Use the navigation bar above to access articles and more discussions on this topic.
| Author |
Message |
    
Mariss
New Member
Username: Mariss
Post Number: 4
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Sunday, Oct 2, 2005 - 4:49 pm: |   |
My horse thinks llamas are monsters and the most scary thing alive. I have a big problem. My neighbor has five llamas and we must pass them to get to the trails. Besides the neighbor walks them also and there is always a chance we will come upon them on the trail or the road. When he saw them he froze and then wouldn't listen to my leg at all. My life went before my eyes and I baled off. He was running into me like I wasn't there. It wasn't fun. Now what do I do? Please give me some ideas how to handle this. I don't want my horse or my riding buddy's horse to get hurt....or us for that matter.
I was thinking I could give him ace or something and bring a llama to the paddock next to where I keep him. |
Sara Wolff
Member
Username: Mrose
Post Number: 919
Registered: 1-2000
| | Posted on Sunday, Oct 2, 2005 - 6:22 pm: | |
How close by is your neighbor's place? Could the neighbor turn out a llama or too where your horse can see them during his turnout? Like sheep and cows, after awhile a horse will get used to them. If this won't work, there was a big long discussion awhile back re: trail monsters and how to handle them that might be of help. |
Cynthia A. Nielsen
Member
Username: Wolfydoc
Post Number: 72
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Monday, Nov 21, 2005 - 11:16 pm: | |
Mariss,
Are you still having a problem with the llamas? Are you still a member here? I was just wondering because I had some ideas to share but didn't see any recent posts. If you are still out there, post here and I'll try to help with some suggestions.
Cindy |
Mariss
Member
Username: Mariss
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Friday, Nov 25, 2005 - 9:03 pm: | |
Thanks for your interest. I had my neighbor bring her llama on its lead to the edge of her property near my property. I brought my horse on a lead rope to the same area. At first he almost blew his gasket. I stood between him and the llama and talked to my neighbor while he pranced left and right, snorting. I had a chain over his nose but used it only enough to have a strong steady hold on him. He blew hard though his nostrils and pranced very fearfully. He was really sweating. I talked gently to him and continued to say things to my neighbor with a calm voice and attitude. This went on for what seemed like ten minutes. Then he put his head down and took a bite of grass. He looked up like okay nothing bad happened to me. He tried another bite, still breathing loudly and looking at the llama. He let the lead rope go loose. He ate more grass. He took a half step toward me and the llama and then took another bite of grass. He was still shakey and breathing fast. Then he took a large step toward the llama with his nose stretched toward it to get a better smell. The llama didn't like when he came toward it and started to drag my neighbor around to go back home. This made my horse much braver. The neighbor was getting nervous so we ended it with that. my horse pranced with me holding the lead rope all the way back to the barn. That was a month or more ago and we haven't been able to get together again.
I'm hoping to do it again and see if it's easier for him. The field is icy now so I don't know when I will get to it. I'd be happy to have any other suggestions. Thank you |
Cynthia A. Nielsen
Member
Username: Wolfydoc
Post Number: 73
Registered: 10-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, Nov 26, 2005 - 12:58 am: | |
Mariss,
You actually did two of the things I was going to suggest all in one outing! Clinton Anderson, whom I really respect, recommends that if your horse is afraid of a particular animal, try to have your horse actually "chase" it away. Horses become much braver about the animal as you found out when the animal moves away from them. I tried this when introducing each of my horses to the huge (hundreds) herds of cattle out on the BLM lands where we ride here in Nevada. Each and every one of them became magically brave at the point where we got close enough for the cows to feel uncomfortable with our proximity and start moving away. Then they actually LOVED to go right into the herd and start pushing the cattle around! It was fun!
The other suggestion was to set up a situation where you desensitize the horse to the llama. I.e. getting the llama close enough to the horse that he starts to get frazzled but not completely gonzo. When his feet stop moving AND he relaxes, then take the llama away (or take the horse away from the llama). It is crucial to wait however long it takes for both those things to happen. Then wait a minute or so, and bring the two closer together again. When the horse stands still and relaxes, retreat. This also is Clinton's method to desensitizing: "approach and retreat". Approach with the scary thing just close enough that the horse starts to dance around a bit, and when the horse's feet stop moving AND he relaxes, retreat. You bring the scary thing closer and closer each time you approach.
It also helps if, after getting the horse used to the scary thing on or near his own home turf, you expose the horse to the same scary thing out on the trail or somewhere else other than home. In my own experience, it sometimes doesn't matter how desensitized the horse is to something at home. You need to carry it one step further in some cases and have the horse meet the scary thing out on the trail, or wherever else you can do it that is NOT home. It should be significantly less of an issue once you've done the desensitizing at home in most cases, but you may still have some spookiness to deal with until the horse encounters the monster out in the real world, away from the comfort of home surroundings. Sounds like you have the thing handled without my help anyway!
Keep at it whenever possible and safe. Good luck and have fun making your horse better!
Cindy |
