At 08:25:57 on 07.06.11, Flicka wrote:
I've just read an interesting bit of research (link below) which shows that horses exposed to desensitization at home will be less spooky when exposed to potentially 'scary' objects.:) Do you have your own bit of evidence to back their findings up?
http://www.thehorse.com/ViewArticle.aspx?ID=18352&src=SV

At 10:36:07 on 07.06.11, crazycowgirl99 wrote:
I am a big fan of desensitsation, as carer/trainer for RDA horses, this is basically what I spend my days doing! All new horses are exposed to all of our games equipment in both the indoor & outdoor arenas as well as around the property, they are asked to walk over things on the ground & EVERYTHING becomes a training opportunity. Every year a competition is held to find the RDA horse of the year where they have to complete an obstacle course full of strange objects in a strange location with lots of distractions around them. Being held at the Sydney Royal there are people everywhere, carnival rides, strange horse with strange thing on wheels chasing them & lots & lots of noise... The theme of this years course was outerspace & the universe so there were lots of spaceships, stars & 'planets' that the horses have to walk calmly past without reaction. They are given points for the response, or lack there of, to each obstacle & how well they look after their RDA rider. Im very proud to say that one of my mares has won this event for the last 2yrs :)