Sometimes the littlest things scare horses and that’s fairly typical. By nature they’re prey animals, so when out-of-the-ordinary things happen, they’re going to get spooked. You also have to remember that as animals, they can be unpredictable from time-to-time. Keeping all this in mind, it’s crucial to know how to keep things under control when your horse gets scared.
Animals can either fight, flight, or freeze when dealing with a threat, and most horses will choose the flight approach. But it’s conceivable they could choose the other two options. No matter what you encounter, here’s a few steps to consider when you’re faced with a horse that’s feeling jittery.
Keep him relaxed
Your horse is a lot like any of us: the more relaxed he is, the less likely he’ll get scared of small things. Their eyes can see almost all the way around their body, and they’re taking in everything around them. Your assurance and calm demeanor will rub off on him. If they see you tense, they’ll reflect that. The more they see you calm, they’ll show that, too.
Desensitize him
A novice rider may not be able to desensitize him, but an experienced rider or trainer certainly could. If your horse gets afraid of a specific item all the time, help him to ignore the object and slowly get closer to the object, little by little. This will help from not forcing him to go full-bore, straight toward something that’s scaring him.
Teach him to focus on you
It’s a good idea to teach your horse to focus more on you, which helps him to be less distracted by other silly things. You can do this with plenty of ground work, then while riding use your bend to keep him focused. Of course, all of this puts more pressure on you to remain calm in every situation, since horses feed off of your emotion. Help him to take cues from you, the rider.
Don’t make a big deal out of it
Don’t overreact when your horse does get frightened. Just stay relaxed, focus on your balance and work on getting the horse under control if he gets jumpy. If you get stiff, yank on the reins, push your horse or start to clamp with your legs it will only make things worse. Your best bet is to act like the scare never happened and proceed as usual.
Keep him around other horses who are calm
Horses not only feed off you, but other horses. When they’re in a group and one gets scared, others will pick up on it. So if you’re on a ride with others, let the more confident horse lead and the others behind him will learn how to relax better.
