Today I went back to see Nile. as well as doing some general desensitisation work, I worked on his bridle shyness using a combination of desensitisation and clicker training. I worked with the bridle for an hour first thing, quarter of an hour after lunch and for five minutes at the end of the day. By this time, Nile was accepting his bit in less than ten seconds and was in fact seeking the bit. By coupling clicker with the desensitisation work, I hope that we have persuaded Nile that bridling is actually a pleasant and welcome experience.
You will have noted that many of the horses I have worked with recently are wearing fly rugs. It seems the fairest thing to do to enable them to concentrate and forget about the flies.
"We really benefited from the day and you will be pleased to know I have bitted Nile today in no time at all I am so pleased he accepted the bit instantly and we went out for a short hack -wonderful" MH
