42/ SEPTEMBER 2012 THE RIDER


ing? Or, did he spook at something temporary, like a gust of wind, a grouse that he flushed out, or a sound in the bushes?


If it was something permanent on the trail, on your next trail ride get off his back and on the ground before reaching the object that he spooked at before. It is vital in controlling a spooky horse to stop him before he decides to spook or before he decides to stop because he is unsure of an object. In this way you keep control, and you can have the horse address the offending obstacle before he stops and spooks in fright.


Building A Partnership with Your Young Horse


Training Outside the Box, Part 8 By Lynn Palm


In this article, I will continue with possible trail training problems by dis- cussing the issue of the “spooky” horse. A lot of the information given in the first four parts of this series on how to prepare your horse for his first trail ride is applicable in dealing with a spooky horse, and you should go back and review that information. For safety’s sake in a situation where you may want to dismount, you may want to ride with a halter


over or under your bridle. Be sure that it does not interfere with the bridle fit. Attach a long lead or longe line to the halter and hold it in your free hand, or attach it to the saddle. Never attach it to yourself in any way. Always use a cotton line, not nylon, which can cut your hand.


Always use your sens- es when you ride. Look for changes in shadow and light on the trail, logs, rocks, or anything else that your horse may find unset- tling. Open your ears to


sounds. You will find that you hear things much more clearly when your focus is on the trail ahead and not directly on your horse. Your horse usually will smell or hear another ani- mal on the trail before they actually become visible. If your horse has been on a trail before and he has spooked or resisted, figure out the reason why this happened. Was he reacting to something permanent that cannot be changed along the trail, such as a tree stump or water cross-


In order to be able to do that, you must be alert to the horse’s body language. Watch for the cues that tell you he is getting ready to spook—his ears are alert, his eyes get bigger, his breathing gets stronger. As soon as you hear breathing that is stronger than normal, stop and dismount. While on the ground, be sure to give the horse his head to let him study the obstacle and swing his head to see it with both eyes. After he studies it and seems to accept the obstacle, take a few steps towards it. Stop again and let the horse study it from this closer proximity. When he appears to accept it at this range, continue the process until you reach the spooky obstacle. Allow him to smell it. This really will help him accept the obstacle and give him con- fidence.


Even when he seems to accept


the obstacle, the lesson is not yet over. He must learn to accept it when it is behind him and when he is approaching it from the opposite direction. In the first situation, the scary obstacle that he accepted and walked past is now behind him. Horses sometimes show more spook- iness when an obstacle is behind them. This is because a horse is a flight animal. Once he has passed a spooky spot, his reaction may be to flee or overreact and spook further away from it.


In the second situation, a horse may spook at an object when approaching it from a different direc- tion even though he has accepted it before. This is because a horse sees things differently from each direc- tion. If you get him accustomed to the scary obstacle coming at it only from one direction, then when he approaches it from another direction he may ignore it, spook with the same level of concern as before, or spook even worse. Be sure to desen- sitize him to obstacles from all direc- tions!


As you leave a spooky spot, such as walking past a stump, take a step or two and stop. Let him swing his head and look at the spot with both eyes. If he moves and does not stand still, reposition him exactly where you asked him to stop. Do not circle to reposition him. If he moves to the right, reposition him to the left, and vice versa. If he moves forward,


back him to the exact spot where you asked him to stop. Do the same if he moves backward. This is very impor- tant to do to keep his respect and keep you in charge of the situation. Get him accustomed to approaching the scary spot from all directions. Remember, when you are on the ground, be ready to use the “move away from me” commands. The horse’s first instinct will be to herd and get close to you. This is danger- ous, and it puts him in control of the situation. Do not let him move on top of you! Make him move away and respect your space as he learns to accept the obstacle.


When you are between 15 and 20 feet away from the obstacle, remount and move on to whatever you were doing prior to the spooki- ness. Continue with the same short segments if his spookiness returns. Take a few steps, stop, study the obstacle, etc. The more time you take to let him study an obstacle, the shorter time it will take him to accept it. On the other hand, if you rush this process or force him, it will take you longer to get him to accept it. In the next article, I will contin- ue on with the problem of the spooky horse. In the meantime, my E-Book, Training Outside the Box, is avail- able online at www.lynnpalm.com along with other valuable training product. You also may contact us at 800-503-2824.


BFL Canada takes the reins as the official insurance provider of the OEF


Richmond Hill, ON – The Ontario Equestrian Federation is pleased to announce BFL Canada as its new insurance provider, a company with equine experience to offer OEF members the coverage that matters most to them.


“We are very excited to be working with BFL Canada to provide new opportunities and programs for our members,” says Dianne Graham,


the executive director of the OEF. “It will be a seamless transition for our members and we are confident they will find BFL Canada thorough, helpful and knowledgeable about what matters most to horse people.” In addition to providing OEF members with automatic personal liability insurance, as well as acci- dental death and dismemberment coverage, BFL Canada also offers


additional optional coverage tailored to the specific needs of the horse industry. BFL Canada becomes the new provider on Sept. 1, 2012 and covers any new members after that date. Any current 2012 members will continue to receive coverage with their current provider until the end of the year.


BFL Canada is the largest, employee-owned commercial insur- ance brokerage in Canada. Its equine team, operating out of Toronto and Ottawa offices, has been providing horse industry insurance products to equestrians and their associations for over 16 years. The BFL team consists primarily of life- time horse people who have elected to make insurance their career. As a result, OEF members have access to highly trained insurance professionals that under- stand the needs of the horse industry.


“My family and I have been members of the OEF for almost 30 years,” says Sara Runnalls, FCIP CRM RIBO, vice-president and associate of BFL Canada. “It feels very satisfying to know that after everything the OEF has done for the horse industry in Ontario, and for me personally as a horseperson and competi- tor, my team and I are now able to give back by pro- viding the OEF and its membership with the best possible insurance products and risk management advice. The equine team at BFL Canada looks forward to serving the OEF and its membership with profes- sionalism and pride.”


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