# Desensitizing an extra sensitive mule/horse/pony?



## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

I've worked with Penny with many things - she's great to work with a fast learner.

But she is so darn sensitive! An new thing is met with guard. She's jumpy, and nervous around anything "new". That's a mule - I know!!!:goodjob:

*I can never come up with every thing she might come across on the trail - so how do you make sure that they ARE safe enough to trail ride?*

I know it's a matter of trust between owner/trainer and animal. If she's haltered & I'm leading her - it's fine, she looks to me. It's when she's at liberty that it's harder to get her to calm.

Case in point: My very non-horsey hubby thinks that she needs to "get over it". But when I try to explain that if she spooks/jumps when he jumps from the hayloft, throws his hands up, etc. he needs to wait until I have control of her (haltered & lead on) and then repeat until she calms & accepts. 

He told me he can't jump repeatedly from loft until she's calmed down. I know, just WORK WITH ME!!:smack:bash:


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## saanengirl (Apr 7, 2009)

One thing that some people do to help is hang tarps and other scary objects such as pie pans etc. from trees in the pasture. It won't help with everything, but it will help them get used to things blowing in the wind.


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## Witterbound (Sep 4, 2007)

When i ride my mule, he is always wanting to look out in the trees for things that are going to eat him. One mule trainer told me to "correct" him every time, when he looks left or right for those eaters. So far, I haven't got him to stop.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

Sacking! Sacking not only desensitizes them, if done properly it teaches the correct response. When sacking from the ground the mule needs to realize that any wrong response will result in a quick correction. Once you start riding, keep sacking. I've found that sacking can actually become sort of a pacifier. Say you are riding along and see a gravel truck roaring down the dirt road. You foresee that this could cause a problem. Start sacking. The mule is now receiving a stimulus that he already knows how to react to.


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## jennigrey (Jan 27, 2005)

Make sure you aren't inadvertently enabling her. Some equine personalities enjoy the attention that a freakout brings them. Not saying this is necessarily the case with yours, but it's something to keep in mind. I've dealt with a couple that essentially needed to just be ignored when they acted alarmed at something. I have one with a mild case of drama-llama. She does best when I continue with my business and offhandedly (but with a bit of scorn) tell her, "Oh, cut it out." 

She sees that 1.) the startling stimuli is no big deal to ME 2.) she's not going to get out of work by spooking and 3.) she's not going to get positive attention by spooking.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I've never 'sacked' out any horses, mules, donkeys. I only look at equines who have done a lot of what I want to do.

I earned the trust of all the mule foals I raised just by being out there. I rubbed ears, back, belly, croup, picked up hooves. By the time they were ready for a saddle, I had no problems.

I didn't raise my latest mount and didn't put him thru my usual tests before I got him. So, after letting him settle in for a couple of days, I tied him to the back of my pickup and went slowly driving around the area near trash cans, mail boxes, things that might spook him. No spook, so I got on him and rode around the desert. He did fine and in the year I've had him, has been a great mount.

I kept looking at my critter 'cause he just didn't seem to be a mule. His body wasn't built like a mule; his ears were shorter than a mule. I was suspect! A couple of months after I got him, I heard his voice. He WASN'T a mule. He was a hinny (donkey mom, horse dad). I've only known one person who had a hinny. Not something we often see here in these parts. 

When I talked to the previous owner about the mount, they said they knew there was something different about him, but they didn't know what! -LOL-

Anyhow, he's a keeper!

I've ridden mules all these years 'cause I feel safer -- they won't hurt themselves therefore they take care of me. When descending a steep mountain, my mount may stop dead. I never urge them on, I let them look around and just give them their head. They always choose a better route down the mountain.

I've seen seasoned mounts stop dead in front of a boulder and refuse to go on. Someone will point out that recently they saw a mountain lion or some such predator laying on that big rock. And the equine smelled it.

If your critter is spooking at things you don't think he should, ride past whatever it is often to get him used to it. Rub his neck, speak softly, tell him all is okay.

Whenever a mule refuses to do something, it's not because he's stubborn, it's because he's smart. Look around before you push him on. A friend called me one day 'cause his mount who had easily loaded in the trailer for years, wouldn't. Some horses are also smart! I went over to their place, walked into the trailer, and looked around. Huge wasp nest was in there! Once it was removed, the horse walked in.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

Have had lots of experience with super sensitive.
Most important thing is take baby steps. You can't desensitize, using normal training methods and get a fairly safe riding animal.

When I first started working with Dyfra, I had no idea it would take 6 years to get her calm and level headed enough to be safe. I got her about 14 years ago now.

With her, I can't let her look at what ever is up setting her, like you would do with "normal" equines. I just tell her "We are busy" make her look away and go on doing what we were doing.

She used to freak as seeing Deer, no way I could get the deer to stand where I needed them.
So I bought an Archer's fake deer and stood it well away from her pasture, she saw it, mare misses nothing. I waited for a couple of weeks until she wasn't worried. Then moved it a little closer.
Yes, it was very, very slow but after a few months I could almost hand walk her up to it. When we got to that point, I place her very favorite treats on it. Now if she see's deer, she isn't worried. 
She thinks it is a treat. Same with plastic bags and what ever.
My Horse's and my Donkey learned to think..... look there is the crazy lady with the weird things, and not be worried about any of it.

Like with Mules and Donkey's, if they are scared of something, if you put yourself between the Donkey and Mules and what scares them, they will learn to trust you. Is a weird thing, but after awhile they will no longer be scared.

This is just a very short condensed examples of what I had to do, to make Dyfra a safe riding horse.

Now, If she gets worried, I just ignore it and keep on working, so I defuse before anything becomes an issue.
After all these years, I can trust her and have no worries about her. She is a great Back country horse.

You are right, you can't desensitize them for everything. But working with them, you can teach them to be sure of themselves, they learn that they can be worried but do not have to be afraid or react.


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## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

Can you teach her to spook in place? I don't know exactly how it's done, but my paso is very sensitive, probably spooks 6 or 8 times a ride. But it's always in place, and never an issue for us.


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## mamahen (May 11, 2002)

Thanks for all the advice! I hope to be able to work with her before summer....we're having a "wet" winter (instead of snowy ) and everything either has 6 inches of muck or running water.

I was reading that even if you are NOT radiating fear/nervousness/etc. that your horse will pick up on it. Like if you have a bad day and go out to the barn to relax, your equine will pick up on it and react badly. Even if you don't show it.

Any thoughts to this?


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## Maddiequus (Nov 4, 2003)

I too have a Penny who is extremely sensitive, although she has a right to be - she has had limited if any vision in one eye since she was 2.
Not only is she extremely guarded on that side unless someone is on the ground with her or her gelding husband is around, she is also very protective of her rider. She seems to feel she has to be cautious for two. She's a lovely mare, but she has never been nor will ever be trail safe.
Sometimes you can only take them so far. I do agree with others about sacking out. My philosophy is that the craziest things my horses ever encounter should come from me, the Boss Mare they trust. 
Act like an idiot. The more ridiculous, the better. Since you have issues when she's at liberty, do big crazy things in the pasture/arena. BACK UP toward her as close as she'll let you. After your Penny looks at you blankly or better yet approaches you at your weirdest, enlist friends and family. Have them run around, run up, wave stuff, make noise, etc. Anything you can think of, and act like it's a pleasant thing, same as with a puppy. If you maintain calm, they'll do the same.


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## GrannyCarol (Mar 23, 2005)

I found the natural horsemanship ideas made a lot of sense - to provide a stimulus that the equine is only slightly nervous with and keep that pressure on until they obviously relax (feet are still and they lick their lips, sigh, cock a back foot, drop their head, that sort of thing), then remove the pressure to teach them that scary things go away when they relax. You gradually up the stimulus until they ignore all sorts of antics. Sacking works great, if the trainer has good timing and quits when the equine reacts the way they want it to react (don't quit while the equine is still spooking, but quit when they are calm). Timing is important, if you keep going when the equine calms, you teach it that calming down won't help, isn't the "right answer" to something spooky. 

To me, this just makes sense.


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