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In the horse’s mind, there is one solution to problems – run. His powerful legs are a great defense against a host of dangers, and the sooner he uses them, the more likely he is to get away safely. Unfortunately for the rider, this instinct can result in you crashing to the ground as your horse races away from a colorful bit of litter, a sudden sound, or the unexpected appearance of a bunny on the trail. Some horses have such well-developed imaginations that they can spook for no detectable reason at all.

You can help your horse conquer these fears by keeping their minds focused and providing comforting leadership. When you are actively riding, focused on where you want the horse to go and what you want her to do, your horse doesn’t have time to wonder what dangers might be hiding in the corner. When you show, through you confidence and awareness that you can keep your horse safe, she can leave the worrying to you and focus on giving you a good ride.

Part of keeping your horse working and confident is having a good seat. Solid contact with the saddle keeps your horse in balance and tells her that you know what you are doing. Just as importantly, if your horse does spook, a good seat gives you the best chance of staying mounted and being able to get your horse back under control. Practice moving with your horse in all gaits, during turns and through transitions. Check your position, particularly, where is your weight? Do you tip forward during accelerations or back during halts? Do you lean into turns? Are you too rigid, so that you are bouncing around in the saddle? Being out of position makes it harder to stay mounted when your horse does something unexpected. In addition, your horse feels out of balance which makes her nervous.

Another thing that having a good seat does for you during a spook is to give you options for your hands and feet. If you are properly seated you can work your legs to get a good grip on the middle of your horse. This helps you stay in position and reminds your horse that you are there. Once you have your seat and legs solid, there is no need to hold tight reins. Check that you are not pulling, since your horse will instinctively push back against the pressure. If you pull hard enough to make the horse feel trapped, she may decide that bucking and rearing are her only options, making a bad situation very dangerous. A much better move is to keep gentle contact and use your legs and seat to bring your horse to a halt.

There are rare occasions when a riding out a spook is a bad idea. For example if you are on the trail and your horse runs through the trees, you don’t want to be swept off by branches. In such cases, you want to make an emergency dismount. This maneuver involves quickly pulling your feet from the stirrups and jumping clear. Note that this gets you out of danger, but it leaves your horse scared and running. She may run into a dangerous situation or get tangled in her tack, leading to injury.

Once you get through the initial excitement, you need to work on your horse to prevent spooking in the future. What was happening right before the spook? Where you riding attentively? Was the horse acting nervous? In these cases, take the spook as a lesson that you should always ride well.

The next thing to look for is something in the environment. Horses can react to movement, noises and colors. Walk your horse past the same location, watching for signs from her about what might be bothering her. Keep in mind that the problem may no longer be there. Maybe it was someone with a brightly colored jacket, maybe a bee flew by.

Once you know what is scaring your horse, you need to work with her to desensitize her. This may be as simple as walking around the scary thing until the horse sees that there is no real danger. In other cases, you may need to spend quite a bit of time getting your horse used to the situation. Be sure to monitor your horse closely so that you go up to the point where she is thinking of spooking, but not to the point where she spooks over and over. If you can’t get her to accept the situation, try getting a trainer who is skilled in bomb proofing horses to work with her.

Every horse has a different tolerance for scary situations. Their moods can shift from day to day. It is your job to make sure that you always ride with an attitude and position that keeps you safe when your horse does something unexpected. Practice having a good seat, pay attention to your horse’s mood and keep your head when things go wrong. You and your horse will be safer for these precautions.

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