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[RC] spooking - terreThe trainer said to me, "I don't do it that way. This mule is ten years old and it is time he learns to trust himself and not look to me to keep him out of trouble. When he learns to trust himself he can keep us both safe." He didn't go into detail about how he accomplishes this but I'll admit, I'm intrigued. If you have a handle on what he is saying and how he might approach that training I'd appreciate it if you explained the techniques to me. Bob I sort of do this...but it is perhaps more a matter of attitude than a set technique. Basically, it amounts to allowing the horse the opportunity to deal with the 'threat' himself. Of course, if his method of 'dealing' is to duckandrun, you have to stop that--but then you re-present the situation and tell him to 'find another option'. It has to be done in small steps, and it has to be done consistently. You can't micro-manage every little step they take, and then suddenly say 'you're on your own'; you have to give them a little room to move. In other words, you have to allow them the opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. Here's an example; I bought a horse that had a spectacular shy--he didn't often spin and run, but he was a master at lateral levitation. I allowed him to knock garbage cans over (checking to see it they contained grain) and stuff like that around the barn as a matter of routine--he got quite used to the sight of spilled garbage. I always let my horses step on leadropes. That kind of thing. Then one day we were riding a familiar trail when I found that a bridge we frequently cross had had bright orange 'snow fencing' attached to both sides to protect a caving bank. He was startled at the sight; I made him stop facing it--and then I just took all pressure off. No legs, no urging, nothing except enough contact to prevent him from spinning. Told him "that's the way home, if you want supper tonight you gotta go there". He looked at it a few seconds then HE decided to go through and did, sanely. It's like that. But you have to build up to it in small increments of allowing the horse to make tiny mistakes, learn from them, and get more confident in his own abilities. They're like children; they need to 'grow up' with experience. You can't do all their thinking for them. terre =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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