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Re: [RC] Spooking and punishment - Chris PausEd - training doesn't have to occur in a round pen! Eeeewww! I hate working in round pens! Agree Lif! I started my youngster out in a round pen for only a couple of rides. Once she accepted me being on her back and got the hang of "steering", we graduated to the paddock adn then the pasture and then the trail and have never looked back. I was working last fall with a very well trained dressage Arab who had spent his whole life doing arena work. He never set foot on a real trail and he was 9! He was like "Monk," the most anxious horse. He constantly asked his rider, "am I doing the right thing." One day, I took him out on a v ery wooded and hilly trail with lots of water crossings. That horse relaxed for the first time in his life! He had a ball. It was awesome. he had a few "looky loo" moments, but mostly he had the time of his life. It was like a vacation for him. Agreed! A good whap on the nose will probably stop a horse from spooking in a particular direction. However, I think the issue is deeper, and that negative reinforcement - whapping the nose - treats symptoms. The basic issue still exists and it will crop up elsewhere. Kind of like having a leak in a pipe because the pressure is too high in the system. You can patch that leak but you will either get another leak or you will have the system blow up because the *causative* factor has not been addressed. Exactly again! I started carrying a crop with my Star, the king of spookers. I would slap him on the shoulder with it when he did his sideways leaps over various and sundry stuff. At first, it did straighten him out, but then he became resentful. I think that it becomes TOO easy to smack first and ask questions later. Then the horse starts to think he'll get smacked for everything and he lets you know. One of my teachers told me wisely that horses will accept admonishment IF IT IS FAIR IN THEIR EYES. Horses don't think like humans. They don't scheme. They live in the moment. Just because something seems silly to us, doesn't mean it is silly to the horse. I've found that Star's spooking has declined as my riding and horsemanship skills and confidence have improved. The other thing I've noticed is when he is uncomfortable or sore, he starts spooking more. Usually a trip to the vet chiro sets him right again. chris =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= ===== "A good horse makes short miles," George Eliot Chris and Star BayRab Acres http://pages.prodigy.net/paus =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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