ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: spooking

Re: spooking

Mike Sofen (miksof7@gte.net)
Mon, 1 Sep 1997 21:23:30 -0700

Spooking is a tricky one with horses. More accurately, I'd distinguish
between a spook and a startle. My endurance horse startles when a bird
flies up out of the bush - he'll either stop or move a step over away from
the movement while maintaining his speed. Sometimes however, he'll spook -
he'll raise his head WAY up, and move his gait up a gear. There is no
apparent pattern to it, it's more a mood thing, as somedays he'll startle
at the same thing he might spook at the next day.

What's important is that YOUR response be totally consistent. Many riders
reward their horse's spook instead of punishing it, sometimes in very
subtle ways. In my case, I noticed one day that I was rubbing his neck and
saying "Good Boy" after he startled at something but didn't spook. Very
wrong. I was rewarding him for startling. Cut out all rewards unless he
doesn't react, in which case reward profusely.

Some riders don't take the time to reschool while on the trail, I think
this is a mistake...the horse will never learn if we always are saying,
"I'll take care of it next ride".

Tree stumps always seem to cause problems for horses. If one bothers my
horse, we'll go towards it and away from it until he'll sniff it and stand
next to it. Sometimes I have to use a "Go Ahead" cue to get him near it.
But I never leave the horse in a non-completed state - he always has to
resolve his fear for that item.

Once in a great while I'll have to dismount to get my horse through a
"lockdown", where he won't move due to his fear of something. This
happened when he had to cross his first bridge with water rushing
underneath - wouldn't move forward to save his life. Lacking a crop for a
Go Ahead cue, I dismounted and we walked across the bridge, which he did
easily. I then remounted and we walked back and forth several times,
continued down the trail, came back and again, no problem at all with the
bridge, and hasn't since with any bridges.

Don't ever reward your horse by letting him run past the object, that'll be
very hard to cure. I always spin the horse and bring him back to the
situation. In a paddock or arena, create spooks with grain sacks and
sticks and noise things.

All of this takes time and patience. I know how frustrating it can be, but
your horse can pick this up. A really quiet trail buddy will also help a
lot. Consistency of your response is the key.

Mike Sofen
Seattle, WA

----------
From: Don and Jennifer <dandj@thevision.net>
To: ridecamp@endurance.net
Subject: spooking
Date: Tuesday, September 02, 1997 5:27 PM

Help! This is somewhat endurance related so I'm hoping that anyone out
there can give me some advice. My quarter horse mare spooks at everything.
Everywhere I ride her she finds something to jump at and it just seems to
get worse. I've ridden out with her by herself, with pasture mates, with
my
husband (in his wheelchair) ahead, behind, and next to, and with the ranch
dog. She won't spook if the dog runs up on her and under her nose but let
a
rabbit or bird take off and she panics. The irrigators can roar by in
their
trucks and quadrunners but once we're out she's nuts. She's a dream in the
ridding area and will even come over and stand at her saddle when I take it
off as she is not done. She is eager to please and willing but I'm getting
more and more frustrated with her I know she won't be endurance material
but if I can just take her out quietly on a trail ride with my family I'll
be happy. If anyone has any tips or if you've had this problem before how
did you handle it.
J.C., Don, and the Gang

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