De-Sensitisation Help? PS/NM/FH/Anyone else!!

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Cheiro1

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Been pondering recently while reading the threads on here about de-sensitising a horse by changing their reaction to things, how you actually go about that.

I ride a 5 year old ID X who we mainly do dressage with but will probably show too this summer. He is bomb proof in most senses. Will hack alone down main roads while artic lorries rattle past, will stand while pneumatic drills go off, anything like that.

BUT as soon as he sees a rosette, or a flappy bit of paper, or anything like that, he turns into a quivering wreck and spins and runs.

We tried hanging rosettes around his stable, but he gets used to them where they are, but as soon as you move them he freaks again.

Does anyone have any ideas how we can teach him not to react so violently? Obviously it would be nice if one day he won rosettes, and it isn't ideal if you can't get them near him!!
 
my take on it, is to approach as follows:

teach the horse a relaxing que-normally involves putting head down to release the natural feel good chemicals. so either in hand a verbal head down, or for a ridden horse whever verbal que cant be used, the traditional approach is teaching the horse to yield to rein pressure to lower the head.

start with something you know the horse wont be scared of eg a glove, and as you approach with the glove give the head down response, as soon as response is given-retreat and praise.

build up to using rosette.

I worked CS with a tarpaulin this morning (weighed down with poles in a big square). His *issue* when unsure is to drop the contact, go behind the leg and in extreme situations to rear so the approach for him is different to most.

i initially worked him over the ends of the poles sticking out, focussing on him really staying out to the contact and forward away from the poles. If he wanted to slow and stop he was gently touched with the leg and any forward movement was praised. He isnt a traditional spooky sort of boy anyway, never whips round or goggles at things, just goes in to himself a bit, so any boinging and bouncing and him being brave was really praised.

he was then asked to walk over it, which took him all of 5secs to work out it was fine. The tarpaulin crackled as he walkedover it which made him bounce and tuck his bum and this energy was collected on the other side in to some piaffe steps and again, praised.

I then did SI and HP towards and past it, not being allowed to drop the contact or leg-if he wanted to move up a gear this was ok.

Fig will work through the same thing tonight but his natural inclination is to hollow, rush and panic, so he will be walking up to poles, stopping, walking over them, stopping, etc and same in trot and canter. He will be encourage to stop and look at the tarp when he wants to rush and will be praised for slowing down and taking his time. Any desire to slow and drop his neck will be praised.

thats just my take on it btw, im no expert.
 
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I think your issue should be easy to solve provided he likes treats, regular treating while you hold something that he is unsure about, letting it move nearer to him, getting him to touch with his nose then treating, then rubbing it on his neck, clicker training is ideal for this, sniff, click, treat, it should gradually be possible to have him accept the rider receiving a rosette even if wearing it himself takes longer, many horses do not like wearing one so the rider carries it on the lap of honour.
Most will be happy with a rustling wrapper near them, they connect it with something tasty in your pocket, I often get their attention with a bit of sweet wrapper when catching, they rarely get an actual treat, the sound is enough to get them come towards me, especially useful in the mud at the moment.
 
RE rosettes generally rosette is given to rider rather than pinned on the horse. Can't remember when last had a rosette put on a horse mainly because the browbands are so elaborate they wouldn't get it on.

My horse early on in his showing career got bopped on the nose by a steward's clipboard and decided that judges handing over prizes were a little scary so I took a rosette up the yard and every time I schooled him got someone to come in, come over to him, have a chat, present the rosette and give him a polo.

Hopefully with a bit of time and patience he will be fine.
 
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