How to Bomb Proof a Horse
Before a horse is ready to be ridden by anyone other than an advanced rider, she will need to overcome her fear of the unfamiliar. This is called "sacking out" or "bomb proofing." The idea is to expose the horse to a variety of "scary" stimuli while showing her that nothing bad will happen as a result.
- Difficulty:
- Moderate
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- "Frightening" stimuli such as tarp, garden hose, clippers or a spray bottle.
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1
Determine which stimuli you are most eager for your horse to become accustomed to (objects, noises, smells, etc.), and choose two or three at most for each sacking out session.
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2
Crosstie your horse between two sturdy posts in a safe location, or turn him loose in a round pen. If you use crossties, make sure your ropes are in good repair.
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3
Start several feet away with the first object in your hand. If it is something that makes noise, make the noise (i.e. shake the tarp, spray the spray bottle or turn on the clippers).
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4
Approach the horse slowly but confidently, angling toward her shoulder. If she attempts to back up, pins her ears, rolls her eyes or in any other way shows fear or aggression, take a step back and speak in a reassuring tone. Stop any noise from the object.
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5
When the horse calms down, continue your approach as before. Let your horse smell the item first, then run it along their neck and up over their ears. Frequently pause to pet and praise your horse. Any signs of fear or hostility should lead you to step back and stop any noise the object may be making.
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6
Once the horse calmly accepts having the object run over their neck, ears and shoulders, move on to their back, hindquarters, legs and belly. These areas generally take longer because they are the prime areas that predators would attack in the wild. Be sure to offer lots of reassurance and praise.
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7
Once you are done with your session, reward your horse with a treat and lots of attention.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Horses have short attention spans, so sacking out sessions shouldn't last any longer than 20 minutes. If your horses needs a lot of work, just add more sessions over the course of the day.
If your horse refuses to accept the items you are introducing, it can be helpful for them to watch you do the same thing to another horse who DOES accept them. This shows them that the other horse wasn't hurt in any way.
Remember that instinct has hardwired horses to run from anything scary. They do not have the human capacity for reasoning, so fear of even the littlest things is how they have ensured their species survival.
This procedure assumes that your horse is already saddle broken and is comfortable being touched anywhere on his body. If this is not the case, please seek the assistance of a professional!
Frightened horses can be dangerous. Be aware of your horse's reactions and protect yourself.
Never stand directly in front of or behind a horse when sacking out. These are their blind spots and it is important that they can see the objects that are the source of their fear.
Always "review" your most recent lessons before moving on to new ones. Some horses may require two, three, even four sessions to get completely over their fear of some stimuli.
