The dreaded fireworks and thunder/lightning
Among the most horribly traumatic experiences that many pets and horses experience is the completely incomprehensible event of fireworks. For many pets and horses, thunder and lightning can also be a very scary event.
When those events come in real life, it is not just the sounds that may contribute to fear, the visible fanfare can be scary as well.
Video therapy (experimental)
The idea behind the video therapy is to experiment with showing your pet or horse the visible stimuli.
Your pet or horse may get to know and get used to these visible stimuli, and that may have the effect that they are less likely to be fearful when they encounter the real phenomena. However, we cannot give any promises. Each pet or horse is different, and the equipment of owners are different too.
The video therapy should be done on a large flat screen TV or perhaps with a wall projector, with your pet or horse relatively close to the screen. The image "windows" on the screen are of varied sizes, very small in Step 1, up to covering the entire screen in Step 5. The sounds are very low in Step 1, up to full volume in Step 5, just like in the noise therapy.
You will get access to the steps one after the other, in the same way as in the noise phobia therapy. This process is independent, i.e. you always start the video therapy at step 1. If you have reached Step 4 in the noise therapy, you will start the video therapy at Step 1, not at Step 4.
Video window sizes
Step 1: The video window covers around 4% of the screen. Sound is very, very low.
Step 2: 11%. Sound is a bit louder.
Step 3: 25% (half of the width of the screen). Sound is of medium volume.
Step 4: 50%. Sound is quite loud.
Step 5: 100% (full width of the screen). Sound is at full volume.
Set the volume and play
Set the volume on your TV or home cinema loudspeakers using the piano tune Volume Anchor video below.
Below that you can play a sample of the five steps videos.
Don't do this when your pet or horse is present in the location.
Find the right volume setting
Play the piano tune video to the right (below) to set the volume on your TV, wall projector or home cinema loudspeakers.
The volume setting should be so that the piano music is at a good and clear listening level, not very low like soft dinner music at a restaurant, not extremely loud like a rock concert.
You can write down the volume setting (if there is a number or a scale that shows the volume). This is the volume setting you will use each time you play the therapy videos in all the Steps from 1 to 5.
If there are no numbers or scale visible, then you would need to play the piano tune video before each session to set the volume.
(The piano tune is Prelude in C Major by Johan Sebastian Bach, recorded specially for WeStopFear by a professional pianist.)
Fireworks samples video
Play the video on full screen setting.
Thunder and lightning samples video
Play the video on full screen setting.
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