Having a horse leaping out from underneath you with a serious spook is just about the worst thing that can happen to us on horseback, hey? I think that it is the unpredictability of it that makes it worse than any other way of hitting the ground.
Later edit: I’ve linked all three articles together.
I have consolidated this originally three part series to make it easier to follow for those who come to it later. So here are the links for Parts 2 and 3 below…
Click here for Part 2 of Solving spooking shying horses
Click here for Part 3 of Solving spooking / shying horses
WRITTEN VERSION OF THE AUDIO for Part 1
Having a horse leaping out from underneath you with a serious spook is just about the worst thing that can happen to us on horseback, hey? I think that it is the unpredictability of it that makes it worse than any other way of hitting the ground.
It makes me shiver with an “ugh” even thinking of it.
Well the unpredictability of it certainly makes it worse for me, anyway. The ground seems to get harder ever year that I get older and long ago, I set my intention of never hitting the ground like that again.
This blog is prompted by a recent email from someone who was badly injured in a fall from her horse when he spooked, spun around and took off. She is just devastated at her inability to trust her horse again so far.
She can relax, because we have a plan in place for this lady, to bring her and her horse to a place where they can look after each other and find that deep sense of trust with each other again.
But talking about her old accident had me remembering what it was like to ride a horse in that spooky frame of mind and to give thanks that I didn’t have to do that anymore.
So for this blog today, I thought I would focus on WHY a horse spooks and what we can do about that.
Today I am giving you something to think about with a brief list – then we will expand on this in parts 2 and 3 over the next two days.
1. Too much, too rich food,
2. Not enough exercise,
3. A deficiency or imbalance of minerals
4. A vitamin deficiency
5. A badly fitting saddle that pinches under certain circumstances.
6. Teeth problems that can suddenly cause pain with the bit.
7. Major hormone problems or even a brain tumour.
8. (This is a very common cause) An old fright imprint/s that is intensifying smaller fears now and making them appear huge enough to spook at.
9. (This is another very common cause) Being in the Not Too Sure Zone for too long – and thus the smallest thing kicking them out into Oh Shit I am Dead Zone where no thinking takes place only instant reaction.
10. (And this one happens more often than you would think.) Living in the Not Too Sure Zone which means that that the smallest thing can kick them out into the Oh Shit I am Dead Zone.
11. A combination of any or all of the above.
If this article is your first exposure to my work and you don’t understand some of this terminology, then grab the FREE LESSONS The 9 Keys to happiness with Your Horse .
I am going to explain these causes of spooking in detail in parts 2 and 3, over the following 2 days…
I don’t like to deluge you with emails, so subscribe to the blog to get automatic notification of these articles (orange and white box on the right hand side towards the top of the page) or come back and check the blog tomorrow for the next part of Solving Spooking Horses.
Just had this happen last evening. Going down our logging road to my arena something moved in the woods. I heard it. Could have been a deer. Everything was going fine. He was calm and pretty relaxed. We were riding into the sun which was getting lower and I noticed how annoying it was to have the sun in my eyes and wondered if it was the same for him. Almost to the arena, he heard something in the brush and spooked big and I hit the ground on my back. The good news was that he didn’t run home, which I thought he was about to do. He instead stopped and stared at me with ears forward and snorting a bit. He stayed with me. I sat on a log to regain myself and he put his head down next to me and stayed very quiet. It was as if he felt bad about it. Don’t know. I’m hurting now and need to take some days off riding.
Coming off is sooo… crappy isn’t it Regina? And he obviously didn’t want to behave like that either.
I just sent you a big reply on a private email Regina, with access to lessons 26 and 27 of From Your Horse’s Heart about helping the herd bound horse. Because as you expressed in your email – your horse was already either in or close to his oh shit zone about leaving his herd mate even before whatever rustled in the bushes.
I worry that it sounds like beating my own drum – but darn it! the on line course From Your Horse’s Heart WILL solve your problem. The lessons I have sent you are 26 lessons into the course and by then, people have already worked on deepening their connection with their horse, found a comfort zone and expanded it considerably by eliminating vast amounts of Not Quite Rights from the routine of their horses lives.
But I worry even more about people our age coming off a horse who seriously doesn’t want to behave like that either, judging from his actions after you came off. And we can change horses, but have any of you noticed a tendency for the same sort of things to happen no matter which horse we have?
Anyway – try these lessons first and come back and get the on line course.
Because I do not want to hear about you hitting the deck any more….
Excellent, excellent, excellent. I have seen many Arabians with 8, 9, or 10. My own Arabian had a peculiar spook problem – shying during riding from a barn window she grazed around every day. Our cure: Learning from videos of top dressage trainers of young horses (though she is not young), I just let her trot to where she felt safe and did some figure 8s, lateral work etc – just enough to get her focused. I followed this up with a couple of visits to local Play Days where she was just so curious and she excelled beyond my expectations. All this within a matter of a few months and now I would be surprised to see her shy at anything. It was just that one little thing. I didn’t fight with her or scold her or force her. I just went with her to where she felt safe and gently asked for some response. This is only one rider and one horse. I do have a couple of broodmares I acquired after they were grown which I don’t dare ride so I will be interested to hear what you have to share.
You are sooo right Candace – scolding, fighting or forcing sooo… produces a result actually opposite to the one we are looking for, hey? And as you write, taking them back to where they feel safe is the absolute key and the foundation of The Six Keys to Happiness with Your Horse too. Nice to hear from you and thanks for your contribution to the discussion.
The thing that made my reliable horse spooky was cataracts. I didn’t realize right away that he was getting cataracts but once I saw them growing, I retired him.
Yes that would do it too Bev – I didn’t think of that one – thanks!