Recently, Chewie and I played with a tarp!
As part of Chewie’s training, I have been gradually introducing her to new objects and new experiences. I wrote previously about some of our adventures with mats.
Horses are often scared of tarps. They look funny. They feel funny when you step on them. They blow around in the wind unpredictably and make strange noises. They probably smell funny.
Part of this fear may also arise when a human forces the horse to approach or interact with the tarp when the horse is not ready. Being pushed outside your comfort zone can make scary things even more scary.
Chewie is a brave and curious girl! My goal is to help her continue to be brave and curious as I introduce her to new things.
Here’s how I helped Chewie feel more confident during this session:
- We did this training session with the tarp in the pasture where Chewie lives. She feels comfortable and confident in this setting.
- In the pasture, I can work with her at liberty (no halter or lead rope). She has the freedom to interact with the tarp and with me. She also has the freedom to leave if she is scared or if she would rather do something else.
- We’ve also already played with other strange objects, such as the mats. Given her behavior toward the mats and other new objects, I didn’t think interacting with the tarp would be difficult for her.
In these photos, you can see what happened during our adventure with the tarp!
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