Teaching a Horse to Have a Blanket Put Over His Head
- Posted by Nancy Diehl, VMD, MS
How can I teach my horse to let me put her blanket on over her head so I don’t have to unbuckle it each time?
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Q: How can I teach my horse to let me put her blanket on over his head?
A: Along with accepting garments that can or must go on or over the head, it’s a great idea for a horse to be relaxed and compliant with having things done around his head for many management reasons.
You have already heard me extolling the virtues of using positive reinforcement, and it will work well here too
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Written by:
Nancy Diehl, VMD, MS
Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Nancy Diehl completed a master’s degree in animal science while studying stallion sexual behavior. Later, she completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and worked in equine practices in Missouri and Pennsylvania. Diehl also spent six years on faculty at Penn State, where she taught equine science and behavior courses and advised graduate students completing equine behavior research. Additionally, Diehl has co-authored scientific papers on stallion behavior, early intensive handling of foals, and feral horse contraception. Currently she is a practicing veterinarian in central Pennsylvania.
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One Response
I’ve found that starting with a summer sheet, and turning it so that the least bulky part of it is going over the horse’s head helps a lot: the horse isn’t faced with a long dark, scary tunnel. Once you’ve done that, it’s easy to turn it right side up and do up the rest of the fastenings. When that’s acceptable, you can advance to heavier blankets. It is, of course, important to ensure that the horse stands still during this procedure: stepping on the blanket isn’t helpful!