Exposure

Last season, Koda showed his extreme green-ness at each event or clinic we went to.  Everything new was terrifying, needed to be looked at hard, or spooked at.  Even while hacking around the cross country course or through the warm-up ring, fairly ordinary things (logs, jump standards, a coop, etc.) all "deserved" being stared at and spooked at.  Luckily, Koda isn't a dirty stop and spin kind of spooker, but is more of the bug-eyed and back up variety.  This winter and spring, the plan is to work on this and get him over going bug-eyed over every little thing.

On Pony Club day last Monday, we had a ton of stuff out in the arena to play around with, kind of like a mini trail obstacle class.  We had cones, barrels, the L, a box made of poles, swim noodles, a lariat, tarp to walk over, etc.  Koda handled everything with flying colours!  The only thing he had a small issue with was the tarp.  He did the bug-eyed bit with it, then walked right on it.  I think it may of had to do with the noise of the sand hitting the tarp threw him off, BUT he went across it, halted on it, walked, and trotted over it.  

I need to expose Koda to more different situations and weird things to help him overcome his spookiness.  Situations up here, like a show atmosphere can be hard to find, but I'm tempted to trailer to a rodeo or something for the atmosphere, and to get Koda used to all the other horses, smells, and sounds that come with.  Does anyone have any ideas about how to help Koda with his spookiness?  Any other things I should be exposing him to in an arena and elsewhere?  

And just because, here's a shot of the sunset while driving home from the barn :)