How to calm a scared horse

[Keira 8888]

Hello darlings!

Hope you are all well. I’ve eaten my body weight in cheese!

So I have a new question! When you are leading a horse and he gets spooked by something - and tugs on the rope to go in a direction you don’t want him to go in - how do you deal with it?

I obviously can’t win a pulling match. And I lead Prince on a lunge line on his bridle (slotted over his head) when we are out and about.

Funnily enough he hasn’t spooked yet - that’s not why I’m asking. But my anxious brain is always asking - what would I do if something frightened him and he turned and fled home? While I’m leading him by hand.

I know I shouldnt think like this. But I like to have a plan formulated in my head so I can deal with it if it happened.

Thoughts massively welcome please! So scenario in my head is.... we are pottering along the lane and he sees something that scares him! Tries to swing round and fight the lead rope. How should I handle it?

Kxx

 

[ycbm]

It works a lot better, usually, to let the rope slip a bit than to try and hang onto it. Which is why it's good to use a long line (and gloves!). Then if the horse is still trying to get away, walk towards it and put it into a circle around you until it calms.

That's my technique anyway.

It never hurts to plan ahead, Keira

 

[windand rain]

Easy to say not so easy to do but just carry on as normal dont put ideas in his head by over thinking things

 

[rextherobber]

Talk to him and tell him what you want him to do ("Stand/Walk on/Don't be such an idiot!") But honestly, don't overthink it, he will probably alert you to potential hazards by snorting, gawking like a village idiot first, and then do as ycbm suggests, and circle him. And yes, wear gloves!

 

[Keira 8888]

Ok great advice - I will wear gloves. Thanks guys. And also give him a bit of slack on the lunge.

I know I shouldn’t overthink things but I worry that one day something bad will happen and I won’t know what to do.

9 times out of 10 when I lead him he walks at my shoulder with his head relatively low. When something takes his interest he raises his head and I feel like he grows by 20 feet!!!!

 

[Dave's Mam]

I use a 12 foot long rope as opposed to a lunge line, which I worry will get tangled. Gives you enough distance to get control without getting tangled.
Only my suggestion though.

 

[Keira 8888]

So let’s say the horse was scared, and pulling against you - what do you do?

 

[TPO]

Move his backend I.e. crossing over his hinds. Also bending his neck around nose to shoulder.

It means spending time on non-lunging groundwork to teach pressure & release.

Richard Maxwell does it well, has good books and an online video service.

Joe Midgely has a good video channel covering this too.

Lots of free videos online from Warwick Schiller and he also has a subscription service.

All three over videos and teaching on what you've asked about.

 

[Keira 8888]

Excellent - thank you! This is just what I need. Thanks TPO. Will go watch them now.

I’m always so conscious that I have this massive animal under my control - and I realise that horses have evolved to seek leadership from us - but it’s quite intimidating to think that if they realised their own strength we would be mincemeat!

Clearly I’m overthinking it all! I will go and watch those videos x

 

[windand rain]

Lots of groundwork so you are in control of his feet. If he plants turn him to move his feet until he does first right then left but as said check out Richard Maxwell books/videos Halter with 15ft rope is a good piece of kit

 

[saalsk]

I'm another one who makes them move their feet, but in a controlled way. I have long long lead ropes, and if they have a moment (arab one - whenever, and for no reason at all, other than being an arab ) and the Welsh one ( his food bowl wasn't full enough ) and if they mess about, they get sent around in circles, so they are not near enough to harm me, but not so far they are lunging. Arab usually settles after a lap or two, and will walk quietly again, while I stand calmly and do calming breaths. Welsh is prancy dancer who needs to move either feet or face, so if his face isn't eating, he has to jog. I carry a likit thingy, and when he does some calm paces, he gets a lick. At the moment, we do calm paces, lick, freaky acrobatic shapes, ignore, annoyed trotty stampy paces, ignore, nice paces, lickity lick. And so on.

 

[Keira 8888]

Ahh this is very interesting! So how do you carry the lik it thing as well as leading the horse? X

 

[Keira 8888]

And when you “send them around” is this with just a voice cue or a tap on the quarters?

 

[Dave's Mam]

Ahh this is very interesting! So how do you carry the lik it thing as well as leading the horse? X

It's a little tub you can hold in your hand. They love them.

 

[Keira 8888]

It's a little tub you can hold in your hand. They love them.

Ok great! I think I have one - a garlic thing in a circular box. He loves it and usually only gets it for the farrier. I will wear my bum bag from now on and shove it in there. Thank you! X

 

[Dave's Mam]

Ok great! I think I have one - a garlic thing in a circular box. He loves it and usually only gets it for the farrier. I will wear my bum bag from now on and shove it in there. Thank you! X

That's the one. Use it for reward for being good. I love your progress & your search for knowledge, I'm following you!

 

[mini_b]

I don’t use a lunge line personally as I end up getting knotted up if horse is titting about at random, but a long lead rope as great as a normal size rope quickly disappears when your horse giraffes especially if they are over the 17hh variety.

really it depends what they are scared of and in what way they are scared...

You can be passaging past something snorting and have grown to 10ft tell which might feel quite scary to you but if you’re walking confidently saying “come on silly” you can get past.
Tension on the rope and you then invites tension in them.
Calming, cooing steady and lots of pats to get past whilst maintaining momentum and then back to “normal”.

the dragging in all directions is rude really. I use a chain, short stick for direction to back up and direct back end (turning in circles) and treats for good behaviour (not bribe)
I don’t think horses “act up” but they will just do what they think is right if they can’t follow you for direction.

I always allow looking and reassurance, if they want to check out what’s scary, that’s fine. but tanking me all over is not ok.

the more you do with him the more you will recognise his insecure behaviour

 

[Keira 8888]

So next question is (I’m being totally neurotic I know) what would you do if you were walking your horse and he got so spooked he just wouldn’t stop dancing and pulling. In your experience, are voice cues enough? Should you yank on the lead rope? I know this is very difficult to answer as it depends on the horse... BUT, in your experiences, in a frantic situation when your horse is really quite scared - would they respond more to calm words or a firm hand?

 

[Keira 8888]

That's the one. Use it for reward for being good. I love your progress & your search for knowledge, I'm following you!

Ahh thank you so much ?

 

[TPO]

And when you “send them around” is this with just a voice cue or a tap on the quarters?

You start big and then work to make it small.

I just have to point at shoulders or hips to get a step over but it started with big signals. Two schooling whips (to signal, no beating up ha ha) to move the shoulders; one signalling move and one creating/showing the space to move into. Hips started with spinning the rope.

It only took a couple of goes with big signals for QH to get it and woek to make the signals a small as I can.

Richard Maxwell always demonstrates the circle work at his demos so I'm sure they will be on his website. He has like a 5 step process to move hips on a circle and it helps to see it all broken down and what cues to look for as well as what to do.when it goes wrong!

Warwick Schiller has a free series (on YouTube and H&C TV I think) called The Principles of Training. There are three series I think. Warwick had a bit of an epiphany and changed almost everything about the way he trained and approached horses, you can definitely see it in the most recent series. I think you would pick up a lot from them

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

In a very tense situation a few polos do help I find, although mine never really tug and pull they leap spook and generally can be idiots, I do ground work in the school with both of them so I have a good respect on the ground really but sometimes if something is particularly scary I just use treats.

I don't always think a lunge line over the head is a great thing, I find it can get tight then it is permanently putting pressure on the bit, I try to train my horses to move away from me with very little pressure and follow me in the same kind of way, but I do appreciate when they are scared and in a heightened state it is not easy.

 

[saalsk]

As Keira has said, it is a tub, the size of a small saucer, and about 2 inches thick - sits in a pocket, so easy to store, reach for etc. I use a **goooooodddddd* when they have done well, so they know they have done well, and expect a treat, so the treat is linked to the behaviour, and also, they get to know the word is a praise, and don't always need a treat. It means they link the behaviour to the treat, even when it takes a few secs to get the tub from the pocket. Works well with weaning them off a treat for every single try. When I send them round, I hold the rope in the left hand, step to the left, hold left arm out to left, waft my right arm round in a circle, the size and energy of the arm related to the antsy pantsy behaviour - big shapes thrown - big arm. Small jogging that won't stop, small arm. I add an **ah ah** voice command, in a ""mother telling off toddler"" voice - so authoritive, but not angry.

 

[Keira 8888]

I don’t use a lunge line personally as I end up getting knotted up if horse is titting about at random, but a long lead rope as great as a normal size rope quickly disappears when your horse giraffes especially if they are over the 17hh variety.

really it depends what they are scared of and in what way they are scared...

You can be passaging past something snorting and have grown to 10ft tell which might feel quite scary to you but if you’re walking confidently saying “come on silly” you can get past.
Tension on the rope and you then invites tension in them.
Calming, cooing steady and lots of pats to get past whilst maintaining momentum and then back to “normal”.

the dragging in all directions is rude really. I use a chain, short stick for direction to back up and direct back end (turning in circles) and treats for good behaviour (not bribe)
I don’t think horses “act up” but they will just do what they think is right if they can’t follow you for direction.

I always allow looking and reassurance, if they want to check out what’s scary, that’s fine. but tanking me all over is not ok.

the more you do with him the more you will recognise his insecure behaviour

Thank you! This is great to know. So in your experience, if your horse does spook at something when being led, can you control it with calm confidence in most situations? X

 

[Keira 8888]

As Keira has said, it is a tub, the size of a small saucer, and about 2 inches thick - sits in a pocket, so easy to store, reach for etc. I use a **goooooodddddd* when they have done well, so they know they have done well, and expect a treat, so the treat is linked to the behaviour, and also, they get to know the word is a praise, and don't always need a treat. It means they link the behaviour to the treat, even when it takes a few secs to get the tub from the pocket. Works well with weaning them off a treat for every single try. When I send them round, I hold the rope in the left hand, step to the left, hold left arm out to left, waft my right arm round in a circle, the size and energy of the arm related to the antsy pantsy behaviour - big shapes thrown - big arm. Small jogging that won't stop, small arm. I add an **ah ah** voice command, in a ""mother telling off toddler"" voice - so authoritive, but not angry.

Aha! This is just what I wanted to know! Thank you! I will practice this wafting of the right arm, I know exactly what you mean. Fantastic, thank you xx

 

[Keira 8888]

In a very tense situation a few polos do help I find, although mine never really tug and pull they leap spook and generally can be idiots, I do ground work in the school with both of them so I have a good respect on the ground really but sometimes if something is particularly scary I just use treats.

I don't always think a lunge line over the head is a great thing, I find it can get tight then it is permanently putting pressure on the bit, I try to train my horses to move away from me with very little pressure and follow me in the same kind of way, but I do appreciate when they are scared and in a heightened state it is not easy.

Do you find that the treats usually calm them?

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

Do you find that the treats usually calm them?

Not really but it distracts them at least

 

[Keira 8888]

You start big and then work to make it small.

I just have to point at shoulders or hips to get a step over but it started with big signals. Two schooling whips (to signal, no beating up ha ha) to move the shoulders; one signalling move and one creating/showing the space to move into. Hips started with spinning the rope.

It only took a couple of goes with big signals for QH to get it and woek to make the signals a small as I can.

Richard Maxwell always demonstrates the circle work at his demos so I'm sure they will be on his website. He has like a 5 step process to move hips on a circle and it helps to see it all broken down and what cues to look for as well as what to do.when it goes wrong!

Warwick Schiller has a free series (on YouTube and H&C TV I think) called The Principles of Training. There are three series I think. Warwick had a bit of an epiphany and changed almost everything about the way he trained and approached horses, you can definitely see it in the most recent series. I think you would pick up a lot from them

Ok fab, thank you! Jeez it’s a minefield of info but so worth it to learn more. Will go watch that now x thank you xx

 

[mini_b]

Thank you! This is great to know. So in your experience, if your horse does spook at something when being led, can you control it with calm confidence in most situations? X

I do have a genuinely spooky horse so if I am unreactive (there is nothing to be scared of dude calm down) then it is over and done with. I just let him have his splat and I keep walking. Don’t even acknowledge it.

if he’s actually terrified having an absolute tit fit then the snacks get me to stage 2 - it doesn’t calm him but it distracts him enough to be able to do x, then y then z. A 5 min task might take 25 but if it stops him boiling over that’s fine. The treats go with the stick and the moving around. Moving his back end circles/semi circles and usually backing up as he will tow if allowed.
He can go sideways and in passage but never in front.

 

[Keira 8888]

Sorry guys - another question, so if you are working with a schooling whip, how much pressure should you apply for a reprimanding tap? A gentle pat or a slightly stronger wallop? X

 

[Keira 8888]

I do have a genuinely spooky horse so if I am unreactive (there is nothing to be scared of dude calm down) then it is over and done with. I just let him have his splat and I keep walking. Don’t even acknowledge it.

if he’s actually terrified having an absolute tit fit then the snacks get me to stage 2 - it doesn’t calm him but it distracts him enough to be able to do x, then y then z. A 5 min task might take 25 but if it stops him boiling over that’s fine. The treats go with the stick and the moving around. Moving his back end circles/semi circles and usually backing up as he will tow if allowed.
He can go sideways and in passage but never in front.

Stupid question - but do you ever get scared in this kind of situation? Or do you feel in total control at all times?