Intro, Spooking horses & Bonder@MarvWalker.com requests.

[Marv Walker <Marv@MarvWalker.com>]

Hello, my name is Marv Walker and I work with problem horses 
and have a web site containing quite a few pages of the concepts 
and theories that I have come up with in a little over 50 years 
of horses.

I have joined the list to kind of group respond to quite a number 
of bonder requests that I have traced to here, most of which refer 
to spooking horses.  I wish I could respond personally to everyone 
but the volume of email I get simply doesn't allow that.  So I 
search for strategies that enable me to accomplish the most.  For 
those who feel they need personalized help, nagging never hurts.  
I have this long list of "should answer"s that get answered 
according to a selection process that not even I understand fully.

My anti-spooking concepts vary from the traditional in that I never
desensitize a horse to anything.  I change the horse's over all 
mindset to where the horse allows *me* to assign value to the spook 
regardless of what it is.

Traditionally, when a horse spooks at something we make a big deal 
out of showing the horse the specific item is harmless.  Hopefully 
it will then not react in an inappropriate manner when it sees the 
spook again.  The only problem with this is that there ia an endless 
list of spooking possibilities and we may never cover them all one 
by one.

If you observe a herd of horses for any length of time you see that 
spooking has a definite pattern in the herd.  The degree of spook is 
set by the herd leader.  Once you determine who the lead mare is in 
the herd you can pretty much predict the overall spookiness of the 
entire herd.

When something spooks the lesser members of the herd they spook.  
Until they realize the herd leader is not spooking and then they 
circle or re-join the herd.  If the leader spooks the entire herd 
spooks for as long as the leader spooks.  The herd leader assigns
credibilty to the spook.

The bonder procedure that so many of you have requested (send any 
email to Bonder@MarvWalker.com ) mimics herd dynamics in that the 
operator is performing herd leadership ACTIONS that horses are 
genetically predisposed to react to in a set manner.  By performing 
this scenario you are showing the horse that you have leadership 
ability.  Once the horse has accepted you as one who is ACTING 
like a leader and therefore MUST be a leader, it allows you certain 
status - you call the shots.  As leader, you assign the value to 
the spook.

It is not the desensitising to the specific spook that makes the 
horse less spooky.  It is the acceptance of your leadership that 
makes the horse less spooky.

The bonder, when it is successfully completed, connects you and 
the horse.  It makes the horse tremendously more compliant and 
more willing to accept your decisions.  if you are on the trail 
(or wherever) AND you are connected with the horse AND it sees a 
spook it will tell you "There's a spook over there! How do we deal 
with it?"  You then tell it, "We are going to ignore it," and it 
does.  It accepts your assessment of the spook.

Safety and security for horses is ONLY found in the herd.  It has 
more eyes and ears on guard and it only has to run slightly faster 
than the slowest herd member to escape any predators.  Since you 
are the herd leader and ALL safety and security lies within the 
herd, where is it LIKELY to go when something disturbs it? 
 
I demonstrate this at times in my clinics by having the owner 
complete the bonder and then I get in the pen and spook the horse.  
It is comical to see the horses hide behind their people with an 
obvious, "What are *YOU* going to do about that?" attitude.

Is the horse then spook-PROOF?  No.  Because it is a horse and 
it is a relationship built on faith and choice.  There is always 
a chance that something may happen to cause a momentary relapse.  
But if there is a relapse (may not be, depends on the horse) you 
can quickly re-establish the connection.  As your connection 
skills with the horse strengthen, spooking becomes far less likely.  
I have seen the bonder correct some mighty spooky horses.  It 
always makes a difference.

For all of you who have specifically asked about spooking horses, 
try the bonder and then closely watch your horses to see if you 
have a different connection.  For those of you who have asked 
about other problems, try the bonder and then watch your horses 
to see if you have a different connection.

Marv "If you can't hold a candle to it, it's either works in a 
dynamite factory or it's drenched in gasoline." Walker
-- 
Marv Walker ~ Kellie Sharpe
Mind Meeting Mind In Minutes Clinics 
Madison GA,  Oct 14-15th, 2000 ~ Murfeesboro, TN. Nov 11-12, 2000
http://MarvWalker.com/clinic.htm