What do you think should be included in your daily horse training?

[canteron]

Was at a event yesterday and it started to pour down. Lots of people stuck up their umbrellas (!) and a few horses were completely terrified and started rearing, spinning, etc. Lukily the riders were (in the main) good enough to cope, but I thought maybe I should do a little umbrella work with my horse so if it rains at the next show I dont have to be scraped from the floor.

Do you have any other hints/tips on other things it is only fair to acclimatise your horse to?

 

[fidleyspromise]

reading the title I thought stuf you should work on every day

I have to say my older horse is very good with lots of stuff that she hasn't been de-sensitised to. Out on a hack if she sees a plastic bag, she goes over for a look to see if there's any food, umbrellas she's never looked twice at and when I decided to try tarpaulin she stepped over it without glancing at it.

Different story with my youngster who was scared of the wheelbarrow, a pat on the neck, and noise of doors opening. I was proud the other day when kids were sat at the top of the steps and proceeded to throw a plastic parachute complete with plastic soldier and it landed about 10 feet away and said pony stopped turned and watched it, fairly chilled and just inquisitive.

I need to acclimatise her to cars, umbrellas, plastic bags, fly sprays, she will walk over a tarpaulin (provided I keep hold of other horse), rugs, velcro.

I'm also planning on getting a flag as there are a few near the golf course etc.

 

[Tilda]

Where I keep my horse bouncy castles! There is a company that hires them out with a unit on the farm and they often put them up to clean!

 

[Pale Rider]

Was at a event yesterday and it started to pour down. Lots of people stuck up their umbrellas (!) and a few horses were completely terrified and started rearing, spinning, etc. Lukily the riders were (in the main) good enough to cope, but I thought maybe I should do a little umbrella work with my horse so if it rains at the next show I dont have to be scraped from the floor.

Do you have any other hints/tips on other things it is only fair to acclimatise your horse to?

Beats the hell out of me why people think that they can go to any event with a horse which is clearly not ready to be there.

Why people don't want to put a proper foundation on their horse before turning up at events is madness. No way should these horses be there if they spook at things like unbrellas or anything like it, if the riders cannot deal with such basic training issues what have they been playing at.

This is very bad horsemanship for which there are no excuses.

 

[Mari]

Praise for work well done.