Florida Horse Hay Sales and Delivery
Hi,
Okay i didnt know how to word it but is there a way to kind of de-spook a horse. Get them use to noises things on the trails, get them not so jumpy?
How do u teach a horse to lunge?
Stand for clipping?
Finally, a question I'm good with all of it. OK, Here we go, this is long.
DE-SPOOKING: If your horse is scared of something ( we'll use a plastic bag for example ) then hold the horse's lead rope in your hand and stand by his shoulder. Shake the bag to where it makes noise. When the horse spooks at it DON'T STOP DOING IT. Keep the horse's head facing you and keep shaking the bag until he stops moving and calms down. Do this with everything he's scared of. Overexpose your horse to scary things. Soon he won't spook at anything.
LUNGING: Stand by the horse's shoulder ( we'll pretend you want to go to the left ) and put the lead rope ( a long lead rope but not too long, 14 ft is good ) in your hand and point to the left with it. Using a carriage whip ( keep the string out of the way and only use the stronger part ) to direct the horse where to go. He probably won' t move the first time, so swing the whip in a circular motion three times. If he still doesn't move on the fourth swing, whack him on the neck. After three whacks, if he's still not moving, whack a little harder. He will get better if you practice everyday.
STANDING FOR CLIPPING: de-spook using the clippers. Take the blades off and turn the clippers on so they vibrate and make noise. Rub the horse with them all over until he's calm. Keep doing it everyday until he doesn't even pay attention to them anymore.
If you need more help then I highly advise you to look into the Clinton Anderson program. That's the program that I use, and it's given me amazing results.
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7 Responses to Horse training questions: de-spooking horses, lunging, clipping, more?
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Florida Horse Hay
De -spooking.The things that are spooky to them just give a slow introduction to that iten let them smell it see it.Clipping
samething get thenused to you being around them,massage there legs,do so slowly so they don't shy away.It takes some work and patience.
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Im not sure bout lunging but clipping just let the horse stand in his stall and when you pass turn the clippers on, eventually you can clip him, BUT NEVER tie him up hold him in your hand or have a helper hold him. If he spooks at them place them near his nose and rub them on him gently and reassure him. You can buy a tape of spooky noises on trails and play them in the barn over and over again till he learns they wont hurt him.
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Horse Owner
make as much clattering and banging noises as possible around the horse when feeding etc, we used to bang things to get them used to loud unexpected noises etc, as for clipping, its the same as dogs you just need to get them used to the noises, turn the clippers of and hold them to the horse without actually clipping, up aroung the ears and round different areas, let them feel the vibrations of the clippers etc. the problem with clipping it, if the horse jumps suddenly you can end up maybe injuring them.
try keeping the horses in a field close to roads, to get them used to car noises.
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well with clipping.. take the clippers.. or whatever you use and when you groom your horse.. rib him with the cliippers (but keep them turned OFF!) just rub them around his face and ears neck and feet all over so the obkect wont sacre him then eventually turn it on and set it down while it's on.. so he can hear the sound but it's not touching him and if it doesnt seem to phase him bring the clippers closer and closer until he accepts them =) works for me
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Some horses are spooky by nature. The most you can do is stay calm and reassure them when they are spooked. Don't shield them from things, but don't push them into situations that you know will freak them out.
For clipping, I would work on being able to groom them all over. No matter what you do, some horses will never be ok will clipping. It is really common for a horse to require a twitch and or sedation for clipping (In my experience, sedation has only been needed for full body clipping)
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Finally, a question I'm good with all of it. OK, Here we go, this is long.
DE-SPOOKING: If your horse is scared of something ( we'll use a plastic bag for example ) then hold the horse's lead rope in your hand and stand by his shoulder. Shake the bag to where it makes noise. When the horse spooks at it DON'T STOP DOING IT. Keep the horse's head facing you and keep shaking the bag until he stops moving and calms down. Do this with everything he's scared of. Overexpose your horse to scary things. Soon he won't spook at anything.
LUNGING: Stand by the horse's shoulder ( we'll pretend you want to go to the left ) and put the lead rope ( a long lead rope but not too long, 14 ft is good ) in your hand and point to the left with it. Using a carriage whip ( keep the string out of the way and only use the stronger part ) to direct the horse where to go. He probably won' t move the first time, so swing the whip in a circular motion three times. If he still doesn't move on the fourth swing, whack him on the neck. After three whacks, if he's still not moving, whack a little harder. He will get better if you practice everyday.
STANDING FOR CLIPPING: de-spook using the clippers. Take the blades off and turn the clippers on so they vibrate and make noise. Rub the horse with them all over until he's calm. Keep doing it everyday until he doesn't even pay attention to them anymore.
If you need more help then I highly advise you to look into the Clinton Anderson program. That's the program that I use, and it's given me amazing results.
References :
Have a 6 year old boy come hang around your barn! My horses now don't bat an eye at powerwheels battery powered vehicles, tricycles, banging sticks, clattering wagons, construction projects involving lots of scrap pieces of wood, climbing ladders, hay stacks or walls, and odd and unexpected noises.
Seriously, it's all in what you get them used to, and it could take some time but their reactions should become less severe over time. There's a good book by Rick Pelicano, probably called "Bombproof Your Horse". He's a local guy who is the head trainer for the mounted police and has gone on to do lots of clinics for regular horse owners.
Standing for clipping is really the same thing. First teach them to tie or cross tie well, then rub the clippers on them turned off, then just turn them on nearby but don't do any clipping, then try for the clipping. This would not all be done in one day.
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