28/ NOVEMBER 2019 THE RIDER


bigger. His breathing gets stronger. As soon as you hear stronger breathing than normal, this is the point where you want to stop and dismount. While on the ground be


Palm Partnership Training™ Get Results You Can Use


Training on the Trail: The “Spooky Horse”


by Lynn Palm We are continuing our


series on “training outside the box.” To review, we have discussed important steps to prepare for training on the trail, including read- ing the horse to recognize his inner energy level and working with him to release it, preparing the rider through warm up and stretching exercises, and building safety and confi- dence on the trail. We cov- ered training tips for dealing with two of three common trail training issues:


the


horse that wants to always be in the lead and the horse that wants to run up from behind.


When dealing with a


spooky horse, go back to the routine we suggested in pre- vious articles before to pre- pare him for his first trail ride. If he is spooky on a trail, it is better to work on overcoming spookiness is- sues there rather than mov- ing on to a different trail. If he has been on a trail


before and he has spooked or resisted, stop and figure out the reason why this hap- pened. Was he reacting to something permanent that cannot be changed along the trail like a tree stump or a water crossing? Or did he spooked at something tem- porary, like a gush of wind, a grouse that flushed in


front of him, or a sound in the bushes? If it was something


permanent, to improve his training on the next ride get off his back and on the ground before reaching the object he spooked at. One key to controlling a spooky horse is that you must stop him before he decides to stop and spook. In this way you keep control so the horse can address the of- fending obstacle before he stops and spooks in fright. How do you do that?


By being alert to the horse’s body language. Watch for these cues that tell you he is getting ready to spook. His ears are alert. His eyes get


sure to give the horse his head to let him study the ob- stacle and swing his head to see it with both his left and right eye. After he studies it and seems to ignore the ob- stacle, take a few steps to- ward it. Stop and let the horse study it again. When he appears to ignore it again, continue the process until you reach the spooky spot. Allow him to smell it. This will really give him confi- dence. Once he seems to ac-


cept it, the lesson is not over yet. He must learn to accept the obstacle when 1) it is be- hind him, and 2) when ap- proaching it


from the


opposite direction. In the first situation the scary ob- stacle that he accepted and walked past is now behind him. Horses sometimes show more spookiness when an obstacle is behind him. This is because a horse is a flight animal. His reac- tion once he has passed a spooky spot may be to flee or overreact to spook away from it. In the second situation,


a horse may be spooky ap- proaching an obstacle he has already accepted when he comes at it from the oppo- site direction. This is be- cause a horse sees things differently from each direc- tion. If you get him accus- tomed to the scary obstacle coming at it only from one direction, when he ap- proaches it from the oppo- site direction he may ignore it, spook with the same level of concern as before, or spook even worse. Be sure to accustom the horse to ob- stacles from both directions! As you start to leave


spooky spot, such as walk- ing past a scary stump, take a step or two and stop. Let him look and swing his head and let him look at the spot with each eye. If he moves and does not stand still, reposition him exactly where he was standing. Do not circle to reposition him. If he moves to the right, reposition him to the left. If he moves left, reposition him to the right.


If he


moves forward, back him and vice versa until he is po- sitioned right back to where he was originally standing. This is very important to do to keep his respect and keep you in charge of the situa-


tion. Get him accustomed to approaching the scary spot from the opposite di- rection. Remember, when on


the ground, be ready to use the “move away from me” commands. The horse’s first instinct will be to herd or get close to you. This is dangerous, and puts him in control of the situation. Do not let him move on top of you! Make him move away and respect your space as he learns to accept the obstacle. When you are between


15 to 20 feet away from the obstacle you can remount and move on to whatever you were doing prior to the spookiness. Continue with the same short segments if his spookiness returns. Take a few steps, stop, study the obstacle, etc. The more time you take time to let him study an obstacle,


the


shorter time it will take him to accept it. On the other hand, if you rush this process or force him, it will take you longer to get him to accept it. The way to handle


spooky behavior while mounted is basically the same as on the ground. Stop before getting to the spooky object and allow the horse his head so he can see it with both eyes. Once he seems to ignore it, take a few steps towards it, stop, and let him look again. If he does not stop, but starts “dancing” around, reposi- tion him to the exact point where you asked him to stop. Instead of using the “move away from me” com- mand, use your seat, leg, and hand aids to put him back in position. If he goes to the right, use your aids to make him come back to the left and vice versa. If he backs up, send him forward to the spot where you asked him to stop. What to do when a


horse spooks? Turn him with the inside rein quickly and just as quickly loosen the outside rein. Keep him turning in as tight a circle as possible until you get con- trol. Be very careful not to keep a tight outside rein. The horse may react to this by rearing. Do not pull on both reins either. The horse will only “run” through the reins. Don’t look down at whatever the horse is react- ing to, instead look up and away from it. Hold the sad- dle horn with the same hand that is holding the outside rein.


For example, if the horse spooks and moves to


the left, quickly shorten the inside left rein to turn him tightly to the left while loos- ening the outside right rein held in the right hand. Look over your left shoulder as you turn him to the left. Grasp the saddle horn with the right hand. Keep the horse in as tight a circle or turn as possible until he sub- mits to you and control is re- gained. Then go back and address the obstacle again. If you have a horse that


tends to be spooky, go with a rider with a gentle horse who can give your horse confidence. Or teach your horse how to pony on a longe line next to a calmer horse that will give him con- fidence while he is training outside the box. Make a note that the


next time you plan to go out on the trail, exercise the spooky horse by longeing him before riding more than may have been done prior to past rides. The goal should be not to get him tired out, but just to make him more humble to accept his new surroundings while on the trail.


If possible make


arrangements to out on the trail ride with another rider mounted on a quiet horse or try ponying your horse with a calmer partner. Repeat the same trail,


but hike it before going out with your horse. Analyze spots where you may need to stop to allow him enough time to accept areas he might be unsure about. By doing this, you will be pre- pared to help your horse ac- cept spooky obstacles while staying in control of the sit- uation. Riders must under-


stand that when a horse is taken into a new environ- ment, his level of sensitivity and tendency to overreact will tend to increase. He is being placed in a new situa- tion or being asked to do something he has never done before. Often riders who are surprised at their horse’s spooky reactions will say to me “my horse has never done this before.” Chances are that is exactly what is causing the spooky behavior. Because the horse has no experience with the situation, he becomes overly sensitive and reactive. It is the rider’s responsibility to anticipate that these situa- tions may happen, and be prepared to handle them ef- fectively. Your Next Step… Here are some tips for


the rider when dealing with a spooky horse.


1. Don’t look down at the spooky areas. Always look over and beyond obstacles that could have the potential to spook your horse. Why? Because when you look down and have negative thoughts about the obstacle, the horse picks up these negative feelings. He knows what you are think- ing. Give him positive thoughts instead. Say to yourself: “I am going over to the other side of this water crossing.”


“I am


going to keep my horse re- sponding to my aids and commands.” Be confident and build your horse’s sense of security. 2. If you are hesitant about dealing with issues of spooking, or if you are inex- perienced, trail ride in a western saddle. The secu- rity of a western saddle, with its easy-to-grab horn, will give you more confi- dence than an English sad- dle. 3. Take every negative or nervous thought and turn it around to a positive state- ment. It is important that the rider has positive thoughts for the horse to be positive, too. 4. When riding away from the barn or trailer, make sure you and your horse are well exercised and warmed up. The horse should be walk- ing quietly. Schedule “for- ward” work when going away from the barn or trailer. Forward work in- cludes walk to trot, trot to lengthening trot, trot to can- ter, and yielding at the trot both to the left and right. The more often you change gaits, and speed within gaits (transitions), the more it will improve the horse’s concen- tration on you rather than being worried about the out- side surroundings. 5. When coming back to the barn, trailer, or turning around on the trail to return “home,” do “slow down” work to keep his focus on you rather than mindlessly rushing back, and possibly discovering something to spook at. Slow down work includes slow trot to walk, walk to stop, yielding at the walk both right and left, stopping,


turn on the


haunches and forehand, mounting and dismounting. 6. Don’t get frustrated if a horse continues to spook over an object or situation. Some horses simply take longer to get over these is- sues than others. The longer it takes and the more patient you are, the more you are building a foundation for advancing his training out- doors. The key to solving the


issue of a spooking horse is not allowing the horse to take charge of his rider. If he does, the horse is being al- lowed to go out on the trail prematurely. Both horse and rider need to go back to work in a big field or arena until they gain more confi- dence and skill together. Until then, follow your


dreams…


Lynn’s Training Tip… Remember… a horse knows what you are thinking. You have to be a positive rider to bring out the best in your horse!


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