But MOM - it's so SPOOKY!!

This is a continuation of my notes from my de-spooking clinic.

The first thing you do is to show the horse the spooky thing. Or, if you have a normal horse, they will show you the spooky thing. But then YOU should not look at it, and don't look at the horse either. Make your body look and feel relaxed an look to where you want the horse to go.

If you have a noise maker - like rocks in a container or cans in a bag - shake it with rhythm over and over again in a real boring manner. And you're waiting for a relaxation sign from your horse. There are 5 relaxation signs:
1. licks and chews
2. puts his head down
3. bends up his foot in a relaxed manner
4. sighs or yawns
5. softens and blinks his eyes
So immediately you ned to stop making the noise - in this way you're desensitizing your horse to the sound.

If something is spooking your horse - do not retreat. He can back up, go right or go left, but he can not turn around. A good way they showed us to get him over being frightened of, let's say a plastic bag, is to make it so he's chasing it. Or roll the plastic bag into a really small ball and let him look at it and then later have it not as rolled up until it's just a plastic bag.

After the this teaching time they let us go into the part of the arena with the spooky stuff!