The most bizarre award goes to...
The sandbox horse training apparatus (Richardson, no first name, 1976). Anyone care to guess what this is about? At first I thought it would be litterbox training, but what's with the horsey TV?
Also ran...
US Patent 5775071 - Device and method for correcting the gait of a bad gaited horse. This one has "rope burns" written all over it.
And then we have...
Equine training aid balancer, Patent 4004403. When you are really specific about where you want your horse to carry his head...
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Ok, I thought I'd seen some strange things but these take the cake.
ReplyDeleteWow, what in the world is that one with the sand for?? Is the whole stall filled? Very strange, but interesting....
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh at the really specific head carriage ;)
ReplyDeleteThe sand thing - don't quote me on that but I seem to recall watching a documentary about taming wild horses (mustangs etc) and someone was saying that immersing an animal in sand stops it from developing panic attacks. You can then back a horse without it being stressful to the animal. Something to do with the 'womb like feeling of safety...
???
Hey! I saw the sand one demonstrated on TV a few years ago (PBS)! They were discussing autism in people and how restricting their movements when they were extremely anxious (like a forced hug)was calming to them. Then they demonstrated this type apparatus with sand on a horse and showed the physiological signs of relaxation when the horse was up to his neck in sand. Too bad deep sand dressage isn't feasible.
ReplyDeleteHi, I am a guide dog raiser in Seattle, WA. The puppy I am currently raising is named Shep. I love your blog and I love reading about other people's pet experiences. I also have a website where I sell pet supplies and i have a blog on it also about guide dogs. I built the site to try and help raise money for guide dogs and other animal charities.
ReplyDeleteI knew the man who invented the sandbox horse training apparatus, who is currently deceased, a very wonderful man and an important part of the history of our area. I have never seen it working. It's a way of de-spooking a horse.
ReplyDeleteI got my horses from him and have only good things to say. It's hard from the little diagram to understand what he's talking about. His son broke my gelding.
I knew the man who invented this sandbox apparatus. I got both of my horses from him, and his son helped me to break my gelding. He was a wonderful man, a great dad of a lot of kids, and an important part of local history. Miss him greatly.
ReplyDelete