Hills and Horses

[WesternChick]

THANK YOU THANK YOU HOLD YOUR APPLAUSE HOLD YOUR APLAUSE LOL

 

[big brown horse]

 

[LauraM]

Check your saddle fit. One of the most common reasons for the behavior you describe is that the saddle is pinching the shoulders or putting pressure on the withers when going downhill. The saddle fit may seem fine (with the horse seeming fine) when on flat-ish ground, but can certainly be JUST a poor enough fit to bother the horse going downhill.

The next time you ride down a hill, put your fingers underneath the front edge of the saddle and see how tight it is. Check that it's not putting pressure on the wither bone.

 

[Bronco Hollow]

I'd check saddle fit like LauraM suggested. Improper fit is extremely painful on the downhill. Also try zig-zagging down and not straight down as your horse learns how to use its butt .

About old fashioned sacking out practices.... I respect everyones opinions here, but some horses are utilized for public work and you must have a horse that is suitable. Our horses are used for Sheriff Posse. We employ these type of desensitizations to our horses every month in training and sometimes they live with items as self train in their stall. Someone else here utilizes their horses for civil war re-enactments... can you put your horse close to a cannon or rifle firing or a team of charging horses pulling cannon???? To say this type training is by the uneducated is not realistic or fair.

There is no such thing as a boom proof horse, but you can by employing a variety of desensitizations train your horse to be more willing to rely on its rider to keep it safe than the desire to flee.

 

[WesternChick]

yesterday my cousin and I de-sencitized my horse to crossing water (it just rained at my house mud puddles everywere). My cousin held a hand full of grain on the other side of the pond and I clucked to my horse to cross, after going around the puddle a few times she stepped in it and walked through. now she's not afraid of water anymore YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Bronco Hollow]

To back up a little here on my posting. I apologize as I forget that here on the web there are all levels of riders and I sometimes - if not most times - do not bother to read the entire thread. My reply was more knee-jerk reaction and I should have thought out how I worded it.

I was unclear on this: If you are not knowledgeable in training, including desensitizing practices then you should seek the help and assistance of someone who can teach and show the proper methods to employ. Improper ways can lead to further problems down the road or cause a serious wreak.

Desensitization should be done in a controlled safe and knowledge manner. Unfortunately, as the OP stated, treating or bribing is not true desensitization. In this case I have given the OP the wrong idea. For this I am very sorry, as I do not want to see the OP [or her helper] put in harms way and I feel that in my reply that I may have just done that and I truly hate the idea of it.

When I first started to ride I had a knowledgeable horse person to guide me. I didn't always like what that person had to say, in fact I kinda hated him. BUT to this day it has saved me from many bad situations and gave me a solid foundation on which to continue some 45+ years later. Today, even after all these years riding and working horses I still take lessons and work with a trainer on an ongoing basis.... I still don't always like what they have to say, but I listen and still learn to this day.