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Sacking Out Suggestions

1K views 16 replies 11 participants last post by  Kyleen Drake 
#1 ·
New kid around here, learning about horses. This week I'm reading about sacking out. Desensitizing horses so they don't over react to some sounds, items, ect. So, what items do you people use for your ground work? My husband was asking if "thunder sticks" like the kind you inflate and use to clap together at a football game, would be a good sack out item. Heck, I don't know. They can be really loud.
 
#2 ·
To me the term sacking out is pretty outdated and it's not something that a lot of people do specifically anymore, at least not in the circles I have been in.

Often horse people just deal with things as they come, recognising you can't "desensitise" a horse to everything and you're better off training a trusting and confident horse that will listen to you when something comes up
 
#3 ·
^^^I agree. I am a trail rider and never have sacked a horse out.

You can do that successfully all day long in a controlled environment. Get the horse out, in unfamiliar territory, and things can quickly go to heck in a hand basket if a good level of trust hasn't been developed between horse and rider.

That said, there are exceptions to everything ------ putting one of those bright colored and crackly-sounding raincoats on, when it starts raining is one of them when sitting on the horse.

If you want to practice something at home that won't change out in the wilds, practice untying your yellow or blue or red raincoat from the saddle and putting it on with two hands, while the reins are wrapped around the saddle horn and the only control you have over your horse is your voice:D:D

I learned many years ago, this was the only piece of de-sensitizing at home that is worth it's salt:D:D
 
#5 ·
You just let a horse learn to deal with stuff on an everyday basis, expose them to things, don't tiptoe around them and at the same time show them they can trust in you to protect them and if you do that there's no need for all of this 'sacking out'.
I can tell your from experience that a plastic bag waved on the end of a stick in your arena is not going to be anything remotely like the one flapping in a bush or chasing you down the trail. Same with gun shots - my horses never even flinch when someone's dynamiting around here (regular occurence) but they'd still jump if someone suddenly fired a shot when we were out on the trails - the secret is to be able to 'control and minimise' that reaction
 
#6 ·
Agree with what has been said.
Trying to expose your horse to everything under the sun, won't guarantee he will never react, as there is always something he has not encountered before, and then it is the trust in your leadership, the body control and respect that will let you ride through that.
Our horses get used to gunfire, because hubby has a shooting range along one side of our property, and that is helpful, when we ride in the mountains during hunting time, so I would perhaps like to expose a horse to the sound of gunfire, that I would be riding in that situation, or if I planned on doing mounted shooting, but that does not mean sacking him out, by shooting the first time standing beside him, or on his back!
 
#7 ·
i hope this is just a theoretical questions, because as a new horse owner, it would be a big mistake to start making thunderstick noises right behind your horse!

I think most good horse owners may take a little time to desensitiate the horse to the rope on their body, or the blankets, since they want the hrose ok with those. jsut doing that helps a lot it getting them able to tolerate things bumping and wrapping around their vulnerable parts. I think that's where the "sacking out" term came from
 
#8 ·
My horse was fine with me taking my sweater on and off so I didn't even think about the raincoat. Until it started raining on a ride. Untied that raincoat from my cantle and my horse just wasn't under me any more. She was standing there wondering why I was on the ground.

So I recommend getting your horse used to a raincoat. Make sure they are okay with it way up above their head, too. Also ropes around their feet. Otherwise it is just too variable. You won't find a lot of pool noodles on most trails.
 
#11 ·
Yes, I do 'usually, teach a horse to accept a slicker, by first lunging him with one draped over him, then I get off to put it on, for that first ride, and after that, can put it on without getting off
I skipped that step once on a colt, because he had been so easy to start under saddle, accepting everything
We were out on a ride, and I always have a slicker tied on. It started to rain,, so I just treated that colt like I would one of my broke horses, untying it, and then letting it fall over the sides of my horse, as I stick my arms in,
Well, I got one arm in, and that slicker fell down his one side, and he bucked for the first time. Hubby thought it was rather funny, as I tried to get that arm out and drop that slicker. Luckily, soon as I managed to do so, he quit bucking, I then did the smart thing, got off , ran that slicker over him, once or twice, put it on, got back on, and all was fine!
if you are ever going to lead a pack horse, get your saddle horse used to a rope under his tail-just in case!
Some horses don't mind saddle bags, even for that first ride, but we once took someone on a ride, who used saddle bags on his horse for the first time, and when we trotted, that horse bucked him off
I have also seen a horse bolt , when his rider pulled a plastic bag with sandwiches out of his saddle bag
I keep hold of the reins, first time I open a pop can on a horse
 
#17 ·
Well I've gotten a few good suggestions so far to add to my note book. Appreciate them. Around here my horses will need to get use to the sounds of cars, trucks, bikes, four-wheelers, Harley Davidsons, and all the other things my neighbors are into. Not to mention all the things my sons get into. >.< Boys are crazy, add in autism, they get really crazy. >.<
 
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