Spin off: Tristan Tucker / de spook training...ideas?!

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Prince33Sp4rkle

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Following on, we are going to do a bit of handy pony style de spooking, so....without spending a ton, what can we re-create at home?!

We can make a a fake bridge to walk over, a tunnel of bunting/ banners, can play crowd noises cd up close to arena....

Come on HHO genius ideas needed!!!
 
Arrange for your local pony club to hold a mounted games training session in your arena? ;)

Walking over tarpaulin is always a favourite, plastic bags/ballons attached to the fence or waved about... sure someone else will come up with some more original ideas.
 
There are quite a few very good books on the subject.

This is one many people have used successfully: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fearless-Horse-Effective-Strategies/dp/0715323709

Michael is always a good bet: http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-100-Horse-Go-Anywhere-Do-Anything/dp/0715320998/ref=pd_sim_b_17

Richard Maxwell and Kelly Marks both have pertinent chapters in their more general books.

This too basic for you but I like Perry Wood's stuff: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bombproofing-Tips-Threshold-Picture-Guide/dp/1872119883/ref=pd_sim_b_7

The reason I recommend a bit of reading is because it's so much about the approach and timing with sensitive horses, making sure you don't "flood" them. It's not really about the items you use, it's about how the horse reacts and how you shape the reactions. Repetition does help but targeted work helps more. It doesn't take much but it's worth either reading up or getting someone to show you.
 
record sounds of clapping/arena noises at a show and then play when you ride and when he is in stable? Then could associate with home and relaxing :)

Or you could go to a first dressage of year shows for eventers, lots of fresh fit horses bouncing around ;)
 
Come and visit us, currently the yard owner is having building work done 20/30 m's from the school the poor horses are having to work with men with pick axes, pneumatic drills, wacker plates, cherry pickers with men hanging new sheeting on the side of the barn and the best one yesterday a 45 tonne tipper lorry tipping stone to re lay the car park! If they tell us they are afraid of anything again after working through all of this I will not be impressed!
TS advice is much more appropriate I think:)!
 
only_me said:
record sounds of clapping/arena noises at a show and then play when you ride and when he is in stable? Then could associate with home and relaxing :)

Or you could go to a first dressage of year shows for eventers, lots of fresh fit horses bouncing around ;)
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Didn't mh use those "clappers"? I guess any kind of noise makers will have the same use. The advantage is the helper and then the rider can control the "clapping" and more finely shape the horse's response.
 
There's a bit more to it than just standard despooking or desensitising. You want to keep the horse sharpness but get a poisitive reaction to stimulus. For Fitz it was about training him to seek a stimulus and drop his head when he is scared. But for the other horse that went it was different. They did a lot on the ground, bring able to move the horse around (this is where the cowboy bit comes in).

Prob is that I didn't go to the clinic so that's about as much info as I can give!
 
What about umbrellas? After a few interesting experiences last summer, i have done a lot of inhand work around open umbrellas and they dont seem to be scary firebreathing dragons any more.
 
Slightly off topic, but I thought one day I would do some de spooking work with my old tb who could be spooky/nappy.

Took my tarpaulin down, put it on the floor. I expected him to go nuts at it, but the old fraud just walked straight over it without really even looking at it!
 
Ferdinase514 said:
There's a bit more to it than just standard despooking or desensitising. You want to keep the horse sharpness but get a poisitive reaction to stimulus. For Fitz it was about training him to seek a stimulus and drop his head when he is scared. But for the other horse that went it was different. They did a lot on the ground, bring able to move the horse around (this is where the cowboy bit comes in).

Prob is that I didn't go to the clinic so that's about as much info as I can give!
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That was the point I was trying to make - it's about shaping the horse's reactions, not making it unreactive. The sort of exposure work most people do is well and good for a general riding horse but it doesn't necessarily serve the needs of competition/working horses and can actually backfire with sensitive types. It's not rocket science but it's a bit like any other area of riding or horse care, the higher the stakes, the smaller the margin for error.
 
TarrSteps said:
That was the point I was trying to make - it's about shaping the horse's reactions, not making it unreactive. The sort of exposure work most people do is well and good for a general riding horse but it doesn't necessarily serve the needs of competition/working horses and can actually backfire with sensitive types. It's not rocket science but it's a bit like any other area of riding or horse care, the higher the stakes, the smaller the margin for error.
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Yes completely :) have messages a few people with experience at it for help :)
 
What about taking him to some indoor showing, seems to be loads on around my way at the moment. Would be a livelier atmosphere than dressage and plenty of stimulus and no pressure since your not bothered about the result.
 
The idea of PS's horse cantering in an unaffiliated indoor showing class makes ME feel a bit ill and I wouldn't be the one sitting on him! :D

Sorry, I didn't mean to dis the idea - it would be great mileage for many horses but I really feel the risk would outweigh the reward for this horse and this specific purpose.
 
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I think his issue is so specific you need some advice on what best to do to help. The other horse that went with Fitz had issues standing still and coping at shows as had done so many big shows as a 4/5 yr old. His training session was quite different to Fitz's as was his ongoing work.

Sorry I can't help with more useful detail - annoyed I had to work and couldn't go with Ells :(
 
TarrSteps said:
The idea of PS's horse cantering in an unaffiliated indoor showing class makes ME feel a bit ill and I wouldn't be the one sitting on him! :D
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Lol! And me!!!!

Give that Fig (whizzy forward strong) and CS (nappy stand up lazy) have completely different problems, I think they will need diff results. I know someone who does western riding and she's given me a few contacts of people who have experience in this sort of stuff. One of them happens to be very close to us so fingers crossed they can fit us in :)
 
nikkimariet said:
Lol! And me!!!!

Give that Fig (whizzy forward strong) and CS (nappy stand up lazy) have completely different problems, I think they will need diff results. I know someone who does western riding and she's given me a few contacts of people who have experience in this sort of stuff. One of them happens to be very close to us so fingers crossed they can fit us in :)
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Make sure they really understand the job you want the horse to do. I know I sound like a broken record but there was a real trend in my previous area for getting sport horses started by western trainers and there were v specific long term issues, especially for dressage horses. Nothing horrid or even unfixable, but defintely not the desired end result. I think it's great to get cross pollination but be aware not every approach goes to the same end. (I used to ride AQHA horses and many "English" people would have heart attacks at some of the work they did!"
 
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