Inside the Horse’s Mind: Desensitizing

Desensitizing is an important part of every green or young horse’s education. If horses are desensitized to all types of sights, smells, sounds and feelings, they will be less likely to spook and become panicked in a new situation. It also gives them problem-solving skills, so that they can mentally sort through new sensations instead of immediately turning on the ‘panic and resist’ switch.

Elisa Wallace is an international four-star eventer and competes in Extreme Mustang Makeovers as well. In this video, she does a fabulous job demonstrating some desensitizing techniques combined with positive reinforcement and praise.

Check it out here: