Spooky and bolting horses are frightened horses. How to deal with it.

Understanding Fear in Horses

Fear and the Horse

Fear is quickly learned by horses and is strongly connected to how their legs move. Identifying and reducing fear responses in horses is crucial for effective and safe training.

What is Fear?
Fear triggers a horse’s natural flight response—the instinct to run from danger. This response is controlled by the brain and adrenal glands, particularly a part of the brain called the amygdala. Once a horse learns fear, it doesn’t forget it. While new behaviors can be layered on top, the fear remains and requires consistent training to manage.

When a horse is afraid, its heart rate increases, and it ignores everything except the source of fear. This explains why a panicked horse may run into fences or obstacles. Fear also disrupts the horse's movement, making its legs jerky and its actions less smooth.

Signs of Fear in Horses

Horses show fear in many ways, such as:

• Bolting (running uncontrollably)
• Bucking
• Rearing (standing on hind legs)
• Shying (suddenly swerving)
• Tension, grinding teeth, or swishing tails

These behaviors often disrupt rhythm and smooth movement. For example, bolting is the most extreme flight response, while bucking helps remove predators.

Do All Horses React the Same Way?

Not all horses respond to fear by running. Some breeds, like Thoroughbreds and Arabians, are more likely to run due to their ancestry. Other horses, descended from cold climates and used to fighting predators like wolves, may defend themselves by striking with their hooves instead of fleeing.

Fear Is Learned Quickly

Unlike other behaviors that take repeated training, fear responses can be learned in just one or two experiences. This is because fear helps horses remember how to escape predators. In training, it’s important to avoid situations that trigger fear and to correct fear responses immediately.

What Reinforces Fear?

Fear is reinforced whenever a horse escapes the source of its fear, even by a small distance. For example, if a horse steps away from a farrier or flinches from a whip, it learns that avoidance works. Training should focus on preventing this reinforcement by using calm and consistent methods to reduce fear.

Recognizing Fear in Training

Many trainers misinterpret fear responses. For instance, a horse speeding toward a jump is often labeled “keen,” but this is usually fear-based acceleration. Proper training involves teaching the horse to maintain a steady rhythm without speeding up or panicking.

Preventing Fear Responses

To manage fear, avoid fast or random leg movements during training. For example:

• Ride slower near objects that scare the horse and correct shying immediately.
• Address bucking or bolting by slowing the horse’s legs, rather than letting it continue the behavior.

Horses trained to move calmly and predictably are less likely to develop fear-based behaviors.

The Role of Flight Response in Performance

A certain amount of the flight response is necessary for speed in activities like racing. However, too much can make a horse unsafe and unmanageable, such as in bolting. Well-trained horses can maintain speed without losing control, while panicked horses cannot.

Spontaneous Recovery of Fear

Fearful behaviors can reappear unexpectedly, especially during stressful situations. Training methods like chasing a horse in a round pen can worsen fear by reinforcing flight responses. Instead, groundwork and lunging should be done in a calm, controlled manner.

Controlling the Horse’s Legs

Controlling a horse’s leg movements is key to managing fear. Groundwork that teaches a horse to move only when signaled, and to stop and stay still when asked, builds trust and prevents fear-based behaviors.

Training a Horse to Handle Scary Objects: Using a Bag of Noisy Soda Cans

 

  Be the brave leader your horse needs!

Can your horse trust you to protect him from danger?  That is what is the most important thought on your horse's mind... will my rider be a good leader, or do I have to take charge?

In this method, you will show your horse that you are a strong leader who can protect them. To do that, you will use a bag of noisy soda cans to help your horse overcome fear. Here's how it works:

1. Position the Horse Safely
   Start with your horse behind you at a safe distance, holding a 12-foot lead rope. If your horse is easily scared, consider using a longer lead. Always make sure you're positioned between the horse and the scary object (the bag of cans). 

2. Approach the Bag Calmly
   Walk toward the bag without looking at your horse. Instead, feel the horse's movements through the lead rope. Keep your arm, hand, and shoulder relaxed. This helps signal to the horse that everything is safe. If you look back at your horse, he may think you are unsure of proceeding forward.
3. Interact with the Bag
• Gently nudge or tap the bag to make noise. This might startle the horse a bit, but stay calm and avoid looking back at them. (You, the leader, are investigating. You aren’t worried about your horse’s opinion).
• If the horse pulls on the lead, resist gently without reacting.
• Kick the bag away from you, then walk toward it and stomp on it or tap it energetically. Continue to kick or toss the bag away, always keeping your movements calm and controlled. (You, strong leader, are defeating the scary bag!)

 

4. Avoid Directing Energy Toward the Horse
   Make sure your body and the lead rope stay neutral—don’t send any signals that could scare the horse further (or cause the horse to believe you may be unsure).
5. Repetition Builds Confidence
   Repeat the process several times. Over time, the horse will feel braver because their leader (you) is calmly handling the "scary" object. Eventually, the horse may even approach the bag on its own out of curiosity. 

6. Limit Interaction with the Bag
   Don’t let the horse play with the bag too much. By keeping the bag just out of reach, you increase their curiosity and willingness to engage with it calmly. Besides, the last thing you need is for the horse to paw the bag, get it stuck on a horseshoe, then run terrified as the scary bag pursues him!
7. Building Trust and Acceptance
   By staying calm and consistent, your horse learns to trust you and becomes more confident around unfamiliar or scary objects.

 

Getting your horse to take the bit

 

When I started my first horse from a youngster, I made the mistake of shoving the bit against his teeth to get him to open his mouth.  This was, of course, not the correct way, and only resulted in him having issues with bridling for many years.  So, here is the correct way to go about this task!

Position yourself on the left side, next to the horse's head, facing the same way the horse is. With your right hand holding the bridle, slide the bridle over his face so that you can put your hand over the poll and sort of between his ears. DON'T PUT THE BIT IN YET. Wait until your horse is calm and not tossing his head. You can put pressure on the poll with your right hand (or arm), asking him to lower his head if he raises it too high. Use your left hand to put slight pressure over his nose, about halfway between the eyes and the nostrils (where the bone and cartilage meet). The bit should be below his jaw at this point, and out of the way. Now, just wait.

Once your horse begins to relax and lower his head, position your left hand on the bit, to guide it into his mouth. You do not want the bit to clank or smack against his teeth, so go slow and take your time. You can reach into the horse's mouth and "tickle" his tongue, bars, or the roof of his mouth, until he opens his mouth for you. There are no teeth in this part of the horse's mouth, so you won't be risking any fingers. I often switch my right hand to under the horse's neck and holding the bridle by the cheek straps above his nose while I guide the bit. If your horse is not tossing his head, this position is more comfortable.

Once the bit is in, check to make sure the tongue is under the bit, and that the bit is adjusted and positioned correctly. Most horse's that toss their head have learned to avoid the pain they associate with the bit in any way they can, so check everything you can think of. The general rule of thumb is that an english bit should be adjusted to have 2-3 wrinkles, and a western bit should be adjusted to have one wrinkle in the corner's of the horse's mouth. Also, the cheek straps should not rub too close to the horse's eyes. If so, your browband may be too small. You might also want someone to help you check your horse's teeth to see if there might be any other reason the bit is bothering him.

Spend some time every time you tack up doing this ... repeatedly. Bring your horse in, put the bridle on and off a few times, then give him a treat and put him away. You can also try coating the bit with molasses and/or sugar, once you are able to get him to keep his head low for you. Often, this will help a horse associate pleasant things with the bit in his mouth, instead of pain.

Take extra care when removing the bit NOT to hit his teeth. Let the horse spit it out. He'll appreciate it, and you won't have to deal with a horse that's difficult to bridle.

Once you can get the bit in once, practice slipping it part way out of his mouth then back in repeatedly.  While doing this, the horse should keep his head down in an accessible position.

HANDY TIP:

I started wrapping the bit with one of 3 types of soft candy... either Bit O' Honey, Airheads, or Fruit Rollup / Fruit by the Foot type wraps.  It makes it much more enjoyable for the horse, and now they typical try to almost snatch the bit out of my hand! Just warm the candy in your hand then squish it around the bit.

Lesson Ideas cheat sheet saddle tag

I first came up with this idea after a friend told me that she used index cards on a binder ring, attached to her saddle D ring to help learn dressage tests.

I frequently find myself deciding to do ring work, only to draw a complete blank on all the lesson plans and riding exercises I just read about, not sure what exactly I should work on.  Hence, my laminated practice drills cards! This is my first draft.... I thought I could make various decks, such as "dressage lesson", "bomb-proofing", "jumping", and "ground work", and each deck could be a different color.

I also like the idea of having diagrams for set up of jumps, cavalletti, and riding figures.  Not sure how feasible this is in a size small enough to be clipped to the saddle, though. Maybe a fold-out type card would work, although that might be a little harder to laminate. I shall have to experiment a bit.

These cards are about 4" x 2". 

I currently have my basic riding set, and my groundwork set.  But really, you could make them for all sorts of different disciplines, from dressage exercises, to trick training!  Thoughts, opinions?

Latent Learning and giving the horse time to process

 

Have you ever had a situation similar to the following happen to you?

You decide you are going to teach your young horse to ground drive.  He has never done this before, but he is accustomed to ropes around his feet and legs, so he doesn't mind that touch.  He does seem a bit confused at you walking behind him and turning him with the long lines, but after a short session, he seems to roughly get the hang of it, and there was no resistance, so you decide that's a good start and leave it.

You get busy with other horses and other things, and don't get to another ground driving lesson for a week.  When you attach the long lines for the second lesson, suddenly the horse seems like a pro!  He turns smoothly, can do serpentines, and even halts squarely and quietly at a light touch.  You are dumbfounded.... was someone secretly working with your horse that you weren't aware of?! Did he just regain memories of a past life as a cart horse?

I had this exact situation happen to me.  Similar ones as well when teaching a horse a new concept.  I finally decided that horses take a much longer time to "digest" new information, and their timeline is completely different from ours when it comes to learning and assimilating new knowledge.

Then I heard of the concept of "latent learning" in a podcast on clicker training horses. So when teaching a horse something completely new, such as a brand new trick, or a flying lead change, or the turn on the forehand, you will achieve much more if you give your horse breaks of a few days between lessons,  instead of practicing daily. 

Most horses trained once or twice a week for a short period learn more between sessions than those taught every day in long lessons. 

The horse's brain needs time to process and absorb what it was shown. Then it needs to put that information into the long-term storage section of the brain, where it is archived and can be quickly retrieved by the horse when needed.

On the other hand, humans usually learn in one hour classroom blocks, so we expect to move at a much faster pace than the horse.  

On her page, professional horst trainer Stacy Westfall says:

"I love to work with horses that I call ‘next day learners’ or horses that the next day come out and have really absorbed the lesson that was taught the day before. They may not be experts but they seem to have thought about what went on and they are applying the concepts at least."

Slow down!  

Think of a horse's timeline of stretching out much longer than your own.  I have had a lot of success teaching a horse to pick up a leg on cue (a light tap with the whip) by asking once at the start of our grooming session, then a second time when I am all tacked up and ready to head to the mounting block.  Upon finishing our ride, the horse would frequently offer to pick up a leg while untacking and brushing out. It's almost as if the horse had been ruminating on the task over the course of our ride, and decided to show me he's figured it out!

So try not to repeatedly drill new tasks with your horse.... give him time to "digest" the lesson and his learning pace will actually increase. 

Benefits of Long Reining or Ground Driving Horses

 It can be called Ground Driving, Long-Reining, or Long Lining.  What it is, is basically driving a horse with two long lines while you are walking on the ground.  Sort of like lunging, only with a second line.  It's benefits are numerous! Long lining builds top-line muscles, and teaches softness in the bridle and self-carriage.  

You can see ground driving depicted in old horse training manuscripts and artwork as it was sometimes used in classical training (or high school dressage, such as that practiced by the Spanish Riding School in Vienna, or the Cadre noir of Saumur in France).

One of the things I have noticed in long lining Atticus, is the ease with which I can ask for shoulder-in and half-pass along the fence line.  As I am not always correctly balanced, and definitely stronger on one side than the other when it comes to using the proper aids, I frequently worry that I may be confusing him or inadvertently giving conflicting cues.  I don't have to worry about this with the long lines.

Additionally, I find it's a great way to work on an issue that I would not be comfortable riding the horse through. Here is a short video of driving him away from "home" (the tacking / untacking spot) when he decided he was done working and the ditch made a handy excuse for him to refuse.

Whenever he tried to spin away from the ditch, I would turn him again to face it and encourage him to go forward.  If he was at least facing the right direction, I would verbally encourage him.  After a number of refusals, he realizes it's easier to go over than to continue refusing.  It's the same principle under saddle... take the pressure off if the horse is doing the right thing (or even just THINKING the right thing, as in facing the ditch without backing or turning away).

I find that having this ability to reinforce your requests without danger works really well for under saddle behavior.

Rainy Day Stall Training or Stuck on Stall Rest

Considering that the ground outside has been looking like a swamp for the past couple weeks, it's getting really frustrating, and starting to feel like I have made no progress whatsoever with the horses.  So I decided to start brainstorming some things I could do in one of the run-ins or in one of the stalls.  I would love to hear other suggestions... these are mostly things I have been working on anyway in the open.

Exercises For The Stall Or Run-In

Teach horse to step hindquarters toward you for mounting. Stand on mounting block with horse on lead rope, reach over back to tap far hip. Keep tapping until horse takes a step toward you, then stop and reward.  

Practice cues for turn on haunches and turn on forehand from the ground, using your hand instead of leg.

Practice “head down” cue (Pressure on poll).

Accustom horse to clippers… acclimate them to the sound, then the vibration on various parts of the body… no actual clipping needed! OR…. Use a percussion massage gun!

Sit on horse bareback and use leg cues to pivot…

ü Move leg forward and tap shoulder for turn on haunches
ü Move leg back and tap for turn on forehand

Trick Training & Clicker Training

Teach to touch a target (i.e. empty water bottle) for a click & treat

 Cues for pick up foot …

ü Tap behind cannon for pick up behind (i.e. for bow)
ü Tap in front of cannon for reach out (i.e. Spanish walk)

Step up on pedestal

Pick up all feet from one side.

Teach "ears forward" cue for photos - 

ü Flashing hand sign up high. (Use horse neigh sounds from YouTube to get initial reaction so the horse gets the idea.) Click & Treat.

Teach horse to back up to a hand signal (Usually a wagging finger) ☝

 Just for fun

Practice vaulting on horse bareback. 

Sit on horse with rope halter and lead rope.  Practice flipping rope over horse’s head to pull head left, then right. This can later be used when riding.

Find your horse’s favorite scratchy spot… under the neck?  On the withers?

Practice your braiding skills

Practice putting on polos / leg wraps

Give applesauce and molasses in an empty dewormer syringe to make it fun and easy.

And finally, you can try these....

Benefits of an overhead tree tie

Tie up High

I don't recall where I first got the idea... probably looking at something about tying horses to a highline for horse camping.  But after first using the overhead line (a rope strung between two trees, with a tie coming off it), I then found a nice big shade tree with an appropriate branch coming far enough out from the tree to tie the line to that.  The branch acts as a spring to take any force if the horse hits the end of the rope due to spooking or acting up. 

Similar to snubbing for despooking... lets a horse move it's feet, but cannot run away.  

Horse Tying Safety

If the horse actually throws a fit and rears and starts to fall, the branch actually acts as a spring to absorb to shock, and frequently bounces horse back to it's feet.  An important safety tip here... if the horse freaks out at something, just step back and let them sort it out for themselves.  Don't stand where you could get stepped on or tangled in the rope.  It's also always wise to have a knife handy in a few locations where you have livestock and ropes.... I knife can saw through a rope under tension quicker than anything can cut it.

Something that is more or less the same is known as a "Patience Pole".... not sure where the concept first came from, but it has the same advantages of any other overhead tie. The horse can safely stand tied without much risk of injury, even if they are dancing around with impatience or spooked by something.

Hobble Training: Cruel or No?

I recently got into a discussion with a friend of mine regarding hobbling horses.  She is European and from a dressage background, and she was vehemently against it, saying it's cruel and breaks a horse's spirit.  I argued that while that is perhaps the old West, bronc-bustin' reputation of hobbling, it can be done in a perfectly safe and humane way, and can have many benefits.

The benefits I have found include:

• It's an excellent way of teaching a horse not to panic if it were to get caught up in wire, rope, vines or the like. (Just do a google search for "horse caught in wire" to see some horrific accidents)
• It enforces your leadership position and builds trust.
• It is necessary (or at least preferable) for some trick training. (Eg., placing a horse's foot up on a pedestal, bow or kneel, etc.)
• It desensitizes a horse's legs to being confined or stuck. It may be necessary for a medical procedure, and a horse taught to hobble will not panic when it is done.

One important thing I must point out, is that a horse must be TRAINED TO HOBBLE. Like the one-rein stop it is extremely dangerous unless the horse has been taught what it entails and how to properly respond.  You must teach the horse in a safe, gradual manner, so they understand what is happening and do not panic.

So now I would like to hear your opinion on hobbles... yes or no?

How to Teach a Horse to be Hobbled.

I will post another article shortly on the ethics of using hobbles to train horses, after getting into a big discussion about it with a friend of mine.  I personally think it's a great tool, so if you are interested in training a horse to hobble, this is a method I find safe.

First of all, the horse must know how to lead and have their feet handled calmly.  Mine were also accustomed to dragging a lead rope, and had figured out how to move their feet if standing on it and caught. Next, you want to set the horse up for success, meaning not super fresh (Lunge, ride, whatever first to get them a little tired). The ideal way to introduce hobbles is when they are hungry and you have fresh green grass they are eager to graze…. They are generally less likely to fight and more interested in staying put and eating.

The horse needs to have a halter and a long lead rope on, so you can guide them if necessary.  I only had one horse try to rear and fall to the side, and I was able to direct him with the lead rope to make sure he didn’t land on his head.  (That was his one outburst, luckily). You need a location with soft footing, but I didn’t like the idea of the round pen, as the horse can hop about quite a bit in the beginning, and wanted enough space to move with nothing they could hit, so I used an open field.

You want their front legs fairly close (i.e., horse standing square) when you put on the hobbles. Use very soft hobbles, generally either lined leather cuffs or thick cotton rope. After putting on the hobbles, stand back, keeping a hold on the lead rope, and being careful to stay to the side (and out of his path), should he launch forward. Some horses want to hop right into your space, so be ready to move out of the way! 

If your horse doesn’t move, apply light pressure to the lead rope, to encourage him to take a step. Again, be ready for the horse to attempt to leap into your space. Let your horse figure it out on his own, but keep hold of the lead line, so you can help keep him from getting in trouble, and to help him balance. (Be sure to keep the slack off the ground, so he doesn’t inadvertently get his front legs over it.)

Let the horse struggle with why his feet are caught and what to do about it.  They may struggle for a little while, try hopping around, etc.  One clever horse of mine promptly started sniffing the hobbles and nibbling, trying to figure out how to untie them! Eventually, the horse gets tired of fighting and will just stand.  Be sure to praise him verbally when he does this!

When he is finally totally relaxed and standing still, you can approach him, tell him what a great boy he is, and carefully take them off. I then encourage the horse to step forward to show he’s no longer restrained…. Many are hesitant to move at first.

Hobbling should be repeated here and there to remind the horse not to panic when trapped by the feet.  Like any training, you occasionally need a refresher!

Using a Donkey to Halter Break a Foal

Great method! I have tied a youngster to an older horse to lead them up and down the driveway a couple times, which works well.  This method here, however, is the old-fashioned way of teaching a youngster to lead well.  I like the article, as it explains exactly how they go about it to keep things safe. Click here to read the article:  Donkeys to Halter Break

Cavaletti Plans and Sketches

I was going through my "horse training" files on my computer and stumbled across this... some ideas and plans to build cavaletti.

The concrete molds are of course meant to be boxed frames into which one would pour concrete to create as many pole holders as necessary.  I haven't really tried this one out, but concrete is both cheap and heavy enough to make a nice stand, I would think.  If you have tried any of these or have additional ideas, I would love for you to comment!

Bombproofing Ideas and Fun things

So I recently went on a buying spree for items to use in my de-spooking and bombproofing work on my young horse who developed an over-active startle reflex. (Is that a thing?  I think I just invented it! As in, "Oh no sir, he ain't spooky, he just has a light case of OASR.")  

At any rate, he had a few experiences that made him much more jumpy than his actual personality should warrant.  For example, I wear an air vest.  One day while riding with friends, I unthinkingly jumped off my horse (Atticus) to pick up a dropped whip. I totally forgot about my vest, and it inflated with a bang.  The youngster shied sideways at the sound, and his rider came off, which further frightened him into believing the world was ending.  For several rides afterwards, whenever I would dismount Atticus, the youngster would tremble, ready to take off. Had I not witnessed the precipitating event, I might have had no idea why he seemed to have such a strange phobia, but there you go. 

Anyway, I reviewed some of my prior horse training notes and did a little internet research, and found the best thing for him was showing him "scary" things, and convincing him to trust his handler or rider, and that way his reaction time would become shorter and shorter to new and frightening stimuli.  So here are some of the fun things I got:

Party noisemakers - These fun little mechanical things that twirl around on a stick, and actually do have slightly different sounds. Cheap and portable.

Little colorful wind spinner thingies...  So far I have just sort of waved these around, but I think maybe I need to drill some extra holes in a jump standard and have them poking out all over. 

                                   

Bizarre barking dog toy - This thing is also supposed to jump around, but mine didn't do a lot of jumping... it more sort of buzzed or vibrated (hmmm).  Otherwise, it is motion and sound activated, so my idea was to build a small, low sided plywood box to place it in, and have the horses have to approach it and then walk past it.  Sadly (or perhaps happily) my friend's 6 month old puppy fell in love with it, so I gifted it away.  Still a great idea, though! 

Bumble Ball  - Another toy to sit in the low plywood box. (Actually, I found something that would probably work better than the box that you can also order on Amazon!  Try this dog crate tray. You're welcome).   Makes super erratic, jumpy movements, sure to scare the Bejeezus out of any horse! Apparently more or less the same as the Chuckle Ball, but a little smaller.  Take your pick, I suppose.  

Little Pony Wookie’s first real ride!

My young 11 yr. old neighbor Yomar started helping me with Wookie last week. He has done a great job on him and it’s been a lot of fun! His first time on, Mariam led the way on Judge...

Then yesterday, I took Atticus and we went on a trail ride in the park .

Is this not the cutest picture of a kid on a pony you've ever seen?!  I can't help but say "Awww" every time I look at it!

Riding through the water jump pond:

I was very proud of both of them!  They seem to be a great match

Great day for riding!

Yesterday was a successful horse day!  Yvonne and the girls (Eve and Sage) came out to see the horses and maybe ride.  They were planning on riding Judge and Brandy, but then Susan texted me and said she planned to come out to ride, and would anyone like to join her?

So as it turned out, Susan, Sage, Maya and I headed out for a trail ride with Brandy, Judge, Pimms, and Atticus. Yvonne and Eve stayed back to work with Wookie in the round pen.  However, shortly after we headed out, my stirrup leather broke, so I had to turn around and go home.  After changing out my stirrup leathers, I decided to head to the round pen to try a new bit on Atticus and help out with Wookie.

The bit (a French link Dutch gag) worked great.  Normally, Atticus goes in a full cheek french link gag with two reins, like so: 

This is because when we started him over jumps, he was prone to getting excited and throwing some big bucks!  The gag rein works to lift his head to stop any bucking.  However, it can be a severe action, so the snaffle rein works as a simple snaffle bit.  The full cheek has been useful in training him to the one rein stop.

I like using two reins, because I can have a mild one for normal work and a stronger one in case of emergency.  I have used various forms of double reins on several of my horses over the years... for example, one rein on a rope halter as a bitless bridle, and a second on a light bit.

At any rate, I wanted to try something with some curb action, to make working him in a frame a little easier, so I thought I'd try the Dutch gag (or "bubble bit").  I also used two reins, so I had the option of only using the snaffle action, or adding curb action.  It worked very well, but I am not sure it would do anything to raise his head if he did want to buck.  At any rate, he seems to be over the silly antics of his younger years, so I am not too concerned.

So all that aside, after working Wookie on the ground a bit, Eve sat on him and had Yvonne lead her around.  Wookie did just fine, and I hope to borrow my neighbor's child, who apparently does pony races, to finish his under saddle training!

Learning to stop « Life at Pretty Pony Pastures

Learning to stop « Life at Pretty Pony Pastures
(The following is a page taken from the above blog)