Post by Sue Palmer on Nov 26, 2009 20:12:56 GMT 1
Before reading this post, please bear in mind that this is a response to an individual issue, and since each horse is an individual, the techniques used in this particular case are specific to the horse that I was working with, and therefore may not be appropriate in all cases!
A recent client was unable to clip her horse. She had been entirely unsuccessful on the 2 attempts previously, managing only to get a small patch of hair off one shoulder before the horse started rearing and kicking in a very severe way! The vet was called to sedate the horse so that she could be clipped, but as soon as he went in the stable she started rearing and kicking again, and he left, saying that there was no way he could work with her. The owner was thinking that she would have to sell the horse if she couldn't clip her, because she wouldn't be able to do the work that she wanted her to do, but first she rang a few friends, and some people suggested that she gave me a call.
I worked with her for 3 sessions (it was a particularly severe phobia - many clipping issues do not require this much work), and then left the owner with her 'homework' - below are the texts I have received over the past 2 days (I worked with her Fri, Sat and Sun for 1hr each time):
Tues - Just had a really good session with R! Didn't take long for her to settle and start looking at the clippers. Put the clippers on her without her feed to start and got quite a bit off. She started to get a bit irritable around her off side girth / elbow area so she had her bucket and I went back to her neck and left it at that.
Thurs = Hi Sue, just an update on R, she was amazing tonight! Only got her belly and right up by the top of her neck to do! I did under her belly going with the hair as it was just a lot easier! She even let me move the skin around her elbow to clip.
Well done R, I say!!!
A recent client was unable to clip her horse. She had been entirely unsuccessful on the 2 attempts previously, managing only to get a small patch of hair off one shoulder before the horse started rearing and kicking in a very severe way! The vet was called to sedate the horse so that she could be clipped, but as soon as he went in the stable she started rearing and kicking again, and he left, saying that there was no way he could work with her. The owner was thinking that she would have to sell the horse if she couldn't clip her, because she wouldn't be able to do the work that she wanted her to do, but first she rang a few friends, and some people suggested that she gave me a call.
I worked with her for 3 sessions (it was a particularly severe phobia - many clipping issues do not require this much work), and then left the owner with her 'homework' - below are the texts I have received over the past 2 days (I worked with her Fri, Sat and Sun for 1hr each time):
Tues - Just had a really good session with R! Didn't take long for her to settle and start looking at the clippers. Put the clippers on her without her feed to start and got quite a bit off. She started to get a bit irritable around her off side girth / elbow area so she had her bucket and I went back to her neck and left it at that.
Thurs = Hi Sue, just an update on R, she was amazing tonight! Only got her belly and right up by the top of her neck to do! I did under her belly going with the hair as it was just a lot easier! She even let me move the skin around her elbow to clip.
Well done R, I say!!!