Behavior Education

https://phoenixdogtraining.com/are-low-level-e-collars-safe/?fbclid=IwdGRleASBrFxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeZDEMniqKuD-sW8uu7zUMrZN1sZ1dCl6izcy3TO_F9Za1BP1lWwVTR_t48xI_aem_ZmFrZWR1bW15MTZieXRlcw

Are Low Level E-Collars Safe? 2026 Brain Science Says No New 2026 brain research reveals what really happens when "low level" e-collars are used on dogs, and why the textbook says they're still aversive.

HOW AND WHY DO HORSES GET ULCERS?

Equine gastric ulcers can affect any horse of any age. Up to 90% of racehorses and 60% of show horses, as well as non-performance horses and even foals are affected by equine gastric ulcers. Gastric ulcers result from the erosion of the stomach lining due to a prolonged exposure to the normal acid present in the stomach.

Unlike ulcers in humans, bacteria do not appear to cause equine gastric ulcers. Instead, this condition is often a man-made disease. Stall confinement alone can lead to the development of ulcers. A horse’s feeding schedule and high-grain diets can also contribute to the development of ulcers.

Stress, both environmental and physical, can increase the likelihood of ulcers, as can hauling, training, and mixing groups of horses. Strenuous exercise can decrease the emptying of the stomach as well as the blood flow, thus further contributing to the problem.

The treatment and prevention of gastric ulcers is directed at removing these predisposing factors, therefore decreasing acid production within the horse’s stomach. Prevention of ulcers is the key in helping your horse, as neutralizing the production of stomach acid is nature’s best antacid.

Please note that the only way to definitively diagnose ulcers is through a gastroscopy. An equine veterinarian should always be consulted in any case of suspected gastric ulcers to determine the best course of action and treatment for the individual horse.

Medical Update: Mars On April 1, 2025 Mars was surrendered to Spirit Keeper Animal Sanct...

May 2026 Group Meeting Schedule | Behavior Education May 2026 Group Meeting Schedule by Behavior Education on Patreon. Join Behavior Education 's community for exclusive content and updates.

https://youtu.be/j2nXJry99UY?si=2OggArNczy1QYD-J

Mars and Ripley: 9 May 2026 Hi Everyone, today is Saturday, May 9, 2026. I am sharing an update with you about two Royal Pythons who were relinquished to Spirit Keeper Animal Sanctuary ...

Understand Horses

WHY RESTRAINT MAKES NEEDLE-SHY HORSES WORSE

If you've been around horses for more than a minute, you've probably seen a horse who is afraid of injections. When the veterinarian approaches with a syringe in hand, the horse, who is otherwise perfectly manageable, explodes. They throw their head high, barge over the handler, or maybe even rear or strike. So, someone grabs a stud chain, another person suggests backing them into a corner, or maybe a twitch comes out. With more restraint, the veterinary team might get 'lucky', and the injection might get done this time. But it is highly likely that the next time that horse needs an injection, they will behave much worse.

While using more restraint is a common approach to working with the needle-shy horse, no matter how well-intentioned, it can make a horse's needle-shyness more entrenched with every single experience. This is because all animals are hardwired to remember stressful experiences. Horses can remember even a single negative experience for a very long time. It's what kept their ancestors alive for millennia.

Restraining a horse that is trying to escape makes perfect sense from the human perspective, but it communicates something very different to the horse. The horse concludes that they are indeed trapped and the situation is dangerous. The brain and body respond accordingly. Their adrenaline continues to surge, their heart rate climbs, and blood is diverted away from the organs to their muscles to aid in fleeing or fighting this threat. The horse is now in a state of full 'fight or flight' response. Additionally, the emotions triggered by being in this state get filed away in their memory, attached to everything else present in that moment besides the needle: the veterinarian, the location in the barn, the rustling of the syringe wrapper, the feeling of the jugular groove being pressed, and so on.

While extra restraint may be required in emergency situations where receiving a medication can make the difference between life and death, its use shouldn't be common practice when giving horses injections. Additionally, for horses who have developed strong fears of injections, the use of restraint to achieve an injection goal almost always makes things worse.

Serious fears about injections can be overcome in horses, using proven techniques such as systematic desensitization and counterconditioning. These powerful behaviour-change techniques re-teach the horse's nervous system that injections are not a threat. It doesn't do this by just suppressing behaviours caused by fear. But rather, when it's done well, it genuinely rewires the horse's brain and how it tells the horse to respond to injections. Where injections used to predict feeling fear and pain for your horse, they can now predict feeling calm and receiving pleasurable consequences for wanted behaviour, such as treats.

This process involves:

• Starting well 'below threshold': working at a level where the horse can stay calm and learn
• Building in tiny increments: progressing only when relaxation is genuine
• Using positive associations: pairing needle-related stimuli with things the horse genuinely values, like feelings of safety or treats
• Giving the horse agency: allowing the horse to communicate how they feel, rather than shutting them down, building trust rather than eroding it

This approach isn't a quick fix, and when implemented correctly it shouldn't make for entertaining social media views. That's because, done well, it doesn't trigger feelings of stress or fear in the horse. The horse doesn't have big reactions, behave dangerously, or try to escape the training session. But it is reliable. Horses who go through a proper desensitization program for needle-shyness don't just begrudgingly tolerate injections; they can become genuinely untroubled by them.

If your horse struggles with injections, the good news is that with the right approach, the issue can often be overcome.