NEWS & ARTICLES : BOO! The Big Spook

BOO! The Big Spook (originally published in PetFolio magazine)

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf? Spookiness in horses is a common problem – and that should come as no surprise.

I had a full-color dream recently where I was stalked and attacked by a wolf, in plain view of other humans, but could not defend or protect myself. Of course I woke up immediately, startled and profoundly affected by my dream! I realized that I had just experienced something most of us never get to feel deeply – the feeling of vulnerability to a predator and an incredible desire for self-preservation at all costs.

Horses live this way. As prey animals they vividly display this self-preservation response, and humans witness it regularly. The horse spooks out from under the rider, or whirls and bolts down the trail, wide eyed with fear.

Sometimes we are impatient with our horses because one day they seem to be brave and bold, and the next day they can't stand the sight of their own shadow. The fact is, horses don't lie. They do, however, develop habits of behavior, such as routinely spooking just because they don't have an alternative activity. They also have significantly different visual perception as well as other senses that we humans are unaware of, so may react at what we perceive to be nothing. Their instincts tell them to run first, and ask questions later!

It is the human's responsibility to help the horse, through education, to respond rather than react. We want education to override instinct. We want to teach new responses in our horses by being the best "herd leader" we can be. Clearer communication, ample support and exposing your horse to as much as possible will help, but only if you do it in a way that helps the horse learn to trust you and respond to you; to think first even in frightening circumstances. Most people call this "bomb-proofing" your horse.

Still, a horse is a horse, and sooner or later something will make the horse spook. Learning to ride better in order to control the situation and support the horse will help him return to a calmer state of mind. Use positive thoughts of what you DO want, rather than what you don't want. For example, you must think, "Breathe, stay calm, walk on" rather than "Oh, I hope he doesn't bolt!" As prominent trainer and clinician John Lyons says, "Ride where you can, not where you can't." I say, "Don't throw your horse in the deep end of the pool before he has learned how to swim." He won't trust you or your judgment very much if he feels that you are part of the problem, instead of part of the solution. Learn to keep your horse focused on you and your requests, which means be a rider, not a passenger.

When a horse spooks, he's letting you know he feels pretty bad -- worse than you do -- about the situation. If you punish him for it, it will probably only make his spooking worse. Support, but don't punish. Support means to do what is necessary to return him to a calmer frame of mind and develop confidence in you and to carry on feeling better about it. If you punish him for the spook he may learn to associate you with the things that scare him, and it usually ends up being an even greater negative event for the horse.

When a horse is fearful, learning does not occur. I'm not a scientist (except in my own little "let's see what happens" way!), but from what I've studied, it appears that the brain's pathways that allow learning are actually blocked by the chemical reactions that occur during a fearful experience. With that knowledge, it's even clearer that supporting the horse to a calmer state is the only way to achieve a change in his behavior.

Something else I've noticed over the years is that horses who are in pain are more sensitive (read: spooky) than horses who feel good. My own theory is that a horse knows when he is operating at 100% capacity and is able to flee or fight if needed. In the wild, a horse who is ill or injured is automatically on the hit list for nearby predators – that horse will be the first one to be attacked because he is vulnerable. This makes a horse feel the need to be much more "on guard" than any other horse.

Understanding why your horse spooks is important so you can learn how to help him through it. Producing a better, calmer response to scary situations should always be a priority in your horse handling. In the long run, your horse will thank you for it!

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