Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Spooky Legs

----- Original Message ----- From: Jerry & Susan Milam <milamj@xxxxxxxxxxx>
> My question to you veteran horse trainers is this: How can I work with
this > youngster on not freaking out when something hangs on to his feet
like a > vine or a piece of barbed wire like it did last year and he freaked
and darn > near bled to death on the trail. I should have asked this
question last

It is SOP around here to routinely handle the babies (and new horses)
specifically on the legs, and specifically with things like ropes.

very briefly, I start giving some of their scratches with a rope in my hand
and can quickly progress to rubbing them all over with the rope.  body,
head&neck, back, rump, belly and all legs from top to bottom, inside and
out.   They are taught to give to pressure on the poll *and* the same on the
legs.  The final result is that they will stand quietly with anything around
their legs, and even can be led by a rope around one leg, or allow a leg to
be lifted up by a rope.

I do all this before I attempt to hobble one, and generally, if they try to
move, a gentle reminder such as a verbal 'whoa' or a light tug on the lead
is all that is required to keep them from flailing around and possibly
falling.

Becky Huffman, Cleburne, Texas
www.TheOriginalSeries.com
www.BlueArabianHorseCatalog.org

"Good and Ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one thing
among Elves and Dwarves and another among Men. "
-Aragorn, son of Arathorn




=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
 Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=