>> We let them graze for a few minutes while the cinched girths are a > new concept. Sometimes when they put their heads down, a girth with > give them a sense of being "grabbed." It seems to help when that > happens when they are distracted by grass.. > Karen Thomas, NC > > ------------Karen, are you saying that you allow the horses to graze to > help keep them calm? I've often thought that allowing them to eat when > they are nervous is a smart thing, but I think I'm in the minority in > thinking this way...
Good question, Dawn! I haven't tied a horse to be saddled in a long time. I just do it on the lawn, or if in the paddock, just at liberty. I think this may be different, tho, if it's a boarding barn situation, where it's not an option and horses have to be tied up.... Unless you're able to give them a bucket of treats. Just think, why not? It shouldn't be *required* to keep an adult horse calm enough to be saddle (that would be masking a problem), but just as a courtesty or a gift to the horse who is going to be working for us. Physiologically, it's a good thing for the horse :-) Judy http://icehorses.net http://clickryder.com
