Every rider has experienced it, a nice quiet ride and then suddenly from nowhere, our horses are attacked by 'monsters' and they get spooky. Well let's get one thing straight, horses are fleeing animals, they are very attentive to what is happening around them. And when those 'monsters', which we as human almost never can see, are there, they freeze before they want to run away. There are many levels and reasons why horses spook. Fear, insecurity, noises, and objects are some of the stimuli. But what to do when your horse is spooky? As starters there needs to be trust! You need to work on the trust between you and your horse. It is the riders job to give the horse trust in him/herself and in you as his/her leader. Anger cannot and should not play a role in any efforts to so call de-spook the horse. Instead, ride through it. Actually it is best to ignore the spooky behavior and just ride on. But what if the spooking turns into bucking and leaping? Well as said before, anger and power are never the answer. Just know that a horse will always be stronger than you are! In this case turn the horse in circles and keep them forward. As stated before, a horse would rather run than face the 'monster'. Thus it is important to prepare your four-legged friend for the things that might come. Make sure to show them as much as possible, but also to let them focus on the work and not so much the surroundings. The more curious the horse gets the more likely an affliction will occur. If the problem occurs at horse shows, than go training on different locations from time to time. Arrive early and expose them to what is going on. And don't forget: BE PATIENT. Horses AND riders need miles, miles, miles or km's, km's, km's.
