Spooking on the Trail: What to Do and How to Handle It
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- čas přidán 25. 07. 2024
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Most of the spooky horse videos talk about how to get control of the spook and most of the time the spook happens so fast you are unprepared and get hurt. Or you over-react and make it worse by either pulling your horse around and flipping them or tightening up and adding to your horse’s fear and need to flee. The reality though is most of us are not strong enough, fast enough or confident enough to manage the spook. And bending the horse doesn’t always work.
In the end, it shouldn’t be about handling, managing, riding out the spook, buck or bolt in your horse. That’s just stupid and dangerous. Why not take the time to develop your horse so they don’t spook so bad that you get scared or even worse, fall and get hurt?
Well, that’s what this video is about. Riding a horse that is a school master, meaning she has years of education, training and experience. In addition to the complexity, she has her own personality, nature, idiosyncrasies and unfortunately a few deeply rooted triggers - which make her spook.
I’m riding Sundance, my 18yr old QH mare who is currently my most well-trained horse. She hasn’t been ridden in about 8 months, seriously ridden, let alone out of her comfort and away from the barn. I already know she is barn and buddy sour and to top it all, she has been one of my top two toughest horses to re-train. She has never made schooling easy until recently and I think that’s for two reasons: our relationship has continued to deepen and she is maturing and getting more trusting and wiser.
None-the-less, she has her issues and today you get to witness all her subtle yet strong idiosyncrasies, triggers and best of all her choice to partner with me, work with me and keep me safe. This is what it’s all about, right? Don’t we all want to be safe when riding our horses especially when out on the trail? Well, while I have the answers that are you are looking for, you may not want to hear them and that’s because so much of what you see between me and Sundance, the way I handle all horses, has everything to do with me. My attitude, perspective, skill set and choice.
See, I choose not to compromise my horse’s emotional, mental or physical being when I don’t like what she does or choices she makes. Like raising children, isn’t is up to the parent to make choices and decisions based upon the general well-being and wellness of the child? Meaning, if my child does something I don’t like, I just don’t go off and smack them? At least you know you shouldn’t and that’s because you know how wrong it is and how emotionally detrimental it is to the child’s psyche.
Well, it’s no different for the horse. Just because they are really big and powerful does not give a person the right to hit them or make them do things out of fear, dominance or excessive pressure. Like children they have feelings and have emotions. And, if we are aggressive with them, they may comply out of fear, but they will never like us, love us or want to be with us and take care of us.
And don’t think for one minute that this doesn’t matter. It does. I’ve studied wild horses and worked with them and when you observe a wild herd of horses for long periods of time you get to witness the amazing and beautiful way they cohabitate, interact, care, cooperate and communicate.
I hope you enjoy this video and most of all come away with a few new perspectives and techniques. I thought I’d write down a few of the areas too that help identify why horses spook and the solutions.
Factors that cause spooky behavior
Sensitivity level not necessarily determined by breed. My big 18hh Friesian cross Zor is my most spooky horse and more than my 3 OTTB’s and Arab
-Triggers
-Lack of experience
-Learned behaviors from other horses, including their mother
Solutions to fixing the spooky behavior
-Relationship - helps them feel safe and comfortable and trust you
-Thinking vs reacting - exercises that develop their left brain
-Experience
-Desensitizing - applied over time thus making the scary “thing” part of their everyday experience vs flooding or over saturation
-Time and taking into consideration their maturity level
#equestrian #horsetraining #horses #carolinebeste #taoofhorsemanship #masterymembership #horsetrainer #holistichorsemanship #holistichorsemanship #carolinebeste #taoofhorsemanship #ilovehorses #happyhorses #horsebackriding #ridinghorses #bitless #riding
I see this video more of a lesson like "You can be the best horse trainer in the world and have the best horse in the world but still ... horses are horses." lesson. The best part was where you said 4:34 "She is always up here all the time... but she never has to pay attention to it... now she has to pay attention because she is with me." I love that you said that because it is just that big of a deal.
Thank you so very much for this. My mare has anxieties and worries on every ride. This really is going to help me for years to come
Love your patience level.
Hey Caroline,
Great video as always, I find it interesting how some trainers say No don’t let your horse see the spooky thing, turn their butt to it, do a shoulder fore. I agree with your method they need to see it, they need time to digest it from a distance.
Thanks Lisa! I can't emphasize enough how important it is to help your horse, train your horse, to become curious. Horses are naturally curious vs fearful. When you raise a young horse and you are the one that influences them the most, you see this. Not to mention if you were observing, studying wild horse dynamics and interactions. You would see 100% curiosity and bravery vs the spooky and reactive behavior we see so often in our domesticated horses. Granted, some horses are more courageous, bold, than others. Sundance is very courageous and confident in certain situations and in others she is less and that's where I come in, as her partner, with understanding and assistance. The key here is trust. If your horse trusts you, they not only believe in you, they follow you and work with you. Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!
Lol, regardless of how well trained they are they are still horses and have some primitive survival traits that will always remain or resurface.
I like your philosophy and I think you do a great job.
Have a very Merry Christmas and safe holiday season 🙂
Hi Sarah and Welcome! Yes, they will always be horses meaning their self preservation mode is instinctual. The difference I hope I am showing in this video is my horses ability to "think" vs react, which is instinctual. The second major area I want to show, convey, is how I handle it. Thanks for watching and I wish you a blessed Holiday Season and a fabulous New year!
....really appreciate this intelligent interpretation of horse anxiety on trail; my horse goes back on his own as if to try and solve his anxiety. I weave him about to encourage eventual walking straight when he halts of his own accord. He trusts me evantually that we are safe and their are no monsters in the trees. I stay calm until he seems to work the issue through and resign to carrying on the trail without issue.
Hi Rosalind and Welcome! Thank you. Sounds like we think a lot alike. Great to hear how you handle your guy when he's not sure.
Thank you. You are a good teacher!
Thaks Cindy!
Hello! What is your opinion of first walking the horse by hand on the trail and then riding the horse. Thank you!!!
Great video she does the same thing my Appendix Jr does, except he jumps sideways! I eat only silicone riding pants and not jeans when I ride. How can I watch the long video of this?
Sorry that above caption should say I wear only silicone riding breeches when I ride my horse.
Hi there. How much per month is the mastery membership?
Hi Debra and Welcome! The monthly cost for the MasteryMembership is $179. Please click here for details www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/mastery-membership-regular
I want to ride bareback, it looks exciting! 😀
Hi Jim and Welcome! You should! Be safe though and make sure you set you and your horse up for success!
Caroline, would you give me an advice? Yesterday I rode a trotter, it competes in harness races and basically, from what I saw, the trainer never stops with her while she is practicing. She is very quiet when I rode her, except she is easily scared. When I took her on her usual training route and began trotting with her, I couldn't stop her and she pushed faster through my pulling. She never learned the concept of release and stopping. She doesn't understand it, even at walk; she just pushes harder. At the moment when she slowed down even the slightest, I released the pressure, but that never helped and she went faster. No one was injured, because I decided to jump off before she started running and she quietly walked beside me for the rest of the route. How would you teach a racing horse the concept of stopping? I want to keep both of us safe when riding.
Hi Miss Nesnah and Welcome! There are no quick techniques or fixes for a race horse or former performance horse. Main reason is they have spent years on adrenaline and mentally conditioned to either go full blast or run a pattern. That's why when you ask her to pick up speed she goes into a full run. That's all she knows and what's she's been conditioned to do for years. And when you are walking beside her she is fine and that's because she isn't being triggered into her former/current training mode. Your trotting horse requires a complete re-start. I offer a complete training and re-training online program that will help you re-start her and develop an amazing relationship and riding foundation. Please click here to learn more about it: www.taoacademy-horse-training-courses.com/mastery-membership-regular
@@TaoofHorsemanship Thank you so much for your answer and honesty! I will check it out.
She's beautiful
I have had horses step on my feet, and had to push them off of me. Is this intentional disrespect by the horse, or accidental? What should I do if it happens again.
I like I have like you that I train and that I train and she is SI good to go out and she is 61one hand she is till horse but good horse and she is 5years old and moth has to be all over the place and on very thing
Your AWESOME but at risk for head injury...helmet. Nobody is immune to a fall. Courtney King Dye
I'd be super annoyed if I were the horse. I don't blame sunflower.
Get OFF my case woman 😆
It's Sundance jo leigh 🤦♀️
I don't trust that you know what your doing because you didn't even tie you halter right....
mia animals150 I don’t trust that you have an open mind and you obviously don’t because there could be many ways you could tie a rope halter but you don’t care cause you know everything.
add a saddle spurs and a whip and you can skip wasting your time
Horses are our partners, we have responsibility to listen to them and accept and respect their thoughts and emotions on certain things.
What I'm hearing from you, Hans, is that you're abusive to animals... And guess what? We don't listen to animal abusers. Ever. Also, there is no such thing as wasted time when working with a horse.
Lazy rider,Hans.