Desensitizing the sensitive horse

ausipaliboi

ausipaliboi

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I have finally gotten sick of hearing my own excuses and I need your help please to desensitize my horse.

He is a 16hh 13yr TB (x QH – never raced). He was never desensitized or exposed to the world and is therefore petrified of pretty well everything.

I have fenced off a 40x20 section of the paddock as my arena (it’s just grass, nothing fancy) and am collecting things to put into my boo bag (as in boo- it’s going to scare the crap out of him!)

I need your help and experiences please, while I have a basic understanding of desensitizing horses I want to make sure I am not going to cause more harm than good and want to do the right thing for him.
 
Hi,

One thing at a time, at his pace, is my advice, for what it's worth.

Depends what he can cope with and what he meets on a day to day basis.
Always give him room to move away into a safe space so he doesn't feel the need to run for the hills. You know him best of all.
Is he inquisitive, brave, or a big coward?
Is he greedy? (Most importanat that one - use it to your advantage)
Will he approach things on his own or does he need to be haltered and led up to objects?

Food is your friend :) I am all for bribery and corruption if it gets the job done more easily, it can always be phased out as time goes on.

I start with the simplest thing - plastic bags. You've probably already done this one, most people do.

Feed him from one...as in let him know that bags contain goodies, tip his feed into his feedbowl from one. Then tie one to his fence, or a tree or post nearby if he is really silly about it, then two, then a whole bunch of them around the place like bunting, balloons get tied about too. My horses all love their hay sacks - hay (with a few handfuls of grain) stuffed tightly into feed sacks, once they get over their "Oh MY God, it's going to kill me" stage they are throwing them about and ripping them to pieces.

Then you go onto the leaving a tarp or a ball, a stroller, lawn chair, or an umbrella etc, where he can see them but still get away from it.

Disclaimer here: Safety first of course, I hate to mention it, and don't wish to be patronising, and don't intend to be, but someone will come along (they always do) and whine "Oh mind he can't eat it, get a limb stuck in it etc, etc"
Well of course you will take all that into consideration, it goes without saying, which is why I haven't said it.

What do you think about clicker training? Some people like it, others don't, but I find that if a horse is trained to target on something then he will touch/investigate other objects more easily.
 
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Im doing this at the moment i use an indoor school mine walking over plastic even flapping plastic. I can burst a ballon next to him and on him. umbrellas can be open next to him and a row of bin bags he walks past without flinching we done crowd shouting. Kids screaming. Loud Halers. Also taking coat of and on mounted. We are also getting the scary fillers out and hes jumping these. Im trying to think up things all the time today is loud music like brass band. Iv done this for two months and its been hard work. Its worth it because i couldnt even sneeze near him at one time. I also have bin bags and paper sack hanging in his stable from the beams.
 
Glad I am not the only fruit loop!! In the past I have bounced on trampets in the field, cycled round the field, banged dustbin lids before putting food down, ran or driving behind the hedge of their field then appeared with 'food'!! Anything really.

I am not the most confident rider, but I really believe that the desensitising helps the horse (they will never get over the initial 'shiver' reaction but will then not do anything else after that.) To be honest, I think it helps the rider as much as the horse, if we come across say a trampoline with kids, I think 'hey we have done similar, we can get past this', which just makes it easier for everyone.

Check out 'tazzle' posts if you want some real inspiration on desensitising, she is amazing!
 
I'm going to be trying this soon too! Ned is usually pretty good, especially on hacks, but since I'm going to loan him soon and try and get him out alone, I think it'll help!

We're going to try including it with jumping (Getting him a bit used to it on the ground first) we're going to put umbrellas at either side of the jump, tarpaulin underneath and various other things around it ^^
 
I love desensitizing fun times in the school. We've gone crazy with it the past, barrells, bunting, traffic cones, tarps, flags, police caution tape flapping around, things hanging over jumps, hose pipes, you name it.......i've had it in the school.

Have done this with our youngster since he was 7 months old and now, he's not scared of a thing, he's now 1.5yo and our 3.5yo looks out to him for confidence when were out on a hack (no, we've not backed the 1.5yo, and 3.5yo only just done)

When we started, it was one thing at a time, carrier bag on the end of a schooling whip, rubbed all over, flapped around etc etc, then walking over tarps etc. Then we slowly added more and more things at a time; it's a sensory overload.

That said, we do need to do some work on wheelie bins, they are still considered evil monsters that will attack without a moments notice, that a bollards.

Importantly, it's a lot about trust and patience, however, is very rewarding when they stop planting themselves and walk over the crackling tarp thats flapping in the wide on one corner (just to add to the effect)

Be safe, use a long rope! ;)
 
ausipaliboi said:
I have finally gotten sick of hearing my own excuses and I need your help please to desensitize my horse.

He is a 16hh 13yr TB (x QH – never raced). He was never desensitized or exposed to the world and is therefore petrified of pretty well everything.

I have fenced off a 40x20 section of the paddock as my arena (it’s just grass, nothing fancy) and am collecting things to put into my boo bag (as in boo- it’s going to scare the crap out of him!)

I need your help and experiences please, while I have a basic understanding of desensitizing horses I want to make sure I am not going to cause more harm than good and want to do the right thing for him.
Click to expand...



it is such a shame when they feel so scared isn't it :( .... Taz was like that when she came to me..... plus had been given reason to be scared of humans too .......... so yes like others here I have the tshirt :D :D :D


There is already lots of advice here which I echo ...... and inspiration too for you ausipalobi :D :D :D :D.


For sure you do need to work out what kind of bravery he already has and work first on getting him to see you as a safe person if need be to take the lead.

My personal choice is using a reward based system, positive reinforcement, and making it so its the horses choice to go look at these things. I think there is a place of advance /retreat desensitisation and for habituation ... but for a scared horse I think that its faaaaaaaaaar to easy for this to cross over into flooding..... ie the horse get sooooooo overwhelmed and just learns for example to stand still so that the object stops chasing him instead of trully accepting its ok.



as to how horses can change according to advance retreat vs pos reinforcement ..... its all about motivation ;) ....we had one horse in the agility group where his "mum" tried for about 20 minutes with advance /retreat to have him accept the flag anywhere near him and he was having none of it. Within five minutes of me standing nearby with it scrunched up small and rewarding him for just looking at it ... then touching it... then me unfurling it ............ he was happy to reach up to it fully unfurled ( big flag see below) and even had it over his ears ;)

oct064.jpg



It my opinion that if you can cause him to want to go explore stuff and it becomes his own choice and he gets to trust that anything that you ask him to do becomes a pleasant experince then when the unexpected happens it wont stop him reacting but he will engage his thinking brain more, the reaction will be less severe and he will calm much quicker ;)



did someone mention trampolines :D :D :D :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hj0f1DghFPo&list=UUsvFC4mPFknGpkatubx9Zdw&index=13&feature=plcp


and agility .... another good fun thing to give a horse some confidence going over noisy things, through small spaces etc

tazcurtain.jpg


bridge.jpg



just use anything you can find in house, at yard etc........ imagine your hack from hell , everything you could conceivable meet that could cause issue and get summat like it in the "safe area" :D ........... we are currenly looking for a buzz saw as I think that was what caused Taz to grow a hand or two last time we rode though the village (I think she still dislikes shrill insect like noises as she was stung by a wasp once :mad: )

and thanks canteron , you comments appreciated * blushes .......... cheered me up as have had a baaaaaaaaad week :rolleyes:
 
thank you

we were lucky enough to have an old telegraph pole which sawed in half to make the base and then also around the yard some thick planking .... we will have to buy just a couple lengths from local timer yard to finish it off.

also made a see saw

mayagility011.jpg


which is old decking on a strong frame ...... especially along the length so it does not bow / break when horse walks on it.


getting horses used to stuff falling / wrapping round their legs also quite useful ;)
 
Oh tazzle, thank you, thank you, thank you!! Your post was a very timely boost of confidence that I needed!

I was simply walking around the paddock this morning and happened to have a small piece of paper in my pocket. It was blowing an absolute gale (if there had been rain I would have sworn I was in the middle of a cyclone). My boy and his paddock mate mare came wondering over to say g'day and I showed him the piece of paper (flapping like mad in the wind). OMG HORSE EATING MONSTER. I let him walk off and when he came up to me again, same thing, same response. After the 4th time of him doing this I was thinking what a horrible mum, that really is very scary. Until the mare came over and tried to eat the paper (which was still flapping like mad.)

So. Now paper is going into my boo bag!

I will figure out a way to save your posts and add your you tube vids to my favourites to keep me going!

You are just the inspiration I need!

And a big thank you to everyone who posted for me, very much appreciated :)
 
I'm not going to caution about bags, but I will caution people to really understand if their horse is overly sensitive or has a real fear of something that happened previous to you owning. I knew a horse that ran through 3 fences when a bag flew into his paddock and got stuck on his leg as a youngster. If you know this kind of stuff you would proceed very differently than if you didn't.

I try never to "make a point" of you're just going to get used to this. There seems to be a tendency towards having a horse face all sorts of things without thinking it through and if you are a competent handler the horse may end up injured or dead.

Look I have a mare, my jumper, that for 5 years would not wear a blanket in the field. Stable fine, turnout pen fine. When we were breaking her we lunged and longlined her in the field. Spent a lot of time doing this in fact. She was perfect. As soon as she was on her own in the field she would panic big time. To be honest I was highly annoyed that I had such an idiot that I bred. But I also did not want her dead which is where we were headed. She was in full flight mode and it was scary. So she went out in all weather sans rug. Came in and was brushed clean and wore rug in stable at night. If weather was really horrid she went to turnout pen. As she wasn't doing anything training wise in the winter as a young horse this was fine. In September of last year I really tried to figure out what was wrong with her. To cut a long story short the filliet strap frightened the life out of her. Well so it seemed to me. So I had my friend sew extra holders on the tail flap and I put her tail through that. Guess what, she has never panicked since. I was as if she said, about bloody time you idiot! Has never been one single issue since I worked on why the fear was there. I had so many offers over the years to "fix" her with desensitisation. More tell me I was an idiot for not trying. My mare didn't need fixing, she wasn't broke. The story of why this fear started is long and I've annoyed you all enough but I will share if you like.

So my point of desensitising is this. Sometimes you really have to get to the bottom of the fear before deciding it needs fixed just because it's what you want. This is a mare that will go anywhere and do anything for you. She is the first up to anything scary to figure out what it is. She has to know. And she's quite a good little jumper and has a bit of talent. I prefer to work with what I have and not make the fit my expectations. I find they have very little fear then.

Terri
 
It's early and I'm an idiot! My second paragraph should be if you are NOT a competent handler. And with regards to my mare, we lunged and longlined her in the field with her rugs on.

Sorry!
 
Enfys said:
Hi,

One thing at a time, at his pace, is my advice, for what it's worth.

Depends what he can cope with and what he meets on a day to day basis.
Always give him room to move away into a safe space so he doesn't feel the need to run for the hills. You know him best of all.
Is he inquisitive, brave, or a big coward?
Is he greedy? (Most importanat that one - use it to your advantage)
Will he approach things on his own or does he need to be haltered and led up to objects?

Food is your friend :) I am all for bribery and corruption if it gets the job done more easily, it can always be phased out as time goes on.

I start with the simplest thing - plastic bags. You've probably already done this one, most people do.

Feed him from one...as in let him know that bags contain goodies, tip his feed into his feedbowl from one. Then tie one to his fence, or a tree or post nearby if he is really silly about it, then two, then a whole bunch of them around the place like bunting, balloons get tied about too. My horses all love their hay sacks - hay (with a few handfuls of grain) stuffed tightly into feed sacks, once they get over their "Oh MY God, it's going to kill me" stage they are throwing them about and ripping them to pieces.

Then you go onto the leaving a tarp or a ball, a stroller, lawn chair, or an umbrella etc, where he can see them but still get away from it.

Disclaimer here: Safety first of course, I hate to mention it, and don't wish to be patronising, and don't intend to be, but someone will come along (they always do) and whine "Oh mind he can't eat it, get a limb stuck in it etc, etc"
Well of course you will take all that into consideration, it goes without saying, which is why I haven't said it.

What do you think about clicker training? Some people like it, others don't, but I find that if a horse is trained to target on something then he will touch/investigate other objects more easily.
Click to expand...


Agree with this and leave items in his field as he will get use to it and move it around ie tie a flaoping bag to the fence etc and put a feed bowl near it etc etc or move the bowl towards it slowly. Then move the bag etc...battery tooth brush left on nearby etc etc ie to desensitise for clippers. Quad/motorbike nearby and take in field at some stage ....just take it slowly and see how it goes. Then he will need to see these things out of his field(safe zone) etc Good luck
 
thank you ladydragon and maxapple :)

but can I be really self indulgent and share with you my own favourite pic of them. Taz is quite a sensitive mare to ride and goes off the mere touch of a leg and a little "intent" ..... she "dislikes" anyone with busy legs or bum :rolleyes:

so I was a little hesitant when Matt asked to ride Taz to his prom as his legs are very tight and shaky due to his cerbral palsy

but we had a go and this is only his third time on board

.......

promreadygo.jpg
 
So. Now paper is going into my boo bag
Click to expand...

very sensible ............ had a massive problem out with a hack one time with some others that all started with newspapers :eek: :eek: :eek:

I started out alone and met someone I sorta knew and someone I did not but agreed to join them on the hack around the roads. TB seemed a little spooky at stuff and rider said he was not too keen on bikes ( after it pranced around when two very slow bikes came towards us) . It was a bit windy.

A while later we were going round a bend ( us in lead) and I saw some newspapers someone had put at end of their drive starting to flap around in the wind. Taz just walked on with one ear "keeping tags on it" ..... a few yards further on all hell sudenly broke loose with cob barging past Taz on inside and TB prancing and spinning on our right ..... . then suddenly a pack of racing cycles sped by from behind having to be on opposite side of the road. If any vehicle had been coming towards us it would have been utter, utter carnage. :eek:


We cant anticipate everthing for sure but imo we owe it to ourselves and our horses to try and deal with as much as we can before we take our horses onto the roads especially..... but dealing with anxieties and possible scary stuff at home in the safest place they know is surely gonna make it less stressful at "horsey parties" ( of whichever kind rocks ones boat :cool:) too ;)
 
tazzle said:
thank you ladydragon and maxapple :)

but can I be really self indulgent and share with you my own favourite pic of them. Taz is quite a sensitive mare to ride and goes off the mere touch of a leg and a little "intent" ..... she "dislikes" anyone with busy legs or bum :rolleyes:

so I was a little hesitant when Matt asked to ride Taz to his prom as his legs are very tight and shaky due to his cerbral palsy

but we had a go and this is only his third time on board
[/IMG]
Click to expand...

The BIB... totally finished me off... In a nice way...

My son never got to try riding... These photos are nearly as fabulous as the smile Matt is wearing in them Tazzle...

For want of sounding completely forward - mahoosive hugs to you all... :D
 
Equilibrium Ireland said:
So my point of desensitising is this. Sometimes you really have to get to the bottom of the fear before deciding it needs fixed just because it's what you want.

Terri
Click to expand...


I couldn't agree more! Sometimes there is a very simple answer, it's just that it's difficult to find it.

tazzle said:
thank you ladydragon and maxapple :)

but can I be really self indulgent and share with you my own favourite pic of them. Taz is quite a sensitive mare to ride and goes off the mere touch of a leg and a little "intent" ..... she "dislikes" anyone with busy legs or bum :rolleyes:

so I was a little hesitant when Matt asked to ride Taz to his prom as his legs are very tight and shaky due to his cerbral palsy

but we had a go and this is only his third time on board

Fabulous photo!

I have found that many ponies that do RDA understand that the riders are different but mean no harm and need special consideration. These are ponies that also go hunting, showing, WHP etc with their able bodied riders and give no quarter.
Click to expand...
 
I like hugs Ladydragon :D :D :D

does your son have cp too ? ( please dont answer if you dont want to ).

Matt does go to RDA as well but he says there his horse is "too slow" :rolleyes:


I have found that many ponies that do RDA understand that the riders are different but mean no harm and need special consideration. These are ponies that also go hunting, showing, WHP etc with their able bodied riders and give no quarter.
Click to expand...

:D :D :D :D Pearlsasinger ..... I remember one horrid weather day when loads riders did not turn up to RDA and we volunteers got a go as the horses were in and tacked up. I got to go on Murphy, a great big TB that was just brill and could take a totally blind lad jumping round the school ......... he took off and motorbiked three times round the school with me before he condescended to listen to my request for less speed :eek: :rolleyes: :D

also saw one pone ditch a celebrity jockey at a big event relay ride who thought he knew best after we told him that although the disabled rider kicked and pone remained in walk she was really quite sensitive :D :D :D :D
 
tazzle said:
I like hugs Ladydragon :D :D :D

does your son have cp too ? ( please dont answer if you dont want to ).
Click to expand...

That's ok... :) No, he had Neurofibromatosis and drew the short straw on the more problematic (and normally very rare) aspects of the condition... I met a lot of youngsters with various health complications along the way and their spirit is unsurpassable...

tazzle said:
Matt does go to RDA as well but he says there his horse is "too slow" :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Love it... :D

We have a rising three quarter horse who is a rather laid back and very 'solid' young chap, but I hope to make sure he'll roll with most things that might come along - especially on roads... I think I'm going to be paying a lot of attention to any piccies and videos you post that'll help with this... :)
 
sorry to hear about your son ((((hugs))))

. ... but too true that many kids with health issues they cant change just get on with stuff and just want to do what other kids do .... thats what we try facilitate for matt and other friends and not wrap them in cotton wool or tell them just cos they are in a chair they cant do ... if he wants to do stuff even as simple as pick out feet..... then pick out feet he does even if it means he is close up and personal with the rear end of Taz hmmmmmmmm



thank you canteron

just one more habituation thingy ;)


matt helps remind Taz of previous steps to have solid before tackling the tunnel :rolleyes:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AaNenWYPD0&list=UUsvFC4mPFknGpkatubx9Zdw&index=6&feature=plcp


and off we go ........ second session

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b89/tazzle22/?action=view&current=clipoftunnel.mp4
 
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Thank you all so much for your replies!

I have had my boy for almost 4 years and he is better than when I first got him, which is saying something...

I would love to know his history to find out the cause of his fears but I do not see it happening.

I understand your point and do not have a my way or the highway behaviour, I am aiming to better our relationship and have a bit of fun doing it. Meaning, I am not going to drill him with heaps of scary things and expect to force him to stop his 'nonsense' I simply want to work with him to help him understand the world isn't as much of a scary place as he believes it to be.

I learnt a long time ago what happens when a person tries to 'tell' a horse to do something
 
Ausi, glad to hear it. I'm sure your horse is trusting of you and you will be fine. I sometimes think people are in too much of a hurry to have the perfect horse and it also depends on your needs of a horse. Like for me, none of mine will learn to walk on a tarp. They are jumpers and we jump tarps, not walk on them. But I know other horses need that kind of thing for their riding purposes.

Your boy is lucky to have an understanding owner!

Terri
 
Thanks Terri, I appreciate your concern for my horse and your understanding of what our relationship is like!

I would never expect any horse of mine to be perfect (how boring would that be :p)

I am also very lucky to have a wonderful husband (who actually bought Squiz for me). In the four years I have owned Squiz he has been ridden so randomly, especially for the last 2 and a half years since falling pregnant and now having a toddler, but that doesn't bother my OH in the slightest. He knew when we got together I was a horse girl and always will be and not to try change me so me and Squiz can just chill!

I think perhaps I am the lucky one not my horse.

OMG, how emotional am I... Off to eat some chocolate:o
 
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