Top Horse Help Internet Searches for Horse Problems Behaviors
Five Things People Type Into a Search Bar at 11pm
Most of what brings people to articles like this one isn't curiosity. It's the specific, quiet kind of panic that happens after something has gone wrong. whether on one occassion, or the final interaction that triggers an overwhelming fear in the human, as you replay the event over and over, unsure of where to turn, or who to ask for help...
I've received thousands of questions over the last three decades through my orignial "Ask the Trainer" forum, during consults, in the Alternative Horsemanship™ Facebook group, etc. People usually are not asking the "right" questions- instead, they are concerned with things like, "what is wrong with my horse," and underneath that, the hard to admit, "am I good enough to help my horse," or, "is this my fault."
Below are five of the top searched horse behavior help searches (according to Google) — followed by a reframing of the question to focus on the root cause, versus symptomatic behavior(s).
1. "Why won't my horse load in the trailer?"
The searcher wants a technique. A rope trick, a physical tool to "fix" the resistance, or to be inspired by a video of someone calmly walking a horse onto a trailer in ninety seconds while the comments fill with "wow, magic touch."
Root Cause: How have I prepared my horse to trailer load- away from the trailer? I.e. how does he feel about physical and spatial pressure? Can I separate directing his through from his movement? Is he defensive towards how I am communicating? Do I address his counteroffers?
Trailer loading isn't a loading problem. It's a relationship question that happens to show up as the "stakes are raised"- pressure is increased at the trailer. He's asked to walk into a small, dark, enclosed space with no way to see what's behind him — based entirely on whether he believes the human standing there has correctly assessed that it's safe. Most horses haven't learned how to think, search, and try during their education. The trailer didn't cause an issue- if reflected the areas that have not been addressed in teaching the horse to be adaptable and willing.
2. "Why is my horse hard to catch?"
This one usually arrives with assumptions that creates a human story — "he used to be fine, and now the second he sees the halter he's gone to the other end of the field."
The symptomatic question focuses on the catching. The root cause question is: When about our previous interactions has taught my horse to anticipate, causing my presence to be something he now tries to avoid, and how do I undo that?
A horse that's hard to catch isn't being difficult or to wreck your day. He is protecting himself. If during his learning with the human, he consistently is triggered to be in a fearful or defensive state- he has learned to avoid being near people to keep himself "safe." The hundreds of seemingly insignificant moments (to the person) have repetitously reinforced his lack of trust: a slight increase of tension as the human approaches, a lifting of the head as he is haltered, heavy and slow or walking too fast when lead, fidgeting and fussing when tied or tacked- these all reflect internal chaos. Without taking the time to understand what is triggering, the horse is asked to "contain" his concern- until he no longer can... then he's typically reprimanded for acting out... from there he learns to avoid humans.
3. "Why does my horse spook at everything?"
The generalized answers tend to include things like: that's just his personality, use this type of tack, he just needs more practice going near/around/over scary things, wet-saddle blankets or more riding miles, then there's the guilt imposed phrases such as- "you just need to stay calm and he'll feel it."
What's really underneath the reactive behavior: A horse that has not learned how to "think through" what is asked of him. When the mind is anticipative, it is "disconnected" from the body- the horse literally cannot see what is in front of him. Everything becomes overwhelming. He cannot retain the "training"- no matter how many times you practice. If he is not learning while in a safe state, if the way you communicate triggers his fear, you are only hoping to survive the scenarios. Each one that scares him, fills his proverbial "emotional cup"- at somepoint, the cup will overflow, and the behavior comes exploding out.
Here's the part that doesn't get said enough: a horse that spooks at "everything" can have multiple contributors- from diet imbalance, lack of sleep, distrust of the human, pain triggers, and holes in his education- that all combined- creates dramatic, dangerous behavioral responses.
4. "Why does my horse scream / pace / lose his mind when separated from other horses?"
This search is usually typed by someone who just spent forty-five minutes trying to ride while their horse hollered for his herd-mates, and they're embarrassed, a little angry, and mostly just exhausted.
The real question: Why is the horse's search for security increaed (seeking the herd) despite the human's communication? What is missing in the interaction that leaves the horse "searching" for help from other horses?
Separation behavior gets labeled as "herd-bound" like it's a fixed setting some horses come with and others don't. In my experience, it's less about the horse being incapable of separation, and more about whether he's ever been given any other reliable reference point for "okay" besides "near other horses."
5. "Why won't my horse stand still for the farrier / vet?"
The search is often paired with words like "stubborn," "rude," or "disrespectful" — words that say more about how exposed and frustrated the person felt standing there apologizing to the farrier than about the horse himself.
The foundational hole: Why does my horse fight me on this one specific thing, when he's "fine" for everything else?
Feet are one of the few places on a horse's body where he is, for a moment, three-legged — a vulnerable position for a prey animal. The horse's entire nervous system is built to avoid, because three-legged is how you get caught. Asking a horse to stand on three legs for an extended period, head restrained, while a stranger does something he can't see, asks him to override something very old and very deep. Most horses can tolerate doing this. But there is a drastic difference in "what they can tolerate" and "this horse has been educated in a manner that prepared him" for what is being asked, leading to very different outcomes.
What do these five "horse behavior problems" have in common?
None of these are horse training problems in terms of a missing skill, cue, or relying on a piece of equipment. They're reflecting foundational holes in how the horse has been educated. If the human's communication has no meaning to the horse, triggers his fear, or creates defensive behvior, the person does not have the ability to influence how the horse thinks, searches, tries, or interacts. In each scenario, the horse is responses reflect his history, nervous system, and what he's been taught (even if unintentionally.) If the human is fixated on finding a solution to mask, contain, or create compliance in the equine, they are masking a symptom- which is why every interaction in the stressful scenario seems to make the horse's behavior worsen.
The good news if you are searching, is that you are being honest that how things have been occurring between you and the horse is not working. The first step in creating a different outcome is having the mental awareness and openness to ask for help.
Recognizing you might be "asking the wrong questions"- focusing on symptoms and not root causes, then allows you to reframe your perspective, awareness, and understanding as to "why" something is occurring. It gives you a "starting point" to break down the big picture, into smaller segments and learn where you communication and the horse's lack of understanding is a combination leading to a lack of change.
— Samantha Harvey, Alternative Horsemanship™If this way of thinking speaks to you
Curious about an Intro Consult? Join me for a 15-60 minute conversation,to discuss where you are with your horse, ask questions, and learn how what would be addressed in virtual coaching to help you and your horse..
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