Training Tip: Expand the Comfort Zone

When you are desensitizing your horse to a new object, keep in mind that resistance is normal. Often, the reason for resistance is related to the horse’s desire for safety and comfort. Imagine a bull’s eye on a target. In the middle of this bull’s eye is your horse. The area around the bull’s eye is his Comfort Zone. He is familiar with everything that goes on in that area, and he is comfortable with it. When you first start working with your horse, his Comfort Zone will be very small, but the more you work with him and introduce new objects to him, the bigger his Comfort Zone will become.