Back to Basics
Four Steps for Overcoming
Your Horse’s Fear of Other Horses
Does your equine buddy feel threatened by other horses in warm-up arenas
at competitions? Does he leap sideways
when a horse gets too close, or threaten
to rear - and even succeed, like mine
did? Perhaps he’s new to showing, or
feeling overwhelmed by the busy crowds
because he’s used to working alone?
Maybe he’s just claustrophobic. Regardless of what causes your horse’s fear,
overcoming it begins with patience.
Step One: Work With One Other Horse
Start his rehab by introducing him to
others in a familiar environment where
he feels safe. Ask a friend with a calm
horse to ride in the arena with you.
1. As close as your horse will allow,
ride next to the other in walk and in the
same direction. Do this on both reins.
2. Every so often, switch sides. Some
horses feel ‘pinned’ against the outside
fence and need reassurance that t hey’re
safe when between a horse and the arena
boundary.
3. Then have the other rider walk up
behind you.
4, When your horse is comfortable
with that, the other animal should walk
towards yours - only as close as your
horse is comfortable with. Don’t take
him too far outside his comfort zone at
this point.
5. Gradually decrease the gap between
both animals, until yours is relaxed
about passing on either side of the
oncoming horse with very little space
between them.
This may be all your equine pal can
take for the first few sessions. Be patient
and try not to get frustrated. Your goal is
for your horse to trust you. Pushing him
a little beyond his comfort zone is necessary to make progress and for him to
realize that he’s not going to get hurt. But
if you overdo it, you’ll break his already
fragile trust and be in a worse position
than before.
Slow and easy is the key. Once your
6 • Walking On
horse is relaxed and happy with steps 1
through 5, perform the same exercises in
trot, followed by canter. Don’t move up
a gait until he is completely relaxed with
your current level.
Step Two: Introduce a Second Horse
You’re now ready to ride with two
others. The second horse should also
be a trustworthy animal, to boost your
horse’s increasing confidence.
1. Ride in walk between both, in the
same direction.
2. Allow enough space between animals for yours not to feel claustrophobic.
3. If he’s uncomfortable at first, walk
him on either side of the duo, then reintroduce him to the middle.
4. When he’s O.K. with this, walk in
the opposite direction.
5. The other two horses should now
walk towards yours, with a wide gap
between them for yours to pass through.
If your horse becomes anxious, have the
other two peel away from him. Then
repeat the process until he is no longer
afraid and can calmly walk between
them.
6. Your horse will feed off your
confidence: ride him firmly between the
oncoming animals so he learns that he
won’t get hurt if he obeys you.
When he is focused on you, begin
working in trot followed by canter, passing between the other two horses as they
come towards you again. Only move up
a gait when your horse is 100% comfortable with your current one. It is crucial
to take this slowly! Your horse will probably take longer to get used to working
with two horses than he did with one.
Congratulations! You’ve crossed a
huge hurdle. Keep practicing with the
same horses, then add others or switch
up riding buddies. Your horse may even
begin to enjoy being ridden in company.
Step Three: Change Riding Venues
Before you leap into a show environ-
ment, test your horse’s confidence by
riding him at an unfamiliar, non-show
location with other horses. By putting
him in a less stressful situation than he’ll
encounter at a show, you’ll be calmer,
too, and give your horse the best chance
of passing his confidence test with flying
colors. Ride him in indoor and outdoor
arenas. (My horse was more anxious
in an outdoor arena, so that is where I
concentrated his rehab.) Doing this will
ensure your horse is comfortable at both
indoor and outdoor shows.
Step Four: Be a Non-Competitor
Unless you are the super cool type
whose nerves won’t erode your horse’s
confidence, you might consider taking
him as a non-competitor to his first
post-rehab show. Choose a low-key venue for his re-introduction to competition
conditions. This will allow you to spend
as long as you like in the warm-up arena
without the pressure of competing. You’ll
be more relaxed and give your horse a
good experience around strange horses.
Then take him to the real thing - when
he’s proved he’s ready.
Conclusion
Every horse is different. Yours may
be the type to get over his fears quickly,
or he may be like mine, and need a great
deal of time and persuasion! Don’t have
a strict timetable for rehabilitating him.
If you act as if you have forever to sort
out the problem, it will be resolved much
faster than by trying to force it before a
specific deadline. You may miss a show
season - but you’d have missed it anyway while your horse was scared of the
warm-up. Keep your goal firmly in sight,
but be flexible with your time frame.
Patience is the key.
–Hilary Walker
http://hilary-walker.com
http://EquestrianLady.blogspot.com
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