Reader: I have a few horses that rear up and try to run away when you are trying to teach them how to lunge. Like when I swing even the rope on the ground.

Charles: I responded to this question recently and one of the suggestions that I made was that the horse needed to be “sacked out.” The reader wrote back and asked me what I meant by sacking out and I thought it would be a good term to explain in this column.
Sacking out is an old cowboy expression. The term originated from the common practice of a cowboy rubbing an old burlap sack over a horse to “break” it. I use the term in a similar fashion, but in my vocabulary it encompasses a comprehensive program of desensitizing (de-spooking) a horse to a variety of objects and situations in order to prepare them for “almost” anything they may come across later. It is a method by which you deliberately raise and lower their emotional response to fear in a controlled environment.
I begin the sacking out process with objects. With some horses I start with a lunge whip, which allows me to keep a safe distance. Remember – safety first – especially with an emotional horse. I began lightly touching the horse with the end of the lunge whip. When it pulls away, I stay with the horse until it stops moving its feet, then I immediately release the pressure. I allow the horse time to smell the whip, to see it and slowly spend the time touching the horse, releasing, touching, then releasing; always allowing it to relax in between as we progress. As the horse becomes accustomed to the contact, I start to increase the time I apply the pressure. I also make sure I am touching the horse in all areas: back, legs, stomach, shoulder, etc.
For the next sacking out exercise I introduce plastic bags. Many horses have a major issue with these! Again, simply apply pressure and then release. I start out far away with the bag and slowly come closer, moving away each time as I see the horse beginning to back. After about 30 minutes I will be able to stroke it all over with the bag itself.
The next step is going over objects. A pole or tarp works great. I put the horse on a line and ask her to go forward (note: the go forward cue should be solid before you start any of these exercises.) It is important to position the length of the line and the object such that the horse must cross when moving forward. However, keep in mind that if a horse is very fearful of the object, you should start by moving the horse near the object before actually asking it to cross over it. If a horse is fearful of a tarp or pole, simply have one on the ground in the vicinity of where you are doing standard change of direction line work. Then slowly move closer and closer to the object until you can see that she/he is beginning to relax around it.
When the horse is ready, you can position it in such a way that when you ask for the go-forward cue it will have to cross the object. Now, whether it bolts, jumps, trots or walks over it does not matter at first, simply that your horse does cross over it.
Your goal is to incorporate crossing over the object into your change of direction line work, with the end result being that the horse is standing (calmly) on the object at the end of the lesson. Once you are ready have the horse cross over the object, then ask for the stop when it is at the furthest point away from the object (the opposite side of the circle). Let your horse relax for a moment, then reverse direction and do the same thing – a full circle over the object. Stop at the furthest point, relax, change direction and move out again.
As you do this watch your horse’s body language carefully. As it begins to relax what you want to do is start stopping your horse closer and closer to the object until its comfort level is such that it will stop and stand on the tarp or over part of a pole. So you may go from a full circle, to 7/8 of circle, then 3/4, then 1/2 and so on. What are the signs that your horse is relaxing and you can begin stopping it closer to the object? Ears forward, licking and chewing, head dropping, you should see its overall energy level coming down. Instead of jumping or bolting over the object, it may slow to a trot or even a walk.
With timid horses you have to invest the time to build their confidence. How you do that is by introducing pressure in very small increments, always allowing them to relax after each application of pressure. You do not want a horse you have to tiptoe around - they are dangerous and not fun to spend time with. It is absolutely critical that you work with timid and nervous horses to learn to control their emotional response. The key to success is to exercise caution and not put too much pressure on them as you progress. Make certain that you are always giving them an “out” from the pressure you are applying!
Any time you force a horse to accept pressure without giving them an out, an escape door if you will, you risk creating a major training wreck. You could easily lose most if not all of the progress you have made with their emotional level, and have a far harder time going forward.
The fact of the matter is that most horses have a higher emotional level than most riders want. There are far more horses with a higher emotional level (7 to 10) than there are in the lower range (2 to 4). Fear is a natural instinct in horses and it tells their brain to flee. You must continuously condition your horse to have the control you want, when you need it. Emotional control exercises provide a tremendous edge in that conditioning.
Sacking out is a key component of our regular training routine. It has to be. If you have any questions, visit me online at www.charleswilhelm.com.

God Bless,
Charles Wilhelm
It’s Never Ever the Horse’s Fault