Desensitising Ideas? (Breaking)

The Anticob whinnies at his reflection. It is very cute :)

I have a tendency to throw random stuff in the general direction of the horses; this came in handy when quietly riding past a flat-bed Transit, parked innocently alongside a tallish hedge, a great pile of branches came sailing over the hedge, into the Transit just as we were alongside. Only the briefest 'what the..??' from the hoss.

I used Anticob as a packhorse prior to backing. It got him used to having weight on his back and odd things growing off his sides.
 
Beausmate said:
The Anticob whinnies at his reflection. It is very cute :)

I have a tendency to throw random stuff in the general direction of the horses; this came in handy when quietly riding past a flat-bed Transit, parked innocently alongside a tallish hedge, a great pile of branches came sailing over the hedge, into the Transit just as we were alongside. Only the briefest 'what the..??' from the hoss.

I used Anticob as a packhorse prior to backing. It got him used to having weight on his back and odd things growing off his sides.
Click to expand...
^^^^^^^^^this. :)
We throw feed trugs, sponges, plastic brushes all round the yard.
Stand on a box to groom - even if you can reach without- it prepares them for being ridden.
 
Packhorse :D

f202b89b-fe18-4e5e-a6ce-c361c95f4b12_zpsznzrld4x.jpg
 
JanetGeorge said:
Cyclists are the ONLY things we have trouble with where youngsters are concerned. They're great with tractors (HUGE ones are bringing MORE food) and fine with cars. Quad bikes they know (they've damaged the seats of them and TERRIFIED some of the riders.) We're on a flight path for the Air Force so they don't mind choppers, jets, fighters etc - even when they're so low you can see the pilot picking his nose! IF the cyclist calls out and talks as he passes (which we ask them to do) then they're fine - but a silent person with wheels is terrifying. I'm going to have to get a ruddy bicycle!
Click to expand...

I wonder if we could get a high-vis tabard made with a special message for cyclists! "Cyclists, please let me and my horse know you are there before you pass"!!
 
Playing with a gym ball. Our ponies can be steered straight at it, and knock it away. It gets underneath them and bangs into their legs. Probably best unmounted at first. We set up a goal and play hoofball sometimes.
 
After seeing Bog Hoss almost die inside at one of those push button umbrellas being put up (so both sound and sight), I'd recommend umbrellas! Also, there's metal stairs, think fire escape kind, above the indoor and hearing footsteps but not seeing what it was, straight after the umbrella incident was interesting for him.

Mounting blocks of different heights/sizes are good, the sound of shovels on concrete, flags, balloons, banging gates on windy days, different ring tones, sirens - the days of smart phones and portable speakers are a godsend when it comes to desensitising I think, at least noise wise.

ETS: small children with noisy toys is another one worth introducing! Can you tell I'm dealing with a special one? :wink3:
 
Last edited:
It is what you do but also the way that you do it. Sounds as if your horse is already pretty bombproof but remember there is just a two letter difference between sensitisation and DEsensitisation. You need to make sure you take the right incremental approach, see it through to the very best note, and repeat again at intervals. Hope that makes sense. I have three categories of things:
1. Things with which a horse can be touched;
2. Things that a horse can slowly 'chase'
3. Things that a horse can go over, though and round.

Important to be in control of the horse and the stimulus even if that means bossing someone about on a bike!
 
More brilliant ideas, thank you!

Tractorgirl, we have regular dog agility events at the yard. It's a cacophony of howls, yowls, cries and yaps two times a week, most weeks :D


SarahWeston said:
It is what you do but also the way that you do it. Sounds as if your horse is already pretty bombproof but remember there is just a two letter difference between sensitisation and DEsensitisation. You need to make sure you take the right incremental approach, see it through to the very best note, and repeat again at intervals. Hope that makes sense. I have three categories of things:
1. Things with which a horse can be touched;
2. Things that a horse can slowly 'chase'
3. Things that a horse can go over, though and round.

Important to be in control of the horse and the stimulus even if that means bossing someone about on a bike!
Click to expand...

Agreed! You've described my approach precisely :)
 
Not read all the post but


a hedge cutter
lawn mower
dog running about
umbrella
a car back firing (you can use a paper bag for this blow it up and pop it)
flashing lights ( case mr plod comes along )
siren in case of police or other 999 vehicle
porta loo
wheel spinning
traveling
car tyres going through puddles
horse coming up fast from behind ( in case of loose horse on a ride )
standing still at junctions ( you can do this with poles in the school )
engine starting
door slamming
wheelie bin moving
paper bag blowing in the wind
fake wooden bridge
car horn
people/kids screaming
painted signs on the road
donkeys
pigs
other farm animals
birds coming out of trees
bicycles
Recumbent Bikes (my mare hated these)
horse and carriage
drills
road works
plastic signs on the road inc cones/workmen barriers
scooters
motorbikes
skateboards
kid small
barking dogs
prams
pushchairs
balloons
whips
chickens
the vet
the farrier
lamas

phew..............
 
bin men
bin truck
caravans
trucks
old cars ( the shape My mare hated them )
swans /geese
squirrels ( currently livery petrified of them )
creaking trees
the wind
rubbish left outside house included house clearance
the dentist theirs not yours lol
things they can hear but not see
people appearing suddenly from somewhere ( issue my mare has )
someone standing on a twig and going snap car driving over a plastic bottle or can
car going through puddles
running water ( like on the road in heavy rain )
flood in the road and going through it
joggers
loads of bikes training
workmen unloading / loading a van with doors open
someone up a ladder
idiot revving up behind you
large coaches
car passing to close or too fast
truck air brakes
noisy / rattly trailers being towed
tractor




hows that??
 
Last edited:
clipping
different coloured leaves
different sized leaves
people wearing backpacks
snow man on the side of the road
beam of sunlight going across the school ( my mare used to jump it )
something being dragged along
hose on the ground

Think I will stop now getting late
 
Some great ideas...but HOW to desensitise?

I think this may be just as important as what you desensitise to. Too much and you'll over load the poor animal and cause a phobia!

Think about your own pet hate. Spiders? Snakes? Now, suppose someone threw one at you so it landed on you. How would you react to that? And then continued to do it. Would you become more or less fearful with repetition?
 
Dry Rot said:
I think this may be just as important as what you desensitise to. Too much and you'll over load the poor animal and cause a phobia!
Click to expand...

Flooding vs habituation - the former is very bad, the latter is useful. Softly softly catchy pony...
 
I got my oh to keep the very noisy motorbike running at the side of the yard, then he drove slowly passed us a few times, then that was the lesson done. I also used to place random objects in the arena whilst long reining, plastic pots full of artificial flowers, bins, hi viz coats etc. Only ever one at a time, and he was always allowed to process it in his own time, before deciding it wouldn't eat him. However having recently aced a class involving hanging plastic curtains and pits full of plastic bottles that he had to walk through, last weekend he took exception to a tree stump that was a tree the week before, so it just goes to show, you can't plan for everything!
 
JFTD said:
Flooding vs habituation - the former is very bad, the latter is useful. Softly softly catchy pony...
Click to expand...

Exactly my thoughts on reading this thread with growing concern. Lots of suggestions of stuff to scare the crap out a horse and yet no one talking about the safest way of doing it and indeed the kindest way. The horse always has to be able to safely get away from something they think is scary if it becomes too much for them. The point of release is the most important part of desensitising and is the fine line between desensitisation and flooding. And correctly done desensitisation means a horse is confident in 99.9% of situations even if it is something the horse hasn't seen before. It really isn't about making a list of the scariest things and getting the horse used to them, it's achieved using very simple groundwork to install a confidence and sense of control into a horse so that they rarely find anything to panic about.
 
Orca said:
I'm breaking our family pony, taking things slowly and it's going very well. .... Obviously, I won't cause her undue stress. She's cutely inquisitive about new things now, so the time is ripe to show her more :)
Click to expand...

SarahWeston said:
It is what you do but also the way that you do it. Sounds as if your horse is already pretty bombproof but remember there is just a two letter difference between sensitisation and DEsensitisation. You need to make sure you take the right incremental approach, see it through to the very best note, and repeat again at intervals. Hope that makes sense....
Click to expand...

Orca said:
Agreed! You've described my approach precisely :)
Click to expand...

elliefiz said:
Exactly my thoughts on reading this thread with growing concern. Lots of suggestions of stuff to scare the crap out a horse and yet no one talking about the safest way of doing it and indeed the kindest way. ...It really isn't about making a list of the scariest things and getting the horse used to them, it's achieved using very simple groundwork to install a confidence and sense of control into a horse so that they rarely find anything to panic about.
Click to expand...

I understand your concerns but we have discussed the points you (and others) have raised. There were some earlier posts about confidence being of the utmost importance (I think!), which I can't got back to collect.

I have to admit, on looking for a few ideas, I wasn't quite expecting to be offered so many! I agree that groundwork and confidence underpin everything, which is why she has coped well with unusual situations so far. We have that in place and I would not, under any circumstances risk ruining our hard work.

I'm very grateful for the suggestions offered up and we certainly will make use of some of them over the next year or so. I'm sure no-one reading this thread would take it as a list of things to throw at an unsuspecting youngster. That of course would be disastrous! But as a pool of thoughts, experiences and suggestions of things worth considering, introducing or testing (in an appropriate manner), I think it is quite useful.

Many thanks to everyone who has offered positive input :)
 
Last edited:
elliefiz said:
Exactly my thoughts on reading this thread with growing concern. Lots of suggestions of stuff to scare the crap out a horse and yet no one talking about the safest way of doing it and indeed the kindest way. The horse always has to be able to safely get away from something they think is scary if it becomes too much for them. The point of release is the most important part of desensitising and is the fine line between desensitisation and flooding. And correctly done desensitisation means a horse is confident in 99.9% of situations even if it is something the horse hasn't seen before. It really isn't about making a list of the scariest things and getting the horse used to them, it's achieved using very simple groundwork to install a confidence and sense of control into a horse so that they rarely find anything to panic about.
Click to expand...

My thoughts too. But sometimes a question is a good way of getting a point across.

I'm told I go on about 'threshold' which is what I call the intermediate ground between flooding and habituation. And judging that correctly is about learning to read body language and what used to be called stockmanship. I'm afraid I have seen some horse owners who have ridden all their lives who just don't get it.

Pony is hesitant when it meets something new. Does the rider exercise patience and give reassuance or give it a whack with the crop for being 'naughty' and trying it on?
 
if anyone was in any doubt about flooding vs desensitization I would politely suggest that had a look at Ben Hart's work, and picked a shaping plan to work through with their horse. So helpful to see how small the steps should be, and the importance he places on the horse being calm and relaxed at every step. He talks about keeping the horse 'under threshold' as in not triggering a fear/flight or fight response. He also makes sure people understand it's about building the horse's confidence in himself and not just trying to force him to confront his fears. if at all possible the flight reaction shouldn't be triggered in this training ... I think too many people have gotten confused with horses being chased with plastic bags on sticks and think that is desensitization - far from it! he also has a great way to describe trust as 'the ability to predict how someone else will behave in a given situation' ... so you need to be predictable for the horse, and you need to have a pretty good idea of how the horse is going to respond to things to build a good trust relationship.
 
Herd normalisation.

A new horse takes a very short time to realise that none of mine are bothered by ANYTHING, and quickly follow suit.
If they react, the others look at them like they're bonkers, and they go quiet through embarrassment (I swear!).
 
pennyturner said:
Herd normalisation.

A new horse takes a very short time to realise that none of mine are bothered by ANYTHING, and quickly follow suit.
If they react, the others look at them like they're bonkers, and they go quiet through embarrassment (I swear!).
Click to expand...

�� good point! No doubt why most horses respond so well to calm handling in the face of the unknown (in the absence of a herd). Reassurance is everything.

She had her first clip today (a necessity dictated by sweat rash). Aimed for a bib clip, ended with a chaser + half face (meaning the entire rash is exposed to air now) and stopped before she got bored (I don't think upset was on the cards). She was a very good girl ��.
 
elliefiz said:
Exactly my thoughts on reading this thread with growing concern. Lots of suggestions of stuff to scare the crap out a horse and yet no one talking about the safest way of doing it and indeed the kindest way. The horse always has to be able to safely get away from something they think is scary if it becomes too much for them. The point of release is the most important part of desensitising and is the fine line between desensitisation and flooding. And correctly done desensitisation means a horse is confident in 99.9% of situations even if it is something the horse hasn't seen before. It really isn't about making a list of the scariest things and getting the horse used to them, it's achieved using very simple groundwork to install a confidence and sense of control into a horse so that they rarely find anything to panic about.
Click to expand...

Well the OP is a frequent poster on here, so I guess most of us who are replying are confident to just reply to her question rather than add additional training advice due to that. It might have been different with a new poster.

Mine is confident in 99% of situations and very rarely panics, I have done a lot of groundwork with him in the past, but he still had a moment with a trampoline full of kids and having now been introduced to one in our garden is no longer bothered so I do think there is a benefit to specific training for some "obstacles".

I absolutely agree that it has to be done carefully, I have been struggling with this with my daughters pony (rescue pony) as his instinct is to freeze when scared and it is very difficult to tell if he is a little tense but mostly okay or petrified. Even if he can get away he won't if there is a human nearby or he is wearing a headcollar, and he doesn't ever kick out or anything like that either, he just seems to "check out". I am starting to get the hang of him now and recognise the subtle body language, but he is very misleading if you are used to horses who are more expressive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top