Despookng exercises - bombroofign in the school?

narkymare

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Im looking for tips as to what i can do to help despook my horse in my arena - any tips/ ideas????

The thing that most unnerves him at teh moment is birds suddenly flying out of trees, how on earth can i recreate that???

Any tips / exercises i can safeley do with my lad on my own in the school ?
 
Things we have done in the past are:-

Lay dark pieces of fabric on the floor to walk over
Let them play with a peoples exercise ball or football
Put jumps up to form corridors for them to walk down
Tie plastic bags to outside railings
Use road cones , dustbins , wheel barrows , etc to long rein round

It is all alot of work if it is not your own school unless you can convince everyone on the yard to use the "play area" for a week or weekend.and leave it up. More people would also mean more ideas
 
ty !!!
Im thnking now i may suggest a despooking day at our yard - we all get on and lots of our horses and ponies are spooky - thats a really good idea, a few of us could go in there and set up some despooking things - ty!!!:D
 
After sitting to the 1000th jump sideways on a youngster at a £(^£%"(ecking pheasant today....

Honestly, it goes with time and trust. Get him walking over a tarp ect, and he will learn when your calm, he can be too.

Doesnt help when I fix my hand and go 'Ah!!!' Myself :rolleyes:
 
If you get two tall thin upright poles in the middle of the school and run string between them (like a volley ball net, or a washing line) you can tie all sorts of things to it that will blow around on a gusty day. Maybe one day a long strip of noisy plastic, the next a plastic bag on a piece of string.
 
If you get two tall thin upright poles in the middle of the school and run string between them (like a volley ball net, or a washing line) you can tie all sorts of things to it that will blow around on a gusty day. Maybe one day a long strip of noisy plastic, the next a plastic bag on a piece of string.

wow that is a fantastic idea!!
and happy yes your right - its just we live in central leeds and have to do some roadwork to get anywhere - if he steps out of line even a tiny bit on the roads it would be very dangerous - i do get nervous when he does it so all these despooking exercises done safeley in the school should work to despook me too lol :D
 
i take it you have trees / bushes lining your school? you could always get a friend to go and hide in the bush and shake it when you lead your horse past?
 
Yes we do have trees lining it - lol my poor lad.
here i am asking for tips on how to scare him to death !!!!
- oh dear, all for his own good though!!!!!:D
 
All good ideas suggested.

I've done:
Tarpaulin - about £5 from B&Q
A bottle with stones in - rattle it in front and behind (extra person needed)
A lunge whip - smack it on the ground to make a noise, do this each side then in front of your horse as if he is following it, then behind. (extra person needed)

We have a scary side to our arena, a lake, trees and bushes along the long side. I got my daughter to go in there and rustle about.
 
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