Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
maintain contact. If the horse is being handled or ridden, the horse might wheel, bolt, rear,
or buck to try to rejoin the other horses.
What might begin as a temporary insecurity may evolve into a longstanding and danger-
ous habit. In order to prevent such a bad habit from forming, from a very early age horses
should be handled individually so they develop confidence, and they should never be put
in a position of panic. The distance and time away from the other horses should be gradu-
ally increased. All training and housing facilities should be strong and safe. A horse that is
quiet and attentive to his handler can be rewarded by feeding or grooming away from his
companions. It also helps if the horses in the group (herd or barn) are content, so they don't
call to or answer a horse that is learning to be separated.
Even when separated from Sassy, Dickens is content because he can see her.
