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Training Tip Video: ‘Worming Syringe’

Training Tip Video's
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A lot of horses have unwanted behaviours around worming time, their heads go up, they backup and the try their best to resist eating the nasty tasting wormer. These behaviours are instinctual but we can change them if we take time to help our horse relax and understand what we want.

Worming had not been a problem with our horses as we’ve been giving them the tablet form and they all took them like treats. Now we are syringe worming I’ve discovered that Solly has some negative behaviour with it all. He throws his head up so high I can’t reach him, he’s turning away and if I didn’t have a halter on him he’d be off. So instead of getting upset, I thought, what a prime opportunity to do a Training Tip Video of me teaching him how to take a syringe wormer with relaxation and positive reinforcement, and here is the first part….

 

 

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Worming…Part 2

So, I have done three practice sessions  of worming on Solly (and the other herd members) and have progressed to not treating now and doing it at liberty. Here are some pics from our 4th practice today.

Pic 1) is of Solly looking at the syringe, I’ve placed it in the area I want his head to be.
Pic 2)  is of Solly sniffing the syringe…smell is a huge part of this so it will be interesting to use the real wormer with him!
Pic 3) is of Solly taking the syringe himself .
Pics 4&5) are of him taking the apple sauce…all at liberty.
Pic 6) is Stormy taking the syringe for some sauce.
Pic 7) is Tara smelling the syringe.
Pic 8) is Tara taking the sauce, I held my hand on the outside of her head to encourage and sooth her, she could move her head that way and I wasn’t forcing it all, she just needs more support and love.

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  • Shelley – HorseSavvy

Liberty Challenge 10

Liberty Challenges
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Beginners: start online in walk then trot
Intermediates: go to neck rope in walk or trot
Advanced: work at liberty in walk, trot or canter
Fun: try riding it (w/t/c)

Challenges Online/Liberty/Ridden:

  1. Front feet & back feet in hulahoops (or walk over)
  2. Trot over poles on tarp
  3. Trot/canter through scary corridor
  4. Jump
  5. Trot through weave pattern
  6. Transitions through narrow corridor (walk in/halt/backup/trot out)
  7. Walk/trot over bottle bank
  8. Walk/trot fig 8
  9. Walk/trot through curtain
  10. Trot through arch or jump hoop jump
  11. Sidepass over or near an obstacle
  12. Walk through water feature
  13. Ground tie (immobility/halt) and extreme familiarisation with objects around horse

 

Liberty with Solly

 

Ridden with Solly

 

Tips:
Try and test all the obstacles to make sure you and your horse know what to do at each one, make sure you reward for the slightest try and as you advance you do more with each obstacle, either stay longer, transitions or all at a higher gait throughout.

Once you know what to do with each obstacle then put them together as smoothly as possible as a course (if online then keeping a ‘smile’ in the rope as much as you can).

Set it up the best way for your area so it doesn’t need to be in this order or this shape.

Do not push your horse through or over things, accept what he gives you and teach him more as you go along. Repeat as often as you can for a horse that is a slow learner and make sure you mix it up often for a horse that gets bored quickly.

Remember it’s supposed to be fun….for you AND your horse 🙂

Liberty Challenge 9

Liberty Challenges
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Just 5 challenges this time but push your progression to do these in an open field. Start slowly in a small area and work up to a higher gait in a bigger area. CHALLENGE YOURSELF to progressive, positive changes so that you and your horse get  more and more connected in a common language that create signals for all that you do together.

1) Weave around cones on a circle.
Use as many cones as you like, 5 is the minimum on a circle. Make the circle large or small depending on your skill and your horses flexibility. Start in walk together and build up to trot and more distance between the cones and you and your horse.

2) Stick 2 Me Transitions.
Use as many transitions as possible, be on the left and right of your horse and see how straight you are together.

3) Jumps.
Big or small jumps, as many or as few as you wish and done how you like, either one and stop, turn and jump again OR as a small liberty course…it’s up to you to know you and your horses abilities but remember to build up to more difficult jumps as you go and higher transitions between.

4) Spins.
To left and right and even spins whilst leading your horse, see what you can do.

5) Back horse up from behind.
Use cue from tail or any other you may have, do a least 6 steps and more if you and your horse are up for it.

I will be doing these 5 Challenges in our 10 acre field with the other herd members grazing around us. I test my horses connection to me by working in this area as they have the freedom to run off if they want or to stay with me. I cannot run as fast as they can but have a good draw back to me if they go faster than me. How connected to you is your horse in a big field?