Horse overreacts- how best to react

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thehorsediva

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My horse is normally very calm but as soon as something changes he does seem to overreact and try to run from it. He is particularly bad with things he cannot properly see. I am not overly confident so I know this is causing me to get nervous which I am a well aware does not help! When he "spots" something what can I do on a practical level (assuming I am riding) to get him attention, turn him in a circle, turn his head the opposite way, trot him on, let him face it? Think we both need something to concentrate on so that our minds are soon re-oocupied not dwelling on whatever the "something" is.
 
What do you mean by 'over react'? What does he do? By changes, do you mean it only happens in a familiar environment?
All our horses notice anything that is changed 'on their patch', a gate left open that is usually closed, sheep in a field that usually has cows...
Don't turn him away. Let him look, give a bit of 'stand and stare' time if necessary but don't let him turn round.
I know it's easier said than done but if you see something that you think will provoke a reaction be careful not to change your position. Don't shorten your reins, don't grip with your legs, don't lean forwards. All these will make horse think there's something to be scared of. Without further details can't advise.
 
I'd just ignore it, & just carry on with whatever I was doing before he spotted whatever it was. If you aren't confident, try riding with someone else on a confident horse. The other horse will reassure yours, & if you just carry on your conversation & don't react, chances are your horse will stay more relaxed too. Singing helps too, it stops you tensing up.
 
oldjumper said:
Brilliant advice - unless you've got a voice like mine, in which case it would be cruelty to animals!
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I used to threaten mine that if he didn't settle down I'd sing :)

OP,

What worked with my nervy prat was just to be really flat - as he started panicking about the rogue leaf or sabre toothed squirrel :rolleyes: you had to sit there totally calm, relaxed rein and tell him that there really wasn't a problem and to get a grip. If you reacted by getting even a tiny bit tense it just confirmed that he was doooooommmmed.
 
I've found that singing,or reciting times tables gets our ponies past anything spooky.I don't let them trot past as that is giving them a signal that it is something scarey that has to be got past at speed,which can escalate.We never turn around either,I give a stern 'walk on' and on we go.We currently have a new pony who needs traffic proofing.I have him on the lead rein because if a pony eating cyclist hoves into view and I grab the reins,he is going to think 'ooeer,mum doesn't like it either,I'd better get out of here'.Whereas a light hand on the lead rein and an instruction to walk on conveys no panic or tenseness and he is a lot calmer for it.
 
Just sit quiet then ride positively past/by/round whatever is setting them of. I had to do this with S pony after she freaked out and reared up at a bouncy castle, just kept circling past it until it wasnt interesting anymore. took about 25mins before I got no response and then after that she forgot about it :)
 
By overreact I mean he'll spin, stare and try to run and you can feel him breathing manicly/ starting to shake. It can be out somewhere new and its something he cant see properly, or it can be something within the yard. I just want life to be a bit easier and less scary for him (and me!). Have tried the singing before but whenever he starts I cant think of a single bloody song lol. So this morning I led him out in hand, just up our track (no traffic) for 10 mins and had my ipod in so everytime he started to look I sang (all be in with a very sore throat thank god it was early and no one around!). Seemed to distract us fairly well. Is leading out a good idea as he is in a new environment?
 
Ignore the behaviour (obviously catch him if he tries to spin), and try to relax. As someone else said, singing is great for making you breathe :)
 
I just consistently but this type of horse into a leg yield / shoulder in to pass anything they might dislike I had one who in time would go " ah dangerous horse killing thing ahead " and put itself into shoulder in in the end.
 
My mare can be a bit idiot in situations that make her nervous, in hand and under saddle. I've found that exhaling quite hard/blowing out through my mouth a couple of times seems to relax her. She'll usually do it back and then be okay to go past whatever is bothering her. May not work for everyone but it does for us and never hurts to try :)
 
It really does depend on your horse. There is the baby "I have no idea what is out there and am scared" sort of spookiness, there is the "I am feeling a little fresh so everything feels massively exciting", then there is the " my rider is worried, therefore I need to be" and there is the permanently wired horse who needs no excuse. With my youngster, he was never allowed to plant as I would never have got anywhere but his was a lack of confidence. I started him by taking him out with absolutely rock solid horses who could't give a monkey about anything odd (and learnt to sit a lot better!), then oddly enough, I progressed to hacking out with my dog (stafford). While somewhat nail biting to begin with, it had the ultimate effect of ensuring that my spooky horse is now very brave and does not give a toss if someone appears in front or behind (or comes crashing out of the woods).. so he was desentivised.

Singing can help the rider as it makes your breath! I would also hack out with someone whose horse will pay no attention and build up your own confidence. Some horses will always be spooky but regular hacking really makes a difference. If you think your horse will be on his toes, maybe lunge him first to settle him down. A friend of mine always wears her BP when she thinks hers will be fresh. She knows it makes her more relaxed as she is less worried about falling off when wearing her BP!
 
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