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Honest Horses
Magazine
You may have seen
me use the ball or have seen it on my website. It is about 36 inches
in diameter and made of colorful and very durable heavy-duty rubber.
I was first introduced to the ball eight years ago at a de-spooking
clinic in Michigan. It was obviously an object of concern for horses
and made an excellent de-spooking tool.
One of the most
important parts of a horse that we work with is the flight instinct
or the emotion. Many of us are trail riders, and we do not want
accidents on the trail. However, we can never guarantee that we
won’t encounter something entirely new and frightening for our
horses. Here at the ranch, we use objects that are uncommon, such as
bicycles, flags, tarps and the ball, to get the horses accustomed to
strange objects.
The ball has
become one of the tools we use in our basic foundation training. We
show the horse that the ball will roll and then ask the horse to
start moving it around. We work toward getting each horse to accept
it.
There is a
difference between horses accepting the ball and tolerating it. When
horses accept the ball, they start learning to play with it. They
will push it with their feet and butt it with their noses. About 95
percent of the horses we work with really enjoy moving the ball
around. About 5 percent will accept it but are just not into playing
with it.
Benefits
The ball has a
number of benefits for horses as well as riders.
·
It acts as a distraction.
A group at our barn has begun playing horse soccer. We started at a
walk or jog but have learned that we can also do it at a canter. The
game is a good distraction for horses and provides them with some
fun after they have been schooled.
·
It gets horses used to being bumped into.
We do Ranch Versatility and cow work here and have found it
beneficial to teach the horses to accept objects like the ball
bumping around their sides. When we go into a herd to cut out an
individual cow, our horses feel comfortable with the cows around
them.
·
It prepares horses for tracking cows.
We also an electric cow from the Ultimate Mechanical Cow, to teach
horses how to position and track a cow. Working with the ball first
gets the horses used to tracking. It is a major plus when we go to
teach them to track the flag on the electric cow.
·
It helps riders relax.
We spend a lot of time teaching riders how to use their hands, legs
and seats. At times they get so intense that they begin interfering
with themselves. I’ll sometimes have mounted riders push the ball
from point A to point B to point C across the arena. The concept is
that the rider must look ahead and see where the ball is going. The
horse has to stay behind the ball and track it to each point. Using
a combination of seat, leg, and rein aids, the rider must get the
horse in position to maneuver the ball to the next point. This has
turned out to be a fun way to get riders relaxed and using the aids
without thinking about them.
In summary, the
ball has evolved into a very effective tool. We use it for
de-spooking, as a distraction, to get a horse used to objects
bumping around their sides, and to begin teaching a horse to track a
cow. I also use it in riding classes to help riders relax and use
the aids without over-thinking. It is a fun and easy tool to use
with the horses. They enjoy it and so do the riders.
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault
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