Many riders learn on schoolmasters who rarely spook. Also, every horse spooks differently! So, how should we handle a spooky horse? Let’s take a look at some tips and techniques for this common challenge.
But, before we get started, I’d like to remind you that my Patreon will be up and running soon. If you’re looking for detailed content including audio recordings and illustrations breaking down specific exercises that will benefit you and your horse, my Patreon page is for you! Before I publish the link, I’ll have over an hour of content ready for you to explore. If you can’t afford a Patreon membership, no worries. My free content including the heart centered horsemanship podcast and this free blog won’t be going anywhere. With all that said, let’s get into today’s “Quick Tip.”
Spooking horses generally aren’t trying to act out and be disrespectful. Reasons for spooking can range from medical issues to confidence issues, to trigger stacking. If your horse is suddenly acting spooky without an environmental reason, it’s a good idea to have your vet out to be sure your horse isn’t in pain. Many medical issues can mimic or even cause spooky behavior. Therefore, it’s important to rule those out first.
Many people are taught to simply ride through spooking, but in order to understand and address the issue, it’s important to take a closer look at this behavior and how to handle it when it comes up. All horses have the potential to spook. They have a mind of their own and have the right to be afraid in certain situations, just like we do.
Horse and rider confidence are paramount in order to have clear communication during your ride. A young or green horse most likely hasn’t been exposed to many things. Since horses are flight animals, their first instinct when faced with a scary object is to run away. The more we expose our horses to different items and environments, the more comfortable the horse will become. Exposing your horse to different objects and environments is a great prevention measure to help lower the risk of your horse spooking in the first place. Rider confidence is also important. Horses can sense if their rider is anxious and will become more looky if they’re carrying a nervous human around. Be sure to focus on your breathing if you feel anxiety coming up. You can breathe deeply as you count strides, which helps shift your focus to the present instead of being concerned about what might happen if things escalate. When you’re more focused and present, you’ll have more capacity to help your horse settle down. Also, don’t be afraid to dismount and work your horse on the ground if you’re feeling overfaced. Safety is always first!
If your horse spooks, it’s important to have a plan for how to handle it. In an ideal world, this plan can be implemented and practiced before spooking even occurs. Stay assertive without getting angry with your horse as you ask him to bring his focus back to you. Many of us struggle to be assertive without getting frustrated. Think of encouraging your horse to focus by bringing your energy up in a playful yet confident manner. Think of how you can say to your horse “Hey, pay attention to me. I’ll help you relax. We’ve got this” with your energy. If you feel tension building in a horse and you know there’s a specific object causing this reaction, encourage investigative behavior from the ground. This is all about rewiring the flight instinct and praising a horse’s natural curiosity. If you force her past the object, she may put together the forceful cues with the object itself and react to the object with even more hesitation the next time. The goal is to get her to approach the object on her terms, sniff it, touch it, and relax around it before you even mount up. If you’re riding a horse who suddenly sees a scary object, keep him facing the object as his flight instinct fizzles out, and encourage any attempt to investigate it. This may manifest as standing still instead of trying to spin and bolt off at first. Praise that moment and be patient as your horse begins to feel safe and curious about the object.
There are a few ridden exercises that are my personal “go tos” to help nervous horses relax and focus on me. Frequent changes of direction, serpentines, and small circles help a horse focus and settle, because it helps release tension in their ribcage. If a horse knows shoulder in or half pass, I may ask for that. I may also ask for the horse to yield the hind end on a circle, drifting the quarters out to take some impulsion away from the hind legs, where the power comes from. As humans, many of us get that feeling of a knot in our stomach when we’re anxious and in turn, our abdomen and ribs may feel tense or locked up. Think about bending from side to side with your arms over your head while anxious. This movement pattern doesn’t mimic a tense and worried state of mind, and a calm body helps calm the nervous system. The same is true for horses. Many nervous horses are hesitant to bend and accept a more vulnerable posture. Through patient yet assertive bending exercises, their outline and body language will soften, and their concentration will return to their rider.
Your Frame of Mind
Its important not to think of this work in a negative light. Spooking is an opportunity to build confidence in your horse, be it on the ground or under saddle. It’s important for us, as riders, to allow fear to turn to curiosity on our horse’s terms. This is something we can’t force or rush. Stay patient, compassionate, and confident. If you show up like this for your horse time and time again, his confidence will grow too.
Enjoy your ride,
–Kimberly