I hate when we walk through past the quarry because a lot of people have throwed out plastic bottles, sometimes with their tops on and when we step on them crinkles and makes little pop sound LOL  So far I have not gotten a blow up from anyone about it but im sure one day its gonna spook one of them.  My stepsons horse doesnt like crinkle bottles on the ground but if you drink while riding he doesnt seem to care... at least so far LOL  I have found storing treats in them and shaking the treats out of it has helped when they think its a treat dispenser....

 

Michelle Blount-Jordan and the Rottnterv gang
www.doghuman.com     www.doghuman.com/cedarcrest

----- Original Message -----

From: tana bryan

To: MulesOnly@yahoogroups.com

Sent: Friday, February 10, 2012 12:01 AM

Subject: [MulesOnly] good for me to find out now about this fear

 

Well I was doing ground work with my mule Taluka and I walked her over to where I had a nearly empty water bottle to get a drink and my gosh, but she freaked out when the bottle made crinkly noises!    I can only imagine if I had been riding and myself or someone close by had a water bottle...so scary to my silly mule.  I spend quite a bit of time working her with the bottle and having her touch it, but she was still terrified.  So, I guess I will leave it out in the training area and when we are working, I will carry the bottle and make the crackly bottle noises and drop it, etc. This is something I cannot avoid and she must get used to it.   She is very funny about noises.  She hates the velcro noises too and will not get over them. Coats that fasten at the wrist with velcro are a real problem.  Same for fly masks, etc.    They all sure get their silly unexplainable quirks, don't they?  Mine is sillier than most, don't know why.  I wonder if she will ever mature enough to be really safe to ride.  Tana in Wa.