Horses, by their very nature, are easily spooked. In the wild, they rely on their senses to anticipate danger. They also live in herds and rely on each other to raise the alarm for danger. You'll never see an entire herd lie down at once because at least one horse will be on alert for danger. If you have 3 horses in your backyard and ever see all of them lying down at the same time, that's an excellent sign that they're completely at ease in their environment and feel quite safe from harm.
Our horses won't understand us if we say to them, "It's OK, don't be afraid." But we can teach them several things:
• To stop and think about something before reacting;
• That we're part of their herd and if we aren't raising the alarm for danger, then by default, everything is safe and OK; and
• To keep their attention on us instead of the world around them.
Any single one of these methods will make your horse feel safer, but by combing all three, you'll have a safe and reliable partner.
Need help with your horse, let Creekside Equicenter help you. Visit our website at www.creeksideequicenter.com and contact Tina today.
