03/17/2026
"DRONE DESENSITIZATION" Pushing the comfort zone in the arena – not for me, but the horses. 💪🐴
I set the drone to follow mode and ran it through the arena 3 different times to start desensitizing my crew to the noise and movement overhead. 🚁
Some things can be introduced under saddle, but work like this is almost always safer started on the ground first – because you truly never know how each horse will respond.
✅ My two older veterans didn’t even bat an eye – total pros.
✨ My two younger horses, on the other hand, were very tuned in and aware of the drone’s presence.
With each pass, the drone came from a different direction, with a different approach, and landed in a different spot so the horses could experience a variety of angles and scenarios instead of just one predictable pattern. 🔁
And here’s the fun twist you can’t see on video: I also had music playing through the arena speakers the entire time, layering in another level of environmental noise for them to process. 🎶
This kind of thoughtful, controlled exposure builds more confident, reliable horses – whether you’re riding in the arena, out on the trail, or working around new tech like drones. 🚀🐎
