Hi, My Arab didn't like the spray
bottle, the noise, the spray or water, as in bath, any of
it. The previous owner actually told me not to use fly
spray or try to give him a bath. Once I got to know him better I just
brought him in the barn and let him circle around until he quit while I sprayed
him with water or the bottle. This took quite a bit of time, like months,
to get him to trust me enough to spray for flies or give him a bath.
Somewhere in his past, he was scared to death of this stuff. Now, he's
fine with it. Still looks at me a little sideways, but stands.
The key was to keep doing it while he moved, be calm and tell him what a brave
boy he is and pretty soon, he believed me. You can't do anything without
the trust of your horse in you.
I also recently got an Appaloosa that had a bad
accident while being tied up before I got him. Apparently, he was tied to
a trailer, too short, and somehow flipped over or something. We use the
blocker tie ring. In the first position, it allows the horse to back up as
the rope will slide through. We have these in our indoor arena where we
tack up. Smokie will also stand untied while I tack him up, etc. I
don't want any panic attacks and this device seems to help him not get
hurt. Anyhow, this works for me. Horses are great teachers; they
give instant feedback.
