Desensitising the green one (not kermit the frog!)

sandi_84

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 November 2011
Messages
4,124
Location
Sunny Scotland
Visit site
Ok so work begins on desensitising Loki soon. He's needle phobic so vet suggested I get poking with a biro pen :p Also going to work on getting him chilled when I'm muckng out, he likes to have a nibble of the handle on the pitchfork but when he sees me wielding it to remove poos he sometimes throws his head and does his surprised face as if to say "aaarg! scary monster!" :eek:
Then it's on to the really scary stuff like plastic bags and umberellas and when it gets a bit warmer (still got occasional snow up here) it'll be bath time to see how he does with buckets/sponges and hose :D

What sort of desensitising did you do with your youngsters/green ones and how long did it take you roughly?
 

tazzle

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2011
Messages
550
Location
in my own little bubble
www.funbugfund.co.uk
well ...... I dont think its a thing you ever end up "finishing" and each horse is different so cant really say how long it takes.


some things we have just got the horses used to by them beig around the yard while we do stuff and they just get used to it and somethings we specifically do by habituation and often use CT to get them to touch stuff or let us touch them with things.


We wanted ours to be ok with all the usual stuff. .. as you say plastic bags and brollies but also with kids playing, bikes, balls being thrown around, dogs, plastic bottles and cans rattling, things over their faces, sheets blowing around, flags, bunting, ropes around feet ( good in case anything else accidentally gets caught round legs like reins or long lines ) ... gosh it would take ages to list all the things really.


just one little pic ......

oct069.jpg



we also do wheelchairs ;)

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b89/tazzle22/?action=view&current=wheelchair.mp4
 

Enfys

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 December 2004
Messages
18,086
Visit site
Plastic bags, umbrellas, tarps, bunting etc are easy, just tie them arund your school or paddock.

Put jump poles across the gateway so that walking over a pole is nothing.

I feed on a tarp too, weight it down and put goodies on there, if they want them, they'll go get them, their choice.

Yep, really scarey tarp ... not ;)
71e4a800.jpg


Sacking out ;)
520521f4.jpg


016-1.jpg


016.jpg


We do a lot with our foals right from the start.
scan0005.jpg

scan0001.jpg
 
Last edited:

sandi_84

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 November 2011
Messages
4,124
Location
Sunny Scotland
Visit site
well ...... I dont think its a thing you ever end up "finishing" and each horse is different so cant really say how long it takes.

I mean how long does your horses take to get used to one particular thing :) I know it'll differ depending on horse/ thing it's being desensitised to etc just wondered out of curiosity :D
 

Fools Motto

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 June 2011
Messages
6,592
Visit site
As a yearling back in the summer, I've ''sacked'' mine (old feed sack/fertilizer bag placed over her, then thrown over her, then flapped at and on her. Didn't get much of a reaction tbh!!
I've walked her through a maze of tyres, through puddles and over sheets. She has seen coloured poles, raised poles and carpets to stamp on (obviously!) and only today, dragging her back from her escape from next door paddock, we negotiated a bank/mud/ditch thing that every Irish hunt would be proud of! (leading not riding!) I'd say she is well on the way to be desensitised!

One of the things we will have to learn to cope with though, is traffic in wet conditions make a scary 'swosh' noise. (They do, I don't blame her).
 

tazzle

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2011
Messages
550
Location
in my own little bubble
www.funbugfund.co.uk
I mean how long does your horses take to get used to one particular thing :) I know it'll differ depending on horse/ thing it's being desensitised to etc just wondered out of curiosity :D

ah ......... well again it depends ;) sorry cant be specific, its depends.

eg . at our agility group one woman was introducing flags to her horse and he just did not seem to be accepting it at all. She asked my advice and I suggested trying clicker with him and within ten minutes I had him not only touching it but looking for it and then accepting it over his head. This horse was older but still a bit green with some things


I thought it would take several sessions to get Taz bursting balloons and started about 20 feet away bursting them thinking I would just get slowly nearer..... she just looked round then wandered over to touch and smell them. Ten minutes later she burst her first balloon :rolleyes:

Taz is older and not green now ....but when she was younger it would take a lot longer but she was a traumatised horse and very distrustful of humans and everything. Its like they learn a principle and it gets quicker the more experienced they get.

Yet I have seen some just accept strange things with hardly a murmer almost like they are born calm / trusting .....

sorry I am still not giving a time frame :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 

flirtygerty

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 May 2010
Messages
3,278
Location
Rothbury Northumberland
Visit site
There is no time scale, each one is different.
My lad developed a strong dislike of haylage
plastic, I tied lengths of it to the round feeder
in the yard, he soon accepted it.
Could you not lead it out with a calm horse
 

sandi_84

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 November 2011
Messages
4,124
Location
Sunny Scotland
Visit site
I thought it would take several sessions to get Taz bursting balloons and started about 20 feet away bursting them thinking I would just get slowly nearer..... she just looked round then wandered over to touch and smell them. Ten minutes later she burst her first balloon :rolleyes:


sorry I am still not giving a time frame :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Oooh balloon bursting? Brave horsey! :D I'd have never in a million years thought of that one!
Don't worry about the time frame thing (you did give me one), it didn't have to be specific or anything like I say i'm just being all nosey ;)

Loki is alright really, he does traffic like a pro and will walk past a flappy tarp without too much fuss (he does give it the evil eye at first), he was really good with the kids when they groomed him and were waving arms around excitedly and getting loud and in the instance of the pitch fork he does the surprised face but then touches it with his nose and has a good sniff then a nibble for good measure so I think he's not going to be too much of a handfull overall - touch wood! :D

Really interesting to hear what everyone has done with theirs, my aunt got a massive ball (like a pilates thing) and eventually could bounce it all round her little colt and he just stood there like a lamb :)
 

tazzle

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 May 2011
Messages
550
Location
in my own little bubble
www.funbugfund.co.uk
Loki ( love the name) sounds like he will do very nicely and you will have lots fun introducing him to stuff ..... the more this is done the better it gets. No guarantees they will never spook but lots less chance of it ;). Its great just as a general learning thing for youngsters anyway.

we did the balloons for a bit of fun for a fundraising demo sandi :)

laurarescuedpics1130.jpg



some of our agility obstacles are useful ... the bridge and see saw are noisy / unstable to walk over ... and that combined with tunnel work is a great preparation for loading later especially if you dont have a trailer or box to practice with.


the exercise balls are brill.... you can get them really cheap from some major supermarkets !
 

sandi_84

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 November 2011
Messages
4,124
Location
Sunny Scotland
Visit site
Thanks Tazzle, I went with a theme for names - I named my sister's horse Odin - King of the Norse gods - and just had to go with Loki - norse god of mischief and tricks to make them a set ha ha! :D I'm really looking forward to it all, it's going to be a brilliant experience hopefully for us both :D

Brill photo! Beatiful horses!
 
Top