04/09/2022
"Flagging"- A horsemanship term used to listen and guide a horse through fear and nervous system regulation. The flag is a powerful and effective tool when used to build confidence and teach horses how to process [uncomfortable] stimuli.
Firenze came to me with significant anxiety and overstimulation responses. Through patience, trust and education, flagging has become a positive way to nurture a calm, confident, thinking horse.
Initially, I used a standard horsemanship flag with somewhat muted sounds and affect to evaluate his responses. He tolerated that flag well however continued acting very "spooky" and fearful in day to day activities.
I noticed a significant change in response when introducing the "plastic bag flag" aka "use whatever you have in the barn" flag. Initial response, I'm outta here. Followed up swiftly with, I will kick and or strike this flag. Cue flight or fight response, anyone??
Slowly and gently I began rewarding [ The Try ]. Listening to his boundaries and recognizing when he engaged, followed swiftly with a *click*, rewards and removal of pressure.
We've been working on clicker training as a form of bridging desired behaviors and increasing resilience to uncertainty.
The progress is astounding. Firenze increases his calmness and reapectful confidence daily. His restart is flourishing.
The moral of the story is, each horse presents a unique opportunity to learn, grow, and test various techniques to see what works for them and how to consistently better our skill sets and nurture a positive partnership for the future.
What goals and activities have you learned and shared with your horse recently?
