Re: Re: Spooking and other problems you have asked me about....

["Karen Sullivan" <greymare@jps.net>]

> But, on the other flip of the coin my first horse was an 18 month old wild
> Arab colt ( I know not the most ideal horse for a 12 year old kid). I was
> just a kid and knew very little about Natural Horsemanship principals.

Your gut instincts and actions as a 12 year old were probably just as
effective
as all the $$$$ natural-horse handling clinics in the world-probably BETTER,
becuase you were the one thinking and observing, not just following some
clinicians routine.
 I
> gentled this guy by just hanging around him A LOT. I would do simple
things
> like offer him grain. When he was OK with me touching him I worked up to
lots
> of petting, rubbing, brushing. Want to know  how  I got him used to the
> saddle? Well, I did know that a horse's worst enemy was Big cats. We had
lots
> of little kittens around the stables, so I put many on him and he got used
to
> the idea of them crawling all over him. He! He! I never did have a problem
> putting a saddle on him or anything else. He was incredibly spooky though.
> Want to know how I lessened his spookiness? Well, I hung birthday
balloons,
> flappy things, and streamers all over his corral  where he hung out the
most
> and ate. By golly, he got used to it and was MUCH better after that. I am
not
> saying to do these techniques.

Why not, your basic ideas were just great!

I happen to think the main reason so many horses respond to all the clinics
and current fad-programs is merely becuase people are out spending time
working them........not some magic formula only these
trainer-guru's know.

karen>
>
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