Horses are prey animals by nature and therefore have a very strong flight instinct when they perceive a potential threat. This keeps them alive in the wild but can become bothersome and sometimes dangerous in domesticated life. This is stressful for the horse as well as the owner!

We must learn how to work with this as it is how horses are wired. Accepting that this is their nature is the first step to learning how to deal properly with spooking issues. Next you need to learn tools on the ground and under saddle (such as the one-rein stop) to help regain control of your horse, keep their mind focused, and reassure them that the world is not a scary place.

Groundwork, desensitization, and time spent building a horse’s confidence are key to helping your horse be able to start thinking through scary situations instead of just reacting to them. Expose them to as many external stimuli as you can. The more they see, experience, and work through the more calm and confident they will be and the more fun you will have together!

(free photo from Canva - https://www.canva.com/ )

~ Saddle Up