Training Tips

QUESTION: Hello Sylvia. I have a little problem. I have been working with a green 5-year-old mare for the past year and so far everything has been going great. This is my first real horse to start on my own, and it was going downhill. But recently things have been clicking for her since I started her on a drill team. She has learned to trust me more, and has learned some things aren't as scary as they were. But as our team is going to start in numerous gymkhanas and parades, I have been asked if we would carry the American flag. This is where the problem starts. My mare will not tolerate anything that flaps near or on her. In the arena, I went to put my jacket on and she freaked out. Then a friend of mine started to hand me a spare shirt I had brought along and my horse started to get jittery. Is there anything I can do to start helping my horse to feel comfortable to carry a flag? I'd hate to see all of her hard work not pay off because of one little issue. Our first parade is in February and I have been working continually with her. Any advice will be very appreciated! Thank you.

REPLY: Hi. Thanks for writing. Yes, you can fix this problem. The trick is to break it down into smaller baby steps. Let me direct you to some links on my site that should help there.

First…do rope desensitizing, which I go over here: Rope Fears - Horse fears ropes on and around the body - how to desensitize

Then...desensitize your horse to a plastic bag, then plastic on the end of a training wand, which I go over here: Wand-Training Fear - Horse fears training wand with plastic/How to desensitize

Then do tarp desensitizing (is going to go a long way multi-directions!): Tarp Desensitizing - Horse is afraid of plastic tarps

Also, read these links on my web site about desensitizing spooky horses:

Spooky Horse - Horse spooks at things in saddle - how to desensitize spooky horse

Spooking Horse #2 - Horse spooks in saddle/how to desensitize spooky horse

Incidentally, all of the above, and much, much more is covered in my (even beginner user-friendly) DVD Set, The Whispering Way 12-Step Total Training System

I think my program is going to help you out tremendously there, because there you can see visually how all this desensitizing is done, turning the horse into a quieter, more fear-free horse. And if you ever have questions as you get going in my program, I'm always only an email away for quick answers.

Those (above) combined will get your horse ready to carry the flag, and you'll follow the same break-down procedures as you learn in the above to desensitize the horse to that flag. But by that point, because you will have done all the above foundational work & then worked up to riding the horse with the training wand with plastic tied to the end, it is going to be easier for the horse to then handle the flag (and anything else up there like you described she has problems with). It's all about step-by-step baby steps foundationally, and how to relax the horse as you go along in desensitizing lessons (taught in all the above links and in my video) as you teach that progression.

Try all that and you'll have your horse parade ready before you know it!