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RE: [RC] affecting the horse - McGann, BarbAnother technique that works well with some horses (besides NOT looking at the object) is to look at it briefly and dismiss it! As your going down the trail, you'll see your horse flick his ears, tip his head at something. My belief is that as part of the herd behavior, he's trying to protect you and saying "Oops theres something spooky there - what do you think". He's asking you as his herd boss for either reassurance that it isn't spooky or confirmation that it is. If you just look once at the object and then very loudly (in your head) say, "Oh, thats just a ...." and then look away, on up the trail then you have answered him. It might not work the first time or the second, but if you just keep it up and you are proven right many times, they will start to believe you. The flip side of this is that if it is something truly dangerous (and that varies from horse to horse - I had one horse that would tolerate everything in the world except a motorcycle coming up his butt - I had to learn to let him turn around and face it), then we have to allow them some room...going wide around it, facing it, whatever. By doing that, we're saying that he really can trust us to make that judgement and save him from the true monsters, while dismissing the safe ones. Barb McGann -----Original Message----- From: Jonni Jewell [mailto:jonnij@xxxxxxxx] Sent: Wednesday, July 30, 2003 8:43 PM To: Ridecamp Subject: [RC] affecting the horse If you have a horse that is spooky and goofy at things along the trail, try this. Next time you see that stump, bush, rock, plastic bag or what ever scary thing is up beside the trail that you are convinced your horse will spook at, do NOT stare at the item. Look past it, on up the trail, relax your mind from thinking that the horse will spook, and think about the trail beyond the scary item. if you find you are still waiting and worrying for that big spook, try singing to your horse. (you can not hold your breath and tense up when you sing) I find when I do NOT look at the spooky thing, and look beyond, the spook never comes, or at least is not as dramatic. Then, to test the theory, try really focusing on a spooky item, stare at it, keep it in your vision as you approach. The spooky horse usually will spook, and some who rarely spook, will do so if the riders is worrying about it. These are sensitive animals, that we often do not give enough credit for what they sense, feel, and think. If the rider is bold and brave, usually the horse will be also. Timid scare riders, often create timid scared, and spooky horses. Jonni =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= http://www.endurance.net/ads/seabiscuit.html Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- http://www.endurance.net/ads/seabiscuit.html Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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