How do I get my horses to not be so spooky?

Question

I have 2 horses, both of which are really spooky. They'll spook at ANYTHING! Any suggestions??

Answer 1

Many pleasure horses are rarely allowed to experience anything that people experience. They don't know that plastic grocery bags are harmless, they don't know that beach balls have no teeth and they don't know that loud sounds are just sounds. You make it worse if you validate their fears by stopping, petting them and trying to calm them down. To the horse, this looks like you are praising them. If you remove the item they are afraid of, they will think that it really was something to fear.

Introduce her to as many sights and sounds as you can. If children are riding a bike with playing cards in the spkes to make it sound like a motor bike, let them continue to ride their bikes outside the fence or barn from her. She needs to learn that this is not going to hurt her.

If she spooks at sudden movements, make more sudden movements. DO NOT do this when she is tied to something solid or is in a stall (where she feels trapped). Make sure she is in a round pen and can see out but can't jump out. A round pen is the only safe place to show her new things. She can flee, but she can't head for a corner and feel trapped.

Rattle plastic grocery bags together. Tie a few on the top rail of the round pen - tie a few on the lower rails of the round pen. She needs time to see what they are, that they are not out to get her and that they won't hurt her.

Roll a soccer or beach ball into the round pen with her. She'll spook at it, sure. But she will eventually see that it isn't attacking her and that it isn't hurting her and she'll get curious and want to investigate the oddity closer. Let her investigate it without interruption.

While in the round pen, introduce her to things you know she probably has never seen before - like a big teddy bear, rocking chair, bicycle (just on the outside of the round pen) Let dogs bark (but not chase her), let kids run and play and toss a ball to each other where she can see them.

Don't let them throw the ball at her - just to each other, in full view. As she comes to know they and the ball are harmless, let them do it a bit closer to the round pen.

The more you introduce her to things that "spook" her, the more comfortable she will be come. It takes time. Make a point of putting her in the round pen when you know you can spend time introducing her to new things.

When she has calmed a bit with the strange things, that is when you need to get up close and personal with the new things you've introduced to her. Always walk up to her stall with a plastic grocery bag in your hand. Use it over your hand while you scoop her feed into her trough or bucket. Groom her with it. Pet her with it. Let her see it. Let her smell it. Touch every part of her with it over your hand. You have to touch every part of her - both sides, all four legs, under her tail, under her mane, between her ears and under her cheeks. This will let her know that the thing has touched all parts of her and that it didn't hurt her.

The next step is to put it on the end of a stick. Rattle it. Hold it close to her so she can smell it, feel it, see it. Do it all again.

Then show her the ball. Let her smell it, see it, taste it, if she wants. Touch the ball to the side of her face, then the other side. Let the ball touch all of her - just like the plastic bags. She'll get the drift. She'll be calmer for it.

When horses understand that unusual things won't hurt them, they will learn to trust you - that you won't let anything hurt them.

The key points when using this method of introducing your horse to new things is to remember that the horse should be in a round pen, or on a lead rope that is held by a person and not tied to something solid. If she spooks when she is tied to a fence post or the beam of a barn, she will potentially hurt herself when she tries to get away - and then she WILL be afraid of that particular object because she will associate that new thing or object as the cause of her injury. She has to be able to spook in a controlled fashion - in a round pen or on a lead rope.

Don't jerk on the lead rope, go with her, applying whatever pressure you need to just to stay with her and keep her from going berserk. If you have to put the item down to let her collect herself, then put it down and let her calm down. The whole process can be done in a day if you have the patience for it.

If loud sounds scare her, make a habit of dropping a shovel or pitchfork as you enter and exit the barn. She'll never know that noises are harmless if you don't let her hear them.

DO NOT ride her until you have done this. Riding a horse that you can't control will erase all the work you put into showing her that things which spook her DO cause harm. You on her while pulling frantically on the reins "hurts" her mouth. She will only associate the thing that scared her as causing the pain in her mouth.

Answer 2

Horses are prey animals so when spooked they react 1 of 2 ways. Flight (run away) or fight. What you need to do is teach your horse to "spook" in place with you. Start in a round pen or similar fenced area, and a 10 foot cotton lead for your horse, and some treats. Make sure your horse responds to every request you make for forward movement. You may have to teach basic lounging first.
Now find something scary. I like tarps. They flap around in the breeze and make spooky noises when you walk on them. First, drape the tarp over the top rail of the fence. Next, get your horse to face the tarp and stand calmly. Speak in a calm tone but don't use baby talk. When the horse quiets, walk it away in a circle and repeat. It could take 1 or 2 tries, or it could take an hour, be patient. Gradually get closer to the tarp when walking towards it. Finally, with the horses I train, I make/let them sniff /touch with their nose, the scary object. When your horse reaches this point and stands quietly next to the tarp, praise it and give a good scratch and treats.
Next lesson: Put the tarp on the ground and do the same thing. However this time your final goal will be to have your horse stand on and cross the tarp.
This method takes time and patience, and its a permanent fix for a serious problem. You can also use this same procedure for all spooky things including trailer loading. This is the same process I use for all my weanlings.
Good Luck

Answer 3

I'm dealing with a spooky horse myself. i just work slowly with her hand walk her when she spooks i don't discipline i talk to her letting her know it wont hurt her. i will take her away from the area or thing that spooked her let her collect herself then bring her back a few more time she will usually get over it. it takes some patients and ALOT of work but she is overcoming alot of her fears

good luck

Answer 4

First of all get them to trust you .
After this is accomplished Start slow lessons on overcoming their fear

Step One ( the fear of sound )
While you are in the round pen have them on a lunging line and have a brown paper bag full of pop bottle cans shake it for a while than through it in front of them let them kick it around for a wile let them know that noise is not gonna hurt them and let them become comfortable to the random sound that the cans make clanging together


Step Two ( bright colors )
on fence post's hang bight colored flags about 10 or 15 will be fine let them become comfortable with the colors being there and make sure they know the won't hurt them

Then After they are used to the noise and sound

go for a little ride
Tie a little bag of pop cans to the saddle horn
Have flags mounted on the the fence poles and have them ride by them .
And the will not be spooked of noise and color anymore
if they ever get spooked again do the method again till they are totally comfortable with the environment around them

Hope this helped
Sadie

Answer 5

It will take a lot of time and attention,especially if your not sure what the horses have been through before you got them. If you are going to keep them a training course would really be helpful. Depending how much time you have to work with them yourself you might want to hire someone to work with them. I dont know if you are familiar with the round pen? But that is an excellent way to bond with your horses.

Answer 6

It's all about exposure and trust. If your horse doesn't trust you he won't be willing to face the "little green men" just because you said so. And the more "little green men" he has to face and realizes that he'll be ok if you tell him he will, then he will begin to get over it. I recomend creating scary things for your horse to do. Things like walking over a tarp, maze of bright collored things (we get pinwheels from the dollar store), things like that. There are also clinics where you and your horse must do many of these desensitizing exercises together. Here is a link of one.... This one may not be possible for you, but look for others like this. They are very good for horse and rider, and are alot of fun.
http://www.grasslandsbandb.com/horse_clinics.htm

Answer 7

It takes times and patience, they have to know that they can trust you and are safe around you. Gradually expose them to the noises they spook to or loud bangs and crashes, plastic bags, cans rattling, anything that seems to spook them.

Answer 8

Patience and a LOT of attention.
Teach them that they are SAFE with you.
Gradually expose them to frightening things. Careful, and keep your own body safe.
Each time to learn to accept a new experience, pet them and reassure them.
Horses are naturally 'spooky' because that is their only defense from predators.

Answer 9

My horse was always spooked whenever we would take him out to ride. He would shy at some things, like bright colors, and trucks, stuff like that. He wasnt that bad so we rode him IN FRONT OF THE THINGS HE WAS SCARED OF and trotted him in front of the things he was scared of, and then cantered him in front of the things he was scared of. That's my horse, though, andI hope it can work for your horse!

Answer 10

watch this video or go to montyroberts.com this guy is a genius he has other videos on things like trailering your horse and he gets them to be a picture perfect horse in like an hour its crazy!
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dC_15etNe7U

Answer 11

you must expose them gradually to the things that spook them