Baiting

[calmolly]

While at a training day with our local club on Sunday one of the more experienced handlers mentioned that the 'pros' use a sponge soaked in 'something' to bait their horses in the ring to get them to give their heads and necks. He didn't know what the something was.

Does anyone out there know what this 'something' is? I have seen hay, treats, stuffed toys and all sorts but the sponge sounded kinda neat and tidy! lol My guy loves me to carry his feed in my fanny bag but it does tend to make him a bit mouthy instead of just stretching his neck.

Also some ideas on how to set his croup would really be appreciated...I can get him to do it the arab way but that leaves a foot dragging out behind so that can't be right?

I watched KayKay's video on setting up for halter which was very helpful. I was trying to set up the front feet first instead of the other way around!

 

[mydaddysjag]

I would love to know too. My problem is if I bait my horse, he stretches and gives ears, but will get mouthy. If I bump him back a little he wont stretch again for me. I need to find a bait that isnt food...

I recently got a "crinkle" cat toy, its a little ball made out of a a foil type material, its bright and shiny, and makes a light crinkle noise when you "scrunch" it in your hands. Its small enough to conceal in your hand. I'll have to remember to try it out tomorrow, I jut got it. I had the bigger ones for my cats, and they were shiny, but sounded like a peppermint wrapper. I thought GREAT, but theyre too big. Was going to try to find a way to cut them down, but was at a gabriel brothers the other way, and they had a package of tiny ones, about the size of a ping pong ball. Wa La!

Mine are like that, just smaller.

 

[Leeana]

I try to avoid using grain as they seem to get mouthy and frustrated very fast..i like to use a plastic zip lock bag. I have a racoon tail (R.I.P...he now serves a greater purpose .....

) which makes them show like a freak. I do not like to use tic tacs as i feel that distracts others horses. Just about anything works great....plastic bags are good. I

 

[lilmiraclesfarm]

I've heard the racoons work very well. I would think you could use any sorta tail, as long as it smelled funny and is fluffy.

 

[mydaddysjag]

I've never seen any trainers "bait" when in the ring like you would with a raccoon tail, I only know of people using them for pictures. Do people actually use the raccoon tails in the ring?

 

[Leeana]

Oh that was just for the photos....but i have seen trainers pull animal skins of some sort out of their pocket in the ring...i wouldn't pull out a whole animal skin though obviously

.

 

[Littleum]

The sponge is soaked with mare pee.

 

[calmolly]

Fantastic ideas...I never thought of animal skins. Of course the mare pee will sure get his attention!lol I'm gonna try to get a few things and practice at home this week to see what works best. We have another training day on Sat with a fantastic trainer of Arabs who is getting into minis, so hopefully she can help us newbies figure this out.

Yesterdays practise went better. My husband sits back and watches queitley alot and doesn't say much (I think he doesn't want to upset me. lol) but he suggested I try using his normal halter for more control at home but with the show chain, and to be more consistant in by aids....stuff I didn't realize that I was doing. It really helps to have someone watching.

 

[hobbyhorse23]

We have another training day on Sat with a fantastic trainer of Arabs who is getting into minis, so hopefully she can help us newbies figure this out.

Only one word of caution there- while many Arab trainers are wonderful people who love their horses, baiting is not allowed in the Arabian world so far too many people get that wide-eyed look by liberal application of whip and chain. Some of the stuff I've seen makes me sick and I wouldn't let those individuals within twenty miles of my beloved horses no matter how many ribbons they win. I'm sure this woman is very nice and you'll undoubtedly learn a lot but just be aware that halter training for minis is, and should be, very different from training Arabs. For a good horseman that shouldn't be a problem but too many people only know how to train through fear. I'll take crinkly cat toys over whipping the knees and shanking any day!

"Hercules" here on the forum is one of the exceptions though, her Arab stallion is lovely and I liked what I was hearing of her training methods and learned a lot from her posts.

Yesterdays practise went better. My husband sits back and watches queitley alot and doesn't say much (I think he doesn't want to upset me. lol) but he suggested I try using his normal halter for more control at home but with the show chain, and to be more consistant in by aids....stuff I didn't realize that I was doing. It really helps to have someone watching.

Sounds like your husband is a gem!

Leia