| Subject: |
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Re: Re: Victoria Jump |
| Name: |
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Sherryl |
| Date Posted: |
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Nov 8, 04 - 12:10 PM |
| Email: |
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Sherryl@SulphurHorseRanch.com |
| Website: |
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http://www.Sulphurhorseranch.com |
| Message: |
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 Vik looks great Kim, good photo
Plastic bags seem to be the most common "Spooky Critter" out there for horses. It is beneficial if you can get them used to the sound and look of any type of plastic material. I train all of my horses to get used to all types of obstacles and I will write what works for my horses with getting used to plastic bags.
If you have a round pen to work in that is great, if not this will still work on a long lunge line.
I take a plastic bag, the type you get your groceries in and tie it to the end of a buggy whip and lay it in the middle of my round pen. I then attach a 25 ft. lunge line on my horse, bring them into the round pen ( my pen is 50 ft. in diameter ) and let them stand at the gate. With your back to your horse walk out the the middle of you pen with the end of your lunge line, pick up the buggy whip with the bag attached and slowly start flipping the bag from side to side. Your horse will spook at first but since you are not facing them ( No threat ) they should settle down within a few seconds. Once they get used to the sound and look of what you are doing you can start walking. Walk around the pen flipping the bag, let the horse think that he is chasing this dreaded creature, you will find that eventually you can make your line shorter, you can bring your horse in closer within a matter of minutes. Once your horse feels secure with this you can go on to facing them in the same manner at the end of your line.
Stand facing your horse, they will spook again as you are now looking at them, they do not know if it is a threat. Work the same way, only this time you are walking into them, do not force them, if they keep spooking keep your distance till they feel secure enough for you to come in closer.
Once I am able to get close to my horse with the bag, I start working each eye, work the bag on one side till they relax then start on the other. Do not touch your horse with the bag, just get them accustomed to the look and sound at this time.
I do this the same way for a couple of days, they accept that the bag will not hurt them and are relaxed. Now you can start bringing the bag close to their body, bring it up into the shoulder area on one side, rub softly talking to your horse in a soft tone. They are already accustomed to the sound so it should not bother them too much. If they do spook, start again flipping the bag to the ground on the same side then try again.
Once I have them accept the touch of the bag on the shoulders of both sides I then move on to other parts, but leave the head area for last.
My Sulphurs accept this method easily and it only took a day or two. |
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