1. Keep animals in a normal frame of mind
This is the essential part of all animal training. Their minds need to be in some state of homeostasis and not to stressed so that they can think. Thinking is a cognitive state, and it is there that they learn to solve problems thru an understanding of their environments and current situations. They can learn without fear that results in default solutions.
2. Animals should not be forced to do anything that they don’t want to do or they are not ready to do
All of the advice is in some ways connected to keeping them in that normal frame of mind. by doing so, the situation can be set up, creating some kind of motivation, to then ask them to do the desired thing. If done, they will go willingly
3. Set up every situation so our idea becomes the animals’ idea
This refers to getting in the right place and the right amount of pressure to create the motivation so that they think thru the problem and do what is being asked. To create this one must be able to read the situation and then choose the right techniques, positions, pressures and amounts then create the mental state to try your idea. When they do, they are rewarded thru removal of pressure. Thru this process and the handler’s expertise, a language of pressure is created as opposed to a tool of fear and coercion.
4. Animals want to avoid pressure, and they need to experience release from pressure
Avoiding pressure is probably innate in most living organisms including livestock. Therefore, they want to avoid it but, in these cases, need to be taught that if they move in specific ways the pressure will go away, thus they have solved the problem. Back to that thinking again, right! When the handler consistently releases at the right times they stock learn and thru those experiences, they know how to manipulate the situation and are not stressed because of it.
Social Structure
5. They want to be in a herd
For Prey animals being in a herd is their number one defense and feels safe to them, therefore their desire to be in a herd/group etc. That desire, is innately motivating and can be used to get the flightier animals to follow the others. We will mention this again under number 8, but the movement that is created, if it is calm and without a lot of arousal, will be key to get those others to in the old vernacular, line out.
6. They want to move in the direction they are headed
When they are pointed in one direction that is the direction they will tend to want to go. This is a common mistake of some handlers. They try to get them to go somewhere different than where they are pointed (their heads), before they get them to simply turn their heads in the or close to the desired direction.
7. They want to follow other animals
This is essentially the herd effect which is being in a herd, and when the herd is leaving in a calm way to go with it, for safety and the social comfort generated by those family and extended family relationships within the herd.
8. Good movement attracts good movement
We mentioned this above in section #5. Good movement we will term movement without arousal or very little arousal. Some arousal resulting from joy and anticipation often occurs if they know they are moving to a fresh pasture or similar tasty place. but the key is the movement without fear and escape involved. This keeps the herd effect in place, and they want to go with the herd and not hide from what the herd has decided is dangerous. Good handlers know this and set the situation up accordingly.
Natural Tendencies
9. Animals want to see what’s pressuring them
This is the attention sequence. The same innate motor pattern that essentially makes you look at your phone every time it flashes, dings, etc. the motion IE pressure generates a desire to see what it is and then make and interpretation of what to do. Good handlers, will have taught them, the stock, that the pressure indicates for the stock to move in a certain way. But once again keeping them in a normal state of mind is key as the first encounters, need to be regulated so that the animals have time to cognitively decide that it is not a threat. The approach then is most important and they will look to see what they need to do, in their interpretation.
10. They want to see where you want them to go
Seeing where you want them to go is part of that approach and the desire to avoid pressure. When you approach, they will tend to look at you. At that time they will likely want to go by you or around you, as they will be looking towards you. After a while a person or lead animal may be used for this purpose but it isn’t something that needs to be used on first attempts with a herd.
11. They want to go by you or around you
We mentioned this in the above #10. The easiest way to keep track of you, and at the same time relieve the pressure is to go by and around. This is one reason why when emptying pens or gathering a pasture you enter from where you want them to come out.
12. Under excess pressure they want to go back where they came from
When excess pressure is applied the animals become confused, conflicted in Behavior terms. In which case the choice of a solution is to go back to where there wasn’t any pressures, a place where they felt safe and in homeostasis. A place that in most if not all cases doesn’t include you the handler who applied to much too soon, in the wrong place etc.
More Principles
Only one person should pressure at a time
This is very important and relates to the principle that animals want to see what is pressuring them. When there are multiple pressures, then which one do I pay attention to? They can only absorb so much information and multiple pressures, especially if they are encircling, is a predatory technique and will trigger innate tendencies very quickly often with confusion. In pens or confined areas, it can result in injured animals. This is easily demonstrated in wild horse gathers.
Maintain the integrity of the driveline
The drive line has to do with multiple pressures. When the drive line is straight, and obvious, then the pressure is still one, although it may be created by two or more handlers. If they handlers adhere to this rule, then the animals usually will willingly comply without excess confusion.
Make the entry the exit
We mentioned this earlier in the context of the animals wanting to see what is pressuring them and wanting to know where to go, and wanting to go where they are pointed. With all of these in mind, the handler simply enters the pen, pasture, alley from the direction that you want them to travel. They will want to see you, thus looking in the right direction, then want to go by you to relieve the pressure.
You cause what you anticipate
If you anticipate problems they will occur. Most likely because you in your thought process have not taken the time to read the situation, and adjust to it as opposed to thinking you know what is going to happen and take action from that stand point.
Do the right technique until it works
Choosing the right technique is the key or else it won’t work as in the above example of anticipation.
The livestock are never wrong; in working livestock, you determine everything
You will need to understand how to position yourself, the importance of angles, the approach, the flight zone, recognition zone, amount of pressure that it takes (as little as possible), the animals arousal levels and the terrain that which you need to move the animals. Then the handler can work with them so they feel they are right, getting what they want, they can manipulate you.
Hibbard says, “No matter how good we get at low-stress livestock handling we never transcend the basics and we cannot skip any steps, and that includes the five foundational layers.”
