise for about 20 to 30 minutes. Then give your horse a break. If he continues to be sour then start the exercise again until he is calm.

this sounds like my mare.. shes any where between 4-7 years old came from a rescue center and hates everything. she came to me not halter broke at all and a little on the wild side.... iv had her for about 5 months now and shes calmed down a little bit and im finally about the catch her fully haltered at all times within about 5-10 minutes but shes agressive. she kicks bites charges and has absolutely no respect or boundaries and is completely against being touched any where but her neck when shes willing if shes not willing watch out more less.. she has been in and out of a round pen with me and outside the round pen on a lung line she seem okay but in the round pen on and off the lung line her true colours of all aggression show through and she will only lung to from the left she gets anger when you ask her to change sides.. shes also very aggressive to men that she literally charged me fiance out of the grading yard cleaning up crap that flys in from the wide.

Horses acting like he is going to continue walking nicely beside you when being led, but out of no where runs as fast as he can off to the side. Pulling hard on my body and making it hard to keep Control.

So it sounds like your biggest problem is the buddy sour problem. Do the exercise first on the ground until you can get to the point where you are out of site from the other horses. You will want to do this with all your horses. Let me know where you are, I live in California. So just do the ground exercises for now, take your time and let me know how it goes.

so what was the reason for the horse to be so unpleasant?

If I need help I'll contact you though.

poor guy needed a leader. wish he had a clean paddock

what,s happen with your video cam can't see your face

Hi, I just adopted an amazing 11 yr old gelding quarter horse. He was abandoned by his owners after the son ended his life, from what we know and what the vet said he was abused as well as used on the rodeo circuit. He has a permanent white ring of hair round his entire neck from the old school way of gelding and as such he has some aggression. He stood fine for the vets blood draw but as soon as the vet changed to a smaller needle to tranquilize him for a teeth float, he actively struck one of the vets. And reared while continuing to strike. My vet won't see him again unless he has a dart gun due to safety. He is very loving, smiles for treats, gives kisses but he is a danger and this is the first time I've ever had to ask for help with a horse. We live in Va. Can you help me at all? My direct email is michellebraithwood@gmail.com

dont work a horse with a platted tail its a whil u set this horse too fk up

i dont like 2 heels facing me i like 2 eyes facing me its ok in a big spot like that in a small spot you dont want heels but if you get a horse in a small spot it will think the good thing to do is give you 2 heels if a horse is going to run at you you got to hit it to make the horse think thats was not good and make it think you will kill it i had a horse come at me when i frist started working with the wip and she cam at me and i hit her so hard in the head she never done that again now i can ride her but she would jump at me and everything