Horses That Spook - What To Do

[@ltrocha]

Some of the comments I get on this video are surprisingly different. Some people, think I'm advocating doing this way of using your hands all the time. Nothing could be farther from the truth. In the video, I'm showing how to save yourself from a possible run-away or buck-off and ending up in the hospital emergency room. Those people who criticize have not been in a dangerous run-away or bucking situation. They need to shut up and pay attention.

[@CanadianCowgirl1955]

There are always people who like to think they know better. Those are the dangerous ones. I thoroughly enjoy your videos. You offer sound advice on a light note. I have been in the exact same situation recently where I was practicing teamroping and my seasoned horse took to hard bucking out of the blue. I did end up in the hospital with broken ribs and hip damage. I tried to pull him up and out of the buck but it didn't work. I bailed after I knew it wasn't going to end well for me. Thank you for your re-enforcement of knowledge and giving sound advice to others. I appreciate it. Have a Great Day!

[@juliebain8551]

I like that you don’t offer a magical solution that will end all spooking. Instead you explain how to handle it because yes it is going to happen and horses are way quicker than I am, that is a fact.

[@EDMiens]

CanadianCowgirl1955 I wanna start horseriding but im scared to cause all i see on youtube is ppl getting crushed and stepped on by a giant animal, im just wondering what they did before cars, i never hear of any historical figures beeing hurt by their horses even during war, is that just luck or unreported you think?

[@aktanakhmetov]

Your videos are gold. This one and the series on saddle fitting, 3 parts. But damn no horse would want to be the horse in the video that for demonstration purposes has to take the punishment on his mouth for no obvious reason except to show us what to do in emergency. I hope that horse was pampered a little bit after video shooting and was not left with a cognitive dissonance thinking what he did wrong ))

[@ltrocha]

Hi Ice Cream, before there were cars, the number 1 cause of injury was horse related. Back then, people knew about horses as much as people today know about their cars... which isn't much. @@EDMiens

[@stevenorsinelli4029]

I am 65, got back into horses after many years off due to work. Now back loving it, but a bit scary now that I don't bounce like i used to. My latingo came loose on a ride, and my horse spooked did a quick 180, the saddle slid off and took me with it. I Broke my shoulder blade....He gave me a warning just like you said, he saw dogs going crazy up ahead on the trail. If I had seen this video I could have avoided it all and worked his head and hind quarters.Instead i waited for him to blow, I knew he would. Now 10 weeks later, healed, I was riding a horse that was afraid of one side of the arena last week. I followed your lesson and it worked perfectly! You are an amazing trainer bud, easy to understand, clear, concise and most of all make sense. I watch this video like once a week to train myself. I never knew about the bumping the reigns method. Dam it works GREAT!! GOD BLESS YOU PAL...Glad your here to help us all. I wonder if you have a video on training a horse to stand at the mounting block? Thanks

[@wllmbbtt1]

Hi i am a horse trainer .i was checking out a video about how other trainers do things .and this man in the video is dead on he speaks clear and he tells it like it is.

[@gilliangirl1]

This is such a good video, and I love the fact that you just cut right through the bull and say that we need to work on our riding skills first and foremost so we have a good seat.

[@ltrocha]

gilliangirl1 Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

[@asportableskatesharpening4207]

Hands down, the best anti-spooking video available for pay or free! Thanks for saving lives and telling it like it is...

[@RocketJo86]

Oh, thank you. You could not possibly imagine, how you help me. I was an experienced trail rider as a kid and teen, with no problems even with spooking horses out in the wild. I started riding again as an adult an went out after two years of training in the arena with a friend of mine and her horses. Well, the one I was riding (which I never rode before), was freaking out because of a truck on a passing by street. I tried to pull him around to get him to stop, like I was used too as a teen, but he just pulled the rein off my hand and rushed away. He was wild zigzagging around and I finally lost hold and fell of. I am still a little trumatized because of this event and afraid to canter or get nervous, when a horse is constantly looking around while I'm riding. I thought I did something wrong and that I could not ride good enough to go out on a trail. But, well, I guess the horse just didn't know what I wanted from him. I remeber, my friend told me, he was not well trained, befor she got him and that she was not able to train him the half year before that incident because of an illness ... I gained finally a little self-confidence back. Thanks to you ^^

[@erynd2524]

I completely understand where you’re coming from. My mare has this exact same thing with going along just fine and BOOM! She employs the sudden emergency stop and I am completely caught off guard and going over her shoulder. She did this coming back from a trail ride and I was hospitalized for a week with my back broken in two places. Ever since then, I’ve been feeling nervous about her doing it again and she has.

[@ltrocha]

You ask a very good question. Here's my answer. #1. If a horse has behavior problems like the ones you describe, that horse shouldn't be ridden in dangerous places like roads, parking lots or pavement. Too easy for the horse to slip, fall and injure the rider. #2. If you are forced into this situation, get off and lead the horse. It's much better to be safe than sorry. A broken leg is not worth it. You'll find additional solutions to this problem on my website. Larry T.

[@Horsemom]

Hi these techniques work! I'm a retired racehorse trainer & all the horses I started under saddle I used a stock saddle & made them soft first with the halter, then the bridle. I made sure I could bend them to a stop & also disengage the hips. I didn't train from the track I was based at home & had a small track & took my youngsters to a trail nearby my house to breeze up hills. I was often times by myself on the trail with no cellphone service. I usually did some ground work when I got there but putting these techniques on my youngsters was probably the most important lesson they learned. So far I've never been hurt out there, had some scary moments where I had to bend them around & get off but I was able to get a handle on them long enough to get off. Another mistake I see a lot on the track is people taking a tight hold on the horses face when they spook. In my opinion it makes the horses feel trapped & more scared. Honestly if I know I'm going by a Spooky thing I give the horse their head & add leg. Pulling only makes matters worse. It takes a lot of self discipline to train yourself not to clamp on the horse when we get nervous but it's really important to control your emotions. I hope everyone takes your techniques & teach them because it could save your life. This works on all disciplines!. My jumping trainer tells me to do it different because he doesn't know the technique but honestly I feel most English trainers don't have as much knowledge as western trainers , on handling situations. I think western colt starting is much more advanced. I always got compliments from exercise riders on how well my horses behaved on the track. Made me feel proud!

[@deniwest57]

I'm 65 and ride a powerful qh mare who is spooky. I've had a couple of bad wrecks in the distant past with other horses and now I lack confidence and my mare knows it. This horse addiction is gonna kill me yet lol. Thanks for a great video!

[@judymiller5154]

I pray God sends a troop of angels to protect you when you ride ❤️🙏❤️. I'd ridden my whole life, but bought myself a top western-pleasure-bred 2yo AQHA mare for my 65th birthday. She is so quiet yet totally reponsive to a light cue. Her "worst" spook is merely a sudden freeze in place and even that hardly ever happens. I'm 76 now and feel totally confident riding her. Enjoy and stay safe ❤️🐎❤️

[@cromana5574]

Like you, can't give it up and riding a nervous mare.....sigh, you have to go somehow. :)

[@judymiller5154]

@@cromana5574 my 65th birthday present to myself was a 3yr qtr mare but top western pleasure breeding...loves to go slow, but responds to mere whispers of my cues, basically nothing bothers her...truly a dream horse! Of course, wouldnt you know, 10 years later we are struggling with soundness, but hey I will do leadline obstacles if I end up not riding. God bless us all with a special army of protective angels...we need it! ❤️🙏🐎❤️

[@lindaliestman4397]

I am a long time trainer and instructor. While drinking my morning coffee, I look at videos of many trainers, western, dressage and driving, and on many topics to see what tidbits I can learn. Larry T is one that I greatly admire. He is one of the realistic few who is willing to show viewers the worst of situations and how to progress in a positive way with horses. There are so many problem horses in this world, mostly made that way by incompetent riders and trainers. Larry has some excellent ideas and explains things well.

[@ltrocha]

Wow! Linda, thank you for the awesome compliment. It means a lot coming from a fellow horse trainer. Much appreciated.

[@KKIcons]

Larry's "Lucky" and my "Sugar,"an unbroke stud Shetland I had when I was 7, would have been great pals for shop talk to exchange trade secrets. I was determined not to just turn my kids loose on a dangerous pony, so that's why I am here learning to be a better trainer. It's too bad as a homeschool family, we can't afford some of the training videos we need. But it is very important to invest everything we can in training resources and well-fitting, good tack that won't fall apart, for the safety of ourselves and our kids. I appreciate Larry Trocha for making these videos available.

[@LizA-zu7ps]

Glad I found this! I have a spookaholic mustang. I ride with a rope wrapped around the horn for emergency stops because he bolts. Great tips for emergencies.

[@100percentcowgirable]

Great video. I'm struggling with my young horse on the trail with certain scenarios. I tend to panic with her and I know darn right not too and to use tools such as what you've shown, but I tend to hit panic mode first..I will do more arena work using your method and try this on our next ride. The ride the other day involved several herds of cattle on different farms. She was sure they were going to come and get her and she's been in a herd of a cattle a few times moving them around last summer but this year it's like she's never seen a cow in her life! She does the arab dance and gets her head to the moon and snorts like a dragon..If you're working on a gravel road with some pretty deep ditches on either side, along with these horse eating cattle, it makes things even more challenging too..I will definitely try this out tomorrow. She already gives her head freely in the saddle.. I like how you say to bump the rein 3 times ..as she does tend to get stiff necked when I try this.. thanks!

[@ltrocha]

Hi Eric, You ask a very good question. Here's my answer... Never jump into the deep end of the pool BEFORE you know how to swim. Make sure you have established TOTAL control of your horse BEFORE you ride a trail like that. Larry T

[@lynnyfee]

Thank you for this great video. It's hard to find tips for a chronic spooker. My horse is often scared of things that he didn't care about the day before so sacking out doesn't work with him.

[@michaelc2509]

Best A-Z explanation I've seen. I bought a well trained 5 yr old from the "city" and I live in the foothills and I soon found out he spooks at everything. He doesn't bolt but he drops and turns to get away. As long as the stimulus stops, he stops, but if the stimulus continued I might be in trouble. Also, he seems to react with other horses who spook at things. Not sure if he would be calmer around calmer horses...

[@ltrocha]

Thanks Michael. Try riding with calmer horses and see if it calms your horse.

[@bronwynmines7864]

Thank you for this Larry 👌I will do this every time & set my mare up better & myself! I have a green broke mare & which I’ve ridden in round yard & arena a lot , now up to getting her out & about I’m riding her around different paddocks on our farm which she absolutely loves , she’s being so brave & is known for her braveness I see her looking at things head goes up she slows so I keep her going to keep listening to me …she has done a few refusals , I persevere but do let her know I am understanding she’s not comfortable & we move on By going in different area’s on our farm I wanted to see her reactions to different things (as on the trail she’ll see plenty ..Kangaroos here in Australia 🇦🇺 tend to jump out of nowhere! )so I am a bit more familiar as to how she may react as they are a flight animal I also need to know my seat will be strong before going out on a trail Had a bad spook ( for her ) two days ago She jumped & spun ( She did let me know by the rise in her head ) & I did what I usually do , tried to get her attention back on me but nope that didn’t work , I turned her away but she wanted to face it she was trembling head very high jumping about spinning I found I was learning forward & I couldn’t regain her head so I dismounted ( all happens so fast ) She didn’t buck and has never , but I also didn’t want it to get to this stage Mind you it wasn’t a kangaroo it was sheep and a blue tarp that wasn’t there the day before I felt I let us both down by dismounting I walked her back to arena , gave her a light lunge the hopped back on ride her around for another 20mins , we Didn’t go back over to that paddock I am to ride her today So I will go over what I have just seen here Thanks again 😊

[@jeanviarengo231]

Great advice..... Some spooks cannot be prevented, and the horse truly is in his right to "spook" Nothing is a substitute for good riding and a deep seat..... Amen

[@cadetcadet1814]

Love it! Can’t wait to order from ya!

[@tonimindnich1296]

Thank you, Larry 👍🏼

[@mvear67]

What a good horse! Love it.

[@sonialotker2343]

My sincere thanks. I am leasing a horse who has spooked on me in the arena and scared me as I am not an experienced rider. The only reason I was able to stay on is because I was able to get hold of the horn and pulled on one rein. However I dropped the other! I will keep practicing the above in case it happens again and I am sure it will! So...a huge thank you from sonia in SoCal

[@magic-catt98]

Probably one good thing you did was to only pull on one rein, even though it was unintentional. You now have learned the one-rein stop, in a manner of speaking! lol. 😉

[@ltrocha]

+Magic-cat Therrien Actually, no. I'm not demonstrating a one-rein stop. The one-rein stop includes pushing the hindquarters out the opposite direction of the pull. I hate that! What I'm doing in this video is a "double" or simply taking the horse's head away.

[@magic-catt98]

+ltrocha Sorry, I didn't mean that you were demonstrating the one -rein. I was referring to the gal in the above comment. I only meant that she had unintentionally invented her own version of the one -rein. It was not meant to be a totally serious remark. My apologies for the misunderstanding. ☺

[@TerriReuserHVR90]

I agree with your comments about people needing to become better riders, but just how are people supposed to do that? A schooled horse is taught to focus on the rider to prevent the "spooking" or other problems to begin with. Not many horses are schooled these days and I'm old enough to remember. Pulling the head around does not = control and does not = a schooled horse. There has to be more in the toolbox than depending on that. It might just start with quiet hands and shorter reins. Blaming the horse for rider deficiencies is a common problem but has to go beyond: good horse : bad human. Pulling is pulling and in my mind is poor riding which causes resentment in the horse. Once I stopped riding the head and stopped taking the head around and focused on better riding and horsemanship all the other stuff stopped. "Habitual spookers" (your words not mine) are made, not born. *Make* a horse do something? *Get after him* ? *Get tough* ? *get aggressive* ?, *thump him* ? *Kick his butt* ? -- all words you used in this vid. It amazes me that "trainers" encourage people to "get tough" like this or worse that people accept it. I wonder if people would be so accepting if we discussed training a dog in this way? I'm afraid newbies see and hear this they will eventually get into trouble. Not *all* horses respond well to those "techniques" or bad timing and will give worse than they got. How about telling people to stay in a corral because it's foolish to go off trail riding on horse if the horse has a high flight instinct. I've also worked 25 years in an hospital, so can see this from both angles and believe me I've seen results of bad, bad, "got tough" riding. People are hungering to get along with their horses but If this is all we have to offer the horse, why bother? No wonder more and more people are opting bitless, bridleless or just give up to treat them like big dogs.

[@eluniversoocultoespiritual9524]

thanks for the lesson

[@tamarawelsh4696]

Thanks so much.

[@southernexposure123]

I feed and pen my neighbor's horse (Pony) from time to time, but I don't ride. Today Pony spooked a several times. Now I understand better. Thanks for the video. What has Pony spooked today is that a week ago a close neighbor discharged at least a hundred rounds of loud ammo over a period of several hours.

[@Shangella]

This video was very useful for me. I discovered I pulled the reins incorrectly, something my coach never brought up. Thanks!

[@ltrocha]

+Shangella You are welcome, Shangella.

[@ltrocha]

Hi Maria, If you are asking me if you should ride your green-broke horse on a road... my answer would be "no". I doubt you have enough control to be safe. Larry T

[@jgerl100]

Great video......notice it's not just one thing.....he's got a lot things going really good with his horse. It ALL matters.

[@emmabeswick8689]

Wonderful advice! Thank you so much. Just breaking in a youngster who is very spooky. Will definately get her doing some bending to start with and stay in the arena until I know I have control. Thank you again

[@ltrocha]

You are so welcome!

[@joaofranciscooliveira4493]

Very good!

[@lareinedumonde]

Great video :) Nice job of explaining things that seem so obvious to me that when I try to explain them to a novice rider, I can't remember half of them.

[@ltrocha]

+lareinedumonde Ha! I know what you mean. That happens to me sometimes too.

[@vickycaldicott945]

My auntie just came off the horse spooked by jumping to the side and then my auntie corrected her self then it spooked again then the saddle sipped and my auntie fell in front of it and then the horse jumped on her and started galloping around the arena she broke 11 ribs and punctured her lung a little they couldn't get an aircraft to come get her and lucky 4 days after she was walking but slowly and I have had a hrs canter off with me and I'm only young but I didn't fall off and I used to ride a hors e called leo he would buck but I loved him to much so I kept on siting through the bucks but then I out grew him .... EDIT : Really good video! And your horse looks lovely!

[@ltrocha]

So... I'm guessing you are a child. Is that correct?

[@littlebabytea]

What Larry says at 15:00 is so right on. Larry is great!

[@Nacimiento1]

Love all your advice. I have a habitual spooky mustang. She does at least warn me beforehand that all hell is about to break loose. We are working on groundwork alot theses days. Our main problem is that she is deathly afraid of the sheep that graze on the surrounding hills. Going out on the trails is at my own risk. But my question is what do I do when I am on the ground leading my horse and not in the saddle when she spooks when she sees the sheep. Keep in mind people are kept from getting too close to these sheep with their sheep dogs and shepards. The association I live in hires the sheep to come to keep the grass down. I live in Central California and fires are a big problem. My horse goes nuts when she sees or smells them. When I am on the ground I become extremly fearful because I don't know how to handle her.

[@ltrocha]

+Nacimiento1 Hi, I totally understand your problem. I've ridden plenty of horses like yours. I would suggest you go to my website and get my online training course titled, "Groom, Saddle, Ride & Fix Bad Behavior. It'll show you how to deal with just about any problem a horse can have.

[@Spiritofequis]

Thanks for the great advice! I'm going to start training my horse for this emergency control method right away! Of course I won't immediately yank his head around with full force, instead, I'll start flexing him slow and easy to start. Let him supple up first. I take him on trail rides and he is an Arab, so "Habitual Spooker" is his middle name! ;)

[@ltrocha]

You are very welcome. I'm glad you like it.

[@heidibryan9262]

Also, thank you so, so much for the info on habitual spooking! My mare hates water and I'm thinking that might help!

[@All4Elly]

I just recently had a crash, head first on hard pack, bc my horse spooked while at a faster canter & bucked me off. I knew to pull his head around, but it happened so fast, I didn't get a chance to grab the reins. This video seems very helpful. Now if I could get over my fear and get back on my horse. :/

[@MaryroseScott]

Awesome video!!! Thanks for the information! Been on so many spooked horses and trying to get a handle on it! I appreciate the vide :) going to subscribe

[@jordanwhite5470]

But out on a narrow trail with horses in front of and behind you . . . . . not much room to maneuver there. Suggestions for practicing that?

[@ltrocha]

If your horse is untrustworthy about being controlled, what are you doing riding on a narrow trail? He needs to be trained right before you do something like that. Risky.

[@honesttraitorbear3527]

Great! I assume this works for on the ground as well.

[@salvadordelgado2434]

Good information when riding a horse . I am of the opinion that many animals visual spectrum differs from our own . Maybe just maybe there is something the horse can see that you don't see . Specifically about the horse that spooks on just one side of the arena . Like you said it can be really uncomfortable to continue to spook . Couldn't have said it more " humanely" appropriately myself

[@bryanhauschild4376]

Boy, I don’t know how we lived thru the sale barn horses dad brought home! Made me a better rider. But none of us kids had any serious injuries. Just scars and bruises. Thank you sir for a this video.

[@ltrocha]

Hi Bryan, I can totally relate. Same Thing happened to me.

[@bellasue02]

Yeah I'm sure my d a d was trying to get rid of me thinking back to those horses we had.

[@moniquekirkby6462]

thanks so much larry, fabulous video, I watch it regularly as I hear more things each time I listen to you. When you are doing the one rein stop, like you are showing us, you don't put any leg on the horse do you? just using the reins and lateral flexion? Please?

[@ltrocha]

You are welcome, Monique. Glad you like it. Yes, just using the reins and lateral flexion. I'm not using my leg to disengage the hindquarters. I don't like disengaging the hindquarters unless its absolutely necessary... as it messes up some of the other training I have on the horse.

[@moniquekirkby6462]

ah ok, I was watching your legs and didn't see any contact, that makes great sense! I live in australia, and LOVE your work. thanks for such a speedy reply. I will adopt this when I am on him out on the trail.

[@liseharrington3120]

@@ltrocha I was taught the one rein stop with the disengagement of the hindquarter as well. Can you tell me why you don't use the leg as well? (I am curious if it messes up the balance of the horse to be so bent and stepping underneath himself.)

[@ltrocha]

Hi Monique, If your horse is actually spooking in a panic, the chances of him responding to your leg to disengage his hindquarters, is slim to none. Also, this is NOT a "one rein stop". This is called "taking their head away".

[@almadriesel1645]

Thank you so much learned a lot from watching you.

[@ltrocha]

You are very welcome, Alma.

[@stevenorsinelli4029]

Love this!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you, great job!

[@jeremiahhenderson6005]

Itrocha, please explain more in detail about how you use the your spurs as simultaneous pull the horse's head around.

[@kermit007playsmc]

My horse spooked after a jump and bucked me off but this really helped!

[@Oyuki-Mayonesa]

Excellent! My daughter and I thank you.

[@ltrocha]

you and your daughter are very welcome. Glad I could helpl

[@becky9857]

And some horses that are in and out of work that have spook issues have them resurface as you retake work. And they get distracted and as they loose attention to the person become spookier and if that works for them a few times to end work they can apply it, they know when i spook work ends. But the ways to solve it is what you layed out.

[@billrnyc]

really nice...gets right to it. learned so much with this.

[@jppestana1]

A good one for sure, particularly the last couple segments.

[@JoanEllis-g4h]

I've been on that special ride, the only thing when I got off was is he OK. Also what did do. Another of times it's rider error. Try to have a good attitude and learn from it Thank-you

[@marycolleenvandervort3618]

Thank you fantastic teaching.

[@ltrocha]

You are welcome, Mary

[@vanwompskididle]

So helpful! I was riding western last year, (I usually ride english and do show jumping) and a deer came running out of the bushes right in front of me. It scared the horse I was riding out of his mind! I managed to stay on, but at least now I know what to do if it happens again :) thanks!

[@keyses]

This is superb as it shows you have to do more not just sit around and hope everything will be okay. It is too easy to not do enough and then horse learns nothing. This is a totally fair way to the horse too, he understands! What do you suggest if horse starts acting up, baulking etc, if out on a tarmac road where it is slippery or in an area where there are, say, parked cars around? Thank you for the film.

[@joancruickshank7771]

how do you tell if your horse has bad eyesight ...ie: spooking ?

[@ltrocha]

A vision test performed by a vet

[@darbydupree4056]

What a pretty little horse. Nice! Good video.

[@ltrocha]

+Darby Dupree Thank you Darby. Glad you liked it.

[@darbydupree4056]

ltrocha Wish you were my neighbor! I'd be hanging around the training pen! :)

[@Ebonyfox2]

Great Vid! My riding instructor teaches this but she also rewards what she calls the "good spook" when the horse startles in place. If they bolt we turn circles for awhile and do back up exercises, but like the other day on a trail a rabbit darted out of the bushes in front of the horses. They all jumped but instead of darting or rearing they froze, she rewarded them for it. I haven't seen them ever spook any other way but they are lesson horses... Do you think that really works?

[@josebarrientes177]

Your great you answer so many of my doubts I have trained lots of horses but I become a little puzzeled when agressive horses act out. As to what step to take though I know most of them. .

[@ltrocha]

Thanks for your feedback, Jose. Glad you liked the video.

[@mariannedippenaar8488]

Very good.thanks

[@featheredfoothill]

Great video and to see this in practice. I'd love to see it done in a real situation, however. My trainer has taught me to do this, we have practiced it on a school horse. But on my 3rd ride (being lead on a lead rope) on my own horse that was green (6 months ground work and 12 rides by my trainer first), my horse spooked over something we can't figure out when we were turning while walking. Perfect day, nothing out of the blue. Who knows, but she scooted and popped up a bit and I went flying the other way and landed on my back- sent me to the ER. It happened so fast, I had no time whatsoever to react. We are doing more desensitization with her as my trainer is convinced I did something wrong "to her." I did look, leg, rein perfectly as I had with the school horse a 1,000 times before, so it's kind of insulting to my intelligence to blame me first. She spent the first 9/10 years of her life distrustful of humans (god only knows what they did to her but she supposedly had zero training), no one could catch her, and I took her on (natural horsemanship). Have ridden in another discipline casually since 13, she is my first owned horse, but never had a problem and never had a horse spook so this is all new to me and I don't have a death wish. Now I'm afraid to get on her again. Isn't it good to do a ton of desensitization before you get on? We did this already, but obviously more? Can you for instance practice having a deer head pop up outside the arena before you go on a trail? I'm sorta at my wit's end and am wishing I purchased a dead broke horse now, although love the horse I have.

[@PatriciaSpayd]

Sometimes we buy a horse that is just 'too much horse' for our level of experience. I've ridden for decades and have owned many horses. Two of which I did sell to more experienced riders and kept my riding skills realistic to my mount. I've not regretted this philosophy - especially after a broken upper arm and a steel pin and months of physical therapy! I''m not a trainer, but a very good rider, and horses do spook and you can get badly hurt. Yes, I've had horses spook over stupid things like a leaf or a piece of paper and ended up grabbing dirt. Love the horse? A horse is livestock - a working animal. So be careful of Bambie syndrome. Buy a nicer tractable horse that will give you years of enjoyment instead of feeding a horse that you are afraid to ride. Whenever I would feel I'd over-mounted, then I would take out that steel pin from my desk drawer - surgeons will remove large pins in upper arms - and then stare at it, thinking about all that horrible pain from the break when I hit the ground and those months of therapy. Then I would sell that horse to someone who could get the best out of it. Many good traders and trainers will sell you a more docile animal and take the problem animal to retrain. No one wants you to get hurt! There is nothing so bad as to pay good money to buy and board an animal and then not ride it. If you fear riding the horse, buy another. Some horses calm as they age, but you've go to put a lot of hours into riding them to reach that stage. By the way, I've never worm a helmet. Just kept in mind to keep the horse between myself and the ground. Frankly, bike riders go on city streets and traffic and my horse riding was on trails, fields or the western show arenas. I've been thrown and also have fallen off - over a period of 40 years with horses and I've broken my left arm twice. My old trainer gave us lessons on how to manage a fall, and actually doing it at a walk. Helped a lot.

[@kenhulse5191]

zubery there is such a thing as a "bad" horse. I have had a few. I just move them on down the road and tell whomever takes that horse what the problem is up front. I have no time for a disobedient or flighty horse.

[@featheredfoothill]

@@kenhulse5191 Thanks for this Ken & Pat: It's funny, at random today, I found this video again, 5 years after posting my reply. I am still in one piece, grateful to say. I did sell the horse in my comment with full disclosure, and what did the woman do that bought her? No lessons or trainer as promised she'd get, just tried to hop on her bareback. She got thrown too. The horse never changed. I believe that humans sometimes don't either. Rather, they will hear what they want to hear, and I hear a lot of people getting hurt that want to remain in deep denial to the point of almost getting themselves killed. I took a long look in the mirror after my fall and after this horse also dumped my trainer. Many times the adage "too much horse" is true, and people need to stop anthropomorphizing them. Also not all horses are meant to be ridden and that's my belief, not all can be safely rehabbed if left untrained for so many years. It's astounding. I struggled, but came up with the cash (omg, broke safe horses aren't cheap, nor should they be) and got a very sweet mare that I knew who raised her (no weird mystery background), was started properly at 4yo with a successful professional trainer, and spent the next 6 months after purchase with said trainer on trail. 5 years later, we're (the mare and I) still together (thought I broke up with the trainer, lol). And I have never been injured by this girl, but make no bones about it, any of them can spook, no matter the years of riding, we shouldn't forget this. It certainly takes a village of lessons and mentors sometimes to find the answers. Best advice for anyone reading this, get a mentor, learn from others mistakes first and save yourself. Treat it like a bad relationship, say "NEXT," (when the writing is on the wall) and if it's not working. Don't collect RED flags. Pay attention to the first one.

[@featheredfoothill]

@@PatriciaSpayd Thanks for this Ken & Pat: It's funny, at random today, I found this video again, 5 years after posting my reply. I am still in one piece, grateful to say. I did sell the horse in my comment with full disclosure, and what did the woman do that bought her? No lessons or trainer as promised she'd get, just tried to hop on her bareback. She got thrown too. The horse never changed. I believe that humans sometimes don't either. Rather, they will hear what they want to hear, and I hear a lot of people getting hurt that want to remain in deep denial to the point of almost getting themselves killed. I took a long look in the mirror after my fall and after this horse also dumped my trainer. Many times the adage "too much horse" is true, and people need to stop anthropomorphizing them. Also not all horses are meant to be ridden and that's my belief, not all can be safely rehabbed if left untrained for so many years. It's astounding. I struggled, but came up with the cash (omg, broke safe horses aren't cheap, nor should they be) and got a very sweet mare that I knew who raised her (no weird mystery background), was started properly at 4yo with a successful professional trainer, and spent the next 6 months after purchase with said trainer on trail. 5 years later, we're (the mare and I) still together (thought I broke up with the trainer, lol). And I have never been injured by this girl, but make no bones about it, any of them can spook, no matter the years of riding, we shouldn't forget this. It certainly takes a village of lessons and mentors sometimes to find the answers. Best advice for anyone reading this, get a mentor, learn from others mistakes first and save yourself. Treat it like a bad relationship, say "NEXT," (when the writing is on the wall) and if it's not working. Don't collect RED flags. Pay attention to the first one.

[@ldebrobander]

I have more than once! I am listening to you intently! Thank you for your teaching, 🐎

[@reallifehorsemanship4333]

Larry; that was great! Man you can be so funny sometimes! I think we have a problem in today’s equine world with certain trainers that breed false hope & fluffy training techniques that brainwash the masses into thinking that ALL HORSES are a certain way, while they themselves profit from it. Many may have that quiet bred horse & never have to deal with the issues of a hot blooded horse... & then you have one horse owner overlooking the other owner with pride & contempt, because they’ve never had to learn or experience the extreme reactions of a horse themselves. For me I sometimes have to really get tough on a horse that I’m re-educating so that the horse doesn’t end up as “dog meat”! But people will see the finished horse & just think that it was always a nice calm horse! This is why you’ll cop criticism for being real & for using force to eventually train a good horse, because the new age money marketed natural horsemanship that is so promoted, won’t show themselves working with those kind of horses because then they might have to get tough & lose their image! But you yourself have probably helped countless amounts of people with offering free advice through the likes of KZbin. Thank you... I’m one of the ones that see’s, listens & understands... & is very grateful !!

[@shano92107]

Great tips for getting ahold of that spooked horse. Next step - what to do when you bend that head back and the rein breaks 😳

[@ltrocha]

None of this is going to work well if the horse isn't supple and gives to the rider's hands. If you have to pull so hard the rein breaks...

[@shano92107]

@@ltrocha hi Larry, yeah i was kinda just joshing you on that but you’te right - no give, no stop. But a good reminder to check the rein tie-offs and look for sun rot whenever you bridle up. Not that anything ever goes wrong under saddle 😛

[@audramorin576]

A good mental kick in the butt for the rider that has to deal with a chronic spooker, great video, great breakdown of proper positioning, and great tips.

[@ltrocha]

Turn on your speakers.

[@Nacimiento1]

That helps. I just can't find a saddle that fits me or the horse correctly. I am working on it though.

[@ltrocha]

Go to GoodSaddle dot com and you'll see some of the best saddles you'll find any where.

[@camillehank7617]

Do i wish i lived near you.there are so many trainers out there but .not many good ones such as yourself.i have been riding avidly sence 3 and iam 68 wit a 5 yr old .i have know her sence birth.but she was sold and i bought her at 4.she had 60vdays training and been setting for 2yrs as i did not live in the area were she was.not shes at my farm and its go to work time.round pen first...but i must be concestent with her and i need thecweather to brake.shes hancock bred .and is very SWEET BUT CAN BE STUBBORN. I FOLLOW YOUR METHODS .AND ILL PRAY FOR THE BEST🙏🤣..i have been very sick for a yr.and getting my strength back slowley. And i want to be strong enough to follow threw with what i ask.iam feeling she will be just fine.but her other owner spoiled her tooooo much .with no boundaries. With as you know can be A BIG PROBLEM WHEN THEY DONT GET THERE WAY WHEN YOUR ON THEM ..I WILL LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES..HERCFEET GET A LITTLE STICKIE ON HER .BUT ILL BE SURE TO KEEP HER MOVING .AND WATCHING YOUR VIDEOS..TY FOR ALL YOUR GREAT ADVICE...🙏❤ CAMILLE. ANY ADDITIONAL ADVICE TO ME WILL BE APPRECIATED AND HELPFUL...TY

[@missanna208802]

That horse has a pretty head. I was surprised to see the appy blanket when it turned around. She reminded me of my little half Arabian

[@privacymatters5204]

missanna208802 this is a bay roan quarter horse NOT an Appaloosa with a blanket. It is roaning over the hips and soon will be roaned on his whole body.

[@cassidylockard1527]

Great video thanks!

[@ltrocha]

You are welcome, Cassidy

[@cassidylockard1527]

@@ltrocha What is a good size round pan thanks

[@ltrocha]

@@cassidylockard1527 Size doesn't matter... I'm told!

[@cassidylockard1527]

@@ltrocha Calm down there Poppaw lol

[@dopenoodle3052]

I was breaking my horse (only 2nd day anyone had been on his back) and he got spooked and darted towards the woods like a race horse at the shot of a gun before I even had a chance to balance to his movements, so all I could do was adjust my balance to stay on and wait till he was a good distance to where I felt I could slow him down gradually by pitching him slack and pulling again repeatedly and not all at once to slow him down, this reduced the risk of him feeling a need to buck me off at dangerously high speed. I got wacked by a few trees in the process of trying to slow him down in the woods but thanks to this video I was able to stay safe didn't get hurt and never fell off.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

another solution I read for the VERY gutsy rider is to put the horse n rider in a large area, and when he spooks, take the whip to him very hard and run him as far and as long as he will run, to the point he cannot run any further; ie really exhausted; apparently this has cured many horses from a spook run; ie they will spook but then not take more than two steps! perhaps try it on range land or a racetrack, ie unlimited space for the horse to run himself out.

[@panaxhorridum]

Lauren Johnson Are you kidding me???? You only read this because nobody who has actually done this lived. You do that to some horses and it won’t matter how good of a rider you are. Sure the "flight" distance of a horse is a real thing and learning to flow with the horse w/out jerking its mouth is real important BUT whipping it into a dead run and hanging on until it stops just sounds like really bad advice, even for a "good" rider. This is taught for horses that buck too, but it never fixes the actual problem. Maybe you have a horse that doesn't buck anymore but now you have a horse that won't stand still because it thinks it has to go all the time. It is best to get the horse looking to you for support and answers, this is the best safety net you can have. I stress groundwork and lots of preparation first. I had a teacher who use to do spooking lessons in a small arena. She would warn me and scare the horse (these were regular lesson horses so she knew them really well) and walk me through handling it, in a managed envioronment. This helped a ton. I would never recommend taking a green horse in an open area until they are really ready to handle it and you are ready to support them. I would put some darn good "buttons" on a young horse for safety before EVER getting on. I am glad that you didn't get hurt but sounds like you have some stuff to shape up. I am not saying this to be a jerk, trust me, a broken leg, broken ribs, broken collar bone, broken nose, and broken toes taught me a lot in regard to young/untrained horses. This guy is making some really good points. But I would get a lot good on the ground first because you may have to bet your life on it. I am not saying that to scare you, it is the truth.

[@Lauren-vd4qe]

TuacaWaca

[@TukikoIsolde]

Jessica W No it isn't a good concept. It's actually more dangerous to do that.

[@panaxhorridum]

Jessica - I didn't say it wouldn't ever work, but just because it MIGHT work sometimes doesn't make it a good idea. There are better ways, safer ways, which actually make a good horse. I just had a horse slip and fall with me a few weeks ago (no fault of the horse) and busted my ribs, I also had another one fall on me on wet grass a number of years ago. So opening up a horse full throttle with its mind detached from the rider on god knows what terrain footing is awful advice. The best way to prevent bolting is to keep the horses mind with you, you lay that into the foundation so it is solid before you have any business going outside. Period.

[@hildeehill8575]

Very good horseman and very informative. Enjoyed the video and you present yourself like a true horseman not out looking for money. Thank you

[@chawni1956]

great video... thanks for posting!

[@JohnDoe-qu8ny]

Nice ♥️ great 👍 videos

[@heidibryan9262]

I have an issue with my horse, she will back quickly and perfectly when I say it on the ground (she didn't about a month ago, we worked on it). But when I ask her to back under saddle she stiffens up and won't give. I'm not sure if I'm cueing incorrectly, if she's being stubborn, or if she's confused. Do you have any suggestions? Thank you so much for your time, I'm sure you must get a lot of questions like this.

[@Relaxwithwildlife]

Great info! Just my opinion if you need a helmet and a b vitamin to help you feel safe and your horse to be calm. I suggest you play soccer instead!

[@featheredfoothill]

They are obviously selling a product - how about a well rounded diet, supplements don't work as well as getting vitamins from a natural food source. Helmets can prevent brain damage or bleed that can cause death, but I wonder if some of the people here suggesting NOT to wear a helmut are already brain damaged to begin with.

[@Relaxwithwildlife]

zubery I never said you shouldn't wear a helmet. But I do believe it is a choice by law unless your a minor. At least in my state.

[@Relaxwithwildlife]

jayla barker yes that and desensitizing!!! Also lots of trail riding!

[@mariakeenan4908]

I have a young horse that does a sudden spook whenever a motorbike or tractor comes towards us, what can I do? I can't really turn her round and do circles on the road. Also, I don't have time to do anything as she spins round so fast that I'm thrown off. I'm now scared that the next fall will be fatal.

[@ltrocha]

Hi Maria, Perhaps you didn't fully understand the correction. Circles are not required. Taking the horse's head away is. And there is no reason to "wait'" for bad things to happen. Start the correction BEFORE the bad reaction.

[@gabriellespringer1078]

Great video!

[@waksa72]

Какие красивые лошади у Вас)

[@janeerickson1840]

this is excellent

[@grandmasstories3418]

Thanks! Great tips

[@ltrocha]

Glad it was helpful!

[@ltrocha]

Hi Carol, Don't worry, another horse will come along that is right for you. Just be patient. Larry T

[@ltrocha]

That won't happen if you have taught your horse to be supple and give his head. Like I said in the video, "it's difficult to pull a horse's head around if he's stiff". Larry T.

[@syedtauseefshah5915]

Sir if horse is not willing to bend their neck then what can we do? Today my horse spook and i afraid that i m falling from back thanks god i did not.

[@Miranjor]

Hi! I have a Haflinger-Mix-mare. She is not really spooky and she is a "smooth" spooker, what means, she spooks and immediatly stops to look what it was that made her spook. But what i really hate when she is cantering, she sees something on the side of the road (that can be a flower, a bank or a bigger stone), she immediatly stops hard, looks and then makes a huge bow around it. The stopping is really hard and I don't like it at all though I never fell off. But what can I do to prevent this?

[@PatriciaSpayd]

Keep alert for potential spooky stuff, very alert as you know this is her habit --as you canter along the road. Slow the horse to a trot and put your heels into her to just keep her forward motion. Watch her ears. I found softly speaking to my horses reassured them, just to see on ear turn back my direction - just enough to break her attention to riveting on the Object d'Spook. My mare used to give clues of pending spook-fests, ears suddenly pricked, going into a stiff legged gait, then the snort before the spook. As Clinton says, keep your butt deep in the saddle. His work is excellent. I wish I had such great KZbin resources in the old days of my learning in the Old South riding half wild ponies! I found with one Morgan mare that was spooky just to try to relax yourself, take a deep breath and exhale and she would then relax. Relax leg muscles, arms, pet your mare's neck and talk softly. If you expect the reaction, and tighten up, the mare feels this and wonders 'what's wrong?' and can overreact. This Morgan would lock all four-hoof drive suddenly and I rolled right over her shoulder onto the sandy road. So I learned to feel what she was doing, observe her ears, as I looked continually ahead & kept alert for potentially Dastardly Spooky Things. If an unfamiliar area, slow down to a trot, and keep talking softly to her.

[@melissaschrock1169]

God created these gorgeous animals!!

[@andresmarquez8272]

I'm only 10 and I deal with hundreds of horses every day I ride wild one and trained one I fall but I get up and ride him or her again and again

[@PeacefulHippieChick]

Great information! My horse stiffens up his neck at a certain area on our property that he has been through a milion times. I can lead him through it with not problems (it's the outside corner of his pasture). But I cannot ride him through it. As soon as he figures out I'm going that direction he stops and throws his front end around. No amount of kicking or spanking gets him to go. He pulls against my hand with all his might when I try to pull his head around. He has reared once. What can I do?

[@greatest_shen]

what happened to your horse around that area?

[@BMG6000]

You're riding a snaffle. Can I do this safely in a shank bit?

[@ltrocha]

You can if you have taught your horse to be supple and give his head. If your horse is NOT supple and you try to pull him around in a curb bit, you may cause him to rear. Your horse MUST be supple no matter what type of riding you do.

[@sidilicious11]

Thanks for this good advice. I am starting a spooky horses and I want to have him condition to give his head move off my leg like you show.

[@fikemp]

Fantastic video Larry. I have a QHxTB who is very prone to spooking. Funnily enough as you say the busier his feet are, the less he spooks :) Your combination of explaining the why and methods to manage it were great. Loved it and really appreciate you sharing your experience. Checked out your horse training viedoes site as well and it looks great.

[@jenniferbyron1738]

Great video! I'm having trouble getting my horse to relax. In an area she's used to, I can get her to stand and relax with her head down (like in the home arena and around the barn). She's also very responsive and yields to pressure, in an area she is used to. However, the minute I take her out of what she's used to (like the neighbor's arena, or a trail) her head goes up and she stops listening to me. Rather, she worries about everything else and sometimes 'jigs' and spooks. I've only had her a few months, and she's 16 years old. Do you have any advise or exercises I can try? Thanks!

[@ltrocha]

Hi Jennifer, Have her checked for stomach ulcers or low magnesium levels.

[@jenniferbyron1738]

Yes, she's in perfect health. We did a full work-up when we got her.

[@ltrocha]

Then you are basically dealing with a training issue. You're going to need more than a few "tips". You'll need a training program. The one I'd suggest is "How to Lope Slow on a Loose Rein with Complete Control". You can find it on my website. Good luck. Larry T.

[@jenniferbyron1738]

+ltrocha, great! thanks so much!

[@naturewatcher7596]

Good tips. Wish all riding lessons include this, so you're not panicking during the spook and know what to do. Thanks! But for a beginner rider, I think, the only option could be an emergency dismount at the first signs of the spook, or if the horse refuse to turn its head during it.

[@Onlinehund]

Very good video .... I have now seen several of your videos and can see that you are a really good rider that makes it simple for me as a rider and especially the horse. If you should ever come to Denmark you are more than welcome to visit us .... smiles. We live by training dogs daily. Besides I have 3 quarter horses at competition level. Our dog training is based on horse training and it works great. Best regards Bettina

[@ltrocha]

+Dogwhisperer.dk Thank you for the kind works and invitation, Bettina. However, I hate to fly so I doubt I'll ever get over there.

[@keyses]

Thank you for your advice, I have just purchased one of your videos so will watch to get more information.

[@gogabogovi9744]

Nice! I m not experienced rider, I m only enjoying it over weekends when we go on a trail, but once a fasan flew right in front of my horse, and I spooked, but the horse just went on cantering like it never happened. The horses we ride are kept outside all year .

[@boxleyboy]

I have a mare kick everytime I spur her or even over in under what to do?

[@tonimindnich1296]

Great

[@ltrocha]

Thanks Toni

[@ambermarchand7958]

My Horse i used to ride in lessons spooked at a full gallop and I fell off straight on my back I wasn't that advanced