Dreamer update

[dab_20]

I called my dad today to see how Dreamer was doing. He told me he didn't know why but Dreamer is worse then when she came. She is ALWAYS spooking and he can't even take her out for walks anymore because she darts all around and will get away. So he was talking with his friend and they decided it's because of the chickens and other poultry are scaring her. We can't just get rid of our poultry, but it would be awful to sell her. I can't just give up on her now. We will finish the fencing this weekend if my brother comes so she will be outside most the time. Anyone have anymore suggestions??

[Toby's my baby]

Do you have a lead rope with a chain on it? I would suggest getting one if you dont have. Put the chain over OR under their nose when you lead them, if they act up, just jerk a little bit. If Dreamer gets mad about this, just keep doing it, she'll get over it. If you dont have a lunge line, get one, asap. Lunge her a lot. Dont make her lope all the time, just walk/ trot/ lope whatever you want, teach her some disipline. I don't know if you've read this in books or not, but when a horse gets trustworthy of you, and is calm, when you are lunging them, they will lick there lips. I never believed this, but if you watch, they do. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes it takes 3 min. but they will. I suggest maybe sending her to a trainer or having someone come out, just to straighten her up a bit. If I lived closer, I'd be glad too. If you have any questions about anything to do with your horse or whatever, feel free to pm me!

[dab_20]

Do you have a lead rope with a chain on it? I would suggest getting one if you dont have. Put the chain over OR under their nose when you lead them, if they act up, just jerk a little bit. If Dreamer gets mad about this, just keep doing it, she'll get over it. If you dont have a lunge line, get one, asap. Lunge her a lot. Dont make her lope all the time, just walk/ trot/ lope whatever you want, teach her some disipline. I don't know if you've read this in books or not, but when a horse gets trustworthy of you, and is calm, when you are lunging them, they will lick there lips. I never believed this, but if you watch, they do. Sometimes it takes an hour, sometimes it takes 3 min. but they will. I suggest maybe sending her to a trainer or having someone come out, just to straighten her up a bit. If I lived closer, I'd be glad too. If you have any questions about anything to do with your horse or whatever, feel free to pm me!

I would think training her right now would only make things worse? She does not trust people at all. And lunging would be nearly impossible. Having a trainer right now would only stress her... that's what I've been told. She acts this way out of fear, as we are guessing she was abused in her previous homes.

I will definatly do this when she begins to trust us. Thanks.

[Miss Z]

Sometimes, the best way to beat these fears is to kind of solve it backwards to start with. First, figure out exactly what she does when she sees poultry, like side-step, stop, half rear etc so you know what to expect. Then, just lead her around the school or field by yourself with nobody or anything else there apart from you and her. Practice getting her to halt, walk and trot quietly and obediently with you, and only settle for perfection otherwise the later steps may not work, so it may take a couple of sessions with her. Praise her loads when she does it right.

Next, put an object, such as a bike or chair, in the school/field that she has never seen before. She will be nervous at first, but pretend that you haven't even realised that the object is there. Just practice everything you did before, and she will eventually calm down. Once she's settled with this object, try another the next day, not on the same day as you might overload her and make her stressed. You will notice that each day it takes her less time to fret about the object, and soon she'll hopefully only glance at it and move on.

Once you're satisfied with that, you might want to try having an object that moves or makes sound. You could use a radio, or if not another smaller animal or a person. Hopefully she'll be much more confident now so this might not make much difference, but some horses can freak at sound and movement so it's best to try anyway.

Then she should be ready for the big one. Very gently and calmly, lead her through just a few poultry. Once she's done it, make a huge fuss of her and maybe even give her a treat. Tell her she's a good girl, horses respond a lot to vocal sounds and then she'll know that she's doing good. You could then try leading her back through the poultry, even making her stop in the midst of them, but don't overdo it too much in one day.

Hopefully she'll then be ready to walk through any number of poultry and anything else scary with confidence. Remember PPR for this kind of thing: Patience, Praise, Result.

Edit- just thought of another method if the above is too time consuming

I'm guessing that Dreamer is young and unbroken? From your siggie, she looks quite young. Young horses are nervous and spook a lot more than adult horses. This is because horses are naturally herd animals, and young horses are very used to a mothering figure in their lives. Young horses can find it very difficult to adapt to being the only horse around, and therefore are very wary of their surroundings, as there is no other horse to keep guard in case a 'predator' comes. Young domesticated horses have no real picture of this 'predator' inside their minds, but instinct tells them that it's something that moves or makes noise suddenly, so they must get away fast! In time, a horse will learn that these things to don't hurt them, but it can take a while for that to happen naturally.

I would try taking her for walks with your donkey. She will recognise him as a 'horse' figure and will therefore be a little more calm. When you walk through the poultry, Dreamer will realise that they are not bothering Jack, and will learn that chickens are not to be feared. I still think that the first method would be a better way to tutor her, but it is time consuming and if you don't have that time then this is a second option

[buttercup132]

It wont make her worse it will make her better. She will be having lots of contact with you in training. Doing training dosent make them fearful of you it teaches them that your boss. Like taking a puppy the obedience class.

[dab_20]

It wont make her worse it will make her better. She will be having lots of contact with you in training. Doing training dosent make them fearful of you it teaches them that your boss. Like taking a puppy the obedience class.

I know what you mean, but I have to gain trust first, before I start any training with a trainer.

Miss Z... Thanks SO much for the info. Yes, Dreamer is unbroken and she is 2yrs old. We can't walk her with Jack yet because she is acctually worse when he's around for some reason. They don't get along and buck at each other, but I think that's just a matter of time. I will show my dad and I will tell you what we plan to do. Thanks again everyone!