Re: RC: separation anxiety solutions

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Susan
I certainly have had terrific experience with Jeff and you can call
Donnis Thran who is endurance rider, does the Bioscan therapy on
endurance horses, is the endurance broker who advertises in Trail Blazer
and was the co-founder/co-manager of The Race of Champions with Susan
Gibson. Good endurance credentials. Her number is 805 481-0015 and she
first heard about Halynov through Jeff. Jeff was the link to our later
friendship which started my involvement with endurance.
Bette

Susan Garlinghouse wrote:
> 
> Thanks to everybody for all the suggestions that were made to help solve
> Dakota's anxiety problems.  Actually, I should have been more concise in
> describing his behavior---he does well by himself, as long as he's the one
> going out, he just gets worried when he's left behind and other horses leave
> him.  And he does great when in the company of another horse, but of course
> we all know that isn't always feasible during real life.
> 
> For anybody else that is having problems like this (hopefully not for the
> same reasons), here's what the general concensus of suggestions seemed to
> be:
> 
> 1) It was pretty much agreed that Dakota's had his confidence really torn
> apart and it needs to be gotten back again.  A solution for a lot of people
> has been to spend time alone with him, gradually working him away from
> relying on other horses as emotional support.  A lot of good exercises like
> trailering him out, tying him to the trailer and just hanging out with me, a
> hay bag and a good book, and other variations on that theme.  In short,
> showing him Mom is more fun than any bunch of horses (which is the way he
> was as a baby, anyway).
> 
> 2) Pretty close to being another variation on the same theme was putting him
> with a John Lyons-type trainer to regain his old relationship with people
> and his own self confidence.  JL was the way he was started and he'd
> undoubtedly go back to it like a duck to water.  Working him through alot of
> baby-step exercises will reinforce what he knew before, and teach him again
> he's doing the right thing.  Actually, this is alot of what Karen's been
> doing with him with good results.
> 
> 3) I definitely agree with the concensus that Dakota needs to be in a place
> where he can feel safe and secure again.  He's definitely improved worlds
> since he's been with Karen.  I agree that the best solution would be for him
> to come home and spend his summer with me, and that would be my choice if I
> were going to be here consistently.  However, I've already committed to two
> different research projects in California, teaching an AAEP seminar in
> Phoenix and a symposium back at the Cornell vet school, and won't be around
> enough to work with Dakota consistently---and if there's anything the poor
> guy needs now, it's consistency.
> 
> So, probably the best all-around solution is putting him with a good
> trainer.  I've had suggestions of Jeff Worrell in the Central Valley of
> California, and Larry Jeffreys in Lancaster, CA (and some others in other
> parts of the country that arent as feasible to get him to).  Mark Rashid is
> up here in CO, but doesn't seem to be taking horses in for training, he's
> doing clinics all over the place.  Both of the above trainers (Jeff and
> Larry) are reputable and professional, and have very good reputations, but
> does anyone here have any knowledge or experience of either of them?  Other
> than this one ill-advised episode, I've always put my horses with the best
> professionals I could find, and had good results, so obviously I won't make
> *that* mistake again.  Oh well, live and learn.  (I checked with my former
> trainers as well, but they all had full barns with a waiting list, not
> surprising).
> 
> So, there's the distillation of the suggestions, any other input would be
> greatly appreciated.
> 
> Thanks also for all the deluge of support as well, guys.  I sure appreciate
> it.
> 
> Susan G
> 
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-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov	
(Yes, really 16.2!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com