De - Sensitising (sp?) horse

[Bettyboo1976]

Just wondering really, I have a friend who has a pony (gelding LW cob x) and for the past 2 years she has had it/known it.. it has had a bad start in life, was beaten, left with a rug on for a whole year etc.. anyway she now has it in her care and its a lovelly boy but very very scared.. she has tired breaking it on serveral occasions but it just gets soo scared.. it goes nuts when it sees saddle.. anyway at one point they put the saddle in the field with the pony and baiscally the pony tried to kill the saddle..

so anyway pony is now on our yard and living out with one of their other ponies, so I was just wondering if any of you could give me some advise on best way to handle this..

I know the pony wont ever be ridden.. but just wondered it would be nice so it wasnt scared of tack/ rugs etc.. especially as it lives out.

Thanks..

Ooh Fresh home grown Strawberries & Cream for reading!

 

[Cop-Pop]

I think the best option is probably to keep showing them to him quietly everyday so eventually he accepts they won't hurt him. Put a run on a fence and lead him past etc and slowly move him closer, have him nearby when others are being tacked up and rugged.

Horses are odd creatures - my mare was terrified of rugs when I got her (she's also a rescue) but as soon as she realised they keep her warm she demands to have them put on her now!

 

[vennessa]

When i first got Florin she was terrified of everything. I put a body brush near her stable door so she had to go near it every time she looked out. I placed things where she would be going/tied up. Did not make an issue of them being there and she got accustomed to them. When i brought her out and tied her up to eat her hay { i nearly said tied her up with a hay net}

I hung a rug nearby first. I gradually moved it nearer so it was next to her over time then stroked her with it. I did this with everything and she got used to things. You couldn't find a more terrified horse - i am mean realy.

 

[JM07]

my method...and it always works....

hang as much as you can..they de sensitise themselves!!!

 

[Bettyboo1976]

Well the saddle was left in the field for 3mths.. and the pony just went ballistic.. and as i said killed it..

thanks for the input though.... hmm i guess time and patients is the answer...

 

[LizGooch1]

I have a pony that was starved and beaten so this has made her quirky to say the least. I have learnt to understand and accept her little issues ie she is a companion but one day will be caught and three days you cant get near her. I work around this (she comes in to the yard lose on these days following her quiet friend) so maybe accept this poor pony doesnt suit being worked?
Also my little pony is TB and winters out with no rugs happily (she grows the thickest of winter coats) as long as she is well fed and has shelter she does just fine. Sometimes because of a bad time you have to accept their limitations...

 

[Booboos]

You need to re-associate the saddle with something positive and mere exposure won't do it in severe cases of fear. What you need is a neutral marker that is associated to a reward, that can then be associated to the tack. Find something that makes a simple, clear, easily repeatable small noise (dog trainers use a clicker) and associate this with food, i.e. make the noise, give the pony food, repeat three times. Leave it and return later on in the day, repeat another few times. Leave it and repeat the next day. You will notice very quickly that the pony is associating the sound with food. Next introduce a piece of tack beyond the pony's safety zone, i.e. not too close, don't box him in, don't force the issue, but as soon as he sees it make the noise and give the food. Repeat a few times. If this goes well, next time wait and see what happens, if the pony looks towards the tack, make the noise and give the food. Eventually if the pony (for whatever reason) happens to move towards the tack, make the noise and treat. Continue to reward any calm behaviour which takes the pony closer to the tack safely. Once he is completely happy with this, move the tack to another location and start again. Once he is happy with this try holding the tack and moving it closer to him. Make sure you don't make the game more demanding every time as he may give up, sometimes make it really easy, you want him to do well. And be patient, this something you will need to do for weeks not just days, but it does work (google "operant conditioning" for more info)