 |
Re: [RC] training regression stories - Marv WalkerI've been riding my 6yo "spooker" for a year and a half about 2-3x / week. He has greatly improved, today he actually voluntarily took up a canter through the woods where I'm usually tap-kicking while he slams on his brakes at every-little-thing <sigh>. Usually, he spooks/slams on his brakes at the appearance of something like brush or hay on the trail. I make him approach and take a look at the scary object for a few seconds, then attempt to continue at a slow trot until the next brake-slam, etc. This is not a new trail for him. He's getting more self-confidence but every so often he seems to regress and go through such anxiety and insecurity. You call him "spooker" I call him good student. What you are training (have trained) him to do is slam on the brakes and examine every little thing that gets his attention. Stop doing that and just leg him past the object while ignoring it. Your ignoring it teaches him that it isn't worth any attention. He doesn't load well in the trailer because you are loading him in the trailer. Try controlling him where you are at and then moving that control into the trailer or through, over, under a hazard or other unusual destination. A few years back I received an email from a young lady who told me she taught her horse to load without going anywhere near a trailer since she didn't have access to one. She said that she looked for odd places to lead through, once she even took it into the barn john with her. When it became time to load the horse it went right in like it had been loading all its life. Marv "It occurred to me that since I'm a Native American I should ask the Government for permission to open a casino!" Walker
|