What Does it Mean to Have a B-52 “Bomberproof” Horse?
Every once in a while, we receive an EC Photo of the Day submission that deserves a little, extra, special attention. The old adage that says, “a picture is worth a thousand words,” is based on the idea that one still shot can convey much more about a situation than a lengthy description ever could. We like to call these our “no caption necessary” photos.
Although a picture may be worth a thousand words, sometimes it’s helpful to have a little extra explanation. Therefore, we contacted Jennifer Dolby, the rider featured in the photo, to gain a bit more insight into this intriguing image. In the photo, the Michigan-based horse trainer poses for a candid photo op after winning a senior western pleasure class at a local show aboard Certainly Not Shy.
While Dolby is all smiles for the camera, her mount, a 7-year-old gelding named “Ace,” seems to be focused on something in the background. It’s a bird… it’s a plane… it’s Super… Actually, in this case, it is a plane, a massive B-52 bomber to be exact.
“We were at the Michigan Quarter Horse Association show in Ludington, called the Harbor Classic, over the Fourth of July weekend,” she says. “[Where the plane is taking off] is not a private airport, but they have a lot of charters that go out of there. The runway is right behind the show pen and one of our work pens.”
“You know what’s really funny? I’ve been coming up here since I was twelve, so for nine years, and I’ve never seen one horse, whether it’s a 2-year-old or a 12-year-old, spook from a plane. It’s a really nice facility that’s just down the road from Lake Michigan.”
Although Ace appears to be unfazed by the spectacle that’s going on just a few feet away, it’s not hard to imagine a pen of not-so-easygoing pleasure horses not being very fond of a large jet-powered aircraft taking off in such close proximity. For Dolby and Ace, who specialize in obstacle-driven events such as trail, it’s just another day’s work.
“He’s definitely very broke,” she says. “Nancy Christensen bought him as a 4-year-old, and we started putting trail on him. Two years ago, we went to the Big A and showed at the Stars N Stripes and won the Junior Trail circuit.”
“At the property I’m on, we always do trail riding and just have fun with the horses. The horses are exposed to all kinds of different things. We always have helicopters or airplanes going overhead. There is an airport in the area, and the area is undergoing construction. There’s always either a dump truck or helicopter going by. Everything I train is taught by repetition. They learn on their own rather than having to be forced into it.”
Caption: Gives an entirely new meaning to having a bombproof horse.
According to Dolby, two training techniques she relies on to acclimate horses to unusual or frightening circumstances are repetition and repeated exposure. Although you may not have the luxury of a private runway in your own backyard, these basic principles can be applied to many common equine phobias, such as a fear of plastic bags, trash cans, shadows, clippers, loud noises, sudden movements… The list goes on and on.
“I would say that as far as going to places where [the horse] has some issue, it’s really about letting them figure it out on their own,” she says. “If you try to push them and make them get over it, they will never learn to get over it on their own. I use repetition and positive reinforcement while taking it calm and easy with them.”
Next up on the show schedule for Jennifer Dolby Performance Horses is the annual Michigan Breeders’ Futurity, which takes place Sept. 12-15 at the MSU Pavilion. Then, it’s on to the nearby Harvest Classic before attending the All American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio this fall.
We wonder if the techniques of repetition and repeated exposure might work for the often frightening walk down Congress Food Vendor row on the way to the Gillian Arena…
Remember, if you have a photo that you think could be our EC Photo of the Day send it to b.bevis@equinechronicle.com
