365 Days in Horse Country – Spooking
Spooking is
one of the most often reported problems among horse owners, and it’s one of the
more annoying equine behaviors. It’s a
rare horse who doesn’t do it.
Spooking can be a hard behaviour to stop, probably because it is rooted in evolutionary history. Horses are prey animals and are wired to react quickly to perceived danger. Although saber-toothed cats and meat-eating monster bears no longer prowl the Earth, you’ll be hard pressed to convince a horse of that.
Here’s how to contend with spooking:
- Accept the fact that spooking is a natural behaviour for horses. Expecting spooks, especially on the trail, is the first step to learning to cope with them.
- Learn to stay calm and in control. The one-rein stops is an invaluable tool in this regard because you can quickly regain control of your horse in the event of a major spook that sends it bolting in the opposite direction.
- Desensitize your horse as much a possible. Expose your horse to a lot of different stimuli, always reassuring it that you are nearby and that everything is okay. Whether it’s farmyard animals, floating plastic bags, or roaring garbage trucks, the more time your horse spends around these things, the less likely it will react to them.
Michael