Brother & Sister Officers and Friends

Our mission is to support you and provide the most professional Mounted Police Training and personal training available today.  We have been a resource of Mounted Police information for the past 30 years and a lifetime of horse owners, trainers and show persons.  

From our family to yours, Our sincere friendship,

 Darlene and Terry Geiser

Sgt. Darlene Geiser (retired) and Chief Pilot Instructor Terry Geiser (retired)

Mounted Police School Directors and Chief Instructors, for SPI and Geiser Equine

  Following is a reprint of a current article written by us that was in the Florida Horse & Pony newspaper:

“DE-SENSITIZING”

FOR A SAFER TRAIL, PLEASURE AND SHOWHORSE

             by   Terry and Darlene Geiser

            You are enjoying a trail ride with nature’s trees, birds and the absence of city sounds. Or you may be in a show ring along the rail with a steady gait.  In a moments flash your quiet horse shies and jumps sideways.  Apparently he or she saw something you didn’t, but this time you stayed on.  The judge was looking   directly at you.  The first thought is, “What was that all about?”

            This is the same question I ask myself during my years of riding and training police horses daily in downtown Jacksonville.  It was the ultimate equine environmental challenge of traffic, people, surface changes, echoes from buildings and always the unexpected new horse bugger.  Building courage and   understanding why a horse shies is the first step to training for the “Assertive Horse”. This is a horse with a “NO Fear” attitude and behavior which creates the safer horse for trail, pleasure or the show ring.  Let’s first look at several reasons why the horse shies:

                  *Horses have keen senses of sight, hearing, smell and touch.

         *Horses have monocular as well as binocular vision, thus they have two sight patterns and can also see with one sight pattern when looking forward.  This vision allows them to see more than we do, thus allowing for the shy, that we do not understand or perhaps not see what they see.

            *Horses see some colors.  Seeing the yellow McDonald’s wrapper in the green bush or on the brown ground looks very scary.  The same for the blue rag hung on a tree branch.

            *Horses are flight animals.  They will run from what they are afraid of, as horses are animals of prey, which means everything is frightful to them.

            *Shying is accomplished in several ways: turns to the left or right, stop, jump up, spin a 180 degree about and other creative maneuvers, as we all have experienced.

  *HORSES SHY FROM HEIGHT AND MOTION

             Now that you realize the natural reasons a horse shies, lets look at the human influence:  

            *When your horse shies, what do you do to calm him down, or      yourself?

-         Did you yell and grip tight?

-         Did you spin to the left and continue the left movement?

-         Did you bring your horse back to the frightful spot?

-         Did you dismount?

-         What was your body position?

The shying horse must be controlled by the rider, thus reassuring the scared horse that all is okay and safe.  Let’s look at the mechanics of a shy.  First, the horse approaches a tree on the right side of the trail.  Something moves on the tree, in a flash and he spins to the left. The rider pulls tight on the reins, grips tight with the legs and pats the horse on the neck to calm him down.  Since the horse spun to the left the rider continued the turn all the way around.  Finally the horse is standing quietly some distance from the bugger tree.  Now what to do?  Do you turn around and go the other way or try it again beside the tree? Of course, these were all the wrong moves.  Now let’s fix it.

Same tree, same horse and same rider.  Mr. Squirrel does the same thing, running up the tree trunk.  The horse, Beau, who is a beautiful black Quarter Horse, is quietly walking down the trail when all of a sudden, he sees Mr. Squirrel.  The response is a quick left spin.  At this point you should put left leg pressure on his side and bring him back to the right with direct contact on the right rein and indirect contact on the left rein.  As you move into the object your contact focuses on the left rein moving sideways and then facing the object.  You do not jerk him around as this may cause a rear.  You also do not continue the left spin as this would actually train your horse to spin when shying.  You must counter his movements.  No petting on his neck at this point.  You should face what he is afraid of, calm him with your voice getting him to stand and look with both eyes at Mr. Squirrel.  At this point a reward of petting and stroking his neck is required for a positive training experience.  Yes, training is what you do when you ride; either training or un-training.  Let’s all train when we ride, as horses learn through example and repetition.  The more we ride, the more they learn.  Now you are ready to quietly pass the tree and continue the trail ride.

Do not dismount a frightened horse.  This horse is extremely hard to hold and will most likely bolt, running free from you and the tree.  You are also more prone to being injured by your horse, as his natural state at this point is the flight syndrome.  This will teach him nothing.  

             TRAINING METHODS TO BUILD THE ASSERTIVE HORSE  

Building the assertive horse starts slow and low.  Remember that horses shy from height and motion.  Lets first gain control of his head and vision, directing both where we want them.  Work with ground poles, or pool noodles work great for this; they are low, soft, colorful and safe.  As his confidence is gaining bring the noodles higher, as on top of a barrel, and walk by them.  Have a ground person rub him all over.  Then you, as the rider, take the noodle and rub him.  When touching a horse with objects always work on the blind spots, as well.  Go slow.

We like to use balls because they again, as the noodles, are soft, colorful and safe.  You will be able to get motion with the balls.  Remember small to large.  The horse will go forward into the ball, however as the ball approaches the horse, he may shy.  Always allow your horse to move into the balls until he builds enough confidence to stand quietly as the ball comes to him.  Go slow and watch the horse’s reaction gently.  Move along in the training at the horse’s pace.  Your ultimate goal is for your horse to move around the balls and ride him as someone throws the balls at you, without a reaction.  You are training for a “Conditioned Response of NO Response.” ©  

 THE HORSE TRAINING BALL by GEISER EQUINE  

         We have developed the strongest bladder ball in the market for horses.  It is designed with a colorful soccer cover which resists biting and kicking.  You may introduce the ball in a positive manner then simply place this ball in the paddock or training ring with your horse and watch his reaction.  He should play with it, pushing and kicking it, even making it fly in the air.  As horses shy from height and motion, the horse will eventually build that needed “Assertive Attitude”. 

         Many other trainers are now using our ball, such as Michael Richardson.

Training for any task takes time, understanding and patience.  We do offer clinics on Trail Safety, which encompasses de-sensitizing, traffic training and personal self-defense for trail riders. 

Should you be interested in hosting a school or Clinic: please contact us as soon as possible.  Remember that our mounted police schools are college accredited through the Southern Police Institute/University of Louisville, Kentucky.  You can receive many benefits for hosting a school not only for your unit, but also your agency.

Please log onto our training schedule, the photos’ page to see your friends, and the equipment page to purchase some great Mounted Police items, which include the Police Neck Ropes, Leather Halter/Bridle Combos and our new Horse Training Ball!  WOW, there is a great new safety product for your horses!  Look and see…