Spooking

["Freedom, T'Lara" <tfreedom@millerthomson.ca>]

My beautiful Apache Dell, an Appaloosa gelding, was a very nervous, spooky
horse. He had been abused, had low self confidence, and was green as grass
at 8 years of age when we came together.

He was also very smart and able to think ahead.

I hated those 180 degree turn-and-race-off-in-fear spooks he would do at
everything (it seemed).

I think pretty much time solved the problem

We were together 8 1/2 years. He learned to trust me. We went on rides and
rides and rides and he gained experience and confidence.

If I was leading him and something scared him, he would jump behind me.

He learned to startle in place. He learned it was OK to startle as long as
he didn't startle *on top of me*.

I always investigated things that startled him (if circumstances permitted).

I tried to expose him to many different things.

He never got over his fear of anything horses dragged behind them.

I never reprimanded him for startling and I always gave him some room to
startle. After all, he's big and he needs some room to startle.

I miss him so much.

T'Lara J. Freedom
MILLER THOMSON
Calgary, AB
Canada
Tel: 403-298-2448