Re: RC: separation anxiety--training problem

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Hi Suzanne
Well that certainly puts a new wrinkle on it. Of course you could always
pull a "Sheila Varian" and get ready to bail as you called his bluff
<BG>
Sheila tells the story at every trailering workshop she has about the
horse who would back out of his trailer at a dead run upon arrival.
Quite dangerous to the horse, not to mention innocent bystanders. Sooo
this old trainer friend (his name escapes me) was asked to work with the
horse. Sheila went on to describe how he took the trailer to the pier,
backed it out to the edge and then opened the back door. Horse
predictably ran out the rear backwards, plunging into the ocean, swam to
shore and then was caught and re-loaded into the trailer. The trainer
once again backed up to the edge of the pier, opened the door, the horse
again ran out, into the ocean.....
After re-loading the drenched horse again, the trainer went back to the
pier, opened the door and a lone foot emerged, feeling for solid ground.
That was the end of the undesireable behavior.
Don't know how this would work as to backing over a cliff <BG>
Bette

Suzanne Mounts wrote:
> 
> At 07:13 PM 7/8/2000 -0700, you wrote:
> >Hi Suzanne
> >Out last his little spoiled behavior. Be firm; no need to over-react. If
> >he wants to back, let him back then make him continue backing until he
> >realizes it's your idea and so it's no fun anymore.  I just did that
> >with Summy today; he also threatened to rear--- so we backed and backed.
> >The second backing session took and he was great. Might work for your
> >guy. Who knows, you may learn to enjoy viewing the trail from where you
> >have been rather than where you are going!<BG>
> >Bette
> 
> Hi Bette,
> 
> Thanks for the suggestion.  I actually tried this.  Unfortunately, his
> favorite direction for backing was over the edge of the trail.
> 
> Suzanne
> 
> >Suzanne Mounts wrote:
> >>
> >> OK, I have a problem.  I have two backyard horses.  Over the 4th of July
> >> weekend, I took the gelding camping and left the mare at home.  I was away
> >> from Friday until mid-day Tuesday.
> >>
> >> I took the mare out Wednesday and Friday without incident.  Yesterday a
> >> friend took the gelding out and today I took him out.  Both of us had the
> >> same problem.  A short distance from home he simply refused to go forward,
> >> spun around back toward home, started to rear if a crop was used,
> >> threatened to back off the trail, etc.  I got off and hand walked him for
> >> at least a quarter of a mile and remounted on several occasions, thinking
> >> if I got him a certain distance away from home his attitude might change.
> >> Nope.  Finally, I decided I was getting too frustrated and that I had
> >> better just come back.  I tried to use the return trip to school him a bit
> >> (stop, backup--anything but go in the away direction--I knew I was not
> >> going to win on that one), and stopped to do about ten minutes work in an
> >> arena that is five minutes from home.
> >>
> >> I have had the gelding for over a year, and he has often gone out by
> >> himself, both with me riding and with others.  Never a hint of this kind of
> >> problem.  Was the four day separation somehow the triggering event for this
> >> new behavior?  What do I do now?
> >>
> >> Suzanne
> >>
> >>
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> >--
> >Bette Lamore
> >Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov
> >(yes, REALLY!)
> >http://www.arabiansporthorse.com
> >
> 
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> Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
> Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp
> =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

-- 
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov
(yes, REALLY!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com