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De-Spooking with the WaterFall

Since horses don't have a lot of depth-perception, they can be reluctant to go through places that look solid to them. This WaterFall is translucent plastic strips like you would find in front of a cooler in your grocery store. Nifty needs to trust that Maureen won't let her get into trouble and they've pretty much established this in their relationship together. Nifty then needs very clear messages from Maureen concerning what she's supposed to do.

Maureen needs a strong focus on where they're going. She could lift her head just a little and focus a bit farther out. It appears that she felt that she needed to duck her head a little and this made her body lean forward.

Nifty's mouth is gaped a bit and may be because Maureen has a little too much contact in this photo. Nifty may have decided to go through the WaterFall with a bit more enthusiasm than Maureen was wanting. Nifty's high head and stiff look support this possibility.

It looks like Nifty takes her cue from Maureen and gets a grip on herself in this next photo. Her head shows how relaxed she is, and she's ready to go through again.

Although Nifty went through the WaterFall, there's room for improvement. Also, Maureen understands that Nifty needs to learn this in the other direction as well. After a moment to let their accomplishment sink in, they'll go through the WaterFall again in the other direction. We'd expect that Nifty will go through more quietly this time.

Nifty is a willing horse and Maureen understands that she doesn't need to be drilled on this new experience. A few successful attempts will be enough for this session. This experience will build confidence for both Maureen and Nifty, and will help them trust each other. Once again, Maureen has proved herself to be a good leader for Nifty, and Nifty will remember it.