This message is from: "jen frame" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Thanks everybody. She is absolutely fine with the cart when putting to--she stands still and is calm. She walks calmly pulling the cart and shows no concern. She pulls the cart through the woods over bumps and over tree roots and is fine with it all. It is just when we trotted over bumps on the trail that she showed concern, and that concern went away as soon as I spoke to her. It was on the black top road that the sound of the cart ratteling behind her made her nervous and she did the "I am scared and I'm going to go fast" body language. she will walk for hours over anything pulling that cart. She has pulled the cart through the woods and a wild mule and his mare ran up to the fence next to us, and she was concerned, saw what it was, then was fine and walked on pulling the cart. But she has large beautiflu eyes that get so much of their vision cut off by the blinkers. And I think she would be less concerned by the rattle of the cart when trotting on the road if she could see what it was behind her ratteling. I ride her a lot. She is bold and likes to be the leader on a trail ride. Thanks again, jen
On 1/26/08, Alicia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This message is from: Alicia Thompson <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > HI, I would try going back to ground driving first. Keep the blinkers and > reward her for calming down. If you have someone to pull the cart around her > or behind her while you lead her or tie her up it will teach her to calm down > and that the cart will not hurt her. Just really de-sensitize her to the > cart, equipment and anything else you can think of, ie. plastic bags, > bridges, dogs, etc. If she gets upset just keep doint it until she calms down > then stop doing what was making her uncomfterble. For example if you are > pulling the cart around and she gets upset about it, keep it up till she > calms down, then stop pulling the cart and reward her. If you can pull the > cart and lead her behind it and on the side and in the front she will learn > that all the noises associated with the cart is OK. I would also build her > confedence by riding her by herself more and line driving her more also. If > she gets upset at any point calm her down and reward her calm behavior. I > hope this helps, > > Alicia > > jen frame <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > This message is from: "jen frame" > > Hi List, > I have been driving my new Fjord mare (got her in October) and she is > doing fabulously. > But I have the intuitive feeling that she may feel more safe withOUT > the blinkers on her driving bridle. I am wondering what you all > think. > She is the kind of Fjord that is very forward moving, loves to go, and > has a hard time with Woah! She also likes to stop and look at > anything that concerns her, and she does spook occasionally. When on a > trail ride with other horses, she doesn't spook at all. She is bold > and competitive (although she is low low low on the horse hierarchy in > a herd situation). when trail riding her by myself, she spooks at > least once or twice per ride. It is a jump sideways, and then she > looks. Or often she jumps and bolts about 10 feet or so, and then > allows me to pull her to a stop. > > When driving, since she is green, she gets concerned by the noise of > the cart behind her when we go over bumps and tree roots etc. She > also gets a little excited by the feel/sound of the cart behind her > when we trot, so she raises her head and speeds up. I am working on > asking her for a trot and then asking her to be slow and calm in the > trot . She is doing well. The one time I drove her out on the roads > with another horse that was also pulling a cart, she did fine UNTIL we > tried a trot. when I asked for a trot, she became so alarmed by the > sound of the cart on the road, that she put her head up high and off > to the side and went really fast with an "I'm terrified" body > language. I got terrified myself, but managed to get her to stop and > walk calmly. > > I know it is NOT traditional to drive a horse without blinkers. But my > feeling is that if she could see what was behind her, she may not get > so tense and scared. Do you think this is correct, or am I missing > some huge safety factor here? > > This thursday we were driving through the woods around my house, and > we got close to the pasture where Splendora lives with her Donkey. The > donkey came running, and it spooked Splendora enough that she bolted > forward. I got pulled to my knees in the cart, and therefore lost rein > contact so couldn't pull her to a stop. My silly husband was sitting > there calmly on the seat. I had to actually TELL him to grab the reins > and get her to stop! > I'm thinking that spook and lurch forward wouldn't have happened had > she had more range of vision. > > Any suggestions? Do I keep driving with blinkers and let her turn from > green to some other shade slowly with time and practice? Or do I take > the blinkers off and let her see what is going on around her? > Thanks! > jen > > The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: > http://tinyurl.com/rcepw > > > > > > --------------------------------- > Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it > now. > > The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: > http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
