Despooking your horse

Today was a really windy beautiful day, and it got me thinking that the world is terrifying. At least to horses it is. With the autumn leaves and breezy days here, I found some great tips on how to despook or desensitize your horse.

Our horses at the stable are quickly desensitized from all the tractors coming and going and regular maintenance construction. But people who have horses in personal stables might have a harder time getting their ponies used to scary sounds. With the beautiful fall colors now, no one wants a horse who is terrified of every leaf on the trail. And shows are so busy and crowded that a spook in the ring could cost you a ribbon. So I found some nice tips from America's Horse Daily on how to get your pony over these terrors.

• Constantly expose them to everyday things that seem scary.
• Don't force them to through or over things they're scared of, but encourage them.
• Let them look at and inspect something scary before asking them to pass it.
• Don't panic when they spook, but reassure them that they're fine and ask them to go through the area again. 
• Many common items can be used to desensitize your horse, such as: plastic bags or tarps, a pile of leaves, puddles, or umbrellas.