This message is from: "Lynn Mohr" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
I can't necessarily agree that the trainer is no good just because the horse
is afraid. I don't believe this positivily means the horse lacks confidence
either. Perhaps this is just new to the horse and he has to learn to accept
it. If it continues for long and the horse continues to be afraid than
maybe something else needs to be done. I am currently getting apair of full
brothers broken to harness. The 4 yr old is more sensitive and reacts to
different sounds and sensations much more than his 3 yr old brother. Once
he accepts new things he is ok, but he is hesitant to try new things. If I
only do things he is comfortable with he will never be anything other than
what he is today. He has trembled at harnessing but got over it in no time.
He pulls a wagon or cart with little trouble but is scared to death at the
sound of a sliding stone boat. If I want him on the boat he will have to
learn to accept the strange, to him, not his brother, noise. They have to
learn to work through their fears with the handlers assurances and help.
Everything is new at first and each animal accepts them differently but to
be of any value they must learn to do what we want them to do when we want
them to do it. If everytime a horse is fearful we quit, they soon learn
they never have to do anything they don't want to, to me this is a greater
chance of a problem or accident than working them through their fears.
