Word of the Day- Anticipative Horses

Anticipate- Many horses tend to be mentally ahead of where they are physically because of concern. The action or movements of the horse tend to be exaggerated and over-reactive mentally and behaviorally. 

Contributors causing a horse to become anticipative can include:

•  lack of confidence
•  lack of clear communication from the rider
•  riders that "drive" the horse rather than help them learn to think through scenarios
•  riders that don't offer a clear mental and physical release when the horse tries  

Because the horse is mentally unsure,  it limits his ability to be mentally available or willing to accept the human's influence. This causes excessive, undesired, and sometimes dangerous movement. This often leads to a vicious cycle creating fear in both the horse and human.