The Mike Neal Halter Clinic - Licking and Chewing

Mike Neal series starts here


In a past series What's Up with Licking and Chewing and Arabian Horses there was a lively discussion about just exactly what that response means in the horse. There were lots of differing opinions and, at least in my mine, more to learn on this subject.

Somewhere in that series I had mentioned another halter trainer who would stimulate the licking and chewing response when teaching the horse. That halter clinic was the first time I witnessed a trainer looking for that response in the process of training. I didn't know enough to ask "why" at the time. Then along came Mike Neal and he does much the same thing. Mike actually sticks his finger in the horse's mouth to stimulate the response just like Brad Gallun had done those years ago BUT now I get to ask questions!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post The Mike Neal Halter Clinic - The Belly Band Theory I wanted to go over Mike's thoughts on licking and chewing in horses. I think it's important before we go any farther to understand Mikes thinking about this response and how he makes it work for him. It's also important to note that Mike believes strongly in using the voice to praise the horse. I know that Arabians in particular respond well to verbal praise. They thrive on it actually.

Whenever Mike approaches a horse he wants to praise, he averts his eyes, changes his voice (it was funny to see this hulk of a man talking baby talk to horses), even softens his posture (ducking down a bit) and makes a wide circle away for the horse's head and comes back at the horse's shoulder. Then he strokes the horse, still talking and if the horse does not drop its head to lick and chew on its own, Mike puts his finger under the horse's tongue to cause the response. Sometimes he spends as much time rewarding the horse as he does asking it to perform.

In the beginning every time he gets the desired response from the horse in whatever he is teaching, he does this dance praising the horse and searching out the lick and chew.

Obviously with the belly band theory, this step can only be added when the horse is safe to approach. (Up until that time Mike uses his voice to enoucrage the horse...."Good") A horse that might give to the pressure for only an instant and then go back to fighting cannot be physically praised. But once the horse is safe to approach, Mike would be petting and praising and encouraging the horse to lick and chew.

Mike's reasoning for causing the horse to lick and chew was based on his own personal observations. This is the way that Mike explains it:

Human beings with tight jaws and clenched teeth can not learn. They are so uptight, the walls are up and information is difficult to get in. But get that person to talk, the jaws and muscles relax as the words flow and the person is more open to take in information.

Mike believes the same thing is true of the horse. If the horse doesn't lick and chew on it's own, he causes it to happen.

Mike explained the whole ritual as an important part of training.

He states, "I want the horse to me. The more they like me, the better they will work for me."

Mike wants the horses to learn to want that reward. The different parts of the reward, verbal praise, petting and even their own licking and chewing, cause the horse to learn to associate with being successful. It builds confidence in the horse and makes the whole experience pleasurable. That in turn makes training something the horse looks forward to instead of dreads (as some halter horses do).

Then when Mike takes the horse into the ring to show, the horse's attention will be focused on receiving it's reward. The horse has been conditioned to believe the reward will come when the horse gives the desired response. When it doesn't get that reward as quickly as it does at home (because the horse needs to stand up longer in the ring) instead of getting bored, the horse will try harder seeking that reward. Just as when we humans are used to getting praise and all of a sudden it doesn't come, we try harder assuming that's what we need to do to receive the praise again. The result is a bright show horse focused on pleasing the handler.

With most of the horses at the clinic, it only took a few times and they were doing it on there own. Every time that Mike or their handler would move towards the horse for praise, the horse would automatically drop its head down and begin licking and chewing.

As for those baby horses bouncing around the ring on the halter video (that has since been removed from Utube), it's Mike's belief if the job was done at home, the baby horse would have the skills to focus on the handler. Since Scottsdale is a such a big show for any horse's first show, there might be some reactions from young horses but with thorough training the horse will be able to tune in and show properly.

To be continued.............

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