You are courting catastrophe when you ride a horse that's easily spooked. Such horses are very dangerous to themselves, to their riders and anyone else in the area. In nature's food chain, horses are among the hunted, and so they have powerful instinctive fight or run responses. When they encounter danger, they shy and bolt. Extra-sensitive horses can be spooked by the most inoffensive of things, and are rated to be dangerous and problematic.
They need not be written off , however , there are a few things that may be done to put some steel in an over-sensitive horse. These things are best when the horse is young and in training. When you catch them young and educate them correctly, they'll turn into spook-proof adults.
You start by lunging the horse for some time. He gets to work off unrestrained energy this way. Keep him on a halter and lead rope and head towards him at a slow speed holding an old saddle pad or blanket. Let him sniff it. Don't rush the horse "let him do things at his very own pace. Take some time in introducing the blanket again if he spooks or steps back. Let him get used to the blanket.
When the blanket bothers him no more, take it a step further. Move the blanket around a bit and flap it around, making sure your actions are not sudden. This way, you are getting rid of your horse's touchiness around flapping objects. Your horse is going to act up a bit and show discomfort at 1st but keep persisting and soon he will be taking the blanket without hesitation.
You go on to the next phase. Still using soft motions, you swing the blanket such that it touches him gently. Keep up the motion and after a while lay the blanket on his back and a little later, over all his body. Your final goal is his head. Once you're able to get the blanket onto his head without any frightened reactions, you can consider the larger part of your endeavour successful. Throw the blanket around his feet, let him get used to objects under his hooves: this is another critical part of numbing him. When he becomes uninterested in the blanket under his hooves, you have done with this session.
It is time to reward him for being a good student!
In the subsequent session, swap the blanket for a soft rope and work on the horse with the rope in just about the same way as with the blanket. Get the horse to be disinterested about a rope dangling round his limbs and body. The rope lesson can be especially constructive as later the horse could have bits of snapped tack flying off around him. Tack snapping could be a potential disaster with the untrained horse. Keep moving the rope (taking care never to make movements that might be construed as being threatening) between the legs, under the belly and around the face of the horse. When the horse stops noticing the rope round his face, you're thru with this session.
It is time for the last session. Horses have a unusual reaction to plastic bags and you need to work that fear out of your horse. Take a bag to your pony and get him to smell it. Utilise a long lead rope to hold your pony and tie the bag to a drive whip. Swing the whip around. To begin with, your pony will generally flinch and back away from what may appear to him to be a scary object. Take care not to spook your horse with abrupt movements, keep shaking the bag in the near vicinity of your pony till he starts to disregard it. When this occurs, bring the bag in touch with his skin and move it all round his body. Move it underneath his feet and under his bell. When he shows no reaction to you moving the bag around his head, this session is over.
Remember: keep the sessions going at your horse's pace. Reward him when each session ends. Ensure you do nothing that can be even barely traumatising, or else you will ruin his psyche, possibly for life. Don't relax after the 1st successful course. Repeat your sessions at regular times to make sure your horse stays desensitized.
They need not be written off , however , there are a few things that may be done to put some steel in an over-sensitive horse. These things are best when the horse is young and in training. When you catch them young and educate them correctly, they'll turn into spook-proof adults.
You start by lunging the horse for some time. He gets to work off unrestrained energy this way. Keep him on a halter and lead rope and head towards him at a slow speed holding an old saddle pad or blanket. Let him sniff it. Don't rush the horse "let him do things at his very own pace. Take some time in introducing the blanket again if he spooks or steps back. Let him get used to the blanket.
When the blanket bothers him no more, take it a step further. Move the blanket around a bit and flap it around, making sure your actions are not sudden. This way, you are getting rid of your horse's touchiness around flapping objects. Your horse is going to act up a bit and show discomfort at 1st but keep persisting and soon he will be taking the blanket without hesitation.
You go on to the next phase. Still using soft motions, you swing the blanket such that it touches him gently. Keep up the motion and after a while lay the blanket on his back and a little later, over all his body. Your final goal is his head. Once you're able to get the blanket onto his head without any frightened reactions, you can consider the larger part of your endeavour successful. Throw the blanket around his feet, let him get used to objects under his hooves: this is another critical part of numbing him. When he becomes uninterested in the blanket under his hooves, you have done with this session.
It is time to reward him for being a good student!
In the subsequent session, swap the blanket for a soft rope and work on the horse with the rope in just about the same way as with the blanket. Get the horse to be disinterested about a rope dangling round his limbs and body. The rope lesson can be especially constructive as later the horse could have bits of snapped tack flying off around him. Tack snapping could be a potential disaster with the untrained horse. Keep moving the rope (taking care never to make movements that might be construed as being threatening) between the legs, under the belly and around the face of the horse. When the horse stops noticing the rope round his face, you're thru with this session.
It is time for the last session. Horses have a unusual reaction to plastic bags and you need to work that fear out of your horse. Take a bag to your pony and get him to smell it. Utilise a long lead rope to hold your pony and tie the bag to a drive whip. Swing the whip around. To begin with, your pony will generally flinch and back away from what may appear to him to be a scary object. Take care not to spook your horse with abrupt movements, keep shaking the bag in the near vicinity of your pony till he starts to disregard it. When this occurs, bring the bag in touch with his skin and move it all round his body. Move it underneath his feet and under his bell. When he shows no reaction to you moving the bag around his head, this session is over.
Remember: keep the sessions going at your horse's pace. Reward him when each session ends. Ensure you do nothing that can be even barely traumatising, or else you will ruin his psyche, possibly for life. Don't relax after the 1st successful course. Repeat your sessions at regular times to make sure your horse stays desensitized.
About the Author:
Horses are Heather Toms’ passion and she
enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.
enjoys sharing her extensive knowledge through her 100’s of articles with other horse lovers… like all things about horse rugs.
No comments:
Post a Comment