In the last issue, we discussed some of the reasons why horses spook. This is important for us to understand if we are to control the horse’s "fright then flight" instinct which we encounter in all horses to some degree. Understanding that a horse is wired differently than we are and therefore reacts in what may seem to be unusual ways, enables us to anticipate a spook and deal with it in a calm, rational manner, and with corrections that are appropriate and well timed. We also touched on some common misconceptions about shying and unproductive ways of dealing with it. I’ll outline a method that works for me when a horse does a "double take" at some foreign object at home or at a horse show.

THE GAME PLAN

There is an arena where I have ridden with storage areas under the seating accessible by opening a wire cage-like door on the arena wall. These dark, cavernous chambers house jumps, standards and wild bears (or so it would seem to most of the horses I have ridden there). This is how I deal with the situation. First, in my attempt to think like a horse, I anticipate he WILL spook at the cage. I am always on the lookout for potential danger and ride defensively although with relaxation.

My goal is for my horse to carry on with his job and focus on me as he travels by an object that concerns him. In this case, I want him to stay focused on me rather than the cage, so I’ll keep him busy on a circle past it rather than walking him up directly to it. To walk up and let him smell the cage would legitimize it as something that’s worthy of running from. I have seen people, while allowing their horse to investigate the spooky object, move it or bang it, making noise it wouldn’t otherwise make, and compounding the problem. I believe in minimizing the danger and, as his herd leader, I want my horse to trust me and respect me when I request that he goes by something scary.

I will never start a battle I don’t think I can win, so in this case my circle past the cage will start several metres from it. As my horse stays focused on me at this distance, I’ll move in closer. As I approach it, I’ll observe his head start to elevate and his ears prick forward towards the object of his interest. I will respond immediately because if I react too slowly, and let him zoom in fully on the cage, I’m likely to get a full blown spook. It’s best to nip it in the bud. With my inside rein, I’ll pull directly back towards my hip to ask my horse to tip his nose to the inside of my circle. If he still strains to look at the cage, I’ll use a squeezing motion on the rein with my hand to get his attention. I’ll see his inside ear turn back to listen to me, and I’ll feel him step away from my inside leg as I use it to prevent him from escaping to the inside of the circle. The ears are an excellent indication of the horse’s concentration – if I can keep that ear focused on me then I can be pretty sure he won’t jump.

Repetition is very important when training horses, so I will continue to the circle in the same manner until I’m getting no reaction past the cage, and then I’ll bring my circle in closer.

Training horses can be simplified as making a series of requests or "yes’s" and "no’s". I make sure I say "yes" immediately when the horse yields to my hand and turns his attention to me by softening the rein. By doing so I make passing the cage a pleasant experience.

When my horse is no longer reacting negatively, I’ll turn and pass it from the other direction because, as we discussed in the last article, a horse’s brain is not set up to cross information from one side to the other, unlike a human’s. The object may be just a ghastly coming from the left!

DO YOUR HOMEWORK

I tell my students to practice hard, to set up situations in their practice time that challenge their horses and themselves, perhaps creating conditions even more difficult than they would likely encounter in the show ring. I will set up spooky objects, ride beside a group of horses turned out together, and have colourful horse show banners on the walls in my arena. I require my horse to maintain his focus in spite of these distractions.

AND ABROAD…

At a horse show, it’s important to get into the show ring to get your horse desensitized to anything that might capture his attention. Leave enough time to go through the process outlined above, because as the saying goes, "If you train a horse as if you have all day, it may take fifteen minutes. If you train as if you only have fifteen minutes, it may take all day." It’s important not to rush.

A FINAL WORD

Although every horse shies from time to time, some horses are spookier than others. To have to go through this process every day with every new sight is very frustrating, and although with patience the behaviour can be modified, it has been my experience that most flighty horses remain so. When I look for a horse, a naturally "sold blooded" disposition is right up at the top of my priority list. Hopefully, then, controlling a spook will not need to be an everyday process and you can concentrate on real riding.

Lindsay Grice