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RE: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse? - heidi larsonI have an ulitmate spooky horse!!! Dumped me last year (it WAS my own fault) I was daydreaming and he was watching a scary log approaching!! Wham, I hit the ground (3 broken vertebrae tips later) and I've learned a few lessons. Took some dressage last winter and my instructor had this wonderful tip for me!! As you approach the scary object, your horse gives you some clues that he's going to spook, an ear, an arch to the neck, a bend to the body, etc. Now, I also know my guy who rides in a nice loose ring mylar snaffle, likes his rider to be paying close attention. Not all locked up on him, just paying attention, he may need to gain some confidence that everything is going to be ok. So, as the rock or log looms ahead, and he gives me the clues, I lift the outside rein, lightly tip his nose away from the scary horse eating monster, give him some outside leg (I now ride in blunt spurs just because I have a bad ankle and can't give much leg
on the left side) I also give outside seat bone pressure. Now, if I get to gabbing with the rider behind me, Ash gets scared much easier. He's down there waiting for the cue that everything is ok, "you can look away from the scary beast, I'll protect you," and if I'm talking, the cue never comes. So, in our particular case, it's me that has to watch out, cue him that it's all ok and now the spooks are few and far between, and not nearly so big. And as far as the food goes, he's always been spooky, even when he was out on 100 acres with no grain, before I got him. His mom was a spooky girl also, she taught him well. I've been riding alot, he's getting a good amt. of grain, local and eastern grass hay (all he can eat) no alfalfa, I do supplement with magnesium, but it's more because if I don't, both my guys try to eat dirt/gravel on the roads I ride on. With the mag. they don't. It hasn't seemed to make a difference in the spooking dpt. though,
so doubt that was the problem.
heidi larson and Ash (Fabio of the horse world)
Jim Holland <lanconn@xxxxxxx> wrote: Whoa, Whoa! Time out here! Every time I hear about behavior problems, Heidi-aerc#M20935 /\_/\~ http://www.synjinarts.com ~~/~~ \\~~~~ (Wildlife/Western & Equine / O> ) \~~~~~ Art) / __/ \~~~~~~ (_@_/ | \~~~~ | \~~~~~~ | \~~~~
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