Riding Magazine Q &A

Answer: You are going to have to go back to some basics with your horse to begin with the de-sensitizing process to overcome this fear issue. Just getting her to stand her ground is not your goal, it needs to be to have her comfortable and never fearful of anything in her sensitive areas. You have had first hand experience with what happens when she tries to get away from those scary objects and it is possible to correct this problem. First you will need to go back to the round pen or line work to get her attention and teach her to give to pressure. She should be going forward consistently, changing direction and be light and responsive before you begin the de-spooking process. Since she has become fearful of objects above her shoulder or head that is not where you will start. Either in the round pen or on a twelve-foot line she needs to be calm and responsive to you before you begin. You will be using pressure and release. You will be applying pressure with an object (a small plastic bag is a good tool) and releasing the pressure. The process is progressive, you will add pressure with the bag by approaching towards the nose and take it away in increasing increments. The object is not to force the object on her until she accepts it. The object is to have her accept it as non-threatening and remove it immediately once quiet or you see an improvement in behavior. You may have to hold it in one spot if she becomes fearful and as soon as she stops moving, immediately remove it. You will be able to have it touching her longer and longer before she is uncomfortable. When it is no longer an issue in one spot, you can move to another. You may have started at the nose and could move a comfortable distance to the neck or shoulder. The idea is to have her accept it and remove it before she finds it so fearful that she needs to move away from it. She will begin to trust you and that you are not going to force something on her that she thinks will harm her. Eventually you will be able to rub the bag all over her body. You then move on to something else, a bigger bag and eventually a tarp that covers her whole body. As she becomes comfortable with whatever you present to her you will be able to get closer and closer to the problem areas without her previous fear taking over. You need to take the time she needs to get to this and it could take two hours or even thirty days. Eventually you will be able to bring the bag and any other object up over her head without fear. Another way to solve the fear over the head and shoulder is by de-sensitizing her to your rope by gently swinging it over her rump, over her back, up her neck and over her head. If you have a round pen, a good method is to climb up and sit (braced) on the top rail. You can then simulate being on her back up above her head and de-sensitize her with the scary objects from there. She will need to be calm and responsive to the line and go forward cue and not have pull back issues before you do this. Begin by having her at the end of the line and move her over against the rail. She needs to be able to do this on both sides and be comfortable standing against the rail. From there you can begin by touching her head and neck with your hand, rocking the saddle back and forth to get her used to you from above. If she moves away, you will basically doing the change of direction exercise on the top rail instead of standing on the ground. When she is calm against the rail again you can present the object as you did on the ground. Time, patience, pressure/release and the right timing are the key.