Unconventional Thoughts on Nervous Horses

[@mizmae0890]

Yes! My horse is the same way. I started being more assertive and our relationship changed for the better! We just finished our first season of drill together and he was a rockstar!

[@Kateyangyuqing]

Great job!! I am so happy for you that you have come so far together

[@user-en7rr2jt1n]

Yayay❤️❤️

[@leealexander3507]

Well done.

[@Kateyangyuqing]

Another thing to add in being quiet around nervous horses: They can't trust you and look to you as a leader if you're appearing nervous. If you appear confident, walk with your head held high, you know where you're going and what you're doing - the horse will feel much more safe around you because they can get the feeling that they can look up to you, you know what you're doing, you'll keep them safe from predators. Being confident - truly confident - and comfortable with yourself makes a big difference around horses! And around us humans too - we actually tend to look up to the same kinds of people that horses do! We value leaders who are confident, fair, consistent, who know what they're doing and where they're going. If someone came up to us when we were scared - say for instance we were in a place where we couldn't understand the language or culture, were kidnapped and taken to a strange place and didn't know why we were there, what was going on, or what that person's intentions are - and they came up to us in a very cautious and careful manner. We would also be hesitant to trust them. We would think, "what is this person REALLY after? Are they trying to manipulate me into something harmful? What are THEY scared of, and is this a scary place in general?" While it's always important to remember the differences between horses and humans, social mammals like us also have a lot in common, and when we find one's self inherently drawn to a charasmatic leader, they usually have these same qualities of confidence, consistency, fairness, and direction. I have also noticed that my cats hate it when I say "it's okay" in a caring manner when they're in a scary situation, like being taken to the vet. Or when dealing with feral cats. I have a lot of feral cats on the property I live on, and in order to help them with feeding, healthcare, desexing, etc. I have to befriend them. I learned that they hate being cooed and they hate hearing "its okay, don't worry" in a careful voice because they get the feeling that something SHOULD be scary. I've learned that just being yourself, confidently feeding them (but mindfully avoiding certain sudden movements towards shy cats) they end up trusting me. It can take a while but all animals need patience. Eventually, I've been able to pat or even pick up cats who were initially terrified of people and take them to the vet. One gorgeous bubba in particular who was extremely people shy at first is now one of the cuddliest of the bunch! She's a cuddly cat by nature and loves to snuggle up to her aunt, and when she started to trust me and figured out that getting a stroke feels good she became very cuddly very quickly! (The petting also was a slow process at first - starting out with an "accidental" gentle stroke against her lower back which she found felt quite nice! She had to be confident with me just being around for a while before I could try that though.) The smartest, most careful cat of the bunch who I call "Mumma Cat" and refer to as "The Matriarch" (she is sort of the head of the family as a lot of the other cats are her relations or descendents, and she seems to call the shots) trusts me. She's a really street savvy cat, very tough and clever, and is a true survivor. She doesn't like being touched, but she will greet me and trusts me as a protector. She raised her babies on my verandah in a cat house my bf made because a) the food was there and b) she trusted us enough to know that was the safest place for her bubs. She trusted me enough to touch and play with her bubs. She would look on but never tried to stop me from petting them. As a result I was able to help her raise them, help her wean them (she would let me take them into the laundry to feed them wet food as the other cats go nuts for it and otherwise wouldn't let bubs eat). As a result of her trust, I was able to help her raise friendly kittens who had known human contact their whole lives and were no different to house cats in terms of ability to socialise with people, so I was able to find them homes. Two of my favs, Mickey and Peppa, were so friendly to a point that I had never once heard or saw either of them growl, take a swipe at a person, or even another cat. Mumma Cat gave me the opportunity to teach them that people are friendly protectors and there was always enough food that there was no reason to fight with the other cats. Mickey and Peppa both went to a family with very young children who intially wanted a young kitten (they were a few months old by that time) but knowing them I feel that they are safer for young children than even young kittens. I miss them to death (Mickey used to love falling asleep on my lap and was always the first to greet me) but I can only be happy for them to have a warm home during the winter and getting the human love they deserve. My 5 indoor pet cats take cuddles and human love for granted but to Mickey, Peppa, and the other friendly verandah-raised kittens, me coming outside to give them attention was always the best thing ever.

[@user-en7rr2jt1n]

Kate Shearman I’m sorry I agree with your first part but that’s too much to read

[@Kateyangyuqing]

• Տɑƙմɾɑ • Haha no worries, I tend to type long messages, and I enjoy reading long messages myself but forget that sometimes other people don’t like it. I’m often accused of writing essays in text messages haha 😆

[@user-en7rr2jt1n]

Kate Shearman lol but by judging by the first part I agree with you.

[@user-en7rr2jt1n]

Kate Shearman horses are herd animals so if you act confident they won’t be as spooked. Most are followers so just be a leader and they will feel safe basically

[@Kateyangyuqing]

• Տɑƙմɾɑ • Dont worry the rest is just blabber about cats not liking it when people say “it’s okay” in a cautious voice and the story of my feral cats, it’s not even very relevant to the conversation haha, it’s just blabber

[@meribethlarsen6669]

The way you approach them has big impact on how they will react to their surroundings.

[@kathybertone8837]

Excellent! They really can read when a person is not being their true self and that makes them worse (or at least not improve), so presenting yourself authentically means that they see who the person REALLY is and figure out, they're not so bad! The person is seen less as a stalking lion and more like a leader, ready and able to protect and defend, which calms them. Great video.

[@Kateyangyuqing]

Yeah, 100%. Just like we can sense when someone is lying, they can too. When someone lies to us, we become mistrustful and wonder what their real agenda is. It's the same with horses. If they feel that you're not being yourself, they wonder what you're REALLY wanting from them. Predators like lions and cats are also good at pretending in order to trick prey. Horses are very honest creatures and their body language reflects how they feel. And yeah, being confident in yourself shows that there is nothing to fear around you. They can't feel safe if you don't look like YOU feel safe. If you go about your business as normal, that tells them everything is normal too. A lead mare is a confident horse that makes other horses feel like she's got their backs if the sh** hits the fan. They need to feel that from us too.

[@theresesing738]

This applies to all women who are the "lead mare" in every context of our lives; be it family, business, civic or religious organization, our neighborhood. Spot on! Chi Miigwech - meaning great thanks in my Ancestral Native Ojibwe language💓🐴💓

[@Kateyangyuqing]

Therese Sing So true Therese 😊 I am honoured to receive thanks in your native language. I have done a very small amount of learning about Ojibwe culture (I am from Australia) and it seems fascinating and I’m happy to see people like you keeping it up and respecting it. Here in Australia we have a serious problem with people not knowing much about indigenous culture and not respecting it when we have a lot to learn from them - from their spiritual thinking to their practices, for instance, you might have heard about the devastating bushfires that ripped through eastern Australia last season. The indigenous people of Australia have for thousands of years been managing fires - and have really effective methods that are better than current back burning practices. What better people to turn to than the pros who have dealt with Australia’s environment for longer than we can even comprehend? I hope that your country - Canada or the US (as Ojibwe country crosses the border, is that right?) has more respect for your native cultures than we do. In my opinion it’s a national shame for Australia to have so little understanding of the great cultures that were here for 50,000 years before Europeans came. Much love ❤️

[@kimberlyequestrian6037]

I think this is one of the main problems I have with how I handle myself around my horse and it’s something I look forward to working on! I’m also realizing that by me soothing him and being cautious of everything he goes near it makes him feel like there is a reason he should be afraid because I’m acting like it’s scary.

[@emmaeklund9067]

Bought a high-strung mare 6 yrs old dressage horse. Nerves all over the place. Trainers, people in the stall told me to whisper, move slooowly, don't give loud commands, not be myself at all. She got worse and worse and didn't connect, even got aggressive at some points (defensive). 2 months of getting worse, and worse. I couldn't take it. I thought; either I have to be myself and the horse adapts to me, or she will be happier with another owner. Started to be more assertive, clear directions, demanded of her to take responsibility of her movements in everything I did with her. I now have a totally different horse. We still have a long way to go, but the responsiveness and her ability to think and calm herself down have increased exponentially. Calm och very clear leadership and desensitizing training from the ground is everything.

[@gerrycoleman7290]

A horse is a reflection of the person handling it.

[@OliveDeuce]

Correct!

[@gerrycoleman7290]

@@OliveDeuce Unfortunately that is a concept that many horse people do not grasp.

[@OliveDeuce]

Gerry Coleman I agree, and actually I’ve met so many people that disagree with it which is so baffling- yet they are also always the same people with horse problems

[@gerrycoleman7290]

@@OliveDeuce One thing I have seen recently is there are some people who want to start a horse from start to finish with no outside help. Many do not know what they do not know. And it slows their progress. They do not know the horse's language (body language). They have not developed the experience to become an effective communicator with the horse. And they blame the horse. They do not realize it is not the horse, it is them. If something does not go as planned, the one question a person should be asking themselves is 'What did I do to cause this reaction from the horse?'

[@shawnaweesner3759]

A student of Rick Gore’s “Think Like A Horse” Lessons. 👍😷🐴

[@dawn1920s]

OMG I so needed this video! My Saddlebred has always been spooky and literally jumps up and splays his front feet out when he startles. He has come down on my foot this way many times. He can be working down the rail fine and then jump sideways over some small thing. I've gone off of him multiple times this way. I'm going to STOP being so extra calm and careful not to make him jump and work with him as this video suggests!! Will give an update in a few weeks!

[@Irishman5037]

I handle mine in a very confident way, I don't tip-toe around them. If I think they might spook at something that I'm using, I take them to a larger area (such as the arena) and work with them with this potentially spooky object. The gelding I typically work with was originally terrified of plastic bags. I took him to the arena and put him on a 20-foot lunge line, pulled him into a circle, and would approach him with the bag, then back off. I started with just showing it to him, then I progressed to "fluffing" the bag, then "patting" him with the bag. The first few "fluffs" terrified him and he reared. After just five minutes, he allowed me to touch him anywhere with the bag, including his head and around his ears. Now when I bring the bag out, he could care less.

[@rachelmorris9272]

This is so, so true. I worked a lot with "problem" horses and youngsters as a side-job and found that nervous horses make people nervous even when they're normally really quite confident and the reverse - nervous people can make really confident horses nervous. Particularly with young horses, owners tend to take the approach of 'quietly, quietly' whereas just exposing them to every day things in a normal, non-adjusted way has a much better effect. The last person I worked with had a five year old Thoroughbred which, admittedly had a very slow and sheltered start to life, but she was so easily started by anything new it took her about forty minutes to tack up - the mare couldn't be bridled normally, and went from rope around the neck, then a slip over the head, then a head collar and a bridle just because she was head-shy and she was too scared of groundwork to desensitise her...just got silly and dragged the process out longer stressing her further. Psychology is such a major factor with horses and we really are the cause of so many of their problems x

[@DeniseCummins]

Great video! Nervous horses need a strong leader--someone who simply communicates "It's safe to trust me. I know what I'm doing." That doesn't mean dominating them physically or breaking their spirit. It means just what this video says: Don't coddle, and don't bully. Behave confidently. That's what will calm a nervous horse down. They're nervous because they want to follow a benevolent confident leader.

[@scotthays294]

Working with a 3 year old right now that hadn't been handled a lot in the past. Have found even just sitting down and talking to someone on the far side of the arena has made more of a difference than the quiet approach I was taking prior to that. There are still times when I know I need to be a little "softer and quiet" with her, but have finally gotten to the point where she is responding a lot better to the louder voice, more arm movements, etc...

[@diane9052]

Ever wondered how a preditor moves when he goes after his pray? Very slow and quiet. I think that's why horses are weary when we act that way.

[@AndyTheCornbread]

That's exactly it. Horses think you are sneaking up on them when you handle them quietly and timidly.

[@gimmeproof]

I have had almost this same situation - I bought a horse that (of course) was a doll when I tried him - easy, confident, etc. however - he had been with the same trainer/environment for 10 years. when he moved to my training facility, he became just, well - crazy. Unfortunately, I'm not as smart as you, or at least not as quick at figuring things out. I tried the soft, gentle, easy approach... and it got a little better, but not great. After having some good rides, though (just his ground situation was spooky), he pitched a bit of a fit for no reason that I could ascertain. I had to step back and try something else. What I discovered (I handed him to my hubby for awhile who is honestly better with horses than me) was that he no longer had a leader - and I wasn't providing that for him. I did much what you did - didn't treat him like a porcelain doll - but was myself around him. when he was naughty, I firmly (but kindly) corrected him. honestly - he became a whole new horse. A lot of of it, I believe was the scary new environment, people - it was just an overload for him. Once he had a routine and a leader he was confident in, he got much much better. Now, if only I could learn as fast as my horse.

[@sms7782]

I have a spooky one, and I don’t know her history. Being very casual and somehow humorous helps a lot. On the other hand I had to be aware of her threshold in every moment, not expecting too much of her. Very short sessions, rewarding every little step she did well and ignoring the mistakes or missunderstandings, worked best for me. Being aware of myself and doing something myself, getting involved helped a lot, for example letting her move and trying to move in her rythm or breathing very deeply in her rythm. Being very aware but at the same time very relaxed.

[@leealexander3507]

The horse I have right now was not only nervous but aggressive toward human predators just as he was other predators. He was also hyper-vigelant. I walked in and sat down in order to allow him to investigate. Along with everything else I noticed as I watched him that he was very curious. He eventually claimed me as his human. Now I have a horse I can do pretty much anything with but he's a one person horse. He is a calm relaxed horse but I can always tell if someone else has been in his paddock trying to catch him. He gets jumpy and snorts a lot the moment anyone else even walks by. I finally hung a sign on his gate telling people not to enter.

[@AndyTheCornbread]

A couple years ago I had a warmblood in for training who was super nervous about everything, and I mean everything. He would spook at the cats playing in the hay when he first showed up. An old trainer friend of mine took one look at him when he was over one day and said "that horse has been snuck up on and lied to by people being timid and quiet around him treating him like glass. Treat him like an old broke gelding and just do everything with him as if he was bomb proof and that will clear right up". Sure enough we worked on the horse's focus and his ability to let down as if he was an old broke gelding and shortly afterward you could do anything on that horse that you wanted from swimming rivers while trail riding to jumping events in noisy arenas. Fast forward to this spring I got in a grade quarter horse that was nervous on the ground the same way the warmblood had been nervous about everything. I did the same with him, handled him confidently like he was an old bombproof ranch horse and worked on his focus and teaching him how to process a scare and how to come down from it and not hold on to his anxiety etc. I ended up keeping him for my wife and kids because he has turned in to such a solid reliable riding horse. All of his issues were just due to poor handling and not being taught how to get rid of his anxiety from said poor handling.

[@deborahedwards6116]

Just added a mare to our herd of two geldings. She was given to me and the owner was the one that walked her up the hill to her run in shelter, fenced off from the boys. She got pretty tight, and the owner said she does it a lot, just push her through it. Ok, I have a sensitive mare whose opinion didn’t matter and she shuts down and is compliant. When the owners left, (she was trailered with another gelding), she was a mess. Took a couple of days to settle, and then took down the fence and her and the boys had a large dry lot to get aquatinted in. Very food aggressive, tight, and spooks on occasion. This is after I started clicker training and she began to understand I was hearing her, and her opinion mattered. No longer shut down, she had a lot to say. She now goes to her bucket and waits for breakfast. Lines right up with a rather tall mounting block, and she’s starting to get a lot softer. This is riding in the dry lot with the boys present. Last night she was very spooky when I opened the gate for everyone to go out to pasture, and I had to go first (perhaps the lion will be full by the time he gets to her? Lol), she followed, still tense, but relaxed once we got out back. My confidence boosting mare is pretty dang tense. I like her a lot, she’s alway up for playing, but she’s not real confident leaving the boys. Any suggestions?

[@Nimeariel]

I've seen many different methods about breaking "buddy sour" horses. But one I've seen that works a lot is to work her "hard" near the buddies and then let her relax away from them. Every time she wants to get near them, let her. BUT, make it just a little bit uncomfortable to be around them (like, if you're on the ground, start lunging her a bit, or if you're riding, do some tight circles or make her trot circles instead of just walk). Then, if you feel her starting to relax and look for a way out, don't let her relax and have a break until she's a little bit away from them. After a while of doing this (letting her go to her buddies, working her, and retreating to relax), you should see her starting to lick her lips and chew and hang her head and soften further and further away from them. Do this one distance at a time over a series of sessions or slowly over the course of one longer session, asking her to go away a little further each time to relax. And, don't make it the same spot, every time- make it different spots. Eventually, she'll be fine leaving them AND being near them. Just remember- work NEAR the boys, relax AWAY FROM (preferably facing away from, too) the boys.

[@Inca1122]

I have a mustang too. He also can be quite anxious but I also stopped being Timid around him and more assertive and now he is a lot more relaxed.

[@CDN_Bookmouse]

Really helpful video and not something a lot of people talk about for beginners/casual riders! I think that being worried around a nervous horse creates a very tense energy that I imagine reads as predatory for a prey animal. Always looking at them to check how they're doing probably puts a lot of that energetic pressure on them as well, and watching them from the corner of your eye would seem very suspicious behaviour to a prey animal! If you're afraid the horse might hurt you by accident, it might help to remember that their first instinct will be to move AWAY from you, not to strike AT you. If you just go about your business like NBD, they'll see that you're not going to hurt them and will relax. Creeping around is a very "I might want to eat you" way to act! Let them see for themselves that you're not going to hurt them; they'll see that all those jumps and spooks aren't worth their energy.

[@kidstuff44555]

I swear this is why my horses act weird when non-horsey people visit and want to pat them. These people often act timid, move slowly or are generally a bit wary around my (normally very calm) horses, and my horses tend to then start acting nervous themselves.

[@56sleepy]

Fascinating, and as you describe it makes perfect sense. In a way perhaps you are saying to the horse if we are each ourselves we will get along just fine and the nervous highly reactive horse can “lean on” you so to speak for both guidance and security. From an energetic perspective, horses biofields are huge. So to be particularly gentle and quiet may very well be our initial unfiltered response coming into to their energy. Nervous reactive energy is nevertheless of a high vibration and the tendency is to seek balance and a comfortable middle ground, low to high. Either join them in their high vibration which you don’t want to do or create a new paired energy. However once safe trust, is established as you did, that high frantic vibration can come down to meet you in your steadiness and be comfortable there, regardless of all the sights and sounds that once caused reactive behavior. This horse was accustomed to having her high vibration, be it fear and safety grounded perhaps, moderated by a herd or other horses she hid behind in the early part of your clip. But once experienced in trusting you she could feed off your steadiness both in her energy which comes first and her behavior which results. Very cool!

[@alicecohen4726]

Thank you Callie. Well done on observations of your mare and your turn around from being careful to being fully energised is great! Comments below describe predator to prey behaviour. There is something wonderful about horses who trust their handler as a clear and calm but confident leader; noisy or quiet and everything in between. TRT training with Tristan Tucker is worth a look at too.👍

[@peggidugas6716]

Always enjoy your videos... Thank you for all that you do...

[@amberlihartwellacting]

Yes it's true I had a mare that while she was hissy fitting the best thing to do was carry on solid on the ground until she worked it out her system and not escalate by taking it personally - she could trust me more when I just let her release what she had to release to deal with the scary flapping bag or whatever was bothering her. If I soothed her she got her knickers in more of a twist it was like she couldn't rely on me when the going got tough!

[@maryoneill6495]

Excellent. Comments are excellent too. Thanks for this!

[@manicdaisy]

Such a great, timely video for me! I just bought my first pony this summer. She's 6yo, and although well-broke, I am realizing she is much more prone to startling than other horses I've worked with, whether it be a sudden sound or quick movement. I am already a quiet, hesitant person but I have tended to be even quieter around her. On the other hand, my husband, who also works with her, is much louder and more matter-of-fact and she actually seems to be more confident around him. I think I need to up my energy with her and not be afraid of her startles. After all, I do hope to be able to ride her on trails so she needs to be used to noises and movement around her. Thanks!

[@angeronal]

An excellent video and very good advice. Thank you for posting.

[@teachertara625]

Exactly this! She is so much better when I have a quiet but assertive confident energy. Did you ever ride this horse?

[@gispaAPRN]

Thank you for sharing this!!!!!!! I wish I could leave a comment about a horse I’ve worked with, but I’m actually here because I’m struggling to not just be a “food dispenser.” My best friend has three mares on a 42acre pasture, all English trained, but have not been worked in a very long time and are only ridden a few times a year, which is about to change. (Which is why I’m here following your channel to get tips and to get back in that saddle and up to speed). I don’t know if they’ve just developed a little wildness or if it’s just a learned behavior over time because they haven’t been ridden and my best friend is now just seen as a good dispenser, but when I go to pet them, they jerk away as if “oh, you don’t have treats? no pets for YOU!”-think soup nazi (Seinfeld reference, of course)-and I’m sure someone knows EXACTLY what I’m talking about in terms of “the no snack, no pet” head jerk. ***Note, they stand well for brushing, the vet, the farrier, and for tacking up,) but for me, this behavior is a barrier to me warming up to them just the same. I’m in my mid 30’s, and rode for 12 years as a child/teenager, but I’m trying to get back into it, and not be “apprehensive” of horses, and I’m trying hard to definitely not give off that vibe. But even when I do eliminate that vibe, it’s a slap on the hand when they behave this way. I hope this makes sense? Anyone have any tips? Thank you.

[@headkat2]

I use a similar approach with my horse. We have the discussion that she will get the first treat as a freebie, and then has to earn the rest. I use a 4 knot rope halter

[@resellingandthrifting]

I just got a new older horse. I bought new halters etc. I couldn't get the first halter I bought on her because it would jiggle. It was an adjustable halter. I was told she rode in a hackamore so i bought a nice soft fleece one. She wouldn't let me put that on either cause it jiggled as well lol. I had no trouble putting a regular halter on her. So I'm purchasing a regular bosal. Lol

[@melaniailiuk779]

And just asking, how do you become more confident around a spooky horse. Thx for the video😊👍🏼🐎❤️

[@melaniailiuk779]

The school horse I am riding is a spooky kind of horse. I fell off him twice, and I am a little cautious with him.

[@georginawilliams5665]

Great idea, thank you!

[@SeptemberVhayArtist]

Super helpful! Thank you!

[@nicoleann0703]

Absolutely agree 😍👍

[@brittanyritenour4695]

I really like what she says in here.

[@nataliea.6049]

Great video! I really learned a lot, in all your videos. I’m going to ride a fresh horse at my lesson barn on Monday, does anyone have any tips? I’m nervous and I’m the only one who rides her the way she likes to be ridden, thats why my trainer wants me to start her back in. She hasn’t been ridden in 4-6 months due to quarantine and an injury.

[@sharingequines6943]

Hiya. Just think foward, positive and calm. depends on horse but try ride confidently and quietly, don’t focus on any negatives and ignore any quirky behaviour thrown at you 😂 don’t let it un-never you. I’d keep the ride short and positive, warm up and do bursts of trot and canter. Transitions, circles and riding over poles. Good luck, I’m happy to try help if I can. I’m definitely not an expert but this is just what I find works quite well from experience

[@sharingequines6943]

Also, By any chance is that Johnny from nct on your profile picture?

[@nataliea.6049]

Sharing Equines y e s 🤣🤣🤣🤡

[@nataliea.6049]

Sharing Equines thank you for the advice, I’ll try my best to be calm around her. Stan NCT #nonspon 💀🤡🤣🤣🤣

[@sharingequines6943]

Defo stan😂😂 did you ride her today? How’d it go?

[@elizabethalcala2516]

Omg my horse is so nervous .. I’m gonna try to be more assertive because I tend to be a person w high energy. But I’m just really struggling w her because everything startles her. Other horses or small animals or cars.. Idk how to deal w all that. Because she is very skiddish and stubborn and people think I’m gonna get killed by her one of these days. I also am a beginner rider but I can’t just go and trade her in. She’s mine. So I’d just like to see maybe videos on how to build her confidence and mine and our bond I guess .

[@bbqbean301]

FIRST Love your vids! ^-^

[@headkat2]

Hi. I tiptoed around my Mustang, Piper, while gentling her. When I quit walking on eggshells, she progressed much faster. I'm riding her now and worry about startling her because she won't let anyone else ride her. If I get thrown I could break a hip. I use a flag to desensitize her, and really want to get her out on a trail. On the other hand, do you think that if I approach her like any other horse, she won't be so hesitant when I ride her in the arena? I'm concerned that I am holding her back. Piper and I have a very strong connection, and have been training for 9 years.

[@alicecohen4726]

Is it possible your mare needed both experiences? She may have needed the adjustment to you as a lead time for trust development as well as the later need for a variety in the energy from you as she accomodates the different human dynamics. Well done on all aspects.

[@krystallbusbea1019]

I am working with a very nervous very easily startled Arabian mix. It seems like nothing we do is helping. What should I do?

[@danw6014]

I think when people are trying to tip toe around this type of horse it comes off as sneaky. Then when they move people try to confine them, troubling them more. These horses need to move their feet but they need direction and discipline along with it. Exposure to things and having things to think about is what helps this kind of horse. It's sensitive so use what bothers it to get to its feet.

[@sparra8519]

But if you are the one that startling the horse, won't it give the horse negative feelings towards you? Would you say that you should first bond with the horse before doing this?

[@brittanyritenour4695]

I prefer nervous hot or sensitive horses over pushy or bossy horses.

[@ratherbfishing455]

It depends on the breed and each individual horse. A mustang might not have any background knowledge. It's like taking a Kenyan village person to the middle of New York city. I worked with Arabians. Some sires had very hot and spooky offspring. Some were docile. The same with Saddlebreds! Most were easy to train and show. Most are honest.

[@Kelly_Ben]

I've found this to be so true! When I'm alone with the horses, I'm quiet, speak softly, move slowly. Then a person comes around and my italian comes out- boisterous conversation with hands flying. They startle the first couple times, then settle down as the conversation goes on. I'm now focusing on being matter of fact instead of calming.

[@karenbuzzatto7339]

Makes sense !

[@OliveDeuce]

I can tell that you understand horses, more people need to know this. Horses need a leader, when you walk around slowly and creeping you are acting like a predator to a horse and not a leader. Also, acting normally like you said decenitzes them to normal behavior, that way they won’t ever spook when you raise your hand again. In my book I treat all horses the same- spooky or not, because all horses are looking for leadership. I never act differently around different horses. Also very important-- when you make something a big deal with horses, it becomes a big deal. If you freak out when your phone rung because you didn’t want to scare the horse, it would’ve scared the horse. Yet if you had pretended like it was no big deal, the horse would be more at ease.

[@tesudarshan1750]

Hello sweetie I am in love with your horse🤗🤗😘😘❤️❤️❤️🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴

[@southafricanserviceshepher5014]

My friends mare lacks ground manners, and she always lets her walk over her. And she gives her everything she wants. At this point the mare is a literall spoiled brat.

[@conniekenny3829]

Ground training is the most important, and can make the difference between a spooky horse and a confident dependable horse. Sure, they will always spook at something, they’re prey animals, it’s their survival that they be aware, but ground training can give you and your horse the time and experience to handle the concern.

[@hmmm2183]

Nope but my horses know their handler / rider is Norwegian and a little bit thick 😉

[@lucasa1849]

I don’t get how these thoughts are unconventional. This is common sense