I have had to do some extra desensitizing on
one of my horses, around his legs. Very goosey, and defensive when he would get
a stick in his tail, or a rope would maybe brush against them etc. While Angie
has MANY issues it seems to work through with this horse, here are a few things
I have used to get them to not wig out if something gets around their
legs.
water hose- Tie them and just hose all around them
with water, use a stream they can "see", and hose their legs, hose the ground
around them, in front of them, behind them. But, do it for 10 min. or more.
Seems to really help them get used to things around their legs, that they feel,
but find it does not hurt them.
Pool noodles- Hard to find this time of the year,
but they are the colorful foam pool floats, that are a long "tube", about 6'
long. Great to hold one end, and rub the horse all over, especially the legs. If
they do kick, it does not hurt, and, does not get knocked out of your hand. You
are at a distance away from the horse, that is safer than some items used to
touch them. And, they make kind of a WHUMP sound if you whack them with it for
being naughty, but doesn't hurt them.
cotton rope- after the pool noodle, and the basic
urge to kick is gone, I take a soft COTTON rope, and toss it around in front of,
behind, and over the horse, to get them used to the rope, then loop around legs
and rub up and down the leg. never tie to leg, make sure loop will just release
if the horse panics. Eventually I lift the horses legs with rope. (saves ones
back from bending over to pick up the feet) Then, I will actually put around
pastern (in releasable loop) and ask the horse to give to the rope, and follow
the pressure, and get them to "lead" by the leg rope. Great for teaching to give
to pressure, and if they ever got caught in brambles, or wire, often they will
NOT fight against it, hurting themselves, as they are taught to give to
pressure, and will stand their quiet, waiting to be rescued.
kicking stick- this is what we have called it in
the carriage driving world. Bill Long, one of the USA's top competitive drivers
/ trainers showed this to me. It is a wooden dowel, of piece of wooden broom
handle, about 1' long, smooth and rounded at both ends, no sharp edges. Hole
drilled in one end, with a piece of hay rope or such through it. We would then,
tie it to the crupper, or I have tied it in the tail, so the dowel is centered
at about their hocks. I would just turn them loose in a stall, or small corral
at first. As they move, the dowel bumps their legs. Many will kick at it, but
can't connect. If they get bored with it in the stall / corral, a round pen can
be used. BUT, if they get moving fast, and panic, they can get it swinging, and
really banging their legs. Some folks don't mind that, but I prefer it not hit
them that hard, just get them used to it brushing them. A softer version, is to
take a piece of cotton lead rope (they thick, heavy kind) and tie a few big
knots in it, then tie that into the braid in their tail. It takes the
desensitizing of just the braided tail, one step further, with a bit more "umph"
to have touching them. Again, controlled, smaller area at first.
As far as the bolt goes, personally, I'd look for a
leverage bit, that you could set up with double reins. Work off the snaffle
rein, but you have the leverage reins if they get naughty, or do try to bolt
again. Usually, the element of surprise, with a horse that does not expect the
new type of function in the bit, is often enough to get them stopped. If this
horse has bolted once, got rid of it's rider, I'd put money on it trying that
maneuver again. The horse sounds fairly calculating with its maneuvers. Also, go
back to the basics on working on WHOA in an arena, to reinforce that means NOW.
Do that with the normal bit, or what ever you think is best, but this horse
needs to be reminded what whoa means. It sounds like you tried the "one rein
stop" everyone is so darn convinced works everytime...uh huh...how hard was that
landing Angie???? BTW, I love French Link snaffles, but have found a few
western bits that have a snaffle rein slot, and leverage slot, with a mouthpiece
very close to traditional French Links.
Don't get hurt, or your family hurt. NO horse is
worth that.......
