 | ||||
| ||||
Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Desensitizing. Any ideas? |
| | ||||
| ||||
Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Desensitizing. Any ideas? |
| Moderated by: Brenda Im |
|
||||||||||||||
| Desensitizing. Any ideas? | Rate Topic |
| Author | Post |
|---|
| Posted: Thu Nov 18th, 2010 04:39 am |
|
1st Post |
|
AbsoluteSilver G.O.G Community Member 
|
I'm trying to desensitize my 5yr old RMH. She's been here for 3 months so I figure it's about time she gets started with some training now that she's put on weight. I'm planning on showing her in local fun shows and doing some trail riding with her in about a year or two so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas what all I should get her used to just so I don't miss anything. So far what I've got to work with is tarps, cans, bottles, an air gun, dump truck, balloons, the neighbor's cows, lawnmower, jackets, and hoses. I'm not sure what else I should get to work with her. She already goes over logs with branches and across ditches on her own since my older mare made her go over them in the pasture.Whenever I have a jacket or hat on she looks at me like I'm some monster and runs so I guess I have that to work on. I was wondering if anyone else has any ideas what I could do to desensitize her? She's alot spookier and high strung than any other horse I've ever worked with. She's also scared half to death of men and a little scared of people in general. She follows me around like a puppy dog though so her being scared of people shouldn't be too much of a problem there.
____________________ People on horses look better than they are. People in cars look worse than they are. ~Marya Mannes |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Nov 18th, 2010 04:48 am |
|
2nd Post |
|
slipslider G.O.G Community Member 
|
I would add things you would see at a horse show, such as lawn chairs, riding late in the evening, make sure she will load at night, lawn chairs, umbrellas, and you can also add bubbles, not sure why, my trainer had did this with my horse, did not bother him a bit, it maybe that it kind of mimics a balloon which is something else you may want to use. Went to a show once and they had given all the children balloons, don't know why they did that! Also coke cans, my horse stepped on one once in tall grass and scared it to death, another time my son was drinking one while on his pony and he bent the sides in a it popped which scared the pony but I was holding him at the time and so we made it through that one. And flags. For trails, make sure they are use to the sound velcro makes when you pull it apart, that can scare them it they are not use to it and plastic bags or baggies. These are just a few off the top of my head.
____________________ LaVonne Summertime Stables, LLC |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Nov 18th, 2010 02:10 pm |
|
3rd Post |
|
iceponymom G.O.G Community Member 
|
Umbrellas are very scary to some horses, as are baby strollers (especially with a crying baby!). Both are commonly found at horse shows. Also, people leaning on the rail around the riding ring scares some horses. Bicycles can also freak horses out. It helps to have the horse follow/chase the bike the first few times. If you meet one on a trail ride, speak to the cyclist so your horse will realize there's a human on the bike. IPM
|
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Thu Nov 18th, 2010 04:36 pm |
|
4th Post |
|
Karal G.O.G Community Member 
|
Saddle bags and VELCRO  I've had a young horse or two jump out of their hide when I ripped open my phone carrier and forgot about velcro. Oh lets see...phone ringing....peoples voice on a two-way...shook up soda bottle opening...oh and another good one...rain poncho. I have a rain poncho that is a military one that you can snap two together to make a tent. Anyway, keeps ya real dry, but on a windy day, flapping and snapping and the horse can't see it cuz it's on you. Hats blowing off someones head and rolling across the ground. Deer and fowl jumping out at ya, well really away from ya, but still there.....dogs....yelling kids darting around....most come with experience and miles in the saddle. If you have a level headed horse.. most won't bother them too much.
____________________ live - laugh - love |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 19th, 2010 05:58 pm |
|
5th Post |
|
traildancer G.O.G Community Member
|
My husband's horse STOPS for velcro! It's on the little bag he uses for carrots and Shorty has figured that out. It's pretty funny. We tease Ron that he's a horse trainer. Look how well Shorty responds. It doesn't matter where the velcro is or who does it; Shorty stops and looks around for his carrot.
____________________ The trail is the thing.....Louis L'Amour |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Posted: Fri Nov 19th, 2010 11:15 pm |
|
6th Post |
|
Karal G.O.G Community Member
|
traildancer...that is funny. My QH learned real quick if I leaned down towards his neck, he instantly put on the brakes looking for his treat, usually an apple picked from a tree.
____________________ live - laugh - love |
|||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Posted: Mon Nov 22nd, 2010 11:42 pm |
|
7th Post |
|
sdlepal Ranch Hand 
|
I was riding my husband's horse shortly after we first got married and opened my saddle bag with Velcro. The horse jumped, you would have thought he got shot or something. But he is afraid of gun shot because they do re-enactment in our hayfield with cannons going off every summer and I think he associates any big boom with the cannons. My old trail horse liked any treat but tootsie rolls was his favorite trail treat. I would put my arm out and he would apply the breaks and turn around for his tootsie! My husband gives our horses horse treats on riding breaks. When they hear a bag rattle they try to get at him for a treat.
____________________ Pam and Cowboy Casey |
||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Current time is 10:47 pm | |
| Gaits of Gold Gaited Horse Community Messageboard > Gaited Horse Training Discussions > Gaited Horse Training > Desensitizing. Any ideas? | Top |
