Downunder Horsemanship (cont’d)
After you’ve desensitized the airspace around the horse on both sides, then stand out in front of the horse about ten feet. Face the horse and begin moving the object side to side if possible. Ap- proach and Retreat several times until the horse is comfortable with the object moving out in front of him. Do not stand too close to him in case he rears up or strikes out.
Step 3
If this is an object that makes noise, such as clip- pers or a leaf blower, repeat Step 2 with the object turned on.
If this is an object you’re going to eventually want to put on the horse, such as a blanket, saddle pad or a plastic bag, begin rub- bing that object all over the horse’s body (with noisy objects turned off). Start at the horse’s withers and just scratch him with the object. For example, if the object is a plastic bag, scratch him with the tip of the stick; act like the bag isn’t even there. Approach and Retreat until the horse is comfortable with the object. Do the same thing with each differ- ent body part, starting with his withers and back, then his hindquar- ters, neck, down his belly, down his legs a little bit, and finally his head. Tip: Don’t try desensitizing the horse’s face until his body is really good.
When the horse has accepted this step well, turn the object on, if it makes noise, and follow the same process of rubbing him all over. If it’s an object like a plastic bag, follow the same process flapping the bag all over his body. Remember to follow the body parts in order and always use Approach and Retreat.
Although this is the process I follow when desensitizing a horse to spooky objects from the ground, I think you’ll find that when you can do these things with your horse on the ground, your under- saddle desensitizing to spooky objects will go much easier because you will have established a foundation of trust that both you and your horse can depend on. Anything you can teach the horse from the ground first before you get on his back will set both of you up to have a successful ride.
About Clinton Anderson A native Australian, Clinton Anderson began his quest to become the best horseman he could be by apprenticing with top Australian trainers Gordon McKinlay and Ian Francis. In 1996 Clinton moved to America to continue training horses and apprenticed under Al Dunning, winner of multiple AQHA World Championships, before beginning to train under his own name. Clinton loves training rein- ers and cow horses and has been successful in both competitive arenas. Clinton is the host of Downunder Horsemanship TV, the number one rated RFD TV program that airs at 10 and 12 pm East- ern Standard Time on Tuesdays and 3 pm on Sundays. Find out more about Clinton at
www.downunderhorsemanship.com
8 Northwest Rider Magazine May 2012
www.nwrider.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48