RE: Spooking trail horses

zx Nick Warhol (nwarhol2@namerica.kla.com)
Fri, 13 Dec 1996 13:03:45 -0800

Boy- I can relate to this one. I would consider my new horse perfect in
every aspect, except for this problem. Riding Shatta when he is in
front on the trail is like riding in a car driven by a drunk driver. He
looks at everything, on both sides, and weaves back and forth across the
trail to get away from whatever goblin is out there waiting for him.
(this is between the jumps to the side). He is not afraid of actual
things- like bicycles, helicopters, and stuff he can see- he seems to
jump at random. I have tired punishing him when he spooks, since a
friend of mine had good results doing that with her arab. That just
made him jump from me a split second after spooking, so I know he must
be thinking about it. He would spook, catch a glimpse of my crop, and
try to avoid me. I did not like that at all. Besides, I don't like
hitting him for any reason.

What I have been doing is staying relaxed, pushing him forward,. and
trying to keep his attention on me instead of the ghosts out there. He
has made some progress, but I am really tired of it as well. I know it
just takes time, patience, and confidence between him and me, but it
takes 200% concentration to stay on him.

I have not yet fallen off (knock on leather), but his spooking cost me a
year of his career. He injured his suspensory ligament in a twisting
spook a year ago during an endurance ride, and he is just now ready for
rides again. (if it would stop raining) I don't want to go through
another lost year because of a spook, so if anyone has any advice, I'd
love to hear it as well.

Nick Warhol (who finds it hard to not get mad at Shatta when he
spooks)
Hayward, Ca.

Shatta (Who is ultra powerful, but must live in the world
of the X-files)

Rowan (who NEVER spooks, but is retired. Life is not
fair)

>------------------------------
>
>Date: Fri, 13 Dec 1996 08:42:57 -0500
>From: charle@tpc.tulane.edu (Charlene Bartholomae)
>To: ridecamp@endurance.net
>Subject: I need help!
>Message-Id: <199612131334.HAA24412@rhesus.tpc.tulane.edu>
>Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>Hello All,
> Please, can any of you help me with a problem. I want to take
>care of this before it gets out of hand, so I can concentrate on riding and
>not worry about having to defend myself.
>I have an absolutely wonderful mare I have been riding for 3 years.
>A lot of off and on riding due to hysterectomy, moving, broken ankle,
>etc.....
>Began steadily riding again this past summer. She has always been a good
>steady mare, never spooky. Some time back, she started this business of
>leaping sideways at imaginary "things". She would only do it once in a
>while--
>maybe once every 3-4 months or less. NOW she has gotten to the point
>where she does it just about every ride. I WILL NOT put up with this
>***&&^%%### stuff. BUT, I am not exactly sure how to reprimand her.
> I know many of you are experienced at training. The only things I
>know
>how to train a horse to do are load in a trailer, and water training.
> PLEASE HELP!
> I was thinking about carrying a small crop (BTW, I ride her in a
>vosal),
>and if she sees an imaginary thingie to the right and jumps left, let her
>have it
>on the left shoulder and add a verbal ehhhh, ehhhhh (which is what I use in
>trailer training if they begin to back up). Leg, leg, leg, and continue on
>down
>the trail.
> Please advise......
> Charlene
> ,
>/,`\
>` | \____\\
> _( ) \ Charlene Bartholomae
> \-\~~~_|\ \ Department of Pathology
> ` \ ` \ ` Tulane Regional Primate Research Center
> 18703 Three Rivers Road.
> ` ` Covington, Louisiana 70433
> e-mail: charle@tpc.tulane.edu
>_
>
>------------------------------
>
>