Sacking out is an important training tool for horses! However, handling sacking out impeccably makes all the difference. When done improperly, sacking out can create lasting problems. When done properly, sacking out can help to create a "dream horse." The fruits of sacking out include: Safety. Confidence. Trust. Responsiveness. The easiest way to describe sacking out is to call it a method of desensitizing a horse. As you may know, horses are easily spooked by everyday objects. Even something as simple as a tarp whipping in the wind can startle a horse with dangerous results for both horse and rider if sacking out isn't done. The time for training is before horses are left to encounter "scary" objects under pressure. Let's cover the basics of sacking out! Addressing Misconceptions Many people assume that sacking out is designed to stop horses from being afraid of specific objects. However, this isn't the case. Training a horse not to be afraid of a specific object won't properly prepare the horse for unexpected objects that cause trepidation. As a result, the danger of having a horse startle when confronted with a fear-inducing object won't actually be reduced. Let's say that your horse is afraid of his saddle. While it's great if you can use training methods that allow the horse to accept the saddle without fear, you've only created a benefit for that situation. What happens if the next thing you discover is that your horse has a fear of the sound of bells? How dangerous will it be if the sound of car tires against the pavement makes your horse agitated? Life becomes a series of discovering fears after your horse has already had a negative reaction. In addition to being frustrating and discouraging, this is also dangerous. Sacking out is all about desensitizing a horse against a general fear of objects. It's designed to give horses a "toolkit" of instructions for how to react when they encounter objects that cause fear. In fact, veterinarians often refer to sacking out as "systematic desensitization." Some people assume that sacking out means teaching a horse to be recklessly fearless. This is also wrong. The goal isn't to train horses to charge forward to tackle dangerous things! The goal is to provide training to ensure that a horse can maintain composure to carefully follow directions provided by the rider or trainer when "scary" objects are encountered. Here's the Real Benefit The goal of sacking out is to change the way a horse reacts to scary, unfamiliar sounds and objects in every environment. Of course, that doesn't mean creating a horse that's numb to its surroundings. Horses should be highly sensitive and responsive when it comes to what's happening around them! It's very dangerous if a horse is ignoring its environment. The ideal horse is one that observes "scary" objects without having an immediate response. The horse should be willing to pause while waiting for cues from its trainer or rider. What's more, a well-trained horse will be willing to investigate the source of the fear carefully without having a reaction. When Is the Best Time to Start? Youth provides a great advantage when it comes to sacking out. Just how young should a horse be for sacking out? Most trainers begin this process immediately after birth. The post-birth period should include exposure to a wide variety of stimuli. However, there's no room for cruelty or neglect during the first hours of life for the sake of sacking out. Here's a rundown of what responsible training looks like: The foal should stay suckling in a comfortable, safe environment. Unthreatening stimuli of different varieties should be presented constantly. Touch is important! Simply rubbing a soft cloth over the foal is important. Also touch the ears, tail, and legs. Run a soft brush all over the foal's body. Gently pat the foal with an open hand. Exposure to stimuli immediately after birth is so important for training reliable, people-friendly horses. However, these techniques can be used on an older horse that was not desensitized earlier. Many trainers prefer to start at a distance with older horses. This can include shaking objects at the horse. While anything that rattles is fine, many trainers prefer to fill a trash bag with empty soda cans to create a loud sound. This also creates a nice tool for the next step. After shaking an object at the horse, rub that object over the horse's body. You'll then instruct the horse to respond to specific cues. The trick here is that you will lift the object from the horse's body when he responds to your cues! Many trainers then move to a more advanced version of sacking out that requires the horse to be placed in a stall, pen, or other enclosure while the trainer introduced different stimuli. The horse will then receive praise each time it relaxes in response to the objects or sounds being presented. What will ultimately happen is that the horse will become so desensitized to stimulation that it will actually begin to act bored. This is ultimately the goal of this form of training. Putting Training to Use in Real Life Sacking out can be important for a horse that is bound for the trails! During training, the trainer or rider should be teaching the horse to respond specifically to bridle cues. You're using a safe, controlled environment to teach the horse to rely on your cues instead of its own instinct to know what to do next. The horse should learn bridle cues that will be put in use when stressful, unpredictable situations pop up on the trail long before the horse ever steps foot on the trial. Why Is This Type of Training Necessary? Horses are born with natural defensive instincts that allow them to escape predators. They inherited these instincts from their ancestors to survive in the wild. Keep in mind that only horses with the fastest response times survived throughout history! These defenses are triggered by all types of stimulation. It's important to understand that horses will wildly fight for their lives using their full strength when they feel threatened. A horse doesn't know the difference between a tarp in the wind and a predator. Horses that haven't been properly desensitized will kick, bite, strike and run when faced with a threat. Considerations Sacking out should always be a safe, stress-free situation for both trainer and horse. While the stimuli provided will cause some degree of anxiety for the horse, it's important to avoid creating distress. Stop all training if your horse begins to strike, kick or bite aggressively. You should also stop training if you feel uncomfortable at any point. A calm trainer with control over the situation is essential for sacking out to be successful. It's advisable to have a partner when conducting training for your horse for safety purposes. In addition to monitoring the situation, a partner may help you with heavier objects that you need to lift while creating sounds or "wind reactions" during training. Finally, sacking out needs to be done in a safe, controlled area. Ensure that there are no objects that could harm your horse in the immediate vicinity. It's also best to do this training away from other people in case your horse bolts. Consider using a certified trainer if you don't have experience with sacking out. Final Thoughts Remember that sacking out is all about building a partnership with your horse! This process should be done with care, patience, and kindness. It also requires dedication on the part of the trainer. Sacking out isn't something that's done in a single session. It requires hours of dedicated work to ensure that your horse becomes comfortable with many different forms of stimulation.
