The FreeRepublic Saddle Club thread - Thread THREE!

[HairOfTheDog]

The instructor was talking about training the horse to start with them and that when they stopped to turn towards the horse to teach him to set up. Would this work with a horse wanting to get ahead. I thought I would try it with Sarah Lee to see if she would step back.

If you used the right body language, and you turn to face her, yes, she should stop. If you move toward you, she should back up. These are common body language ground work maneuvers that you can work on. She should always move out of your space if you move at her in an aggressive way. You can push with hands to enforce this while working toward her submitting to body language alone. She should be reluctant to come forward when you are facing her, which is something to consider if you are trying to lead a horse that is balking to move forward (this comes up when trying to lead past a spooky thing, or trying to load) The correct way to do it is to face the direction you want them to go and get them to follow you there... The wrong thing is to face them and try to pull you toward them. It sends them a mixed message.

That said, if a horse is rushing, I wouldn't necessarily stop and face them to get them to stop rushing. They should change, not you. A leadline correction (sharp jerk, not a pull) popping them or circling them like you were doing all work. The circling can get them back where they should be if they are already ahead of you.

[HairOfTheDog]

oops... second sentence in second para. should be "If you move toward HER, she should back up."

[HairOfTheDog]

HEY ALL! It's Twilight Zone Day here at our place.

FIRST, A circuit went dead in the barn. It's the one the fence was plugged into. I thought maybe with all the rain, the fence had shorted out, but the breaker at the panel wasn't tripped off. But for no apparent reason, all the wires and outlets on one side of the barn are dead.

We plugged the fence charger into another outlet with an extension cord and it works fine.... not fried or anything.

SECONDLY, the horses are acting really weird in the lean to. Cyn BOLTED out of her stall this morning and was afraid to go out the end opening she usually uses... (there are three openings, each end, and a middle. She turned around a couple times like she was trapped before bolting out the center. All three horses are acting snorty and weird about that opening, I can grab mane (we didn't put halters on them or anything) and lead the pony and Bay through them, but they hesitate and then bolt through and run off. Cyn didn't want to even get that close, I grabbed her mane and tried to lead her through, but she pulled away and bolted out the middle opening. Every time they run out and then come back, the same thing would happen again.

Here you can see Cyn's stall opening at the far end, the trouble-spot-end and middle lean-to openings.

The power supply to the fence comes out right there, but it doesn't look damaged, and though we are contemplating these two events (the dead electrical and the odd behavior) being related, there's no logical explanation for them being related! WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND HERE THIS MORNING?

[Rose of Sharn]

My first question, would be is it warm enough for snakes? But..........that wouldnt explain the power failure........
Has any of the wiring been chewed through, could a "live" wire be touching part of the lean too and making it hot?
Do u believe in ghosts? (just had to put that last one in!) LOL
Sounds like you are having fun.

[Rose of Sharn]

Readin again, I dont mean to scare you, but can you smell anything? You know how animals can sense things way before we can, could there be a possibility of something smoldering slowly in the lean to?

[HairOfTheDog]

I don't ~think~ there is anything making the barn hot....

And I don't ~really~ believe in ghosts, but I would if I saw one ;~D

[Rose of Sharn]

Me again, have you turned off the breaker? I know you said it wasnt tripped, but if it was me, i would want to make sure that power was completly shut off until I found the cause.

[HairOfTheDog]

Oh - and we don't have any dangerous snakes.... only garter/garden snakes.

[Rose of Sharn]

"Oh - and we don't have any dangerous snakes.... only garter/garden snakes."

You dont? Ok, where is it you live? Please please can u start looking out for about 50 acres for me?

[FrogInABlender]

Weird! It sounds like you've got a short somewhere that's going to ground right there. Is there a wet or damp spot in that door? They might be getting shocked through their feet. Try to look at all the electrical wires run on that side of the building. Maybe a mouse or something gnawed into them. Be careful, but try putting the back of your hand on the ground and on the building in various places to see if you get a tingle but you may not if you've got shoes on. Years ago my parents had a travel trailer hooked up via an extension cord out in the yard and every time I'd step down off the step and onto the ground while holding onto the door, it would absolutely unwind my clock. I told them but no one would believe me because it didn't happen to them. The difference was that I was BAREFOOT and they were not. Sounds like something similar happening to your horses.

[Rose of Sharn]

looks like we are thinking the same lines.........animals sense stuff like that way b4 us.

[HairOfTheDog]

Western Washington State... No poisonous snakes, no poisonous bugs. :~D

[HairOfTheDog]

I still can't figure out if the two events are related or just coincidence. We did feel around just like that because my electric fence is the same way, touch it with thick rubber shoes on and it's like the fence isn't working... touch the ground with your other hand and it zaps.

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

That same thing happened to me with our RV:).

I hate being shocked, even a small one. I get very unchristian when it happens:)

Becky

[Rose of Sharn]

unchristian.........thats a good one! LOL I start speaking rapidly in Gaelic! Makes me feel a whole lot better!

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

You don't have a short, it would break the breaker.

It sounds more like a open line, maybe one of the horses kicked it apart and it made a buzz and spooked them.

Trace your wiring down from the breaker to the outlet, you also could have a bad breaker on that line, they go bad sometimes.

BigMack

[Rose of Sharn]

fire ants? Mosquitos?

[PayNoAttentionManBehindCurtain]

:)

How's the mare?

Just as a point of interest, Mack and I wagered last night about your mare:). He said last night, I say tonight.

Becky

[Beaker]

These stories remind me of the time that the entire herd of horses got loose belonging to the people across the street from me. It was a neighborhood effort trying to catch them all again. :-)

[CindyDawg]

I'm really am not having any problems. Just occasional reinforcement needed now. Sarah Lee had no ground manners, from grooming to leading. I've found she's smart though and seems to want to please. I just had to get her to understand what's acceptable and what isn't. This is good to know stuff though. I didn't know this and have always faced them, sometimes stepping backwards /sideways with balking. With the walking fast I didn't know about the popping option but use short tugs with the rope and turning. She doesn't get in my space (now watch my foot get steped on:'). She doesn't like my elbow but I didn't know that they should back up when I face them. I learned this in a class that I wasn't even in. I was just waiting to ask the instructor if she had put out feed yet.