Horses are prey animals and therefore spooky by nature.

Horses are spooky because they are prey animals. In the wild it is the spookiest prey animals who will survive the longest. Horses that are too slow to react to danger will be the eaten. Instinct says run now and ask questions later. If you even think, hear, or smell danger, run first. Horses would rather be 100 miles away and then ask if it was really a tiger that they heard in the bushes. In the wild, horses can not afford to stop and think. A spooky horse will be reactive, jumpy, nervous and quick to take flight. Why? Because as a prey animal, the horse must constantly be on the lookout for looming danger, which could be behind a rock, hiding in the tall grass, or prowling in the bushes. Those that react and bolt the quickest are more likely to survive in the wild.

Question of the week: “Why Do Horses Spook”
Laura McConnell was the first one to get the correct answer and is the winner!

It’s All In the Eyes!

Prey animals have the eyes on the side of the head instead of in front. This gives them a greater field of vision to spot predators.

Did you know that one of the main differences between predators such as cats, dogs and humans versus prey animals is the position of the eyes? Predators have their eyes in front of the head, what’s called Binocular Vision. This enables them to easily focus on an object and view it in greater detail and depth. Prey animals have eyes on the sides of their heads allowing them to see a much greater field of vision. The position of the eyes gives them the ability to spot danger around them much quicker. This is called monocular vision. It allows them to process more information independently in each eye. When a horse sees movement using monocular vision, he will usually turn his head to see with both eyes – switching to binocular vision. This allows the horse to focus on the object and use depth perception to see distance. When a horse switches from monocular vision to binocular vision, this causes objects to jump and distort – until focused on again. This may cause horses to inexplicably spook. Horses cannot use binocular and monocular vision at the same time.

Double Vision

Horses see different information out of each eye, allowing them to spot danger from nearly 360 degrees around them.

Monocular vision, seeing information independently out of both eyes, is the reason that horses process information independently between the right brain and the left brain. You may have noticed that horses will react to things differently out of both eyes. This is why it is important to do all exercises and desensitizing on both sides of your horse. Start from the beginning on each side. If you’ve desensitized your horse to a tarp on the left eye, then when you bring it to the right eye, he may act like he’s never seen it before in his life. These two sides to the brain are the reason many horses appear to have a “good” side and a “bad” side. Most of the time we humans spend with our horse is on the left side. We lead from the left side, we mount from the left side. The horse is used to us being on that side and they get uncomfortable when we are on their right side.

Tips for Success: Try this!

Try mounting and dismounting on both sides of your horse. While on the ground, lead from both sides, yield the hindquarters and forequarters on both sides, and back the horse from both sides. If you find that one side is particularly weaker than the other. Spend more time with the exercise on that side of the horse to even it out. If your horse is spookier with his right eye, spend more time desensitizing on that side.

Built for Speed

Horses are built for speed. Their instinct is to run at the first sign of danger.

Prey animals have various forms of defense against predators. The horse’s best defense against predators is their flight instinct. Horses are fast animals and will always run from danger if they can. If they are unable to run from danger, they will resort to fighting. Bucking, kicking and biting are all methods horses will use to fight when they feel unable to run from the danger. If a horse is tied up to a hitching post, and he spooks at something, then feels the pressure of the halter on his head, he will fight and pull back until something gives or breaks.

Tips for Success: Tying

When tying your horse, allow the rope to be able to slip through and release if enough force is exerted. Tie rings are the best for this. Start with very little resistance on the rope and run toward the horse. He will usually back away and the rope will slide through. Run up and rub his face. Continue doing this and as he gets better with standing still and ignoring you running at him with your arms flying in the air, you can gradually increase the resistance in the rope. It’s important not to stop running at your horse or release any pressure if your horse is spooking. If you stop, your horse will learn that spooking and running is the right answer to get away from danger.

HELP! My horse is really spooky! What should I do?

A horse that will suddenly spook and bolt is dangerous and unpredictable

The key to conquering spookiness and getting a quieter, calmer and relaxed horse is desensitization and getting them to use the thinking side of their brain. For a horse, a threat could be as simple as a beer can on the side of the road. They don’t realize that the beer can isn’t a monster, so they react as though they are genuinely in danger. To desensitize your horse, you must teach them not to react with the fight-or-flight response to things that aren’t actually dangerous. Anything that moves or makes a sound will also frighten a horse.

The Thinker and the Reactive

Horses have two sides to their brain: Thinking and Reactive.

Horses have a thinking side and a reactive side of their brain. When a horse is using the reactive side of his brain, he isn’t using the thinking side. A spooky or wild horse is always using the reactive side of his brain. Our goal is to teach the horse to think first and always use thinking side of his brain. How do we do achieve this? By moving the horse’s feet forward, backward, left and right and through desensitization. As we teach our horse to use the thinking side of the brain, the thinking side of the brain will begin to become a habit and take over, and he will use less and less of the reactive side of the brain.

Horses will always have a reactive side of their brain. It’s in their nature.

While horses can be desensitized and taught to use the thinking side of the brain, the reactive side of their brain will never completely disappear. The instinct to spook and react is their nature and will always be something we will have to contend with. Some horses are spookier than others, but all horses can be taught to relax and use the thinking side of their brain first instead of the reactive side.

Here at the JediHorsemanship ranch, most of our horses are Arabian. The Arabian is by nature a hot blooded and sensitive horse breed. Sensitive horses can easily become jumpy and spooky, so a good deal of time is spent with desensitization using objects and exposing the horse to diverse environments. A dull horse needs more time with sensitizing, and a sensitive horse needs more time with desensitizing.

Remember: A dull horse can become jumpy and nervous if all your time is spent with sensitization. And a hot horse can become dull and lazy if all your time is spent with desensitization. It is important to balance both sensitizing and desensitizing.

Try This! Be Creative, Encourage Curiosity

Expose your horse to new objects to desensitize him. Encourage curiosity, which is the opposite of fear.

Spend ample time exposing your horse to new objects, invent new ways to desensitize your horse to surroundings, objects, noises and movement. Since horses are afraid of anything that moves and makes a sound, tarps are a fantastic way to get a horse to relax. You can use various objects to rub on a horse as well. Start by allowing the horse to follow the object. He will quickly gain confidence as he realizes it’s running away from him. Then desensitize the air space around him with the object, and finally, rub him all over with the object. You want to be able to rub a loud plastic bag, a tarp, or other object around his back, belly, on his legs, neck and even on his head and ears where they are especially sensitive. If you can get your horse to walk on top of the tarps, carry a tarp on his back, and allow a large balloon or ball to be rolled under his legs, you are doing well.

The Goal of Desensitization

Rubbing your horse all over is a great way to get them to relax.

The goal is not to deliberately send your horse into a fearful frenzy with a scary object. Start slow and work your way up. When desensitizing and despooking your horse, maintain a steady rhythm with your sound and movement and maintain a neutral and relaxed body posture. If your horse wants to have a heart attack, let him have a heart attack. If the horse goes to run, allow him freedom to move, but keep his eyes pointed toward you and follow him. Maintain your pressure until he stops moving his feet and gives one of the five signs of relaxation:

• Licking and chewing
• Lowering the head and neck
• Resting a hind foot
• Sighing
• Blinking his eyes

Reacting too slowly

Be sure to quickly react by rewarding the slightest try. Immediately release the pressure of the movement or noise around your horse stops moving his feet and gives one of the five signs of relaxation. If you miss one of these signs, the desensitizing lesson will be counter-productive and you will make little or no progress. If you are quick to respond when you see your horse respond, you will make extremely fast progress and your horse will relax quicker to new situations.

What Scares You?

Challenge your horse and push the limits, as you do, those limits and boundaries will increase.

Find those hot buttons that really make your horse nervous, look for things that make him scared and work on getting him relaxed and comfortable around that object, environment or sound.

The one thing I hate to see the most is people who are afraid to expose their horse to something because “it frightens them”. This is a never ending cycle because it maintains the fear in their horse. The only way your horse can get better and more relaxed is if you spend time addressing that fear directly. If you’re afraid of heights, what is the best way to overcome it? Increase altitude! If you’re afraid of the dark, avoid the dark? No! The same is true for your horse. Challenge him and he will become a better, more reliable, less nervous horse. The more he is using the thinking side of the brain instead of the reactive side, the safer and more fun your riding experience will be.

If you enjoyed this post, please click the ’Like’ button below and leave us a comment. If you have a horse that is particularly spooky and you’re not sure what to do. Feel free to ask us on our Facebook page.

“Remember: When something frightens your horse, don’t stop and face the object. Instead, move your horse around it to get him thinking rather than reacting.” ~ Clinton Anderson

Enjoy the Ride!