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Re: [RC] horse shopping and the spookiness scale - heidi larson

Amen on the dams being spooky, my boy is a pretty good spooker, and I remember 
when I visited prior to and after purchasing him, so was his mom!  However, he 
does fewer 180's these days (it's been 7 years) and usually gets low - I call 
it his "spider move".  I've learned to stop it before it starts, or at least I 
can if I pay attention.  My secret is to turn his nose AWAY from the scary 
object and give outside leg. ("I said no, don't look, it's not scary and I'm in 
charge of us!")  If I get to talking to people and give too loose a rein, he 
starts thinking for the two of us and that's when we get into trouble!  He just 
about got me last weekend, but I was ponying another horse and couldn't really 
let him know that I was in charge with just one hand on the reins.  (Not as 
much as he'd like anyway!)  And along came a shaft of sunlight and you know how 
wicked scary those things can be!!  :)

.      o o          o o
    o_ \ \____   o_ \_\
       (*)~(*)\_______/
       /              \
       \______/       /
         \_______/\  /-
     o-- /_/       \  /
        / \       / /
       o  o    o-- /
                 / \
                o   o
heidi larson


--- On Wed, 8/20/08, firedancefarms <firedancefarms@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:


From: firedancefarms <firedancefarms@xxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [RC] horse shopping and the spookiness scale
To: "Cindy Stafford" <cjstaf@xxxxxxx>
Cc: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Wednesday, August 20, 2008, 4:14 AM
After raising foals from different mares and how they react,
I have seen a lot of foals "made' spooky or not
spooky by their dams.  
One way I judge whether a horse can 'improve' on
his spookiness is if they spook at the same thing every
time....I'll pass, but if they seem to learn and not
spook at it again, they usually become very stable riding
horses.
Other things I've learned that can make a horse spooky
are a sore back or the rider herself.
Louise
Louise Burton
Firedance Farms Endurance Arabians
http://pages.prodigy.net/firedancefarms



     

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Replies
Re: [RC] horse shopping and the spookiness scale, firedancefarms