The opposite of positive reinforcement
I have a student who owns a National Show Horse named Priority. Priority has very narrow shoulders and a narrow chest. Despite a pretty near perfect saddle fit, his saddle was sliding forward onto his shoulders constantly, causing all kinds of problems. I told my student to get Priority a crupper to help keep the saddle off of his shoulders after a saddle fitter confirmed that the saddle fit in all other ways.
So, they got a crupper and naturally, his shoulders are feeling better, he's moving better. All things have improved. Except, Priority does not like his crupper too much. If it shifts on his tail in some way, he bucks. They aren't terrible bucks and I understand that the best thing we can do is to simply work through them. In fact, we're doing this. I've told his owner to sit the bucks as quietly as possible and to keep asking Priority to work, make no fuss, just keep asking him to go forward and do what he was doing. This is working pretty well, but it is a slow process.
So my question: Is there anything more I could instruct my student to do to help Priority adjust to this crupper? I don't want to punish the horse for something that is uncomfortable to him, but I can't take the crupper off either. Both the vet and the chiropractor agreed that the crupper was the best solution to helping his shoulders. He's adjusting to it ok, but if there's anything more I can do to help them, I'd love to hear about it.
So, they got a crupper and naturally, his shoulders are feeling better, he's moving better. All things have improved. Except, Priority does not like his crupper too much. If it shifts on his tail in some way, he bucks. They aren't terrible bucks and I understand that the best thing we can do is to simply work through them. In fact, we're doing this. I've told his owner to sit the bucks as quietly as possible and to keep asking Priority to work, make no fuss, just keep asking him to go forward and do what he was doing. This is working pretty well, but it is a slow process.
So my question: Is there anything more I could instruct my student to do to help Priority adjust to this crupper? I don't want to punish the horse for something that is uncomfortable to him, but I can't take the crupper off either. Both the vet and the chiropractor agreed that the crupper was the best solution to helping his shoulders. He's adjusting to it ok, but if there's anything more I can do to help them, I'd love to hear about it.