Whooaaa!!

[Turkeygirl]

Took a ride on my horse this AM. Decided after working him a little bit in our make-shift ring, to go out and ride a couple fields. He's young, 4, but does well. Well I round the corner of some pines on the field edge and there's a hen sitting in the sun, 10 feet if that! Well my horse looks at it like what in the world, I'm thinking boy I hope he doesn't spook. Well turkey takes of in the air and my horse spins and bolts the other way! Thank goodness for leather chaps...took a few seconds (which seemed like forever) to get him slowed down and stopped), he was bolting at a gallop...Managed to walk him back through that area a couple times and he was fine. Coming home though he didn't like this rumbly old pick-up with 2 kayaks on top...didn't spook too bad but he's still skittish at times.

So now there is a jake decoy with a plastic bag tied to in the pasture;):1eye:

If anyone else has owned/trained horses and have some tips for getting horses used to flying critters and vehicles, let me know. Just need to get him more experienced to it, but I can live with out the turkey...too much adrenaline for me:jaw:

[sskybnd]

try sitting on the tail gate of the pick up and hold the lead rope let some one drive it slowly down the road, and a few sugar cubes wont hurt.

[Jeramie]

The best way to train a horse is time in the Saddle. Sounds Cliche but honestly thats about the best exposure he can get.

I havent broke a horse in years but we use to ride them every day and in several different situations for exposure. It is bar none the best way to get it done.

[wtnhunt]

Conditioning. Can be done form the saddle or the ground. Guessing the movement of the bird bothered the horse more than the turkey itself, a stationary decoy might not do you any good. Plastic garbage bags may be the ticket Ruth, be sure to work both sides of the horse. Consider bags attached to a pole to simulate a moving bird.

Unless you are going to use a loud vehicle or other loud motor(chainsaw), the only way to condition to sound is time in the saddle where the horse will get that exposure.