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RE: [RC] Magnesium for spooky horse? Heidi or Dr. Garlinghouse? - Jim HollandHorses are NOTORIOUSLY inconsistent, and they have personalities, just like people, especially women. <grin> They are like two year olds, which is why women have greater "rapport" with horses than most men...greater empathy. Don't you have good days and bad days? Elderly people are also like two year olds. The older I get, the more "inconsistent" I become. Ask Joan. :) Horses get better at something, then they get worse, then they get better, then they get worse, etc. That's why I like geldings....more likely to get the same horse every day. That said, be aware that every horse is different. Pick ANY one thing SIMPLE thing you want to teach your horse. I teach my guys tricks to observe behavior and how fast they "catch on" to things. Let's pick "gimme a kiss". (By the way, Magic learns tricks a LOT faster than Sunny) Before I continue, promise me you will NEVER teach this to a horse you haven't taught "if you open your teeth ANY time toward me I will rip the meat off your bones and feed you to the crows". This is easy for a horse to grasp. Start with a treat your horse REALLY likes...one in each hand. Hold the treat in your RIGHT hand next to your right cheek and place your left hand with the treat behind you in the small of your back. Lean forward and say "Gimme a kiss". When he reaches his nose toward the treat in your right hand, "kiss" him on the nose, then give him the treat in the LEFT hand. It's the old "touch a target" thing. Do this FIVE times in the morning, then quit. Come back that afternoon and do it FIVE MORE TIMES. Repeat this over several days. See how long it takes until you don't need the treat in your RIGHT hand. You will find that he is VERY INCONSISTENT for the first 4 or 5 days until it (for want of a better word) "imprints" on his brain. He will get better, then worse, then better, etc....until at some point he "masters" the trick, then will be VERY consistent. You don't even need the treat. This is VERY true of trailer loading. The more OFTEN you work with your horse, even if it's only in 15 minute increments, the more CONSISTENT he will become. Repetition, Repetition, Repetition. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. FREQUENTLY! It's EXACTLY the same with spooking, except harder to teach....but it DOES work. It's a "discipline" thing and a "herd leader" thing. The most I EVER get out of my guys is "screech to a stop, turn 90 degrees and check with me" and it takes something REALLY unusual for that to happen. I will tolerate "really scared" but I will NOT tolerate "looking for something to spook at". We will be out there until he gets the message, however long that takes. He better REALLY like "moving his feet". :) Jim, Sun of Dimanche+, and Mahada Magic Richard T. "Jim" Holland Three Creeks Farm 175 Hells Hollow Drive Blue Ridge, Ga 30513 (706) 258-2830 www.threecreeksarabians.com Callsign KI4BEN So Jim, What is your solution for inconsistent behavior? Days when your horse ignores everything you've ever taught him for years, ignores legs, crop, groundwork training? Then on another day, he's falling asleep on you, mellow, confident and sweet? Same rider, same tack, same trail, etc. Lol. I'm all ears! Pam =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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