On 03/09/07, Robyn Hood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >>>Boy, Ljufur was SO afraid of a whip. He would shake. The whites of his > eyes would show. He would veer around the icelandic trainer holding a crop > in the arena.
Hreggur actually spooked in the ring once when I was taking him in to unsaddle him. He saw it laying where I had left it...and he jumped sideways when he saw it on the ground. > I have definitely had horses that were afraid of the whip, terrified as a > matter of fact, but we have been able to get all of them over it as long as > it was never used to punish but rather to signal. That's great in theory, but there is always going to be someone that uses it for punishment. Same with the nosebands...there is always going to be someone that's afraid to ride and so tightens down that noseband as tight as it will go... > I have met young horses who have never had a whip used on them who were very > afraid of it to start with. It is the difference between fear of the known > and fear of the unknown. Dagur is that way, and he's never even had a harsh word spoken to him....even when he's on the front lawn after he's jumped every fence in sight. When Kevin was ground driving him, Kevin likes to use the whip to signal to him or rub his sides and tell him he's a good boy. However, it was too much too soon for Dagur. He was SO focused on the whip that Kevin finally just set it down and did his best with voice commands. I doubt we will ever use Dagur as a driving horse but who knows. His fear of the whip is something I would like him to overcome if he can, we just haven't worked enough with him lately to work through it. Wanda
