Are You Overwhelming Your Horse?

 

This isn’t about repeating something mindlessly over and over. Repetition can do two things, it either causes your horse to mentally shut down and check out – seemingly quiet – until you change

something and he “suddenly blows up,” or you continue putting him in overwhelming scenarios that overwhelm his mind (i.e. then the spook happens.)

So what can you do?  Start the conversation and strengthen your foundation before emotions build up in your horse.  Learn how to address the horse’s brain first. Help him learn to look where he is going (folks are amazed by how many horses never literally see what is in front of them due to anticipation), before he moves.

Reassess both his and your understanding of pressure and how you communicate from the ground. Can you influence his brain, then his movement? Does he mentally check in with you by habit, or is his brain a half mile away from his body? If he isn’t mentally able to “hear” you, and he is defensive towards how you communicate, his stress will continually increase. Once overwhelmed, your horse will literally run away from it.

Set Personal Goals

Some personal goals to consider:

• Rather than focusing on the obvious – his movement, start to focus on subtle behavioral nuances your horse offers regarding his mental and emotional state.
• Find a quality trainer (this can take a lot of effort) to help you learn this approach and who can teach you how to have a respectful conversation with your horse.
• Learn to believe the horse when he shows initial concern.
• Learn how to support your horse mentally through his worry and bother, rather than just containing him physically.

Eliminate Reactionary Behavior

As your skills develop, you will learn to read your horse, recognizing his thoughts before he commits to a behavior.  This eliminates the “wondering when he will do something” or the “suddenly” moments and builds your confidence.  The horse will learn to think through bothersome moments and to “check in” with you, offering you an opportunity to direct how he should handle it.  This increases your safety and decreases the chance of dramatic reactionary behavior.

Offering this support and clearly thinking through the unknown lets the horse learn how to physically soften in moments of insecurity or stress, rather than build in defensiveness and tightness.  When he learns to relax through your guidance, his defensive reactivity will decrease, without you “making” him do anything. The more thoughtful and confident the horse is, the less reactive or “spooky” his behavior.

No Quick Fixes

This isn’t a quick fix. It requires your commitment and mental presence.  Learning to have emotional empathy and offering clear leadership allows you to accurately evaluate your partnership with your horse. In the long run, you’ll gain clarity, positive leadership skills, timely decision making abilities, effective communication, and participate in the partnership by supporting your horse, clearing the way to the amazing, emotionally fulfilling moments we all dream about.