How to Desensitize a Colt With Ropes

A major part of training a horse is to get him desensitized to many objects that seem scary. Every horse should be desensitized to ropes at the beginning of his training. This teaches him not to panic when ropes, straps, vines or even wire fence is tangled around him. Desensitizing a colt makes him safer to be around and a more dependable horse for the future. Learn how to desensitize a colt with ropes and start your horse's education today.

Things You'll Need

  • Halter
  • Lunge line
  • Round pen
  • Roping rope/lariat
  • Saddle
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Instructions

    • 1

      Saddle the horse completely and tighten the girth. If the horse is wearing a bridle, unclip the reins or tie them back to the saddle so that they are loose and not pulling on the bit. Put a halter and lunge line on the horse.

    • 2

      Tighten the loop on the lariat so that it is very small. Place the loop over the top of the saddle horn and tighten it. Hold the lunge line in one hand and the lariat in the other hand.

    • 3

      Send the horse around the round pen so that he is trotting in a circle around you. Let him get comfortable trotting around before doing anything with the lariat. Hold it steady in your opposite hand. To make the horse turn and go the other way, step toward his face, tug gently on the lunge line and send him the other way. He will turn toward you and then go the other way. Switch hands and hold the lunge line and lariat in the opposite hands.

    • 4

      Start swinging and shaking the lariat so that the horse can see it. If he spooks or jumps, let him, but make him continue trotting and going in a circle. Shake the lariat so that it lands on his rear, touches his legs and sides and makes contact with different body parts. Continue to do this until he no longer jumps when the rope touches him.

    • 5

      Flip the lariat over his rear so that it is lying on the other side of him and coming around behind him. Pull gently so that he feels pressure on his rear. Keep this going until you can put pressure on him without him jumping.

    • 6

      Allow the lariat to drop down and then pull it up so that it is between his rear and his tail. Pull it up until it is right at the top under his tail. Most horses don't like this and will jump. Keep the lariat here until he trots around without jumping.

    • 7

      Let the lariat fall again while the horse is trotting. Give the lariat enough slack so that it can catch on the horse's rear legs, the front legs until he is trotting with the lariat tangled through his legs. This gets him used to working with ropes and things touching his legs without causing him to panic. If at any point the lariat gets tight, stop and remove it from his legs. A lariat can cause rope burn if it pulls tight against the skin.

    • 8

      Stop the horse and remove the lariat from the saddle horn. Let the horse stand calmly for a few minutes and then work him again without the lariat. Do all of these steps a few times a week and your horse will be completely unafraid of ropes or staps touching him or lying on him. You can repeat this training at any time, even on older horses.