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WELCOME TO THE 2008 GEC BOMBPROOFING CLINICS AND SHOW!
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Clinics will be held on April 6th, 13th and 20th. All first sessions will be in-hand. Later sessions may be ridden. Show prizes will be donated by GEC vendors and anyone wishing to donate a prize. Please bring a dish to pass after the show. Please understand that your horse will NOT be bombproof after these clinics! Bombproofing is an on-going, learning experience for both horse and rider/handler. What we hope to accomplish in these clinics is to instill confidence in both horse and rider/handler and teach learning tools for both. We hope to impart an understanding of the horse and rider/handler relationship, meaning that, in every situation, a horse looks for a leader. If no leader is present (the handler is insecure), the horse will take over and flee or fight. That is the nature of a herd animal. Bombproofing training attempts to make the rider/handler the herd leader and create the horse’s confidence in his leader. To develop the bombproof nature and instill confidence in the rider/handler, use approach and retreat, desensitization, repetition and use reward (praise, treats) and punishment as tools. Punishment will be used only when a horse displays dangerous behavior. Punish sharply and briefly. Punish within 2 seconds after the bad behavior and then forget it. Never loose your temper. After punishment, place your hand on your horse and rest it there for a while. Creating a bombproof nature in a horse requires that the horse know that you will always be fair and forgiving. What scares a horse? A new object - sight. A new smell. A new feel. Change in a familiar environment. When approaching a new or changed object, whether on the trail, at home in the arena/field, etc., or at clinics and shows, use the approach and retreat method. When new sensations are encountered (sight, smell, feel, change) repetition is the best tool. When asking a horse to perform a new task, break it down into small steps and treat each step as a new task. Soon, you will, with patience and reward/punishment be able to put all the small tasks together into the new task. With each new task accomplished, your horse will gain confidence in himself and in you. Soon you will be able to face completely new challenges and, with the tools you have taught yourself and your horse, master each new situation with confidence. Then you are well on your way to a truly bombproof horse! Tools you will need for the clinics: a lead rope with a shank. Ask how to properly use the shank. a whip treats patience helpers Helpers: anyone can help by applying props (umbrellas, balls, etc.) by setting up and tearing down the clinic anyone can teach or give advice PLEASE BRING ANYTHING (TOYS, UMBRELLAS, ANY OBJECT) TO HELP BOMBPROOF! Recommended books: Bombproof Your Horse by Rick Pelicano The 100% Horse by Michael Peace and Lesley Bayley It’s All About Breakthroughs! by Bob Jeffreys any book on the “nature” of the horse Prizes donated by New Haven Elevator! Admission: bring a dish to pass for the Pot-Luck Party following the show! Show will include new objects and score sheet graded by a judge. See what your horse really learned! (That humans are weird?) |
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