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 Curious Mind
Posts: 2049
 
| I have a horse who has been on the barrels for almost two years who is literally scared of the barrel touching her side. She literally will turn the barrel perfect and at the point to square up and go to the next she wants to laterally move away especially with her hip literally even at a walk. Any ideas to get her to stop this???? I have never had this issue before |
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Member
Posts: 17
| I would suggest putting a barrel in her pen with her so she gets comfortable with it. Or when you ride her put a few in a small area, like a round pen or something and ride her there. Make her get close to it slowly until she is close or touching it. On the ground move one all around her, heck even kick it or throw it a few times. Just like you would to desensitize her from anything else! (: |
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 Born not Made
Posts: 2937
 
Location: North Dakota | Yup, desensitize.
Start on the ground. Roll the barrel to and from your horse. Tip it over in front of your horse (away and toward them). Kick it and make noise. Throw dirt against it. Etc.
Then do the same from the saddle.
Just takes a little time and a little work.
Are there other things your horse is scared of? (tarps, flags, bridges, etc) I would do the same. Usually if they are scared of one thing, there are other things that need attention as well.
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 Expert
Posts: 5293
| I had one like this and I just asked for even MORE speed during a run! I knew he would turn so I ran him harder to each barrel and he literally didnt have time to spook. lol |
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Elite Veteran
Posts: 672
| I have a set of plastic barrels that have rope handles punched into the tops so I can carry/set barrels without getting off. Great way to desensitize a colt by picking up a scary barrel and having it ride along their side. |
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 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | FLITASTIC - 2016-01-12 11:23 AM I had one like this and I just asked for even MORE speed during a run! I knew he would turn so I ran him harder to each barrel and he literally didnt have time to spook. lol
^This. If she's been on barrels for 2 years, isn't she pretty finished?
I ran one forever that would booger at them going slow....if they have time to spook, speed up!
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 Accident Prone
Posts: 22277
Location: 100 miles from Nowhere, AR | MS2011 - 2016-01-12 12:10 PM FLITASTIC - 2016-01-12 11:23 AM I had one like this and I just asked for even MORE speed during a run! I knew he would turn so I ran him harder to each barrel and he literally didnt have time to spook. lol ^This. If she's been on barrels for 2 years, isn't she pretty finished?
I ran one forever that would booger at them going slow....if they have time to spook, speed up!
My finished horse started shying at them going fast, but he was having eyesight problems. The harder you ran him, the worse he panicked trying to figure out where the barrel was. |
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Curious Mind
Posts: 2049
| Thanks for the suggestions! She "should" be finished but I would say isn't because of this fear. She is a free runner naturally that you bump/pull to turn so speeding up won't help and I have tried it. Lol it just made her more panicky around the turn of the barrel. She is at the point she knows to turn but wants to keep her distance and then she literally scrunches her side and moves her hip away on the exit at all speeds. It's pretty ridiculous at this point but these are great ideas!!! |
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Curious Mind
Posts: 2049
| Oh and she is very jumpy on the ground but other than the barrels has never really spooked at anything when I'm on her. Banners etc don't bother her.. |
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 The One
Posts: 7998
Location: South Georgia | MSDash - 2016-01-12 11:13 AM I have a horse who has been on the barrels for almost two years who is literally scared of the barrel touching her side. She literally will turn the barrel perfect and at the point to square up and go to the next she wants to laterally move away especially with her hip literally even at a walk. Any ideas to get her to stop this???? I have never had this issue before
I may be a big meany, but what about putting one barrel in the middle of her stall? |
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Location: Saskatchewan | Man oh man I could write an entire book on this subject. My best guy at the barn has been spooky at the barrels since day one and is now 16. I tried barrels in the stall, in his pen, sacking out and sacking out, everything we tried it lol. Now he's 16 '2 and 1500lbs and when he would spook its going mach 5 in every which way, definietly taught me a good seat lol. Best thing that helped him get past it was adding more speed, would give him less time to think about the big spooky barrel. Also when he did spook, i used to get after him, ride him up to it, really get my leg into him and it ended up just making the situation worse. So I started ignoring his issues, guess what... the spookiness is gone now and that sucker can inhale a barrel like no other horse i've ever ran. He's my seasoned pro that goes everywhere and yes some things are still scary, strollers are the devil and ponies even though he lives with a miniture donkey (go figure) lol. Maybe try reacting less when he spooks? Good luck and don't give up!! |
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