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Posts: 1208
Mar 5 08 10:16 PM
I've done just about all of the stuff that you guys suggested last winter at my old barn in the indoor arena, when she had the exact same problem. That's how I ended up dancing around her with a giant orange traffic cone on my head when she decided that they were horse-eating monsters, and how she eventually let me put it on her head. There's not a lot to work with in the current arena, but I'll be sure to focus on the multiple doors and open viewing area. Why is it that a viewing area with glass isn't the least bit scary, but the one without the glass a horse-eating monster?
The indoor arena turnout is hard - I've been doing it as much as I can (bout 1x per week if we're lucky), but the timing/other factors really make it hard. She's also one of those horses who go slightly nuts without turnout; her old owner used her as a lesson & show horse for little ones when she was out 24/7. Pretty different now. Thankfully, I did manage to find another barn here that does winter turnout for the next school year, so we probably won't have the issue next year.
I'll definitely try the singing; the main problem really isn't her. It's me. I'm naturally a timid rider, one heck of a lot better than I used to be, but still get tense on occasion. I can handle whatever the horse actually does without a problem - it's the anticipation that gets to me. And having a horse who notices everything, whether or not she spooks at it, can trigger that.
Last time I rode, I kept her moving and busy the whole time; worked like a charm. Only one spook. I think I also managed to distract myself as well, which is probably a major reason why it worked.
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