you can put a paper bag on an arab's head and they will still spook
this is a sensitive and very playful breed which requires sensitive and
intelligent handling to work out a solution and bring spooking etc to acceptable
levels for each individual horse & rider....which is why this breed is not
for everyone
with a lot of patience and consistent riding you can transform spooks into
stand & think or mini spooks or just flicking of the ears... most days
anyway!
as for Parelli et al - I suppose these methods can provide a framework for
some people and maybe give them somewhere to start,but personaly I really don't
like it...I've seen a local trainer work on one of my arabs and it was great fun
- for the audience and the horse! No way this worked - probably because the
horse was smarter than the trainer?
The join-up bit was especially good - it ended with the horse coming up to
the guy & sticking his tongue down his ear, when the guy ignored this
despite half the audience falling off their chairs with laughter, the horse bit
him in the shoulder and scurried off hoping the guy would chase him...he
also repeatedly tried to pull the carrot stick out of the guy's hands with his
teeth and than finally stood still sucking the lead rope and looking like Dumbo.
I rode him home and he spooked and pranced all the way, very happy with
himself... sigh..
funny - they've never asked me for a horse for another
demonstration again. Can't think why.
Pauline
===============================================
From: Ridecamp Guest
<guest-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> Subject: [RC] de
spooking/trainers
Please Reply to: diane Day fourdays@xxxxxxxx
or= ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx ==========================================
"I've
been wondering: A lot of people on ridecamp talk of being= thrown off their
spooked horses ( who seem in large part to be= Arabs which certainly gives
the poor breed a bad press!) It has= led me to wonder if putting a
bridle with blinders on it, like= harness horses wear, would make the horse
settle down and be= forced to trust the rider more and wait for the rider's
queues -= without the constant distraction of seeing such predators
as= potholes, logs, and roadside trash around them. Just
a= thought."
