In this next clip Rudy is quite focused on the ball. Unfortunately, I didn't catch him throw a couple kicks. Again, just prior to pushing the ball away he releases, this time through a sigh.
In the final clip this horse, who has probably never been allowed the freedom to play, actually has a little fun with the ball and appears to be enjoying exploring movement through lead changes. He then gallops across the field to the corner where Bell had purposefully chosen to rest away from the herd and chases her away. At the start of the clip you can see Isis in the background with a leg cocked looking into the distance. She is quite relaxed at this point. As Rudy is heading toward Bell, Isis moves into the frame, having been startled by Rudy's burst of energy. You can actually hear me unconsciously release through a sigh after Rudy gallops by, demonstrating that my energy level had been escalated in resonance with his.
After moving Bell, Rudy trots over to Isis with an arched neck and sniffs nostrils with her. His heightened emotional state leads Isis to squeal, flip her hind end around and kick at him. Normally, Rudy is able to move Isis and they are close friends within the herd, but she obviously chooses to send him a strong message that she does not appreciate his behaviour.
Below is a sketchy still frame, adjusted for the lighting, of Rudy and Isis shortly before the squeal.
Here is a video clip, of the Blair Witch variety, in which Rudy incites the squeal and kick from Isis. I thought I had turned the video recording off as I was trying to get some distance from the two of them. During my "dramatic" escape you can hear that the excitement leads to Jasper braying. Donkeys are very tuned into the herd energy. They will bray when something is amiss and will act to bring the collective energy down. In essence, they help with emotional regulation of the herd. They are also helpful as a companion to a horse prone to anxiety. I have heard stories of race horses travelling everywhere with "their donkey". (This is not to imply that I condone racing.)
Perhaps Rudy's behaviour, at least in part, involves some release of repressed anger. He may also simply enjoy this style of play. If suggesting he have a romp with the ball redirects and ultimately decreases his pushing and biting behaviour then it is a helpful activity, regardless of the precise underlying dynamics, which can never be fully known.
Release of repressed anger is most effective when there is an associated physical release. This allows discharge of the energy stored in the body as a result of suppression of the "fight or flight" response. A simple example of this would be the common scenario where a horse spooks while being led and is forced to stand completely still in response to yanking on the lead shank despite every fibre in his body being primed to run to safety.
Compared to the first two videos, Rudy's energy after playing with the ball the third time remains escalated, which he then redirects to the two mares, causing some disruption in the herd.This raises the issue of the fine balance between encouraging/facilitating emotive expression/release and pushing the horse (or person) into a dysregulated state from which he has difficulty returning to a calm baseline.
The first two videos nicely demonstrate self-modulation, also known as emotional self-regulation, following an intense emotive release. In the third video Rudy has more difficulty bringing his energy back down into harmony with the herd. Despite generally being submissive to Rudy, Isis quite dramatically mirrors Rudy's emotional state upon approaching her and provides external regulation by her response, which does result in his settling down.
One other issue these clips bring up for me is the way that I verbally try to encourage play with the ball. I feel, perhaps, my voice still comes across as if I'm talking to a child, rather than an adult horse. I am aware of this and trying to find a voice that is fun and energetic while respecting the horse as an intelligent, mature being. I also make the assumption that his behaviour is primarily driven by the release of repressed anger, which I do not know. Simply encouraging play when he is receptive without placing my agenda on it would be my goal in the future.
I will continue to provide updates on Rudy's journey.
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