# At the End of My Rope!



## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Like the title says Im at the end of my rope. I dont know what to do anymore. I watched my horse Shaggy almost break his leg today. I've been on such a great since my lesson last week and then having a great ride on saturday. Then today everything crumbled. I got to barn and everything was going great. I had Shaggy groomed and tacked up. As Im finishing tacking the owner drives through the field in the gator and goes to the back paddock. He a nice guy so waves at me as he goes by. I didnt think much of it until I walked Shaggy over to the mounting block and I hear the chainsaw I didnt see in the back of the gator. Well Shaggy heard it too so as I'm fixing the girth he flips out, the reins go out of my hands and he takes off threw the field. I cant catch him because him cause every time the chainsaw sounds he takes off again. I watched him step on the reins and stumble down one of hills in the pasture. At this point hes ran 6 or 7 circles around me and the horses in the field. All horses running gets the **** dog chasing them and shes running after Blaze while Shaggy is running around the field with the reins dragging at he's feet only this time when he comes down the hill the reins go around his leg! My heart STOPPED when that! Thank god it fell when he stopped and he stepped on it. It caused he to stop long enough for me to grab him. I can not take this anymore! I had a break down once I got to work. I yelled at my mom and we got into a fight. I just dont know what to do anymore. I cant even enjoy my horses anymore. But im not selling them! I just dont know how to get my parents to understand my horses are not safe. That im not safe when i ride. The thing that ****es me off the most. The owner friggin saw me getting ready to ride WHY would he go down there and start that thing up! Why not stop and ask if it was gonna bother my horse! I mean hell i know its there place that can do whatever the hell they want but how hard would it have been to wait 30 mins! ugh I'm sorry i just needed to rant for a minute.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

I think it's extremely unlikely that he would break his leg from the reins being wrapped around the leg. He would break the reins rather than his leg. 

Think about how thick the leg bone is and then how thin reins are. 

I personally like my horse to be around different things, like an unexpected chainsaw. I would have got on the horse and ridden him up closer to where the man was working and got the horse used to it. 

To me that's a learning experience for the horse. They have to learn when they are afraid of something that they look to you rather than bolt away.


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

It's not up to other people to make sure your horses don't freak out over things like chainsaws, tractors, semi trucks blasting by, or firetrucks. That's on you to make sure they're properly trained and desensitized. The whole world isn't required to stop and ask you if it's okay for them to go on about their day just because you want to ride your horse.

If the horses aren't safe and you don't enjoy them, I can't see why you'd bother to keep them. Sounds to me that you and your horses could benefit greatly from professional training, but I know that's not likely to happen. 

And no, your horse was in no danger of breaking his leg. Reins are made of thin leather and there's no way they could break a horse's leg. They'll snap first.


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## Snizard93 (Oct 12, 2011)

We all have good and bad days. Take this as a learning curve, and a hint that you need to start desensitizing your horses


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Speed Racer said:


> It's not up to other people to make sure your horses don't freak out over things like chainsaws, tractors, semi trucks blasting by, or firetrucks. That's on you to make sure they're properly trained and desensitized. The whole world isn't required to stop and ask you if it's okay for them to go on about their day just because you want to ride your horse.
> 
> If the horses aren't safe and you don't enjoy them, I can't see why you'd bother to keep them. Sounds to me that you and your horses could benefit greatly from professional training, but I know that's not likely to happen.
> 
> And no, your horse was in no danger of breaking his leg. Reins are made of thin leather and there's no way they could break a horse's leg. They'll snap first.


I didnt say the whole word had to stop for me to ride but it would have been respectful for him to ask if i thought the chainsaw would bother Shaggy. and just so you know I just started working with a new trainer but shes an hour away so I can't exactly take Shaggy to her when i dont have a trailer or anything to pull it.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

And just so everyone knows I think theres a good chance he could have broken his leg when hes galloping up and down extremely muddy hills with the reins dangling around his front feet. Honeslty i dont know if the reins would have broken because there Wintec rubber reins not thin leather.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Snizard93 said:


> We all have good and bad days. Take this as a learning curve, and a hint that you need to start desensitizing your horses


He is or i guess was desensitized but now with sounds hes getting worse.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

AlexS said:


> I think it's extremely unlikely that he would break his leg from the reins being wrapped around the leg. He would break the reins rather than his leg.
> 
> Think about how thick the leg bone is and then how thin reins are.
> 
> ...


Maybe if this was a year ago yeah i would got him rode him closer to where the man was working but its not and i have confidence issues that im working through with the new trainer.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

shaggy said:


> I just dont know what to do anymore. I cant even enjoy my horses anymore. But im not selling them! I just dont know how to get my parents to understand my horses are not safe. That im not safe when i ride. The thing that ****es me off the most. The owner friggin saw me getting ready to ride WHY would he go down there and start that thing up! Why not stop and ask if it was gonna bother my horse! I mean hell i know its there place that can do whatever the hell they want but how hard would it have been to wait 30 mins! ugh I'm sorry i just needed to rant for a minute.


I'm not understanding. If you're not safe when riding your horses, why are you continuing to ride them? Why would you ride in an open space like that if they're that dangerous? 

Why would you keep a horse that's dangerous to ride?

If they're dangerous and you're working with a trainer, why ride without the trainer?


It is your responsibility to be mindful of your surroundings and teach your horse to be desensitized. He clearly is not. You cannot expect other people to stop and get your permission to carry on with what they're doing. It doesn't work like that. If you're on a trail are you going to expect the deer to ask you before crashing through the brush? Or a 4 wheeler to know you're on the other side of a hill? No.

You need a better working relationship wih your horse and if really is dangerous, then you should not be riding him until you can handle what he does. Go back to basics and do LOTS of groundwork. Get the Clinton Anderson videos and get that horses respect and trust. Get a trainer closer to you as we'll and seriously reconsider the horses. You might need a calmer, more trained horse that would be more suited to you.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

DancingArabian said:


> I'm not understanding. If you're not safe when riding your horses, why are you continuing to ride them? Why would you ride in an open space like that if they're that dangerous?
> 
> Why would you keep a horse that's dangerous to ride?
> 
> ...


My horse is not dangrous to ride! The environment hes in is! I dont say move cause i cant ok. The trainer is an hour away thats why. I've ridden on my own for 3 yrs out there. Things changed with the horses when they started taking the ring down and never finished it. Its like the horses say there was nothing there to stop them so the first time he ever broke away from me he learned he go all the way through the field there was nothing there anymore to stop them and you know what my confidence went with it!
My horse and i have a great working relationship when he's not having a panic attack over a chainsaw.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

I just love how every time i post something its always my fault. its my fault the horse is the way he is. Its my fault cause my trainer ditched me and left me there on my own with not near enough experience to handle on my own.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

Then why don't you feel safe riding overall? There's not always a chainsaw. YOU wrote that your horses are not safe and that you're not safe when you're riding. Not safe = danger.

And sorry but I don't believe your horse respects or trusts you if he's running off. Groundwork would establish the boundaries your horse is lacking. It should NOT be acceptable to you that he is running away like a maniac. Groundwork will help you. You should be able to ride outside of an arena. If you need the rail for the horse to act right then there's training holes in his education. There is nothing to be embarrassed about or ashamed of. MANY of us here have had bratty horses.

By doing the exercises I suggested it will build a better working relationship. Your confidence is shot and so is his - that is a problem. A good working relationship does not include a horse having a meltdown and running away. He should be looking to you for guidance and leadership. Does that mean he will never spook! No. But it does mean you'll be more in control. He should be safe to ride regardless of rails or lack of fences or whatever is going on. Don't you see it as a problem that riding outside of an arena is a potential disaster?

I'm saying it again: groundwork. Fill the holes in his education, build your confidence and earn his trust. Clinton Anderson videos have effective methods and are easy to follow.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

That sounds like a very scary experience, and bound to make you feel as frustrated as you obviously are. But, Shaggy didnt' break his leg. he's ok, and so are you. Time to look at reality, not what could have happened. Now you know that you need to be ready for anything to happen , even when mounting, and not let go of the rein. And, working on getting him a bit more desensitized to things will help.

Were you riding him in the field with other loose horses? That is a potentially dangerous thing to do. if the other's run, your horse's herd instinct will kick in pretty fast and make him really hard to control.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

You had a bad day. We all do. It is perfectly normal to get really mad when things go wrong. Take a lesson from horses. They don't stay mad. Forget about it. Start over tomorrow.

It sounds like you need to do more work with this horse. If you have an arena or round pen to work in, you should only ride there until he is stopping better for you.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

First of all, I think you need to take a few moments to calm down and re-read what you wrote in your OP.

Yes, it's possible your horse could have pulled a muscle or strained something running around in a muddy field, all scared, but I highly doubt he would have broken his leg. Synergic reins will still break before a horse's leg will. 

Secondly, you were the one who said your horses aren't safe to ride. You can't blame the environment for the reason your horses "aren't safe". You make an excuse for everything everyone has said, instead of accepting the truth. Yes, your horse may have been desensitized when you got him, but ground work isn't done just once and then never again. It is an ongoing process to keep your horse desensitized and trusting you. Which you clearly need to get back to. 

We don't live in a horse perfect world. 99% of the population knows nothing about horses and they honestly don't understand that anything they do might scare your horse. So don't blame it on your neighbor because its not his fault. This is what I mean for you making excuses for your horses behavior, when YOU should be in control of your horse at all times, even when unexpected things happen.

Maybe YOU should have waited 30 minutes to ride until the land owner was done using his chainsaw. And not the other way around (because in your OP you said he should have waited for YOU). That's self centered of you to expect him to expect him to revolve his chores around your world.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

shaggy said:


> I just love how every time i post something its always my fault. its my fault the horse is the way he is. Its my fault cause my trainer ditched me and left me there on my own with not near enough experience to handle on my own.


It's not a trainer's responsibility to take care of you. Trainers have a _business_. She has no obligation to stay with you just because you want her to.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Oh dear god I've SO been there! One day my mare was getting herd bound and rude, she wouldn't stand to be groomed because her pony was in the paddock and she couldn't see him - so I decided to round pen her (we were in a small enough paddock for this to work pretty well). I figured her issue was she was too focused on the pony and not focused on me so I'd make her. I got her working and BOOM she slipped and fell ALL the way down on her side - I think my heart exploded I was **** near crying - but I had no idea what to do! Do I run over and hug and kiss her?! Or just see if she's ok and finish getting her focus? Well luckily before I had to make the decision she leapt to her feet was Instantly submissive - I think she thought I made her fall! So I let her come in and finished grooming her, trying not to cry and just checking her everywhere.

Sometimes stuff just happens - we have to have our miserable days to make the wonderful days all the more special. 

After a great deal of work I've got her more relaxed and much more trusting of me. Just the other day while I was line driving her (for the first time in a LONG time) and the neighbor had walked by - All of a sudden their German Shepherd came bounding around the corner - I was SO proud of my mare, she leaped up and landed in place, then looked around at me with big eyes (I think I jumped as much as her) I told her it was ok and she carried on like a doll!

Perhaps rather than working on riding with your horse you can spend some time on the ground building trust and teaching him to look to you before spooking. It takes a Great deal of time, work and effort. But it's worth it 

Sorry to hear about your bad day - but you'll have some great ones too!

Honestly everyone - I get that there are some things you can nit-pick on her post, but clearly she had a terrifying day and just needed to vent. Is there really a need to jump at her? Let her vent it out, suggestions are nice but snapping at her because she's upset is just silly.


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## rookie (May 14, 2012)

I am sorry you had a bad day Shaggy! It sounds like you are in that rut where you are worried about something and then your horse worries about it and then you worry about it more because your horse is worrying about it. I have been there! While desensitization helps what helps even more is being confident and relaxed. I know its really hard to do and really annoying advice but when things are going sideways stop, take a deep breath, relax everything (muscle and mind) and approach the situation from that perspective. I have a great mare who does not fuss one nit about how I feel, she is the horse that gives me confidence. I have a gelding who needs me to be confident. The gelding is harder to ride but more rewarding because I feel like he makes me a better rider. Be confident not for yourself but for your horse.


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

I can totally feel your pain. I have been there. I know exactly how it feels to have a horse with no confidence and be a rider with less. I truly do sympathize. It is not an easy fix, though.

Even as much as I am sympathetic here, you have to be realistic. If you are anything at all like I was when I was going through this, then every time you have an incident, your confidence is going even further in the dirt and your horse is learning that he was right not to trust you. It is a train wreck waiting to happen. Take it from first hand experience, it will not get better without you making some changes.

My first recommendation is that you find someone to work with both you and your horse. I hired a trainer to work with my horse for 30 days and she worked with me, also. It made a world of difference. The biggest thing she taught me was that my horse needs me to be confident. She then worked to teach me, build my confidence and help me to deal with situations as they came up. It didn't take me long to realize that it was my lack of confidence that was the biggest problem. It was worth every single penny. 

If you can't get the help you need, then I would seriously consider selling the horse and finding yourself a horse that has it's own confidence and can give you yours back. I know it hurts to think of selling your horse, but I also know how much hurt and frustration it can cause to be in your situation.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Shaggy you tend to get defensive, and there is no reason to. 
It doesn't matter what anyone's experience level is, there is always someone with MORE experience, that they can learn from. To my knowledge there are no Olympic level riders on this board. So for even the very best riders here, there are better out there that they could still learn from. 

A few months ago in the photo competition that Admin runs, there was a guy whose horse was laying down, and he was leaning his gun across the horse and shooting it. (If am I remembering that correctly). 
So it's perfectly possible to get a horse used to things like that. Have you ever seen the horses that police use during riots, and the things that those horses cope with? 

A little while ago, my BO let me know he would be working next to the arena in his tractor moving the muck pile, and told me to work at the top of the arena if I wanted to. I didn't, I chose to work down the side of the arena where he was just a few feet away as I don't recall the last time my horse was around a tractor while it was running. 

You were on the ground, your horse had a bit in it's mouth, and you had hold of the reins. I really think that you might have been able to hold onto that horse, and move it around you if it was freaking out. 

It is very possible for horses to break rubber reins, they are not made of steel and are significantly easier to break than a horses leg.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

I agree, do a search on Clinton Anderson on Youtube and watch some videos that will teach your horse respect and how to handle it if something spooks him. I have CDs for conditioning horses to sounds, it has every sound imaginable on them......I play those for our horses in the spring/summer/fall......my mare is very flighty but she has learned to not panic by doing alot of ground work and desensitizing with her......


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Thunderspark said:


> I agree, do a search on Clinton Anderson on Youtube and watch some videos that will teach your horse respect and how to handle it if something spooks him. I have CDs for conditioning horses to sounds, it has every sound imaginable on them......I play those for our horses in the spring/summer/fall......my mare is very flighty but she has learned to not panic by doing alot of ground work and desensitizing with her......



Hmm I wonder if that's what's making my horse less reactive - I'm huge into Metal, I have it playing all day at the barn - maybe that's desensitizing her xD 
The only time she gets concerned about my music is in a few songs that have a horse sound in it - she goes nuts trying to find the other horse xD I had to take those off my ipod. But she doesn't mind songs with thunder or anything 

I'm kidding (honestly) - it took a great deal of ground work, teaching her how to react to fear - to come to me first. Now she's at a point where she'll spook in place a bit but always look to me, if I'm nervous she'll react - if not she'll settle down.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

Just remember there is no such thing as a fully trained horse. They are all works in progress. And no horse is fully desensitized. Just think about sounds and unexpected things that annoy you or spook you. Horses need to be refreshed occasionally. This incident was a good lesson for you both that needs completed. The horse should be secured with you there to pet him and ask BO to stand behind barn off a good distance with chain saw and run it with you petting horse and talking calmly with it so it see's you are not scared. and do it every chance you can bringing saw closer each time. let horse see saw in BO's hands running. some other day set saw on ground while saw is cold and let horse investigate it. And never tack a horse without snubbing it to a post for just that very reason. No horse is 100% bomb proof every horse has a Kryptonite. Just get your confidence back and either work on desensitizing horse yourself or ask trainer to recommend a good local trainer to desensitize horse. And BO should have posted notices that he would be using chainsaw and recommending people not ride or work horses at that time.


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## horsecrazygirl (Apr 23, 2012)

Also, I think this was brought up before as well, you are the herd leader. If you are scared, he is going to look at you and go"oh my herd leader if freaking out, that means i should be too" he is going to do what you do. Remember, you can never become a perfect rider. Take this as a learning opportunity and learn from it. Don't turn it into something negative.


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## existentialpony (Dec 4, 2012)

So I didn't read every single post, but I know your situation pretty well myself and just wanted to say "I know how you feel"-- but you can get through it. 

I recently purchased a horse (an Arabian, actually) who is typically very calm and good-minded. Well, at the barn where I board... we have goats with bell collars, loud chickens, wild dogs, neighbors in their round pens, big trucks on dirt roads... you see where this is going. 

When Jax first arrived at the barn, he was in "show" mode and even the crazy winds that day didn't phase him. Fast forward to a month after that day and a dog standing on a pile of dirt warranted spooking across the arena. He even spooked on the trail one day and I got to experience how he felt at a gallop... eep, but then again it was partially my fault in that situation.

I have tried several things-- I do lots of groundwork (Clinton Anderson), desensitizing, building my own confidence and trying to show him I can be a good leader... but do you want to know what worked? One day, I decided to teach him (in the arena) to follow me without touching him. Trot when I run, stop when I stop, back when I back, turn when I turn... and we did this around lots of obstacles. Around a barrel, over a "bridge," across cavaletti-- and we did this on a very cold, scary, windy day. If he didn't want to follow, I'd place a light hand on his bridle/rein and he'd get the point.

That day, he spooked once and ran across the arena. I walked up to him, stood next to him (didn't touch him), clucked and he followed me back to the scary spot. The second time, he spooked and ran across the arena... and as I stood there, he paused, then began to walk back towards me-- even though I was in the "danger zone."  (I think his pride was hurt that he spooked again while I was just fine). From then on, he didn't spook and run; if he started to stare at something scary, I'd touch his bridle and lead him around an obstacle. 

I know my method might sound unconventional/controversial, but I think the point is to get creative and understand that traditional training doesn't always apply when it comes to showing your horse that you can be the leader and that he can trust you. For me, he just needed to see me in action standing in the face of danger while he spooked... and all of the sudden it "clicked." Today we rode after the calmest horse at my barn was spooking around the arena... and Jax was an angel.

Keep your horse's mind busy and find ways to make your actions say "I'm the leader. If I'm not afraid, you don't need to be afraid." I hope this helps!


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> I just love how every time i post something its always my fault. its my fault the horse is the way he is. Its my fault cause my trainer ditched me and left me there on my own with not near enough experience to handle on my own.


 
It's not your fault.. And you have to expect some people on these forums to disagree with you, They do not realize these forums are to share experiences and help each other. Nobody on any forum knows everything though some imagine they do and are always standing by to criticize something aggressively. Just keep up with your training you are doing well and just remember no horse is bullet proof, They all have fears, You just need to keep working on desensitizing and Keeping the horses respect and trust. And always stay cautious around any horse. No horse is 100% trust worthy. Anyone that tells you that it's your fault you have confidence issues is an idiot. I have been a 12 year bull rider PRCA as well as broncs and have worked around horses most of my life including ranches. And I do not mind saying there are some horses that scare the crap out of me and make me doubt my confidence occasionally. My grey Arab/Quarter is one. She is a jealous Alpha Mare. If she see's me riding another horse you can bet your boots the next time I step into her paddock she is going to stampede her little herd of horses at me trying to hurt me. Only smart people have fear or doubts with horses,You Just need to master it.
So ignore the negative people and concentrate on the people that want to help. 
Don't let the attitudes ruin it for you, Keep your head up and keep training. let me know if you need advice. I'm strictly western tho so just don't ask me about dressage or jumping or English.


Good luck and happy trails!


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

Today it's a chainsaw, tomorrow it's a tractor, next week it's a lawn mower...

You cannot expect the whole world to screech to a silent halt while you ride. 

While riding I've been chased by a Great Pyrenees, had half the arena fence crash to the ground in a freak wind gust, had a flock of chickens escape and come screeching and flapping around, an air compressor that somebody left plugged in randomly start up and re-pressurize itself over and over, tractors, lawn mowers, 4-wheelers, kids, kids in SQUEAKY shoes (and let me tell you, squeaky shoes eat Morgans!!), screaming kids, kids hauling each other around in wheel barrows, kids throwing plastic jumps at each other, kids fighting over a yowling barn cat, my favorite.. the neighbor's dog trying to kill his piglets (ever heard pigs SCREAM!?) and the mom over there screaming her fool head off..., sheep fighting, cars, loose pony break through the fence and go galloping on through the arena, loose pony decide ground tying is for the birds and gallop madly about evading his owner...

Guess what, all were very scary..... very, very scary.. but we made it through. If I felt it was too dangerous for me to ride, I haltered my horse and dragged him on over. I spent 45mins one day standing there watching a guy mow his lawn. I'm sure he thought I was insane but there we stood until my horse decided ride-on mowers were actually quite boring. 

If you're too scared to ride him through it, walk him through it! I certainly don't stop doing anything when my neighbors ride except target shooting, that I won't do if they are giving kiddo lessons. Anything else though, fair game!


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

lol, Rocky, instead of giving advice maybe you should work on your mare and her 'stampede'.


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## existentialpony (Dec 4, 2012)

sandy2u1 said:


> lol, Rocky, instead of giving advice maybe you should work on your mare and her 'stampede'.


:lol: The image I got from that description, Rocky, was hilarious. A crazy-eyed mare driving dozens of horses over a hill... maybe a cloudy sky and some lightning in the background...


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

As for the people commenting on your thread shaggy none of them is actually criticizing you. Some sound like it but are not. Actually only one person who has commented on this thread has a history of saying things a little harshly, even tho they do not intend to If you re-read their comments they all mean well.

Never let your horse sense fear or uncertainty you are the herd leader and alpha. You must always keep their trust and respect. It is okay to be cautious, just maintain control you will overcome your confidence issue.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

sandy2u1 said:


> lol, Rocky, instead of giving advice maybe you should work on your mare and her 'stampede'.


Lol, I am she's coming around.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

existentialpony said:


> :lol: The image I got from that description, Rocky, was hilarious. A crazy-eyed mare driving dozens of horses over a hill... maybe a cloudy sky and some lightning in the background...


Lol I had that exact thought the first time she did it. She actually makes me laugh sometimes with her actions. Almost acts like shes my Ex girlfriend with the jealousy. Of course she never tried to kill me.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

Shaggy, I apologize for dragging your thread off topic.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

RockyTrails said:


> Lol I had that exact thought the first time she did it. She actually makes me laugh sometimes with her actions. Almost acts like shes my Ex girlfriend with the jealousy. Of course she never tried to kill me.


Who tried to kill you? The horse or the ex?


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

Horses do better in a noisy busy environment. I have a radio blaring out, dogs knocking things over, buckets clattering etc - they get used to it all with no specific desensitising at all.
When DH and my son were chainsawing fallen trees and branches in the summer our horses were all clustered around them like they wanted to have a go and ended up having to be shut off that field. We have low flying helicopters and other aircraft - they never even look up
You cant blame your surroundings as other horses learn to deal with these things - you need to stop being so defensive and start looking at your own failings here because you really have no other option.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

jaydee said:


> Horses do better in a noisy busy environment. I have a radio blaring out, dogs knocking things over, buckets clattering etc - they get used to it all with no specific desensitising at all.
> When DH and my son were chainsawing fallen trees and branches in the summer our horses were all clustered around them like they wanted to have a go and ended up having to be shut off that field. We have low flying helicopters and other aircraft - they never even look up
> You cant blame your surroundings as other horses learn to deal with these things - you need to stop being so defensive and start looking at your own failings here because you really have no other option.



While I completely agree that horses should be exposed to as much as possible - but I think it's a bit harsh to call it a 'failing'. I don't know where you live but around here people are very over protective of their horses, they don't want anything to frighten them. While I think it's in the horse's best interest to expose them to the world it isn't always possible or ideal in every situation. It also requires a handler capable and a great deal of time and effort. It's not a failing if she's just a 'work in progress'.

She got upset, needed to vent. She had a bad day. She didn't fail herself OR her horse. They have much work to do, but it sounds like they've come a long way already.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

If you dont expose your horse to life then its going to forever be afraid of it. You cant desensitise a horse by hiding it away from all the scarey stuff, they have to learn to deal with things and if you dont do that then yes - you are failing them
You cant go through life constantly blaming other people for making a noise that frightens your horse.
I understand that the OP is wanting to vent but she also has to move on a deal with the situation - or have the horse spend the rest of its life in a stable in case the next time it goes out it gets frightened by something else.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

jaydee said:


> If you dont expose your horse to life then its going to forever be afraid of it. You cant desensitise a horse by hiding it away from all the scarey stuff, they have to learn to deal with things and if you dont do that then yes - you are failing them
> You cant go through life constantly blaming other people for making a noise that frightens your horse.
> I understand that the OP is wanting to vent but she also has to move on a deal with the situation - or have the horse spend the rest of its life in a stable in case the next time it goes out it gets frightened by something else.


While I completely agree with this there is always a time while a horse is still a work in progress - it doesn't take a week to desensitize them to the world. It sounds like she's working on it but was very upset when she wrote her post. A scare like that, watching your horse nearly get hurt can be pretty traumatic. As for those who said the reins would break before the leg, sure they would, but I've also seen a mare go heels over head because she stepped on the reins full speed pulled her head down and her hind end just went up and over. 
Yes she still has a great deal of work to go, personally I wouldn't put anyone at fault for this situation, everything that happened was very human. She could have turned it into a learning opportunity, but I think at that point her and her horse were both just happy they weren't dead. I don't think people jumping down her throat telling her she failed her horse and caused him to nearly die (in her opinion) is really helpful here when really she just needed to unload and get some helpful advise to how to prevent this in the future. 
Like the person who suggested getting the horse used to chainsaw sounds.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

Celeste said:


> Who tried to kill you? The horse or the ex?



The Horse,  life would have been easier if it had been the EX


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

Throw your saddle up on the rack and start desensitizing that horse! Anything, a tarp, slamming the door, bang a bucket on the wall, knock stuff over, flag, car horn, pool noodles, plastic bags... ANYTHING! Then he will start to generalize things, the chain saw will sound like a truck engine or a motorcycle. The more things you expose him to, the more he is more likely to think instead of react.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

I truly truly hope for the best for Shaggy and her horse.
It's just that, shaggy has made similar posts, pretty much blaming the barn owner for her horse's--and for her own--fears.
Recently another thread was about where the barn owner parked some equipment.
She states the barn owner is doing her a big favor letting her keep her horse there.
She receives good, solid advice and to every person that takes the time to respond, she is quite negative.

Shaggy, I hope you find a way to work through this and that both you and your horse learn and progress well. I don't want you to get hurt.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

I found this video on youtube which shows how easily you can get a horse used to strange noises and loud noises.
You cant control the world and ask everyone to put things on hold and clear stuff away everytime you take your horse out but you can control the way your horse reacts to things
They will often still 'jump' at something sudden as thats their natural instinct kicking in but thats all it will be - a little jump on the spot and not full flight panic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=di58Ez7M0N4


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

When out riding the prairie, it is not uncommon for pheasants to fly up right under my horse's face, for one example. 
Riding the ditches, loud semi's with air brakes.
I ride alongside the train tracks sometimes...trains are very noisy.
Pasture riding--cattle, deer, etc.
National park, come across buffalo, antelope, badgers, etc.

I love to do things right at home to get my horses used to odd situations. Toss hoolahoops over their heads for one. Lol. Rub them all over with a noisy tarp, stand them on the tarp, ride them while dragging the tarp--and I have ridden them with the tarp covering their head.

It's about training, leadership, and trust.


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

An example of riding and never knowing quite what the surroundings will offer. One of those vehicles may blast their horn as a howdy.


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Practice desensitizing with plastic bags.


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Do the tarp game


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)




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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)




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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)




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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)




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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)




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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

I rode my horse at work one day


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

on wagon trains


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

buffalo nearby


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

sandbar at the river--noisy boats were blasting past us


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Now, I just spent a lot of time going through my photos to find examples of situations to post for Shaggy.

There is SO MUCH we can do working with our horses to prepare and condition them for life with us. 

The best part--doing this stuff with our horses is enjoyable time spent learning together, building trust and partnership.

Don't seek the negative and 'blame' for everything. Work on it! It can be great fun and very rewarding! 

Give the horse the chance and the opportunity to learn!


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## Speed Racer (Oct 21, 2009)

Excellent posts and pictures, Prairie. :thumbsup:


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Thank you, Speed Racer.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

tinyliny said:


> That sounds like a very scary experience, and bound to make you feel as frustrated as you obviously are. But, Shaggy didnt' break his leg. he's ok, and so are you. Time to look at reality, not what could have happened. Now you know that you need to be ready for anything to happen , even when mounting, and not let go of the rein. And, working on getting him a bit more desensitized to things will help.
> 
> Were you riding him in the field with other loose horses? That is a potentially dangerous thing to do. if the other's run, your horse's herd instinct will kick in pretty fast and make him really hard to control.


It was scary but like always i over reacted lol and yes I have to ride in the field where the other horses are loose because the owners took half the ring down they were gonna talk the whole thing down but never finished.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

beau159 said:


> First of all, I think you need to take a few moments to calm down and re-read what you wrote in your OP.
> 
> Yes, it's possible your horse could have pulled a muscle or strained something running around in a muddy field, all scared, but I highly doubt he would have broken his leg. Synergic reins will still break before a horse's leg will.
> 
> ...


OK first is wasnt the neighbor it was owner of the property my horses are on. and second I couldnt wait 30 mins I had to go to work. and its not like this was a daily chore he had to get done he was just working on a tree that fell. It wouldnt have killed him to wait. Go ahead and call me self centered but Im the one who pays them to keep my horses and ride there and im not getting to do what i pay them for every month!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

equiniphile said:


> It's not a trainer's responsibility to take care of you. Trainers have a _business_. She has no obligation to stay with you just because you want her to.


Oh i didnt care that she left and i didnt want her to stay. As the trainer she should have known i wasnt ready to to be left alone in the horse world and should helped me find a trainer before she left!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

PunksTank said:


> Oh dear god I've SO been there! One day my mare was getting herd bound and rude, she wouldn't stand to be groomed because her pony was in the paddock and she couldn't see him - so I decided to round pen her (we were in a small enough paddock for this to work pretty well). I figured her issue was she was too focused on the pony and not focused on me so I'd make her. I got her working and BOOM she slipped and fell ALL the way down on her side - I think my heart exploded I was **** near crying - but I had no idea what to do! Do I run over and hug and kiss her?! Or just see if she's ok and finish getting her focus? Well luckily before I had to make the decision she leapt to her feet was Instantly submissive - I think she thought I made her fall! So I let her come in and finished grooming her, trying not to cry and just checking her everywhere.
> 
> Sometimes stuff just happens - we have to have our miserable days to make the wonderful days all the more special.
> 
> ...


Thanks Punk you post made me feel better. I know exactly felt watching your mare fall because I felt the same way watching my older horse run though a barb wire fence and fall! Its a scary thing to watch! Glad your mare was ok!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

rookie said:


> I am sorry you had a bad day Shaggy! It sounds like you are in that rut where you are worried about something and then your horse worries about it and then you worry about it more because your horse is worrying about it. I have been there! While desensitization helps what helps even more is being confident and relaxed. I know its really hard to do and really annoying advice but when things are going sideways stop, take a deep breath, relax everything (muscle and mind) and approach the situation from that perspective. I have a great mare who does not fuss one nit about how I feel, she is the horse that gives me confidence. I have a gelding who needs me to be confident. The gelding is harder to ride but more rewarding because I feel like he makes me a better rider. Be confident not for yourself but for your horse.


Thanks so much for great post and advice!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

sandy2u1 said:


> I can totally feel your pain. I have been there. I know exactly how it feels to have a horse with no confidence and be a rider with less. I truly do sympathize. It is not an easy fix, though.
> 
> Even as much as I am sympathetic here, you have to be realistic. If you are anything at all like I was when I was going through this, then every time you have an incident, your confidence is going even further in the dirt and your horse is learning that he was right not to trust you. It is a train wreck waiting to happen. Take it from first hand experience, it will not get better without you making some changes.
> 
> ...


Thats exactly how my confidence feels and then I feel like how am I suposed to go back out there? but thankfully I think I've found a trainer who is going to work out and has already given me some great advice on lunging my horse(which hopefully I can try soon as the ground dries up some!) and the great thing is the lesson horse I get to ride is really helping my confidence issues!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

AlexS said:


> Shaggy you tend to get defensive, and there is no reason to.
> It doesn't matter what anyone's experience level is, there is always someone with MORE experience, that they can learn from. To my knowledge there are no Olympic level riders on this board. So for even the very best riders here, there are better out there that they could still learn from.
> 
> A few months ago in the photo competition that Admin runs, there was a guy whose horse was laying down, and he was leaning his gun across the horse and shooting it. (If am I remembering that correctly).
> ...


I remember seeing the pic in the photo contest and thinking how awesome that horse must be lol The difference is your BO let you know he was gonna be working, mine didnt he just drove on by and didnt say a word. I know I probably over reacted about reins.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

PunksTank said:


> Hmm I wonder if that's what's making my horse less reactive - I'm huge into Metal, I have it playing all day at the barn - maybe that's desensitizing her xD
> The only time she gets concerned about my music is in a few songs that have a horse sound in it - she goes nuts trying to find the other horse xD I had to take those off my ipod. But she doesn't mind songs with thunder or anything
> 
> I'm kidding (honestly) - it took a great deal of ground work, teaching her how to react to fear - to come to me first. Now she's at a point where she'll spook in place a bit but always look to me, if I'm nervous she'll react - if not she'll settle down.


Thats how Shaggy used to be just spooking in place not full on freaking out like he is now. and thats funny about metal cause I love it too! I ususally play music on my phone when I'm grooming. I was playing Big Time Rush and shaggy was just chilling out and then I switched to Metallica and he defainly didn't like the higher pitched sounds lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Just remember there is no such thing as a fully trained horse. They are all works in progress. And no horse is fully desensitized. Just think about sounds and unexpected things that annoy you or spook you. Horses need to be refreshed occasionally. This incident was a good lesson for you both that needs completed. The horse should be secured with you there to pet him and ask BO to stand behind barn off a good distance with chain saw and run it with you petting horse and talking calmly with it so it see's you are not scared. and do it every chance you can bringing saw closer each time. let horse see saw in BO's hands running. some other day set saw on ground while saw is cold and let horse investigate it. And never tack a horse without snubbing it to a post for just that very reason. No horse is 100% bomb proof every horse has a Kryptonite. Just get your confidence back and either work on desensitizing horse yourself or ask trainer to recommend a good local trainer to desensitize horse. And BO should have posted notices that he would be using chainsaw and recommending people not ride or work horses at that time.


 Funny thing is I just did the whole process with him to get over the fear of that machine the BO put in the barn by the hay and I dont know if it worked or not but I found in there standing underneath it eating hay one day after I did the approach and retreat thing for a few days lol and Thank for agreeing that he should have told me he was going to be working with a chain saw!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> It's not your fault.. And you have to expect some people on these forums to disagree with you, They do not realize these forums are to share experiences and help each other. Nobody on any forum knows everything though some imagine they do and are always standing by to criticize something aggressively. Just keep up with your training you are doing well and just remember no horse is bullet proof, They all have fears, You just need to keep working on desensitizing and Keeping the horses respect and trust. And always stay cautious around any horse. No horse is 100% trust worthy. Anyone that tells you that it's your fault you have confidence issues is an idiot. I have been a 12 year bull rider PRCA as well as broncs and have worked around horses most of my life including ranches. And I do not mind saying there are some horses that scare the crap out of me and make me doubt my confidence occasionally. My grey Arab/Quarter is one. She is a jealous Alpha Mare. If she see's me riding another horse you can bet your boots the next time I step into her paddock she is going to stampede her little herd of horses at me trying to hurt me. Only smart people have fear or doubts with horses,You Just need to master it.
> So ignore the negative people and concentrate on the people that want to help.
> Don't let the attitudes ruin it for you, Keep your head up and keep training. let me know if you need advice. I'm strictly western tho so just don't ask me about dressage or jumping or English.
> 
> ...


Thanks Rocky! I know not everyone is going to agree with me but a little postivity like yours would be nice once in awhile lol It seems like the criticism in this forum is getting worse! lol I'll try to ignore all the negativity!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Shaggy, I apologize for dragging your thread off topic.


haha its ok! the image of your mare cause a stampede just get you made for a much needed laugh!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

PunksTank said:


> While I completely agree that horses should be exposed to as much as possible - but I think it's a bit harsh to call it a 'failing'. I don't know where you live but around here people are very over protective of their horses, they don't want anything to frighten them. While I think it's in the horse's best interest to expose them to the world it isn't always possible or ideal in every situation. It also requires a handler capable and a great deal of time and effort. It's not a failing if she's just a 'work in progress'.
> 
> She got upset, needed to vent. She had a bad day. She didn't fail herself OR her horse. They have much work to do, but it sounds like they've come a long way already.


I also agree to exposing them to all kinds of stuff but in a safe way. If im perpared for it I'm not gonna get worked up like I do getting caught off guard. I do realize that you cant perpare for everything unexpected stuff is gonna happen. Thats life. I also play music at the barn when grooming. It helps a lot more than you think it would lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

SlideStop said:


> Throw your saddle up on the rack and start desensitizing that horse! Anything, a tarp, slamming the door, bang a bucket on the wall, knock stuff over, flag, car horn, pool noodles, plastic bags... ANYTHING! Then he will start to generalize things, the chain saw will sound like a truck engine or a motorcycle. The more things you expose him to, the more he is more likely to think instead of react.
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


most of that stuff doesn't bother him. I purposely left the tack room door open so it could slam in the wind and he got used to it. Plastic bags dont bother him brought more than one of those to barn with supplies in and left it flapping in the wind on the picnic table next the ring , buckets being tossed around no problem hes thrown a few of those around lol I do want to try the pool noodles tho! and Im proud say we were riding in the field once before the granddaughter moved and one her dads friends drove up on the motorcycle and Shaggy didnt even budge while her horse completely flipped out! Now would Shaggy act like that now I have no idea since it was almost year ago lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Prairie Rose said:


> When out riding the prairie, it is not uncommon for pheasants to fly up right under my horse's face, for one example.
> Riding the ditches, loud semi's with air brakes.
> I ride alongside the train tracks sometimes...trains are very noisy.
> Pasture riding--cattle, deer, etc.
> ...


I did the hula hoop once but thought better of it when i realized it sounded just like a rattle snake. defiantly didnt want him thinking that sounds was nothing to be afraid of!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Prairie Rose said:


> Now, I just spent a lot of time going through my photos to find examples of situations to post for Shaggy.
> 
> There is SO MUCH we can do working with our horses to prepare and condition them for life with us.
> 
> ...


Thanks for all those great pics! Im going to try working the tarp! thats really cool your horse will let you ride him with the tarp on him!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

jaydee said:


> you need to stop being so defensive and start looking at your own failings here because you really have no other option.


Really so now Im a failure thats great to know. Way to kick someone when they are already down.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

shaggy said:


> Really so now Im a failure thats great to know. Way to kick someone when they are already down.


 Maybe you should go back and read my post correctly.
I did not say you were a failure
I said that if you continued to blame the actions of other people for upsetting your horse rather than make the effort to desensitise him to things then you will *fail* your horse
I'm sorry if it offends you but its true. You cannot keep your horse in isolation because he finds the world a scarey place. Maybe the man with the chainsaw can be asked to not start it when he's around but you cant go out in advance of a trail ride or whatever and ask every person you might pass by to stop what they're doing just in case it scares your horse
Though ranting on the forum might make you feel better its not going to sort out your problem is it?
You'd do better to ask the chainsaw man to keep it running while you lead it up and down past him
Did you not take in any of the advice you were given - it was said in your best interest and those of your horse and not to cause offence


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I have a hunnch that the saw starting up got the other horses going which you may not have seen. This often happens not out of fear but boredom. When they got going your horse wanted to join the foray. Unless a chainsaw is started almost under the nose it's not something a horse seems to react to, same with a lawn mower. There's a drone to it that can actually be soothng.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

Riding her in a pasture full of horses may have been your whole problem. 

My horse has had extensive professional training, but there is no way that I am going to ride her through a pasture full of horses. The other horses get excited, and it is only natural for her to want to join in the fun when they all go bonkers.

I would take her out of the pasture and ride somewhere else. A dirt road would be nice.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

> Go ahead and call me self centered but Im the one who pays them to keep my horses and ride there and im not getting to do what i pay them for every month!


Yup. Self-centered. It's not your property, and unless you had very specific instructions like this written in your boarding agreement, you don't have a leg to stand on. 

And how do you know what else he had to get accomplished that day? Maybe that was the only time he had that day to take care of the tree, because he had other things that needed attention in 30 minutes. Don't assume the world should revolve around you and YOUR schedule, because it doesn't. 

I completely disagree with the person who said he should have posted a notice for you that he was going to be working with a chain saw. This isn't a big boarding barn, from the sounds of it. This is a guy who is allowing you to keep your horse at his place, and as to the best of my knowledge, you are the only one who boards a horse there???? Work would never get done if the owner had to make a public notice of things that would be noisy. 

I pay to have my horses boarded too (like many people on this forum). I was lucky enough to find private board with a retired couple who have 4 horses of their own, on 40 acres. A couple months ago, he was working on putting up some new shelves in the barn to store things on. I usually saddle my horse Red in the barn, because the tack room is in the barn. He was sawing boards with a big electric chop saw. 

So, should I have told him "You need to wait with your work until I am done saddling my horse and ready to go, because that's what I pay for every month. And I'm here to ride now because that's all I have time for." _(...notice how many times the self-centered word "I" was used....)_

:shock: Um, no, I would never say anything like that to them. It's not my property and I feel extremely fortunate and thankful for the boarding arrangement I have found. If he wants to do xyz chores right now, it's none of my business what he does and when. It's THEIR place. And I would never expect him to post a public notice of when he was going to be doing his work. 

Actually, I had no problem carrying on saddling my horse at that moment because I actually thought it was a fantastic desensitizing lesson for him. And my good boy Red didn't so much as bat an eyelash every time he started up the saw. 

I enjoy having noisy and scary situations because it gives me the opportunity to expose my horse to them. 




> As the trainer she should have known i wasnt ready to to be left alone in the horse world and should helped me find a trainer before she left!


How in any way, shape, or form is she responsible for that? You must be a grown adult (as you mentioned you have a job) so that means that YOU are responsible for YOU and YOUR horse. Accept that, or get rid of your horse. 




> If im perpared for it I'm not gonna get worked up like I do getting caught off guard. I do realize that you cant perpare for everything unexpected stuff is gonna happen. Thats life.


The majority of horses getting scared IS unexpected things that you will not be able to prepare for, like your original incident (which you certainly didn't think was "just life" at the time). You getting that upset certainly won't help your horse calm down in a scary situation. Your horse looks to you to be the leader. Even if you are fuming inside or terrified inside, you can't let your horse sense that. Or your horse will never trust you in those scary situations. 




My entire point and the point that everyone is trying to make, is that you cannot blame others for the things that happen and you cannot expect horses to behave perfectly at all times. Take responsibility and do something about it. 

Prairie Rose posted great ideas about ways you can desensitize your horse, but it really all comes down to teaching your horse to trust and respect you. And if Shaggy does have trust issues with you, I would highly suggest you find somewhere else to ride besides the pasture full of horses. Horses are herd animals, and as you already discovered, when one of them freaks out, all the others will freak out too. 

I would also highly recommend you check out Clinton Anderson. I personally like his training methods because he explains what he is doing, when, and why. Desensitizing is more than just going the putzing with a tarp with your horse. Timing is so very critical. If you don't remove or add the scary stimulus at the exact correct time, you'll actually teach your horse the wrong behavior. 

Start with the horse with some slack in the lead rope. You don't want him thinking that you are forcing him to stand there. He should be free to move his feet and free to "make a mistake". Slowly, slowly bring the tarp closer to his shoulder/neck area. The very moment you see him tense up or become worried in any way about the tarp, you need to freeze your position. Do not bring it any close, but do not take it away. If you horse moves, move with him so that you stay in the exact same position. The very moment you see any sign of relaxation (he quits moving, he lowers his head, licks his lips, blinks, sighs, etc), you need to immeidately remove the scary object and take it away. Praise. Repeat. If you pressure him too much too soon, he'll panic. If you don't pressure him enough, he won't learn anything. This is where that timing is so critical. 

You'll want to slowly be able to work the tarp closer to him each time. You might accomplish this in 15 minutes. Or, it might take 15 days if he is really scared of it. Just never rush it. Move at the horse's pace. And always end on a good note where the horse is thinking positive and confident. 10 to 15 minutes of desensitizing work a day is plenty. 

Your body posture is also important through all this. Don't try to sneaky stick your arm out and lean toward your horse to slowly "sneak" it closer. That's a predator stance. That will scare your horse. Keep a confident, positive and "leader" body posture. Be sure in your movements. If you act timid, your horse won't trust you. 

This is one video of CA on YouTube. It's short, and it's about trailer loading, but you can really see what I mean about timing. It is so important when teaching a horse to respect and trust you. 







And if you truly do not feel ready to handle your horse on your own, then don't. Bad habits are so much harder to fix, than creating good habits. If you feel that uncomfortable about working with your horse, then you should most definately find a trainer to work with. From beginners to "experts", everyone can always learn something from a trainer. I've ridden horses since I was 2 years old, and I'll be 27 in a few months. I took English riding lessons over the winter for something new. I will be taking Red to a training in a month or two to help us learn advanced reining manuvars, and I'll also take a barrel racing lesson occasionally during the summer for another's perspective. I feel pretty confident and knowledable when it comes to anything horse ..... but I sure as heck do not know it all and can learn something from someone else. 

There is no shame in getting the help from a trainer.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Celeste said:


> Riding her in a pasture full of horses may have been your whole problem.
> 
> My horse has had extensive professional training, but there is no way that I am going to ride her through a pasture full of horses. The other horses get excited, and it is only natural for her to want to join in the fun when they all go bonkers.
> 
> I would take her out of the pasture and ride somewhere else. A dirt road would be nice.


I dont have a choice theres no where else to ride and no where else to put the other horses.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Saddlebag said:


> I have a hunnch that the saw starting up got the other horses going which you may not have seen. This often happens not out of fear but boredom. When they got going your horse wanted to join the foray. Unless a chainsaw is started almost under the nose it's not something a horse seems to react to, same with a lawn mower. There's a drone to it that can actually be soothng.


no it didnt they stay at the bottom of the field mostly. unless they want water they dont come up around the barn too often. and i know the chainsaw scared him because he kept looking where the sound was coming from like he was gonna get eaten.


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## Shropshirerosie (Jan 24, 2012)

At my old yard the YO's husband had his log pile in a barn opposite the arena. He had absolutely no horse-sense at all and would happily go out to chainsaw wood all times of day. Also on the yard was a wood working barn where oak buildings were constructed. It was adjacent to a working farm.

Some people would complain and say that their horse was spooking (or worse). I could see that my horse's field was near enough the barn for her to hear the chainsaw every timers well as all the other noises. So I said that I was absolutely fine for him to keep going playing with his noisy machines and I would use it all as a learning experience.

Yes, my mare attempted to startle and spook when something happened big and noisy and scary. If I was feeling confident then I sat on and rode through it. If I was feeling wobbly then I got off and held her reins (tight) and maybe would walk to and for the big scary thing.

Yes, I had more confidence than you do at the moment - I'm not suggesting that you put yourself into situations that will scare you. But I do suggest that you try to turn your thinking around about spooky things out there. Every time you see him on the Gator, or the tractor or whatever, stop what you are planning on doing and SEIZE THE MOMENT to take your horse to him and do some de-spooking work. Take charge Shaggy, you may well feel better. :wink:


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

beau159 said:


> Yup. Self-centered. It's not your property, and unless you had very specific instructions like this written in your boarding agreement, you don't have a leg to stand on.
> 
> And how do you know what else he had to get accomplished that day? Maybe that was the only time he had that day to take care of the tree, because he had other things that needed attention in 30 minutes. Don't assume the world should revolve around you and YOUR schedule, because it doesn't.
> 
> ...


ok first off no isnt a big boarding barn its the same as yours private board. They were nice enough to let me stay after they're ex daughter in law screwed me over! (the ex tainer who left me on my own.) you asked why it was her responsibly because shes the one helped me get my horses, actually conned me into getting Blaze! (not that i love him any less), she knew I wasnt ready to be left on my own owning horses and i asked her multiply times to help find another trainer before she left but she was to self centered to help me. 
idk even know what to say about the rest of stuff you posted cause honestly i think it would be the owners fault if your horse got hurt because of the work he was doing dont you?
and i have been taking everyones advice to heart but i havent been able to work with my horse because its been freezing and snowy here and now wet. and i've already said several I FOUND A TRAINER! so quit telling me too.


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Rbeau!!!!
It's so great to see you!!! Do you remember me?
Excellent post.

Shaggy, your response to Beau was very unpleasant. 

Honestly, no, it would NOT be the owner of the place where you board your horse's fault. 
Nor the old 'trainer's' fault that you have horses. Were you forced to buy them with no option of refusal? Naw.......

Tons and tons of great, knowledable people here. I suspect you will receive fewer responses in future posts due to your attitude.

Best of luck to your horses.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

shaggy said:


> I remember seeing the pic in the photo contest and thinking how awesome that horse must be lol The difference is your BO let you know he was gonna be working, mine didnt he just drove on by and didnt say a word. I know I probably over reacted about reins.


My BO is awesome, but if he wasn't I don't think I would have reacted differently. The point was that he told me what he was doing, but had he not, I would still have reacted the same way, the point was my reaction to it. I worked my horse next to the noise/distraction rather than avoiding it. 

This summer I was at the barn with my foster kids, they get bored, so bring a football. They tend to play in a field next to the arena. A girl was riding and started yelling at her horse, so I stopped the kids from playing and put them in the car. Honestly it was the owner freaking out, the horse was fine. But it didn't matter, the kids come second when we are there, so I stopped them. 

My horse tends to adopt all teenage boys as his own, there's nothing they can do that freak him out. Here's his reaction to them throwing a football in his paddock while he is eating. 

My dogs cope with more than I would have thought possible, my horse does the same. It's us humans that hold them back, it's our freak out that leads to theirs.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

shaggy said:


> ok first off no isnt a big boarding barn its the same as yours private board. They were nice enough to let me stay after they're ex daughter in law screwed me over! (the ex tainer who left me on my own.) you asked why it was her responsibly because shes the one helped me get my horses, actually conned me into getting Blaze! (not that i love him any less), she knew I wasnt ready to be left on my own owning horses and i asked her multiply times to help find another trainer before she left but she was to self centered to help me.
> idk even know what to say about the rest of stuff you posted cause honestly i think it would be the owners fault if your horse got hurt because of the work he was doing dont you?
> and i have been taking everyones advice to heart but i havent been able to work with my horse because its been freezing and snowy here and now wet. and i've already said several I FOUND A TRAINER! so quit telling me too.


Walk away from your computer and take deep breaths for a few minutes. You're flying off the handle and you sound ridiculous. 

Now, when you've calmed down, go back and re-read my post.

I did not say you were at a big boarding barn. I said it sounded like you had private board (which is the case). And if these people are "nice enough to let you stay", why are you bad mouthing them and saying this incident was their fault?

I'm sorry, but no grown adult can FORCE or "conn" another grown adult to make a purchase such as a horse. If you weren't ready, then YOU should have made the executive decision not to purchase a horse yet. Period. There's no argument to that. _As an adult with your own sound mind and own decision-making, you've got to take responsibility for what you've done._ Your old trainer didn't steal your check book and write a check for him. She didn't show up in your front yard, drop off this horse and leave. She didn't hold a gun to your head and make you buy the horse. You were the one who purchased him. You need to take responsibility for YOUR actions. Do not blame it on anyone else. You bought the horse; not your trainer. I would agree, she was _not_ a good trainer for suggesting you buy a horse before you are actually ready for it .... but good trainer or bad trainer aside, she still has no legal or emotional _responsibility_ to stay attached to you for life. (Unless you had it written in a contract that she must stay with you for x number of months, which I doubt.)

No, it would not be the owner's fault if your horse got hurt. Was he the one who took him out of the paddock to go for a ride? No, YOU DID. Plus *the law* states that owners are not liable in situations like this, at least in my state (and I believe other states have similar laws). So the same would apply in my situation, as I was the one who put my horse in the barn to tack him up while he was working. That's "sue happy" of you to think it would be his fault if something had happened. It would have been MY fault. It's MY horse. 

My horse Red also just cut up his back leg badly, near his hock, on the smooth wire fence. So by your way of thinking, I should sue the property owners because it's their fault he cut his leg on their fence (even though it was in perfect repair), and their fault I had to take him to the vet after-hours, and their fault I have been changing bandages every day for the past 3 weeks? No, it was an accident. _He is MY horse and I am taking MY responsibility for him._ I'm not blaming anyone else.


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

Prairie Rose said:


> Rbeau!!!!
> It's so great to see you!!! Do you remember me?
> Excellent post.


Hey! :wave:

Hmmmmm.... Did I ride a certain horse named Kola for you out at Hetletved's barn?

If not, then I'm way off on the person I am thinking of, haha. You'll have to PM me!


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

No, Beau, but I am friends with the person that did own Kola then, and I do know Hetletvedts.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Why is everything my fault? what did I do get the blame for everything? Look Im sorry for my attitude, sorry being negative and most of all I'm sorry for being a worried horse owner that was wrong of me. Truth is no one knows what i've been through with my horses or why I blame the ex trainer and honestly if anyone cared they would have asked for the whole story.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

AlexS said:


> My BO is awesome, but if he wasn't I don't think I would have reacted differently. The point was that he told me what he was doing, but had he not, I would still have reacted the same way, the point was my reaction to it. I worked my horse next to the noise/distraction rather than avoiding it.
> 
> This summer I was at the barn with my foster kids, they get bored, so bring a football. They tend to play in a field next to the arena. A girl was riding and started yelling at her horse, so I stopped the kids from playing and put them in the car. Honestly it was the owner freaking out, the horse was fine. But it didn't matter, the kids come second when we are there, so I stopped them.
> 
> ...


ha this post made think of the ex trainers kids who used to always hang out of that barn. They would do stuff like play foot ball and try to hit those big carpenter bees that fly around in the summer. lol I didnt really realize it at the time but all there stupidness up at barn really help keep my horse bombproof. So im guessing almost 3 years without all the noise has made less bombproof over time.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

shaggy said:


> Why is everything my fault? what did I do get the blame for everything? Look Im sorry for my attitude, sorry being negative and most of all I'm sorry for being a worried horse owner that was wrong of me. Truth is no one knows what i've been through with my horses or why I blame the ex trainer and honestly if anyone cared they would have asked for the whole story.


No one should have to ask for the whole story, you should of given it! Just saying!
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

SlideStop said:


> No one should have to ask for the whole story, you should of given it! Just saying!
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


it would just be nice to be asked i guess


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

At this point I think the 'story' is mute.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

shaggy said:


> ha this post made think of the ex trainers kids who used to always hang out of that barn. They would do stuff like play foot ball and try to hit those big carpenter bees that fly around in the summer. lol I didnt really realize it at the time but all there stupidness up at barn really help keep my horse bombproof. So im guessing almost 3 years without all the noise has made less bombproof over time.


Totally. I used to board a former horse at a barn that rented out garage space to people who worked on their cars. There was always air compressor noises, loud men, odd noises. It was great for the horses.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

shaggy said:


> Why is everything my fault? what did I do get the blame for everything? Look Im sorry for my attitude, sorry being negative and most of all I'm sorry for being a worried horse owner that was wrong of me. Truth is no one knows what i've been through with my horses or why I blame the ex trainer and honestly if anyone cared they would have asked for the whole story.


Blame everything else all you want, regardless if we know the whole story or not. Fact remains, YOU are the one with the horse, YOU are the one that chose to ride when you did (yes I know you said you had to work, but you still CHOSE to ride), YOU are the one boarding where you are.

You ALWAYS have a choice, they may not be good choices to pick from, but you still have a choice. Yes, there are things that ARE out of your control (someone else's actions), but it's up to YOU how you chose to react.

YOU CHOSE to come on here & vent (understandibly), you chose to share the parts of the story you did, you are the one choosing to react the way you are. By blaming others for your situation, you are CHOOSING not to take responsibility for yourself, and therefor are facing the repercussions of that choice. Every action has a reaction.

If riding in the pasture is the only thing you have, your choices are 1. Not ride or 2. Ask if you can make a small arena in the corner of the pasture. Doesn't cost a whole lot for a few t-posts & caps & some braided tape. Example: I wanted a round pen. My parents didn't want me to use the available space (they wanted to plant trees). My choices where 1. Blame them because I wasn't able to accomplish the training I wanted to OR 2. Build one in the pasture. I chose #2. It cost me about $30, & it's been up for the last 10 yrs. It isn't pretty, but it works. And by having it where i do, the reaction to the herd is contained, having the added bonus of being able to focus the horse despite what's going on around him. I MADE a choice, rather than blame others for my problem.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## LoveStory10 (Oct 31, 2009)

I'm sorry, but you sound rather immature. No one is saying you did anything wrong, or that you caused this, they are saying you have options.








This is my 13 year old friend, on her OTTB Cassanova. Cass freaked out at ANYTHING, so she started to get him used to things. She has no arena, no round pen, and no trainer (she is finding one though, and starting with her next month), but refuses to ride on her own, for her own safety and that of her horse, and refuses to ride in the paddock, because that's where her other horses are, so she rides on a little square of grass behind her house, right next to her fathers business, which involves trucks and cranes, which means NOISE. If Cass freaked out, she let him see the offending item, like the crane that just went by, or the siren that went off, and would then make him walk on by. She fell off a couple of times.

Was she supposed to go and tell them all to stop working simply because its HER house, and she wants to ride her horse? That's not how it works, and now Cass can hear any noise, and be fine, because she made a plan to sort it out, not scream at her mother that the enviroment isn't safe, she MADE it safe!

I understand that you were scared, but there were plenty of ways to fix and even avoid what happened, but I find it sad that a 13 year old in the exact same situation handled it better than you.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

AlexS said:


> Totally. I used to board a former horse at a barn that rented out garage space to people who worked on their cars. There was always air compressor noises, loud men, odd noises. It was great for the horses.


I bet! I wish I knew why the noises like the chainsaw and the machines being used to clean up the place arent becoming less scary over time.i know my own reactions didnt help lol Some one mention a magnumism (sp?) imbalance in in another post could make them flighty. Im hoping to get a chance to ask the vet when they have him out to check the new foal.


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

Shaggy - yes my mare had a terrible magnesium deficiency! I just thought she was nuts.
I put her on smartcalm ultra for a month, then regular smartcalm (both are magnesium and B vitamins) for a few months, now I'm weaning her off that. She's doing magnificent - I had a worker at my barn today with a saw cutting metal, she watched with curiosity from just the other side of the fence (just a few feet away). Later I had to screw in some things to her wall while she was inside, power drill and all she just watched!
At the same time though I didn't just add the supplement I also spent months doing ground work and getting her used to all sorts of junk. Now if I present anything she looks to me before she reacts. The only thing that really gets her going is the sound of foreign horses (playing with songs on my ipod ) That makes her crazy - she'll bomb all around her paddock calling and calling - I had to remove those songs xD


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

LoveStory10 said:


> I'm sorry, but you sound rather immature. No one is saying you did anything wrong, or that you caused this, they are saying you have options.
> 
> View attachment 128480
> 
> ...


 I never said I wasnt willing to make the place safe. believe me I'm going to work on it. just because I handled the situation different than she did doesnt mean it was handled worse or better just different. I know my reactions didnt help anything.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

PunksTank said:


> Shaggy - yes my mare had a terrible magnesium deficiency! I just thought she was nuts.
> I put her on smartcalm ultra for a month, then regular smartcalm (both are magnesium and B vitamins) for a few months, now I'm weaning her off that. She's doing magnificent - I had a worker at my barn today with a saw cutting metal, she watched with curiosity from just the other side of the fence (just a few feet away). Later I had to screw in some things to her wall while she was inside, power drill and all she just watched!
> At the same time though I didn't just add the supplement I also spent months doing ground work and getting her used to all sorts of junk. Now if I present anything she looks to me before she reacts. The only thing that really gets her going is the sound of foreign horses (playing with songs on my ipod ) That makes her crazy - she'll bomb all around her paddock calling and calling - I had to remove those songs xD


Thats cool that she just stood and watched! Im really starting to wonder if it is a magnesium deficiency. I mean hes flipping out at stuff hes never flipped out over. Is there anything besides supplements that will help? I just dont know if i can afford those right now. Also is possible one horse to have this deficiency and not the others in the field? and I've already started planning different things to work on the ground with too!
Haha my dog did that same thing when i had a ringtone on my phone that barked. He went nuts trying to find the dog that wasn't there lol


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## Prairie Rose (Oct 17, 2012)

Unlikely.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

busysmurf said:


> Blame everything else all you want, regardless if we know the whole story or not. Fact remains, YOU are the one with the horse, YOU are the one that chose to ride when you did (yes I know you said you had to work, but you still CHOSE to ride), YOU are the one boarding where you are.
> 
> You ALWAYS have a choice, they may not be good choices to pick from, but you still have a choice. Yes, there are things that ARE out of your control (someone else's actions), but it's up to YOU how you chose to react.
> 
> ...


I understand that chose to ride er well tried to ride lol not really my place to tell them not to work on there property. I love the idea of making a round pen! I never thought about that!


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## PunksTank (Jul 8, 2012)

shaggy said:


> Thats cool that she just stood and watched! Im really starting to wonder if it is a magnesium deficiency. I mean hes flipping out at stuff hes never flipped out over. Is there anything besides supplements that will help? I just dont know if i can afford those right now. Also is possible one horse to have this deficiency and not the others in the field? and I've already started planning different things to work on the ground with too!
> Haha my dog did that same thing when i had a ringtone on my phone that barked. He went nuts trying to find the dog that wasn't there lol


It would be very odd for only 1 horse to be deficient, especially if they're on pasture or the same hay. I doesn't sound like your horse is deficient in magnesium - but regardless the only way to supplement it is with supplements. Yes they are expensive.
I'm glad to hear you have some things planned to help her work through it.
I think work has helped my horse more than the supplement. Previously she would spook alone in her paddock for no cause (literally not even the wind blew). This is why I suspected magnesium, talked to my vet. I ALSO overhauled her diet. Her diet was excessively hot (oats and alfalfa and corn) for such an easy keeper. I switched her to a ration balancer - that has helped a great deal. So perhaps you should look at her grain diet?
I think ground work is what's going to be your key with this horse


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Everyone I just wanted to apologize for my attitude and flying off the handle at some of you. Im sorry for taking my frustrations out on you guys.


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## BadWolf (Oct 12, 2012)

I read through all of the posts, and I'd like to share something of my own experience with you in case you may be in a similar situation.

I have generalized anxiety disorder and depression. I'm also a full-time student in an online program (PhD in Psychology), and I work from home. It causes me to feel very, very isolated. It got to the point that I was unable to go out into the pasture with my horses because I was paranoid that I would be injured somehow, even though none of my horses are crazy/dangerous. I just knew I was going to be trapped, hurt and alone, until my husband came home from work. I posted about my feelings here on HorseForum, and the discussion with others helped me to see that non-horse issues were ruining my time with my horses and I've been working to overcome those paranoid feelings.

I tell you all this to say that you sounded very angry/reactive over the things that have happened with you, your horse, the conditions you have to ride in, the trainer situation, et cetera. I can't help but wonder if there may be an outside issue that is making your life with your horse(s) feel worse than it actually is... It's just a theory. I may be completely off, but I think it's worth considering.

In any case, I wish you the best of luck in working through these issues. There's a lot of good resources on this forum, even in the people who come of as overly critical. That sort of attitude comes from years of experience, meaning they can see the heart of an issue quicker and easier than we less-experienced riders/owners can. In time, you may find wisdom in what initially sounded like criticism, blame and negativity.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

PunksTank said:


> It would be very odd for only 1 horse to be deficient, especially if they're on pasture or the same hay. I doesn't sound like your horse is deficient in magnesium - but regardless the only way to supplement it is with supplements. Yes they are expensive.
> I'm glad to hear you have some things planned to help her work through it.
> I think work has helped my horse more than the supplement. Previously she would spook alone in her paddock for no cause (literally not even the wind blew). This is why I suspected magnesium, talked to my vet. I ALSO overhauled her diet. Her diet was excessively hot (oats and alfalfa and corn) for such an easy keeper. I switched her to a ration balancer - that has helped a great deal. So perhaps you should look at her grain diet?
> I think ground work is what's going to be your key with this horse


Thats the thing hes not on any grain, neither of my geldings are. Just pasture and free choice hay. Hopfully hes doesn't and just needs ground and work and lots of it lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

BadWolf said:


> I read through all of the posts, and I'd like to share something of my own experience with you in case you may be in a similar situation.
> 
> I have generalized anxiety disorder and depression. I'm also a full-time student in an online program (PhD in Psychology), and I work from home. It causes me to feel very, very isolated. It got to the point that I was unable to go out into the pasture with my horses because I was paranoid that I would be injured somehow, even though none of my horses are crazy/dangerous. I just knew I was going to be trapped, hurt and alone, until my husband came home from work. I posted about my feelings here on HorseForum, and the discussion with others helped me to see that non-horse issues were ruining my time with my horses and I've been working to overcome those paranoid feelings.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your input! im not so much scared of me getting hurt as i am of my horse getting hurt. The thing that terrifies me most is the thought of having to put him down over something that could have prevented.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Heads up about the Mag conversation. Magnesium is a sedative that is used fairly often illegally for hunters. You really need to know that your horse has a Mag deficiency, through lab work before just adding it to their diet. It can be deadly, and it's illegal in most competitions.


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## Thunderspark (Oct 17, 2012)

shaggy said:


> Everyone I just wanted to apologize for my attitude and flying off the handle at some of you. Im sorry for taking my frustrations out on you guys.


Hey we all have feelings and sometimes with forums, typing comes across as rude/abrupt when it's really not meant to. 
I have CDs (conditioning for police horses) with every sound imaginable! I play those alot when I am outside with my horses, it has chainsaws, kids screaming, cars honking, etc.......I feel it has helped my horses alot to deal with loud noises and learn not to panic from loud sounds. That may help your horse out alot too........to be honest, we have one boarder, I let my 4 horses and the boarder's horse out in the yard all spring/summer/fall......my hubby's shop has a air compressor that will all of a sudden go off LOL the first couple of times they all scattered, now they are so used to it that it doesn't bother them and they continue on grazing.......my grandkids will come out, kick balls around, jump on the trampoline, be in the pool and the horses will all line up around the pool/trampoline watching the kids LOL My four year old has tried to climb our back stairs to get in the house when I go in, I have to go out and back him down and off the steps, they will play with the BBQ lid trying to open it, slamming it open/close........I am here so I can keep a close eye on what they are into but I think it's really has helped with letting them check things out on their own and learn not to panic over every little thing/noise.......exposure is so good for horses!
Good luck with your horse!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Thunderspark said:


> Hey we all have feelings and sometimes with forums, typing comes across as rude/abrupt when it's really not meant to.
> I have CDs (conditioning for police horses) with every sound imaginable! I play those alot when I am outside with my horses, it has chainsaws, kids screaming, cars honking, etc.......I feel it has helped my horses alot to deal with loud noises and learn not to panic from loud sounds. That may help your horse out alot too........to be honest, we have one boarder, I let my 4 horses and the boarder's horse out in the yard all spring/summer/fall......my hubby's shop has a air compressor that will all of a sudden go off LOL the first couple of times they all scattered, now they are so used to it that it doesn't bother them and they continue on grazing.......my grandkids will come out, kick balls around, jump on the trampoline, be in the pool and the horses will all line up around the pool/trampoline watching the kids LOL My four year old has tried to climb our back stairs to get in the house when I go in, I have to go out and back him down and off the steps, they will play with the BBQ lid trying to open it, slamming it open/close........I am here so I can keep a close eye on what they are into but I think it's really has helped with letting them check things out on their own and learn not to panic over every little thing/noise.......exposure is so good for horses!
> Good luck with your horse!


Thanks! That CD sounds super helpful! I wish I knew where to get one!


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## beau159 (Oct 4, 2010)

We went from:



> The thing that ****es me off the most. The owner friggin saw me getting ready to ride WHY would he go down there and start that thing up! Why not stop and ask if it was going to bother my horse! I mean hell I know its there place that can do whatever the hell they want but how hard would it have been to wait 30 mins!


To getting to:



> I understand that chose to ride er well tried to ride lol not really my place to tell them not to work on there property.


And also:



> Everyone I just wanted to apologize for my attitude and flying off the handle at some of you. Im sorry for taking my frustrations out on you guys.



I'm glad that you are_ finally_ coming around to the points we were trying to make. Better late than never. 

:hug:

Now as far as the magnesium discussion, I would also agree that it would highly unlikely for Shaggy alone to have an issue, while the other horses are fine. 

Overall, you do sound to me like an insecure and timid rider (not saying that in a bad light, as we all go through phases of that) but I would be willing to bet that the root problem of Shaggy becoming more scared of things than he used to be, is because he recognizes that YOU are not confident. Horse are very, very smart and also very, very dependant on us. Even if you are simply leading him on the ground and you are nervous or are having a mental breakdown about something, your body language will show it and Shaggy will pick up on that. To him, that is telling him that something is not right, because you are uneasy as his handler, so instinctively he's thinking to be "on guard." This makes him more reactive to scary things that didn't used to bother him before. 

Even if you need to go tie him up, walk away, and give yourself a little "pep talk", do it! Walk back to him with a confident mind. Act like it, even if you don't feel it completely. You want your body language to convey to him that there's nothing to be scared of as long as he follows your cues. 

This all ties back to a lot of the methods that Clinton Anderson teaches. The rider/handler has got to be the leader and call the shots. Horses are more relaxed when they don't have to worry about what to do next (because their rider will tell them what to do next). 

In your OP you mentioned you had a good lesson the other day. What sort of things is your new trainer working on with you? Are you doing any groundwork with Shaggy with your trainer? (Because you should be.)


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## Foxhunter (Feb 5, 2012)

You really need to teach your horse to respect you.
You say that it was the chainsaw that frightened him but my feeling is that this was just an excuse to get away!

A couple of years ago, a girl who kept her horse with me, was out fox hunting when the horse slipped going into a rail spread fence over a ditch. He was half under the bottom rail and one back leg entangled in the second rail.
Luckily t was on the neighbours land and took me all of five minutes to get there on the ATV. The only way to get this horse out was to cut the rails away. 
His owner stayed by his head and I gave him the command of 'stand' which I hoped translated to him knowing it meant keep still!
He did and I had to saw through the rails in three places (six cuts) one was about 6" from his ears. He never moved an inch _because_ he knew that I was his leader and would never do anything to harm him and he was prepared to trust me. 
Now this horse was just 1 year out of racing, when his owner was given him he had the label of 'dangerous' because he bucked, reared, baulked, and was not much nicer in the stable! It took all of two weeks for him to realise that he was not going to get away with bad behaviour and it was easier to be a follower than think he was the leader. 

That is what you have to become with your horse. The fact that the arena has no rails should not mean your horse has the right to charge out into the field with his friends. It is your lack of experience that allows this just as it was the same that allowed him to pull away from you when the chainsaw started. 

I too believe that he was in no danger of breaking a leg from the hanging reins. Worse thing would be is that he stood on the rein and socked himself in the mouth and that would serve him right!


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

It's not the best pic, but you might be able to get an idea of what I meant with the whole round pen. I'll try to look for better pic if you want.


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## Celeste (Jul 3, 2011)

The fact that this is comment 113 should show you that we have all been there. We are interested because we know that this kind of stuff happens. 

If you are working with a trainer, I bet you and your horse will do better together soon.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

busysmurf said:


> It's not the best pic, but you might be able to get an idea of what I meant with the whole round pen. I'll try to look for better pic if you want.


P.S. he was the one that the judge yelled at me for 17 yrs ago:hide:


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> Why is everything my fault? what did I do get the blame for everything? Look Im sorry for my attitude, sorry being negative and most of all I'm sorry for being a worried horse owner that was wrong of me. Truth is no one knows what i've been through with my horses or why I blame the ex trainer and honestly if anyone cared they would have asked for the whole story.


Shaggy it's not your fault, You are just upset about the Trainer issue and it is making you sensitive about the recent events, One thing about these forums is you cannot display attitude or emotion in these type of threads because they can be misconstrued as in calling you "Sue Happy" Just because you were rightfully concerned about your Horses safety. You are new to this Horse activity and are not fully familiar with the strength of tack in situations. The rubber reins will break if stepped on at a gallop or if wrapped around a leg. Leather Reins will usually break or the headstall will break before serious injury results. I have seen a horse break it's neck from stepping on a nylon maccate at a gallop and flipped the horse. For the most part your horse was not in any danger. Keep your chin up and pay attention to all the advice from these people, they are only trying to help you. Sometimes criticism can be a great teacher. We are all still learning, No such thing as knowing everything.. I'm happy to hear you found a new trainer. one thing that will help is to sit down with the trainer at the beginning and tell her or him everything about you and your horse. Tell the trainer what scares you about Horses and horse care so they can incorporate solutions into their training routine. Like it or not when a trainer takes your money for training they need to address the entire issue. That separates great trainers from the underdog trainers. Work the rider and their mount together to make them a great team. Ask trainer for some tips and hints for desensitizing your horse a good trainer will already have that type of information burned to CD/DVD or printed out to give to students. 

When something happens that rattles your cage like the chainsaw incident do not jump onto the forum and start letting emotions and attitude run rampant. That is inviting the criticism. Rather wait a day or two and use the time to plan your forum thread post. Explain with as much detail as you can and keep the emotion out of it.
I am hot headed and I used to get bounced off forums until I figured out biting my tongue and choosing my words carefully was the way to do it. Give details and ask the people reading how they would react and handle the situation. You are learning still and care very much for your horse and have valid fears which you are looking for reassurances to calm the fears. In a runaway spooked horse issue my fears would have been Prairie dog holes or the horse not seeing a barb wire or horse wire fence. 

Pay close attention to your trainer as well as ask the trainer to address your issues and do not be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a stupid Question... Some answers could be 
You are doing good just start desensitizing your horse using anything and everything you can think of Tarps like Prairie said, Plastic bags, Noise makers, Fire crackers are good, Plastic water bottles make nice unexpected noises keep it behind you when around the horse and squeeze it to make it crackle and be still and calm and shortly horse will see you are not concerned by the noise and learn to ignore it. Another thing take a length of clothesline and tie a bunch of soup cans to it and drag it behind you then advance to riding in round pen dragging them behind horse they make a great noise. Google search Horse training on internet to find other ideas. We spend a lifetime learning, Life would suck without Learning. Stay strong your doing good.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

AlexS said:


> My BO is awesome, but if he wasn't I don't think I would have reacted differently. The point was that he told me what he was doing, but had he not, I would still have reacted the same way, the point was my reaction to it. I worked my horse next to the noise/distraction rather than avoiding it.
> 
> This summer I was at the barn with my foster kids, they get bored, so bring a football. They tend to play in a field next to the arena. A girl was riding and started yelling at her horse, so I stopped the kids from playing and put them in the car. Honestly it was the owner freaking out, the horse was fine. But it didn't matter, the kids come second when we are there, so I stopped them.
> 
> ...



Shaggy A Humans position in Their horses life is Alpha Mare or Stallion/Gelding, You need to be the one controlling the horses every move at all times, You must be confident and firm and strong without fear or backing down. You must have their respect and their trust. It is good to be cautious even have a little fear, Just do not let the horse sense or see your fear. Be confident and even a little arrogant when petting, feeding treats, ground working. Tacking up and down, Be loving to the horse yet keep it aware that you are the boss and that you can take it down. Sounds like you and the horse could both stand some desensitizing, as you said your reaction to the chainsaw might have been a contributing factor in your horse spooking:wink:

Earlier you mentioned using the Hula hoop and not doing it because horse might think it is a Rattlesnake. That is a great reason to use it. You want the horse to not spook at rattlers. I come from Arizona Land of the Western Diamondback and Mojave rattlers, among other rattlers. I was bit by a Mojave when my horse spooked on a long relaxed trail ride near Winslow, My Horse reared unexpectedly and dropped me headfirst on top of the snake luckily he bit my leg. I have a large pill bottle now that I keep the rattles off a dozen rattlers I killed over the years and I use them to desensitize my horses to the rattle. A horse has enough body mass that the average rattler bite venom will be absorbed harmlessly in most cases. The wound will still need to be cared for as soon as you get to barn tho. 

Remember always that you are the horses guiding light, It all stands or falls on how your horse trusts and respects you and your leadership and friendship.
I believe you can do it. And never stop ground working your horse to keep everything fresh in their minds.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> it would just be nice to be asked i guess



Would you like to tell the whole story? This is your Thread Tell us if you want to.

Remember on forums the more information the better.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> Thanks! That CD sounds super helpful! I wish I knew where to get one!


Shaggy you could try the CD at this website, Not sure if it is the same CD. Here is the URL just copy paste it to search bar on browser.

Spook Less


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

beau159 said:


> We went from:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Yeah better late than never lol I got more worked up than was necessary . You are right Im not as secure a rider as i used to be but thats what im working on with my new trainer! I had a lesson today and finally managed to trot this big 16.1 TB around the ring both ways off the lunge line! I felt more confidence today than I have in a long time! I wish I could get Shaggy up there for her to work with him but She's an hour away and I dont have a trailer.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

busysmurf said:


> It's not the best pic, but you might be able to get an idea of what I meant with the whole round pen. I'll try to look for better pic if you want.


yeah I see sort of I'm kinda destrated by the beautiful buckskin lol:lol: I see what you mean I'm just not where I would start,building that thing! If you could find a better pic that would be awesome(if not no big deal) then maybe I can show the BOs and ask if they're ok with my building it!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Shaggy it's not your fault, You are just upset about the Trainer issue and it is making you sensitive about the recent events, One thing about these forums is you cannot display attitude or emotion in these type of threads because they can be misconstrued as in calling you "Sue Happy" Just because you were rightfully concerned about your Horses safety. You are new to this Horse activity and are not fully familiar with the strength of tack in situations. The rubber reins will break if stepped on at a gallop or if wrapped around a leg. Leather Reins will usually break or the headstall will break before serious injury results. I have seen a horse break it's neck from stepping on a nylon maccate at a gallop and flipped the horse. For the most part your horse was not in any danger. Keep your chin up and pay attention to all the advice from these people, they are only trying to help you. Sometimes criticism can be a great teacher. We are all still learning, No such thing as knowing everything.. I'm happy to hear you found a new trainer. one thing that will help is to sit down with the trainer at the beginning and tell her or him everything about you and your horse. Tell the trainer what scares you about Horses and horse care so they can incorporate solutions into their training routine. Like it or not when a trainer takes your money for training they need to address the entire issue. That separates great trainers from the underdog trainers. Work the rider and their mount together to make them a great team. Ask trainer for some tips and hints for desensitizing your horse a good trainer will already have that type of information burned to CD/DVD or printed out to give to students.
> 
> When something happens that rattles your cage like the chainsaw incident do not jump onto the forum and start letting emotions and attitude run rampant. That is inviting the criticism. Rather wait a day or two and use the time to plan your forum thread post. Explain with as much detail as you can and keep the emotion out of it.
> I am hot headed and I used to get bounced off forums until I figured out biting my tongue and choosing my words carefully was the way to do it. Give details and ask the people reading how they would react and handle the situation. You are learning still and care very much for your horse and have valid fears which you are looking for reassurances to calm the fears. In a runaway spooked horse issue my fears would have been Prairie dog holes or the horse not seeing a barb wire or horse wire fence.
> ...


Thanks so much Rocky your posts had made me feel a lot better. I know I made the mistake of losing my temper on guys and I shouldnt have. what you said to do with my trainer thats exactly what I'm doing and I like I told Bleau I felt the most confident today then I have in a long time! Im going to start tomorrow on ground work with Shaggy! I've already been working on list of stuff to take to the barn with me tomorrow! I really like the water bottle idea, im so going to do that! lol haha I actually have some fire crackers not sure my parents would like that idea tho lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Earlier you mentioned using the Hula hoop and not doing it because horse might think it is a Rattlesnake. That is a great reason to use it. You want the horse to not spook at rattlers. I come from Arizona Land of the Western Diamondback and Mojave rattlers, among other rattlers. I was bit by a Mojave when my horse spooked on a long relaxed trail ride near Winslow, My Horse reared unexpectedly and dropped me headfirst on top of the snake luckily he bit my leg. I have a large pill bottle now that I keep the rattles off a dozen rattlers I killed over the years and I use them to desensitize my horses to the rattle. A horse has enough body mass that the average rattler bite venom will be absorbed harmlessly in most cases. The wound will still need to be cared for as soon as you get to barn tho.
> 
> Remember always that you are the horses guiding light, It all stands or falls on how your horse trusts and respects you and your leadership and friendship.
> I believe you can do it. And never stop ground working your horse to keep everything fresh in their minds.


We have Diamondbacks here too! Scary things *shudders* I dont do snakes! lol but I after read your story I'm defianly taking the hula hoop out there with me tomorrow! I've been on my horse rearing before not a fun experience luckyly i managed to stay on! how? dont ask me cause I dont know lol Devine intervention maybe? haha but believe it or not that little stunt did wonders for confidence to stay on my horse!


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> Thanks so much Rocky your posts had made me feel a lot better. I know I made the mistake of losing my temper on guys and I shouldnt have. what you said to do with my trainer thats exactly what I'm doing and I like I told Bleau I felt the most confident today then I have in a long time! Im going to start tomorrow on ground work with Shaggy! I've already been working on list of stuff to take to the barn with me tomorrow! I really like the water bottle idea, im so going to do that! lol haha I actually have some fire crackers not sure my parents would like that idea tho lol




It happens sometimes that's what Humans do 
That's good it helps the trainer to set up the training schedule the more they know about you. 
I'm happy that you felt more confidence with the new trainer, Sounds like you will do well.
lol. Yes that's true better clear it with the parents first. yeah a little blackcat or lady finger fire cracker tossed under them wakes them up and when they look at you just stay relaxed with a bored look on your face. Then they realize that you are not concerned with the noise just have horse secured at first to keep it from running first few times.:lol:


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> We have Diamondbacks here too! Scary things *shudders* I dont do snakes! lol but I after read your story I'm defianly taking the hula hoop out there with me tomorrow! I've been on my horse rearing before not a fun experience luckyly i managed to stay on! how? dont ask me cause I dont know lol Devine intervention maybe? haha but believe it or not that little stunt did wonders for confidence to stay on my horse!



Oh snakes are not to bad they just sometimes happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Yes that was about 6 hours into an uneventful ride and the horse was normally solid as a rock. He apparently never had rattle training. Normally I can handle a rearing horse, that time I was dozing in the saddle :shock:

Another thing you can try is a Baby rattle some baby rattles sound similar to A rattlesnake, just keep it behind your back and shake it occasionally.

Yep, That's good that you stayed on It definitely does improve the confidence


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Would you like to tell the whole story? This is your Thread Tell us if you want to.
> 
> Remember on forums the more information the better.


well its kinda a crazy and im sure who you guys would see as the bad guy. but basically it started after I'd already been taking lessons for a year and I had just gotten Shaggy. I honestly didnt know how crazy this lady was until after she found out her husband was cheating on her. I know whats your gonna say he cheated its his fault but honestly is wasn't granted he could have been a better father to his 3 kids with this lady but thats beside the point. The reason I don't see it was his fault was because he would come in from working on houses all day and she would bitching at him to work around the barn. Ya know " Do this and do that!" kinda thing and he would go drinking at night to get away from her and met the lady hes with now at the bar. For the record the lady hes with now is a big step up from my old trainer just being honest lol. Anyways while all this is going on the ex trainer stopped giving me lessons which i was still paying for with the board. i guess she found what all he was up too and started going out drinking herself every night. Leaving her at the time 13 yr old daughter in charge of barn chores at night. While because the daughter wanted to go out with her boyfriend every night guess who got stuck with the barn chores? Yup Me! which i didnt mind because i love spending time with the horses. Then somewhere in the middle of this the ex trainer found out about Blaze his owners were moving and couldnt take him so they wanted to sell him fast and cheap. Obivously I fell head over heels for him! but What I meant about the ex trainer pressuring me to get him was Blaze's old owners were willing to give an older QH mare for free if we bought him. She was so determind to get that mare for her at the time 8 yr old son. That she didnt give me time to think. worst part was we got both horses back to her farm and she hated the mare because it was a QH and not a morgan. She was werid think that if it wasnt a morgan or and Arab then it wasnt good enough for her. Then Blaze's accident (that left him blind in one eye)happened the week after I got him. I will say this about the ex trainer she saved his life. I know some people on here didnt like the fact that we didnt call the vet but she was afraid they would say put him down. We were gonna call until she saw the bleeding was stopping when pressure was applied to the wound on his leg. So she bandaged it tight and he made thru the night and is fine now because of her. After all this happened she ending up talking to some guy from New York (where she was from) he was her high school sweet heart or something but anyway she wanted a divorce from her husband but heres the kicker the guy in new york was still married! Funny thing once she left for new york he decided he wasnt leaving his wife lol She actually thought he was gonna leave his wife for her!(you probably wondering how I know this well Facebook is wonderful for stalking lol) so like I said she left for new york and left her kids down here until she was settled up there (which took all summer) but she made sure that she and her kids made it seem like the In laws(my BOs) were the spawns of Staten himself. Telling that _they_ said once the the kids were gone I was going to have to find somewhere else to keep my horses. The kids told me this on more than one occasion. My mom and I were almost tempetd to believe them until We met the grandmother in person. She was nice enough to come down to the barn one day after the kids had left for new york.(ex trainer came back and got them and made **** sure she didnt talk to me or ask how my horses were doing while she was here that weekend) and we had the nicest talk and set up the board price, she found the farrier when the horses needed one and found the vet we have now because Teddy my old lesson horse got attacked by the now long gone to a new home donkey because the ex trainer wasnt willing to walk the fence while she was here that weekend and find out where he was getting out at. no instead she tossed in the other field with a stud donkey and 2 mares. Teddy almost lost his life because of her. Thats pretty much the whole story not sure if it makes any since and way to tired to proofread lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

wow thats really long! Didnt realize I rambled on so much but ya know feels good to get all that out!


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> It happens sometimes that's what Humans do
> That's good it helps the trainer to set up the training schedule the more they know about you.
> I'm happy that you felt more confidence with the new trainer, Sounds like you will do well.
> lol. Yes that's true better clear it with the parents first. yeah a little blackcat or lady finger fire cracker tossed under them wakes them up and when they look at you just stay relaxed with a bored look on your face. Then they realize that you are not concerned with the noise just have horse secured at first to keep it from running first few times.:lol:


haha yeah just cause im 23 doesnt mean my parents will let me play with er use fire crackers  lol of course my mom has good reason her brother(my uncle obviously lol) got his eyeshot out by a roman candle in collage so any type of fire work makes her nervous. I have little black cats lol wait you toss them under the horse? Thats kinda crazy yet cool at the same time lol wonder how Shaggy would react to that? lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Oh snakes are not to bad they just sometimes happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
> Yes that was about 6 hours into an uneventful ride and the horse was normally solid as a rock. He apparently never had rattle training. Normally I can handle a rearing horse, that time I was dozing in the saddle :shock:
> 
> Another thing you can try is a Baby rattle some baby rattles sound similar to A rattlesnake, just keep it behind your back and shake it occasionally.
> ...


yeah yeah everybody says "oh snakes arent that bad!" that doesn't make me less scared of them! lol hehe dont worry your not the only whose dozed off in the saddle before. well techially i was riding bareback and stopped Shaggy in the middle of ring one of my favorite things to do in the summer is lay back on my horse and watch the stars.(reminder this was long before whats happening with him now lol) I swear if i'd laid there more than 10 mins i would have fallen alseep lol
Yeah i was pretty proud I stayed on! To this day i have no idea what made him rear while we were on that trail ride lol 
Great Idea with the baby rattle I'll have to try that!


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

I figured you would feel better letting it all out.

Well I can understand why the situation has you upset. The trainer and her issues would put a damper on any party.

I did not know blaze had a blind eye. My Grey Arab/Quarter is mostly blind in her right eye. The Mexican I bought her from thought she had one blue eye and thought she was constantly spooky because he thought she had mental issues. I noticed she was right side shy only at noises and things so I reached under her neck and slowly put my hand by her eye and no reaction. Then I moved my hand fast and she jerked which told me she could see quick movement enough to see shadows. So I like a challenge and bought her, After I worked with her about a month I called Vet out to give the 3 mares Coggins test and Health inspections. I told vet about her blindness and she ran to corner of pen with good eye in corner and let me Halter her from her blind side which surprised Vet because he is used to blind horses not allowing you in their blind area. I told him half blind does not mean disabled when he said I should retire her when I told him I planned to train her into my next roper. That explains the reason blaze spooked from the chainsaw too. Snowdust would react that way too before I started working with her. The blind eye means you will need to be more patient working with blaze and keep in mind that he is blind so if he misbehaves on that side be lenient with him but be stern on the full sight side. You need to work a little harder training him and work harder to gain his complete trust and respect because you need to show him that you will be his eye and that you will protect that side. Also always remember to talk to him if you approach him on blind side make him aware of your approach otherwise he may kick or swing around biting. Also give him lots of loving on that side as well as the good side. And when currying him on blind side talk to him and keep your free hand stroking him. At first he will resist but as he realizes he can fully trust you with his blind side he will be more tolerant of you being on that side. I can saddle snow from either side even mount up from either side. Your round pen training will be a little more difficult when blind side is toward fence so keep rope close because you will need to keep alert to keep him out of fence. Also when Longeing him get a clicker to take place of whip on blind side. click it when you move the whip on his sighted side so he associates the sound with the whip then when he hears it when you are longeing on blind side he knows what to do. Every accomplishment is so much more rewarding for both of you too. Make sure your new trainer knows he has the blind side too. Basically you want to start fresh with the groundwork with the blindness. That will help to reinforce his trust in you.

Lol no at first throw firecrackers outside the pen so you don't freak the horse out over time you can start chucking them into the pen then after he starts acting bored with it then you can sneak it under them occasionally. And Make sure no hay or bedding is in area you throw the firecracker.And don't forget to desensitize on both sides.

Your BO's sound like good people.


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

Lol Yes sometimes I doubt the horse even knows what spooks them.

That's always a nice summer evening laying on the horse watching the stars.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> I figured you would feel better letting it all out.
> 
> Well I can understand why the situation has you upset. The trainer and her issues would put a damper on any party.
> 
> ...


Thats cool how you worked with Snowdust (cute name btw!)and didn't give up on her! The ex trainer told me that Blaze was crazy and I would never be able ti ride him again because he was jumping when adjusting to being blind in one eye. Once he was able to be turned out he got over all jumpness. I musta got my words confused some wheres lol Blaze isnt one that freaked at the chainsaw but my younger 8yr old horse Shaggy that did lol In a way Blaze's accident was a blessing in disguise because taking care of him after the accident and nursing him back to health gave us this bond that i dont even know how to explain. He puts his full trust in me. Anything I do on the normal side I can do on blind side! I always move a little slower on that side when i first walk up to him in the field. Once he knows I'm there his fine! I can even hug head on that side and he won't move. When he was healing all his wounds were one side so I would run my hand down that whole side was a checked all the wounds every day and I still do that when I pick his feet lol There's such a difference between 21 yr old Blaze and 8 yr old Shaggy lol


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

stupid 10 minute editing thing! Yeah BOs are great people! They could've asked me leave and they didnt! Thats cool how you worked with Snowdust (cute name btw!)and didn't give up on her! The ex trainer told me that Blaze was crazy and I would never be able to ride him again because he was so jumpy when adjusting to being blind in one eye. I later found out why. Cause the ex trainer and her daugher were both being rough with him and jerky movements with him. I know cause I saw it one day when the daughter was up there helping me with dressing his wounds so we could done faster and ride. I stepped away from a second to check on shaggy who was in the other stall. I dont think she new I saw her. Once he was able to be turned out he got over all jumpness. I musta got my words confused some wheres lol Blaze isnt one that freaked at the chainsaw but my younger 8yr old horse Shaggy that did lol In a way Blaze's accident was a blessing in disguise because taking care of him after the accident and nursing him back to health gave us this bond that I don't even know how to explain. He puts his full trust in me. Anything I do on the normal side I can do on blind side! I always move a little slower on that side when I first walk up to him in the field. Once he knows I'm there his fine! I can even hug head on that side and he won't move. When he was healing all his wounds were one side so I would run my hand down that whole side was a checked all the wounds every day and truely believer that helped him with knowing when im on that side and being confortable with it. I still do that when I pick his feet lol There's such a difference between 21 yr old Blaze and 8 yr old Shaggy lol
And yeah star gazing my horses back is on my favorite summer memories


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## RockyTrails (Jan 28, 2013)

shaggy said:


> Thats cool how you worked with Snowdust (cute name btw!)and didn't give up on her! The ex trainer told me that Blaze was crazy and I would never be able ti ride him again because he was jumping when adjusting to being blind in one eye. Once he was able to be turned out he got over all jumpness. I musta got my words confused some wheres lol Blaze isnt one that freaked at the chainsaw but my younger 8yr old horse Shaggy that did lol In a way Blaze's accident was a blessing in disguise because taking care of him after the accident and nursing him back to health gave us this bond that i dont even know how to explain. He puts his full trust in me. Anything I do on the normal side I can do on blind side! I always move a little slower on that side when i first walk up to him in the field. Once he knows I'm there his fine! I can even hug head on that side and he won't move. When he was healing all his wounds were one side so I would run my hand down that whole side was a checked all the wounds every day and I still do that when I pick his feet lol There's such a difference between 21 yr old Blaze and 8 yr old Shaggy lol


Yes sometimes the horses will be spooky and Jumpy until they adjust but it does not end their usefulness even fully blind horses can be ridden safely as long as they trust you to be there eyes. In a way they are more stable as they are not influenced by visual distractions. Yes Snow having the Arab temperament I figured it would be best to fully retrain her to compensate for the eye even tho she was trained to ride. Also Since my plans are to rope off her I wanted to retrain her to neck rein and to respond to leg pressure also. She was originally trained to direct rein off a Snaffle bit. No I made the mistake not thinking I was thinking about shaggy while talking about blaze. That's great that you can do all that with him. you are for sure doing it right.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

RockyTrails said:


> Yes sometimes the horses will be spooky and Jumpy until they adjust but it does not end their usefulness even fully blind horses can be ridden safely as long as they trust you to be there eyes. In a way they are more stable as they are not influenced by visual distractions. Yes Snow having the Arab temperament I figured it would be best to fully retrain her to compensate for the eye even tho she was trained to ride. Also Since my plans are to rope off her I wanted to retrain her to neck rein and to respond to leg pressure also. She was originally trained to direct rein off a Snaffle bit. No I made the mistake not thinking I was thinking about shaggy while talking about blaze. That's great that you can do all that with him. you are for sure doing it right.


Yeah they totally can be, even they re totally blind! I read I really great story about a totally blind horse that became national champion dressage horse when I was doing all kinds research after blaze's accident. I can see why with being an Arab and being a mare and being blind in one eye you would want to start from the ground up with her lol I've been wanting work with Shaggy on responding to leg pressure too, since in the English world you want you signals to the horse to be as invisible as possible. and ha dont worry your not the first person to be thinking about some else and completely write the wrong thing lol


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