Effective Round Penning Techniques
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More Desensitizing the Horse To Human Touch Once I have about a palm-sized area desensitized, I now have a touching-foundation there that I've laid down (purposefully!) that I'm going to use to my full advantage proceeding forward. Then and only then do I stop my movement, and hence the horse's movement stops, mirroring me. I still keep no eye-to-eye contact and still only my shoulder facing the horse. I rub longer there in the "safety spot," then retreat my hand, take a pause, allowing the horse to digest the release, the success there. Then return. Rub longer, then retreat. This all now from a standstill. I also take that opportunity to allow the horse to sniff my rope/halter so that it is not perceived as a threat.
From hereon, I can usually accomplish the remainder of the desensitizing to the human hand touching and rubbing work on them the same advance-retreat route I just described and we no longer need to move around for that. Often I will work to desensitize the horse to the rope/halter at this point so that they can be haltered and desensitizing can go faster. As the face is allowing human touch, I will also work to rub the horse's face and neck with the ropes to also desensitize them to that, as well. Soon I can get a rope around the horse's neck via advancing and retreating even that (put the rope around neck, then quickly remove it, several times repeatedly). If the horse needs to move, I move with the horse.
While the rope is around the neck, I will work to help the horse learn to drop the neck via pressure and release. A lowered head is a relaxed horse; a high head is a tense, "on alert" horse. I am teaching the horse to drop the head, relax, trust that I will take care of them, watch out for them, and readying them for haltering gently. I apply downward pressure on the rope around the neck and release for the smallest try, the slightest change in head drop. Quickly the horse lowers the head and neck.
With the horse is relaxing more, I go ahead and put the halter on, then give the horse a rest break. Real important to take these breaks, stand there, asking nothing of the horse, so that the horse can digest each incremental success.
To desensitize further, now that I have the horse haltered, I rub that safe spot that is familiar now to touch, but then dart right outside the threshold line, only to return to the safe spot again, then quickly retreat my hand altogether. I am also beginning bonding here, search touching for the horse's favorite spots to be rubbed and scratched so that I can return to them up the road if the horse ever becomes afraid and needs nurturing support.
While desensitizing the horse to touch, I dance over to areas that tense the horse, but retreat just as fast. During that release of pressure (the retreat), the horse thinks, relaxes, digests that I crossed that threshold line. But it went so fast and I retreated before the horse had time to react or leave, that the horse decides it is safe to stay there; the horse digests that success and realizes, again, "I didn't get eaten! Maybe this predator is safe to trust!"
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