# Bomb Proofing - desensitizing



## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

What do you do to bomb proof your horse. Tools and tips. I have compiled a few things I have found. Has anyone ever used the "Spookless" audio cd of sound effects?

Flag on pole wave around and rub on horse. (like one you would see carried in a parade on a horse)

Tarp- Lay folded on Back of horse like saddle
- Unfold over horse
- cover horse with tarp

Walk over tarp on flat on ground

Bounce a big ball (like exercise ball)
-roll under horse

Unbrella
-fold un fold, twirl and stand under, through up in air

-Tie balloons on cones or helium on string along fence or poles on ground, lead through with them on both sides, then ride through

- strand of triangle muliticolor flags on sting like you see at car dealerships. tie them up walk then ride around them

- ride with polo stick or broom swinging either side of horse

- hit stick on things like fence post or cones as you ride

-empty baby stroller, lead and walk around, then ride up to

- smack saddle on horse (empty) with a buggy whip to make a loud sound

- place trash bags over cones and lead and ride through them 

-Plastic bag tied to the end of long sting on buggy whip or stick. Swing around on ground while horse is on long lunge. Then rub on horse

-noisy things, tickle me elmo or other toys with noise and lights, pomp pomps, horns, bells, leaf blowers, whistles, party noise clappers

NOW I NEED TO GET TO WORK!


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## Rachluvshorses4eva (Apr 11, 2007)

Crikeys! I'd be sure to use that when I get a horse! How did you make such a big long list? Man, I have some serious time I need to get on my hands.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

Most of them I researched online or watched some on youtube.com do a seach for bomb proofing, pretty interesting. Some I have done myself, some I have seen at Road to the Horse ( where after 3 hours of working with the horse the trainers have stood up on top of the young horse and shot a gun) Amazing. If you ever get a chance to go, GO. They also do filming and sell RTTH videos. I have seen parts of the videos they are really cool and fun to watch. 

http://www.roadtothehorse.com


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## sempre_cantando (May 9, 2008)

today I tied bailing twine to an empty pellet bag and dragged it around the horses. They spooked at it for a while but soon got over it. Get them used to things moving around their feet because it will happen sooner or later on a windy day. 

Also, I put an old rug on the ground and got the horses to walk over it. My horse likes to cheat and go around the side hehe


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I have been using the Kids' yard toy so far. I'll just put them in their pen and let them get used to it. The Hula Hoop is still really scary to them. Currently that is the object in their pen. I also have a "scary pole" in their pen. I tie garbage bags to it and plastic wal-mart bags......They flutter in the wind and the horses just stare. They eventually end up playing with them.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

sounds like I good Idea using a "scarry pole in the pen" the neighbors are going to wonder what is going on with chicken dance elmo on a pole in the field. Sounds like fun, for me.. Hee Hee

Also to add:
Park the car next to the field one with one of those panic alarms, noise and lights. Those would certainly help if you ride in a parade those darn things are always going off.

also use a whip with long sting to do helicopter circles over the head behind them and around. for the swirl noise. Or a rope would work. Also tap the ground.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

also: dragging a fence post or log with a rope in saddle. 

walk up on a sterdy safe reinforced pallet for bridge exercise


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

they were terrified of chicken dance elmo the other day. I left it in the field just this morning and made it play a few times by running in and pushing the button on his foot on top of a barrel. After a while all three horses came up to it and sniffed it. 

Funny thing is Dakota our more silly paint goes up to it and pushes his nuzzle on the foot and turns it on. It has only been a few hours. Very funny to watch. I think he likes it now. 

Another tool: kids cheep pinwheel. They are metalic and shinny so the light reflexs off of it in a bright way. Then they spin like a big saw blade.


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I will also spin the end of a lead rope while we are walking somewhere... I have also used the end of an extra lead and swung it towrds their legs and let the end wrap around their legs and fall back off. 

Oh... And when the horse is saddled up... and we are just standing there with them on a break or whatever, I'll pick up the stirups and let them fall back into the horse's side... let them know that things are gonna bump them and so on. I also let the stirups fall onto the horse on the off side when saddleing, I being of shortness can't always manage to keep hold of the stirups or girth for that matter when I'm saddleing a horse that is as tall as i am with a 40-45 # saddle. I find its better to just let the horse know its ok and that it sometimes happens so they don't bolt with the saddle not cinched up yet.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

here is an interesting read on how cowboy mounted shooting riders get there horses use to gun fire. If a horse can get use to that I think they are qualified to say they are Bomb Proof. Hopefully I can work twoard that. 

http://www.cowboymountedshooting.com/horses_under_fire.htm


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## Dumas'_Grrrl (Apr 2, 2008)

I don't know if I would concider a horse bomb-proof just because he can withstand gunfire...my horses don'e mind the guns but if my son crashes his bike (Eli is 4) the horses freak out. They are funny critters and I don't really even know if I would concider any horse bomb- proof.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

I agree. They might be considered bomb proof for the day and then a week not so much. 

More quiet and able to ride parades is what I am looking for.


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## Abby (Nov 26, 2007)

We do all that stuff with the yearlings in a round pen first on a lunge line, then we do it while they're freely walking around. 

We don't do the saddle stuff with them but the plastic bags, and tarps, and balls and all that good stuff we do. We also hang like, jingly beads, and bells in a bead curtain and walk them through it, then trot through it, then canter.


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## jhix (Jun 2, 2008)

I've done bomb-proofing clinics for local sheriff posses to prepare their horses for festivals and the like. I've used many of the things listed, plus firecrackers (be careful with this one), dragging lots of different things. Blow up water toys are good to drag, plus they will occasionally float into the air when the wind is just right. And my favorite is SILLY STRING. Not only does it fly towards them, but it also sticks to them. Needless to say, these were fun clinics.


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## Solon (May 11, 2008)

Get the book Bombproof your Horse by Sgt. Rick Pelicano.

Has all sorts of exercise and pictures for everything your hores could ever encounter. Very good book.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

Great Photo jihx.

I would love to know more about what you do at the clinics if you don't mind. 

I have done alot of things on the ground and one horse is very calm during the exercises. But now what do I do in the saddle when the horse reacts. Like dragging a water toy, what do I do if the horse if the horse acts like a fruit cake. I am not fearless as I use to be. I admit lately I have rode trying not to cause a reaction in the horse. I know that is wrong, I should have been exposing them to more. That is what I am doing now. But what are the steps in the saddle. I can see me getting quickly off out of fear of being thrown off it reacts.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

I have wanted to get my horse use to firecrackers. We get a lot of unexpected firecracker sounds and gunfire in my area. Especially during july. How do you do that. I assume have a friend keep letting the firecrackers off and me work with the horse until it relaxes.


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## jhix (Jun 2, 2008)

Sorry it took to long...I was out of town. With the water toys and such, I like to have them tied to a rope and if it starts to go bad, simply let go. Usually they will just move quickly to get away, and once they see it is gone, they will stop. Definitely don't jump off....you are safer on top. You want to ride it out, stay center, and a tug on the reins will remind him you are there. That is the key, for the horse to trust you enough to listen to you and trust that you are going to get him out of any situation. Because like someone earlier said, you can't desensitize them to everything, there is always something new, so they need you to be in charge to steer them to safety. The horses in that picture weren't all calm at the beginning of the weekend, but I think after two full days off all this, they were like, "Oh, well, what's next"


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

*jhix*

I don't know how you do that with all the people and horses at one time trying to get over fears. It sounds like a wonderful program you have. Don't you have to worry that someone is going to get thrown off of their frightened horse. I guess that is what I worry about. I didn't use to care so much but now that I have kids I worry about getting hurt. I guess I have more anxiety then I ever use to.


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## boonesar (Dec 3, 2007)

I tried the tying a plastic walmart bag to a stick and string and floating it all over the horses. That worked really good. It sometimes got caught by the wind and it flew up and made the horses panic for a short time. But then they finally gave in and just sat there. From the ground.

Now I have a problem though. I tried to lunge my paint after the exercise and he wouldn't budge. Now I think all he wants me to get him do is to stand calm. So now what do I do. He won't lunge at all. He will lead but not lunge on his own. He use to fine.


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## jhix (Jun 2, 2008)

Believe it or not, they WILL figure out the difference. when lunging, Give direction with the hand towards the direction you want them to go and MAKE him go. If the bag won't make him go, switch to the lunge whip and switch back and forth. He should stand still until you give direction with your hand and ask him to go. You will then start communicating rather than just scaring him with something. He is picking up on all your cues, as well as the bag.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

If I see something that spooks my horse I generally will "torture" him with it until he decides it's not a menace to him... 

Like the feed bags used to spook Ri, when I would crumple them up and throw them away, so I would throw 2 or 3 of them in his stall with him at night. I'd let him walk on them and sleep on them... 

Grocery bags used to scare him, so I tied one to his stall bars and everytime I walked past his stall, I'd smack the bag... 

Then there was the tarp, we took it off the truck to unload sawdust and he raced around like a moron, so I dragged it out into the paddock and left it there... a couple days later he was dragging it around the field. 

The broom, when I would use the broom to clean the cobwebs from his stall, he'd spaz so he got a broom in the stall, of course then it was a huge fight to get the broom back because it became his only toy.

etc.

The only thing I do not "torture" with is the longe whip. I think someone somewhere really beat Blue with one. I don't ever use it around him, I will pick it up and I will very carefully walk near him with it but it terrifies him and so I work really really slow, at HIS pace with it. His whole body shakes when he sees it...


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