| Has someone told you that you needed to "sack | | | | "Sacking out" is the process of introducing various |
| out" your horse, but you were not sure what | | | | scary objects to a horse, one at a time, and |
| they meant? Well, they probably told you this | | | | getting the horse used to them. This could be any |
| after your horse had spooked at something, am I | | | | object. Such as: a plastic bag, a rubber ball, a |
| right? Because horses are prey animals, they are | | | | scarf, a flag, a stuffed animal, a noise...you name |
| always on the lookout for something that may | | | | it. If it's something that the horse has never seen |
| eat or harm them. | | | | or experienced before (or maybe he has seen it |
| For this reason, when an object that they have | | | | before and he remembers it being very scary), |
| not encountered in the past crosses their path, | | | | then the horse needs to be exposed to it over |
| they may do the first thing that comes natural to | | | | and over again until he can calmly stand still and |
| a prey animal - run! Running is the main defense | | | | ignore it. |
| that prey animals have against an attack, and you | | | | This can take awhile, but it is definitely worth |
| do not want to be on the back of your horse | | | | your while to do it. The more objects and |
| when this instinct kicks in. This is why a horse | | | | situations that you can expose your horse to and |
| needs to be "sacked out". | | | | get him accustomed to, the safer you will be. |