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Kim Baker Horse Guru BlogGreat tips, advice, information and so much more from Kim Baker the Horse Guru. Desensitize Your Horse - What Does that Really Mean?
Desensitize Your Horse - What Does that Really Mean? If we look at the definition of desensitize and paraphrase, it means to make dull. The dictionary defines the term as follows: Definition of DESENSITIZE 1: to make (a sensitized or hypersensitive individual) insensitive or nonreactive to a sensitizing agent 2: to make emotionally insensitive or callous; specifically : to extinguish an emotional response (as of fear, anxiety, or guilt) to stimuli that formerly induced it — de·sen·si·ti·za·tion noun — de·sen·si·tiz·er noun Medical Definition of DESENSITIZE : to make less sensitive : reduce sensitivity in <desensitize a nerve with a local anesthetic>: as a : to make (a sensitized or hypersensitive individual) insensitive or nonreactive to a sensitizing agent b : to extinguish an emotional response (as of fear, anxiety, or guilt) to stimuli which formerly induced it : make emotionally insensitive <evidence that violence on television desensitizes children to actual violence—Stephanie Harrington> The question becomes, do we really want to make our horses insensitive, or emotionally insensitive? Re-read the last line of part b of the medical definition inside the karats ( < > ). That is a very powerful statement and I believe a reflection of what we see happening with violence in schools and around the world. Do we want the same fate for our horses? |