Q's and A's

CDNcowgirl-I'm not blowing you off, just thinking....:)



i know nothing said...
My mare randomly decides to 'spook' at places she's been many, many times. I know she's not afraid, she just needs any excuse to screech to a halt and start crowhopping. I've tried working her extra hard in those places, and I've tried ignoring it and just keeping going. I don't know what to do to deter her from suddenly taking off on me. She's six and has been ridden for 3 years. I haven't come off yet (guess she doesn't buck THAT hard), but I'm annoyed that she continues to to it. I ride her at least 4 times a week, in the arena and on the trail.

I have been approaching my horse's spooking from a fairly new (for me) angle. I have also done the ignore it, or work harder, or kick her through, or.....In the old days I used to just ride through it. I thought spooking was kind of fun and part of riding. As Spookerrific was exposed to more and had to negotiate different situations, things just faded away.

This time around, (being older, slower, and fatter) I have been taking on spooking with a "Trailer loading" mentality. I am really, really, good at loading horses in the trailer. I have helped lots of people load their horses, and have had to go pick up some rank S.O.B.s and load them myself. They always get in. I'm not always nice, but if anybody ends up bloody and sore, it's usually me, the horse is always fine. And in the trailer.

I ride the same way through the mountains as I do on a busy showgrounds or in a strange arena. Anyway, as I ride along I try to stay relaxed and focused, with a loose rein. I want my horse to know by my actions there is nothing to fear.

Inevitably, Spookerrific will do his thing. AAAAAGH!! Horse Eating Beast Ahead!!!!

My priority becomes to keep the horse looking where he's supposed to, nothing more. If I am walking on a trail and Spookerrific stops dead, that's OK, as long as he stays facing the direction we are heading. So if he's afraid of a log off to the right, he can look at it, but he has to keep his feet pointing the right way on the trail.

If Spookerrific tries to spin away, or buck, or whatever, I'll handle that behavior, get him looking the direction we'll be going and relax my rein. I'll do this over and over until he understands that the release comes from facing the right direction, that's all I'm asking.



If you keep it that simple, he'll eventually stop and stand there. Let him look. The biggest mistake we make is not letting them see what's worrying them. After we've analyzed the situation I'll ask for some forward. Most of the time they'll sigh and go on. I don't make them approach the scary thing unless we have to go through it to stay on task.


I have found that grabbing hold of their face gives me the biggest leaps through space. If I can gut up and let them spook on a loose rein, it's usually a pretty small event. It's when I go fetal and drag Spookerrific's nose into my bellybutton that we have trouble.


If the horse is spooking at the same place over and over again I find it comes from anticipation of my reaction.
Believe me, he doesn't think "When we go by here I get scared and then we fight."
He's thinking, "When I go by here my dumbass rider always goes freakazoid on me, I just knew this was a scary place!"


If I'm loping circles in an arena we've shown in two hundred times, and we're still spooking at the same flappy tarp, I get a little cranky. I will lope small enough circles far enough away from the bad place that Spookerrific feels safe, but we will lope until he is so eager to stop that he'd rest inside Yogi Bears picnic basket if I'd only say whoa.

I also monkey with my reins, jiggle my legs around, i.e. be really annoying, except when we go by the scary place, then I ride quiet and loosen my rein. I gradually enlarge my circle so we're passing pretty close to the bad spot.

I don't force him to stop, but once he's really hunting a rest, I'll offer a whoa at the scary place. If he's worried enough to try to spook away from that spot, we'll keep on loping. Eventually he'll be airing up with his spooky little butt backed into that tarp.


Have fun, and stay loose.


Smurfette said,
I am still battling the issue of the lead changes with current horse, though. I worked on your detailed instructions and certainly wore MY legs out, moving his hips around, but I think I don't get to work him consistantly enough (so far this year its been hurricanes, a bite on the back and now an abscess) to progress, or do some horses just never pick up this skill? This is the first horse I have ever worked with who won't at least learn to make a rough change on cue.


Some horses are not good lead changers. It's a fact. They don't all switch naturally even running with their pals in the field, and some are just one leaded. Sometimes conformation issues, back or leg pain can cause it. Sometimes they are resistant to the rider pushing on them.
That said, you can try a couple of other things.
First lope a circle to the left. Make sure your weight is in your right stirrup and hip pocket. Stop your horse in the middle of the arena, where you would normally change for a figure eight. Walk the horse forward in a straight line about 4 or 5 steps. Dramatically shift your weight to the left stirrup and hip pocket. Ask for a right lead from the walk.
Lope a circle to the right. Make sure your weight is to the outside. Stop in the middle of the arena. Walk forward in a straight line about four or five steps. Dramatically shift your weight to the right stirrup and hip pocket. Ask for the left lead from the walk.
It's important that the horse lope off from a straight line, not into the shape of the circle. Begin your circle once the horse has his lead.
Repeat this exercise for several days. It doesn't have to be continuous, but you have to keep it slow, clear and calm. Give your horse time to think. Do it at least ten times for each lead, every time you ride.
Also try backing him in a circle. One to the left, one to the right. A big, perfectly round, with the horse in a "C" shape circle. Start with a step or two, move his hips with your leg, take another step or two. This will help develop softness in both of you, and make it really clear where your horse's stiffness lies. When you can guide him through a backing figure eight with clear cues and no resistance, your lead changes will become a lot easier.
Now back to the lope stop change exercise. Your horse will begin to anticipate the change of direction. Keep him straight, but make the amount of walking steps fewer and fewer. Encourage his anticipation. If he tries to change, reward any small effort. Be patient.
When he changes (even if it's ugly) let him come gently down to a walk, and walk him on a loose rein. Be happy with one change each way for a very long time.
Hope that helps.