[drivingpairs] Re: Sleighbells-Tis the Season

Very good advice!
----- Original Message ----- 
From: kathy robertson <goodhors@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 2:47 PM
Subject: [drivingpairs] Sleighbells-Tis the Season


> Yearly reminder message.  PLEASE check out your horse
> with bells, BEFORE you put them on the horse or hitch
> horse to any belled vehicle!!  Sleigh folks will want
> to practice horse starting sleigh, before adding
> bells.  ESPECIALLY a new-to-sleigh animal.  Sleigh
> starts harder than wheeled vehicles, horse doesn't
> need extra distractions during first couple sleigh
> lessons.
> 
> Bells are loud and noisy, uncommon in many places. 
> Some horses get very silly.  We don't want to have any
> accidents.  Make sure horse can hear you over bells
> sound!
> 
> Our young horse in training had an attack of the
> stupids over the weekend.  Young daughter found sleigh
> bells in tack room, started to bring them to house
> while Dad was long-lining young horse.  He got
> EXCITED, ran himself dizzy on the lines!!  She was not
> very close to his area, and quit ringing as quick as
> he started being stupid, but it took him a while to
> recover his brain, stop when directed.  Lesson was
> then moved to high fenced round pen, still on long
> lines.  She then rang bells as instructed, while horse
> got over it on the lines, in the round pen.  Didn't
> take a great amount of time, with second ringing, then
> bells right outside fence.  He did figure it out,
> bells were not after him.  Did another lesson on
> Sunday, was sort of stupid again, but also much
> quicker recovery time.  Even with new louder, bells. 
> We have several kinds of bells, rang them all.  He
> reacted to each different sound but got over it. 
> Still nervous, but now listening with his mind.  Bells
> will now be part of his routine for a while, along
> with some other noisy things.
> 
>   His previous riding career has probably made him
> quite solid at a horse show, with golf carts, vendors,
> new horses, but never saw or heard LOUD bells before. 
> Perhaps in barnyard, bells echoed back from all the
> buildings, could not tell where the bells were. 
> Better to know his holes now, than be surprised later!
>  The other two young horses were watching lesson from
> paddock.  They were closer to first of ringing sounds,
> but only interested, not spooky at all.  They also
> have not heard bells that I know of.
> 
>   Each horse is different, have to check them out,
> before going on with new stuff.  Even a horse who was
> belled last year, should see bells without being
> hitched, FIRST.  Get horse accepting of bells again. 
> After that calm acceptance, bells can be used on horse
> and vehicle.  No surprises is best for all.
> 
> Kathy Robertson
> 
> 
> 
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