Spooky stuff

[piebaldsparkle]

Why is it the things you expect your horse to be weary of / spook at, they are O.K. with, yet seemingly harmless stuff can result in big spooks?

For example

Whilst hacking out, had to pass building site, cane and running generator/water pump right next to bridleway with 4" blue flexi hose across bridleway pumping rainwater into wood on opposite side of bridleway. Put legs on, and horse confidently walk passed generator and hopped over hose, no problem. Further up same bridleway passing fields when horse about 200yrds away pulled its head out of a hedge, resulted in huge spook and spin, half falling in ditch and attempting to bolt home!!!

 

[TarrSteps]

Things that eat you don't normally sit around, making a lot of noise. They appear suddenly, making fast movements and alarming, sharp noises.

Seriously, for evolutionary survival-oriented reasons, horses are hard wired to react to movement/sudden noise. Their vision is developed to discern motion more easily than detail and their instincts tell them to run first and ask questions later. So your horse doesn't know the thing moving in the hedge ISN'T a cougar and horse dumb enough to wait around to find out would not be getting the chance to pass on its genetic material. Horse can discern tiny movements at tremendous distances and as far as they're concerned the quicker they react the better. Something big, close and easily identifiable is just not usually something to worry about.

Tension plays a big part, too. I often find when riders are confronted with something they THINK horses should be scared of they purposefully stay calm, reassuring, and forward thinking. When horses spook at something they think should not worry them, like a bag in a hedge, say, then riders often get surprised, frustrated and upset. All of that ratchets up the tension and makes the horse more likely to spook at the next movement/noise.

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Makes sense although I do wish she had the brains to know that sparrows, rabbits and squirrels are not cougars!!!!!

[ QUOTE ]
When horses spook at something they think should not worry them, like a bag in a hedge, say, then riders often get surprised, frustrated and upset.

[/ QUOTE ]

Get annoyed Nah she makes me laugh, daft mare!!!

 

[truffles]

Well, I for one, think she will spook at smaller stuff - so she does lol! Refused to walk past the blobs of snow (looks less scary when it is covering everything lol) but in the end I had her standing until I told her she could go lol!

She's fine though when the tractor is trundling around the yard lol.

Silly hoss.

 

[Jellicle]

Last week my horse walked past a huge flappy tarpaulin and spooked at an empty can of red bull on the ground.

 

[JoBo]

Yeah, Otto was the same you could meet lorries, walk over motorway bridges etc. but foals, oh no they are the scariest thing you could ever want to meet! That’s horses for you, they do make you laugh (or cry) sometimes.

 

[erg4862]

Horses are just odd, my old mare was absolutely brilliant on the road never scared of any cars, lorries, bags, machinery and would canter next to a working combine. She loved stopping with the local shoot to watch for a bit but the patch of rhubarb at the end of the road was terrifying, five years it was there and we always had to go right around it. She was also scared witless of sheep although she loved llamas and would try to chase them and the cows!

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

My old horse was the same...

He would happily go through Central Bristol in rush hour past busses, lorries, rubbish lorries, etc etc. but if a leaf fluttered in the hedge whilst we were in the fields he would be spinning round, spooking and snorting with his eyes out on stalks LOL

I sometimes think the poor things have no survival instincts left

 

[harrihjc]

horses are stupid, maddy will run a mile from a bag out hacking, yet stick her head in one to steal a carrot, she'll throw a complete fruit loop at a patch of grass that is a slightly different colour and she guards a bramble patch in the field believing it to be her foal or something. If Flash is scared of something he walks over to it and tries to chew it

 

[welshcobabe]

My lad will not bat an eyelid and juggernaut, tractors any form of vehicle. But golfers are monsters. We ride past the local golf course and they have a tendency to hit the ball just as you draw level with them, they also have huge golf brollys and pull these weired little carts behind them

 

[JessPickle]

flapping plastic he is petrified of!

He also hates load music (we have a full HUGE speaker system in our indoor school) its pickles personal hate!

 

[Petrie]

I think it might have something to do with their eyesight too.

They have bling spots, and if something catches their eye suddenly, it might make them spook, but something large that's clearly in their vision might be OK.

 

[Forget_Me_Not]

[ QUOTE ]
Things that eat you don't normally sit around, making a lot of noise. They appear suddenly, making fast movements and alarming, sharp noises.

Seriously, for evolutionary survival-oriented reasons, horses are hard wired to react to movement/sudden noise. Their vision is developed to discern motion more easily than detail and their instincts tell them to run first and ask questions later. So your horse doesn't know the thing moving in the hedge ISN'T a cougar and horse dumb enough to wait around to find out would not be getting the chance to pass on its genetic material. Horse can discern tiny movements at tremendous distances and as far as they're concerned the quicker they react the better. Something big, close and easily identifiable is just not usually something to worry about.

Tension plays a big part, too. I often find when riders are confronted with something they THINK horses should be scared of they purposefully stay calm, reassuring, and forward thinking. When horses spook at something they think should not worry them, like a bag in a hedge, say, then riders often get surprised, frustrated and upset. All of that ratchets up the tension and makes the horse more likely to spook at the next movement/noise.

[/ QUOTE ]

WHOOOP!!

Some one else who takes time to understand horses rather then compare them to humans to smack them for being rude!