mingiz
Junior Member
Los Lunas, NM
Posts: 3,320 
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Post by mingiz on Jul 20, 2014 4:06:43 GMT
I have done just about everything you all have done. Even if I'm walking in the field and one is following me I stop and turn around and play bogie man. Most of the time they just raise their head up and them look at me. Like are you crazy. The more you expose them to the better they are. If I'm on the atv they will follow me if they are in front of me they stand there and look at me and I can literally bump into them. Once I had one while I was on the mower wouldn't get out of the way and she side passed about 50ft before she got out of the way. I have the best one rein stop for Reno and JR. All I have to do is go into my horn bad and grab a candy wrapper or any plastic they hear they will stop and turn their head back. Mainly because they know that is where the treats are. Some times even if I just put my hand out they will do it.
Sometimes I have a hard time cleaning their hooves. I have no strength in my hands and the mud here packs hard in them. So one day I was doing JR and I decided to try it. So I took my 2 step mounting block and laid his back foot up on it and he held it there until I was done. Reno will just take his back foot and relax it so that it's showing the hoof and he lets me clean them out.. I trim trails under saddle with them and limbs fall on them and they don't care. They will stand in the middle of a bunch of branches as I cut them down...I can also take a whip and snap it around them and do it while they just stand there... I just mess with them. If they shy at anything I make them go directly to it no circling around it and getting closer. The cattle trailers here are so noisy and rattle so bad. They don't care the just let it pass by.
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Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
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Post by Lipizzan on Jul 20, 2014 16:40:22 GMT
Its like with kids if you overprotect them they will be to sensitive and vunlerable, get sick easely or be litte brats. I like to chalange my horses also like mingiz said. And thats the best way to do it, just normal everyday stuff. I know people who would move their horses in stall if they had to do something with a tractor there. No wonder his horse jumpes in the air when a big truck or a tractor pass neir him.
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Jul 29, 2014 0:40:20 GMT
I finally remembered to try the umbrella tonight (although I had to go out and buy a cheapy umbrella first  ). I'm actually pretty proud of how my girls handled it!
First I rubbed them all over with it while it was closed. No problem. Unfortunately I hadn't messed with the umbrella myself first, so I didn't realize that when I pushed the button it was going to pop open so suddenly, so the first time I opened it I think they both had a mini heart attack!  They both jumped back and trotted off a few steps (I was just playing with them with it at liberty because, right or wrong, that is usually how I introduce them to potentially scary objects for the first time), but then they turned to face it and gradually approached it and began to sniff it, taste it, etc. I worked with both of them for about a half an hour, alternating between opening and closing the umbrella (both normally and flapping it open and closed quickly to make lots of noise), twirling it, swinging it, rubbing them with it while it was open, walking around with it, and anything else I could think of. By the time I stopped for the night I could hold the open umbrella over their heads and over their bodies, and they had become bored with it.  I wish I'd thought to get it all on video, but Hubby said he'll come out with a camera tomorrow night and at least get some pictures. We'll see how they do on day 2.
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Post by shadowlark on Jul 29, 2014 6:27:15 GMT
Awww good ponies! Can't wait to see pics and vids!
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Jul 30, 2014 4:02:53 GMT
As promised, hubby came out with me tonight and took pictures, so here are some pictures of me and the girls playing around with the umbrella tonight.
After I opened it I let the girls investigate it. 
I flapped it open and closed quickly for a bit. As you can see, they were alert, but they stood still and watched it. 
Standing quietly with me while I hold it over our heads. 
When I brought the mounting block over to Sis, I think hubby thought I was crazy! He said, "You're not going to get on her with the umbrella, are you?" I said, "Yep!" I rode around a bit on Sis holding the umbrella over my head like this and she never batted an eye! I'm so proud of her!! 
I figured while I was out there (and hubby was out there with the camera) it was time to try dragging the tarp while riding Sis. Before tonight I'd only had her drag it once while I drove her from the ground. Once again she was a superstar! 
I am so proud of my girls!
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Post by shadowlark on Jul 30, 2014 4:44:17 GMT
Ahhh Terry those are great pics!! Such good girls! You must be such a proud mama! apple |
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Lipizzan
Junior Member
Europe, Croatia
Posts: 2,572
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Post by Lipizzan on Jul 30, 2014 7:27:10 GMT
Sis would be amazing childrens horse. She is such a calm pony. They are both gorgeous and great job you done with them :-)
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Jul 30, 2014 11:53:55 GMT
I love how everything is so calm and easy looking. What a lovely pair you make, the little love pats, awww, that really shows it, doesn't it? I love my Peachie like that too. Sometimes I just have to give her a hug and mostly she likes it. A couple times she's leaned over and wrapped her neck around behind me or she's leaned her head onto mine, ever so slow and gentle. I spend so much time worrying about her upset-ed-ness that those calm times are so much more of a treat. You and Lucy have sure done a lot together, you can just tell.
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Post by shadowlark on Aug 3, 2014 19:52:32 GMT
Well, the scores for my Interdressage class are in......and we WON! There were only 2 other entries, but we were the only score in the 80s! Super proud of my girl! Can't wait to get the email from the judge with notes and tips for us. I tried to guess what my score would be based on the marking scheme and how I thought we did and only came up with a 77%, so I'm pumped we did so well! There are 3 classes for August I'm thinking about entering, and then in September is their "Championship" show, which for the in-hand classes you need a score of 75% or above to qualify, so we've qualified for that! So excited! This is such a low-cost, low-stress way to show!  |
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Aug 5, 2014 1:45:03 GMT
Shadow, while I don't know anything about scoring and like that but I do understand that a score greater than 70% in anything is a big win, no matter what and to win too, very big deal. Congratulations!!!
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Post by shadowlark on Aug 5, 2014 6:39:52 GMT
Thanks, hugs! I'm super proud of my girl! Still waiting for the notes from the judge and looking forward to doing more classes this month! I think I'll start a new thread for that so I don't keep taking over this one!
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Aug 6, 2014 2:15:53 GMT
Thanks,  ! I'm super proud of my girl! Still waiting for the notes from the judge and looking forward to doing more classes this month! I think I'll start a new thread for that so I don't keep taking over this one! She didn't do it alone, you know! |
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redzip
Junior Member
Posts: 1,701
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Post by redzip on Aug 6, 2014 2:42:09 GMT
Congrats SL  !! |
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Post by shadowlark on Aug 6, 2014 3:39:13 GMT
Thanks, hugs! I'm super proud of my girl! Still waiting for the notes from the judge and looking forward to doing more classes this month! I think I'll start a new thread for that so I don't keep taking over this one! She didn't do it alone, you know! ;) LOL Most of the points we lost were because of me, so Lucy really does get most of the credit! I started a new thread with the judge's comments here: Lucy's Interdressage Thread |
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Aug 6, 2014 16:44:28 GMT
So we've run into an interesting issue with H's new horse. H has been working on desensitizing Foxy and has discovered that while she's great with anything new she's very reactive to noises. If it's an object she'll stop for a minute and then investigate it but if it's a noise she totally reacts with fear. H can put a bag all over her, a flag, the bog ball, anything she can think of and Fox doesn't care.
Any suggestions for that type of desensitizing? |
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Aug 9, 2014 2:04:03 GMT
About the only thing I can suggest would be to just keep making any and all noises you possibly can, as often as you can, until Fox stops reacting to them. I used to make a big production, while my horses were in their stalls eating, of taking out a plastic garbage bag and shaking/flapping it open as loudly as I could, and I would just walk around in the center aisle in front of their stalls making noise with it until I saw them start to relax even a tiny amount, then I would stop. I've done similar things with metal garbage can lids, banging on and dropping plastic buckets, etc. I did this stuff almost daily.
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nhg
Junior Member
Posts: 2,429
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Post by nhg on Aug 10, 2014 14:27:47 GMT
Thanks Terry, that's pretty much what she's doing but we haven't seen much improvement. Maybe the key is the stopping when she relaxes.
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Terry
Junior Member
Central Illinois, USA
Posts: 1,466
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Post by Terry on Aug 10, 2014 16:55:15 GMT
Yep, as soon as she relaxes even the tiniest little bit, stop. I'm sure it's going to take some time, but if you do it every day, I'm sure you'll be seeing improvements in no time. 
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hugs
Junior Member
Posts: 2,647
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Post by hugs on Aug 11, 2014 2:49:24 GMT
Pressure motivates, release teaches. Like with Peaches I can't force her to learn something but I can show her when she got it right. I mean, they don't even speak English, never mind that they don't think like us at all. Its a wonder to me that horses learn what we want at all!
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mistersmom
Junior Member
Abita Springs, LA
Posts: 3,749
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Post by mistersmom on Aug 11, 2014 15:40:31 GMT
Thanks for the pictures in the photo contest Terry. I was thinking about this thread when I made that category!.
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). I'm actually pretty proud of how my girls handled it!
They both jumped back and trotted off a few steps (I was just playing with them with it at liberty because, right or wrong, that is usually how I introduce them to potentially scary objects for the first time), but then they turned to face it and gradually approached it and began to sniff it, taste it, etc. I worked with both of them for about a half an hour, alternating between opening and closing the umbrella (both normally and flapping it open and closed quickly to make lots of noise), twirling it, swinging it, rubbing them with it while it was open, walking around with it, and anything else I could think of. By the time I stopped for the night I could hold the open umbrella over their heads and over their bodies, and they had become bored with it. 
I wish I'd thought to get it all on video, but Hubby said he'll come out with a camera tomorrow night and at least get some pictures. We'll see how they do on day 2. 
! I'm super proud of my girl! Still waiting for the notes from the judge and looking forward to doing more classes this month! I think I'll start a new thread for that so I don't keep taking over this one!
!!
