Desensitizing Horses

I've desensitized my horses to pigs! And it actually wasn't that hard to do. They were more curious than scared, except the old show horse! LOL  Now, my 4 month old foals are used to their snorting and running to get their feed when we feed them.

The other day, one of the 6 pigs got into the lot were my stud was. I thought, oh no, that pig is going to get beat on. But you know what happened... nothing! 

I found that pig under some hay, and Duke was standing on the other side of the pen. I fed Duke his grain, Tom opened up the gate, and I "tried" to herd that pig out the gate. That pig went everywhere but where I wanted to send him. At one point, while the pig and I was running around, that pig clipped me, like my Aussie used to do when she was young, and I fell. I almost went pig riding, because as I lost my balance, I was almost on top of that pig!

Then the pig finally went towards the open gate. But as he got closer to Duke while he was eating his grain. I thought, this isn't good, as sometimes Duke kicks out while he is eating. But Duke didn't care if that pig and I were running around the pen, and he sure didn't care when that pig ran under his belly, twice! First he went one way, then that darn pig turned around and came back under Duke's belly. I think I have a trail challenge horse!

These pigs should be getting fat enough, really soon, where they can't get under pen panels, or through them! I sure don't want them eating horse tails!

Other areas that I'm thinking of desensitizing my horses to, this month:

I just bought a really cheap, plastic shower curtain. I want to attach it to a long 2 x 2, and cut it into strips, then hang it somewhere for the horses to walk through. I figured I'll use feed as an incentive, so they know not to be scared. I will also lay a tarp down, and put their feed on the tarp. My horses are always looking for how they can eat more!

So, what are some of the "different" things that you have desensitized your horse to? And how will you do this?

I chat and discuss a lot of these topics on my chat, Horses Are Our Lives chat group. Click here to get an invite. I look forward to your input!

We have pigs!

Horse related because now I have to desensitize my horses to these smelly, snorty, fast moving creatures. My babies are going to be wonderful trail horses!
Hubby and a friend decided to raise some feeder pigs.  They have been raised outside, so now they are occupying one of my smaller horse lots.  They are suppose to stay in with 1, yes only 1, low electric wire. I'm not trusting that, yet, since they just came on Friday, they are staying confined in a pen.

I just found out that Katie, my boarder has named them all. I told her they are going to market in November and not to get attached!

I'll get back to you with who belongs to the names of Lard, Bacon, Sausage, Porky, etc.

Training Day 4

April 29, 2010

Training Day 4 seemed like a repeat of Training Day 3. With a few exceptions. The training horse should be bucking less or none during free lunging with the saddle on. And I rode Shaggy.

With the training horse still bucking as he goes off into a lope, the owner and I are thinking that his back is sore. When I ride him at a walk and at the foxtrot, I don’t feel any apparent soreness or gimp. I won’t lope him until he is not bucking when he goes into the lope. He kicks out with one hind leg, and that would just jar my body too much.

He is moving beautifully off my legs. The owner wants him to side pass, back, etc with ease. I do ride with small spurs, that give an extra push when you need it. This horse seems more sensitive than that though, and rarely needs that push with the spur. He is all over the place with his head, and I am working on keeping him straight through the bit. I also changed bits on him, and will post a picture over the weekend, of what I am using. The bit is a milder bit that what I think he is used to. This one is a short shank Myler, that curves around his tongue. It would have more tongue release and more room for his tongue to lay.

Both the training horse and Shaggy give to the bit. I wanted to start working with the long lines with Shaggy yesterday, as he needs more desensitizing to the ropes. But it was an 80 degree day and I didn’t want to sweat that much! Lol Today is much cooler, barely in the 60’s after the storm we had last night, so I will be ground driving both horses today.

I free lunged Shaggy with the saddle on, and he bucked more than I thought he would! He hasn’t had a saddle on since last fall, but he shouldn’t have been bucking. So as he lunged and then started bucking, just as with the training horse, I changed directions. Since he is out of shape, it wasn’t long before he was winded, and walked towards me. He seemed quiet, and after putting on my helmet, I stepped up into the stirrup and back down a few time. He seemed quiet so I stepped up on him and walked him around. I used the same bit as the training horse wore today. He tossed his head a couple of times, and after I dismounted, I checked his mouth. His teeth are a little sharp and I will get them floated next week. I walked and trotted Shaggy around. He has a nice big stride. We did serpentines and reverses, and started some of the same maneuvers that I was working with the training horse. Shaggy hasn’t forgotten anything from last fall and moves off my legs. He does enough head tossing that I will ground drive him until he is turning comfortable. I am hoping that the teeth floating will take care of that problem.

We’ll see how today goes!

Training Day 2

Today starts desensitizing…to the water sprinkler in the arena! As the horses free lunged, I turned the sprinkler on. At first, the horse would run scare, flying across the arena. Of course, I had the sprinkler set to water the 1/3 of the arena closest to the gate. As the horse tried to run to the gate, the sprinkler would rotate around and shoot water towards the horse. Let’s just say that this was a great way to keep the horses away from the gate.

But the newness wore off, and one of the horses actually stood in the sprinkler’s way, getting misted on every rotation. When I saw that happening, I knew it was time to turn the sprinkler off and finish my round pen work.

I saddled the horse and bridled without any problems. This is a training horse and one issue was bridling. But I think I had done enough round pen work the last 2 days that I have gained the horse’s respect. He stood like a gentleman, taking the bit gently as I opened his mouth with my thumb in the corner of his mouth. I will work with the owner to quietly open the horse’s mouth and to help the horse take the bit.

I hook the reins over the saddle pommel and turned him loose in the arena to lunge. Another issue that this horse has is wanting to buck with the saddle on. So back to free lunging as I wanted to see if he still had the desire to buck. Within 1 lap of the arena, he put down his head and started to buck. I kissed, and made him turn direction. He tried to buck 2 or 3 more times, and each time I made him change directions.

He trotted, and gaited, and loped around the arena with bucking, and eventually stood in the middle of the arena. I had attached a baggie to the end of a broken line of a lunge line, and I attached this lunge line to another lunge line. I had about a 20’ line with a baggie on the end of it, and started swinging that baggie around.

At first the horse would run, not liking the sound of the baggie in the air. As the horse became accustomed to the sound and movement, he stood still, watching the baggie move side to side, up in the air and down on the arena sand. The training horse allowed me to swing the baggie over his head, from both directions. I could flap the bag over the side of the saddle, around his legs, and under his belly. I worked from both directions. He did an excellent job and didn’t spook or care that something was moving around him.

My 6 year old gelding, Shaggy, was a little more unsure of himself. He continued to lunge as I waved the bag around. He would stand still as I swung the baggie in a large circle above my head, but he would not move close to me. When I stood still with the bag, he would come up to me. I left the baggie lay quietly on the sand, but as I brought it up to his side, he would move. I will continue to work with the baggie until he allows me to touch him all over with it attached to a lunge line.

The training horse rode well. Since he wants to buck under saddle, and did so at the lope, I will keep him at the walk and trot until he is solid. He wants to shake his head and grab the bit, and even though his teeth have been floated, I think the bit bothers him. He gives and bends beautifully, but doesn’t seem to want to do so easily. Tomorrow, I will play with bits, and find a bit that he is comfortable with.

I worked some maneuvers with him, as the owner wants him side passing and pivoting. He moved easily, but with some resistance. He may not understand what is being asked. I was pleased that he would attempt to 2 tract and to side pass. I’ll need to work on moving his shoulders to get him to pivot easier. He turns well on the forehand and he backs easily. I feel that I just need to slow him down and have him perform the maneuvers correctly and he won’t be anxious and resist.

My gelding will be saddled and lunged tomorrow. He has been ridden the past 3 years, but only 30 or 60 days and very infrequently. After a few days lunging with the saddle, I should be riding him. Last year, he ground drove beautifully, giving easily to the bit as he made the turns. Tomorrow, I’ll ground drive both horses.

Tomorrow, I’ll also have to start pulling the other gelding out of the lot too. And Chick needs to be ridden. I haven’t ponied the horses much, so I am going to either ride Starlet and pony Chick or the opposite. Then when all of this gets to be an easy schedule, the young 2 year old, Duster, needs to come to a stall and learn to tie and have some patience. He is Starlet’s son and we know how bully she can be!

Come along on the ride with me!