ACTHA Monthly | March 2015 | 41
Most people get either annoyed or scared by their horse’s spooky behavior, especially when it is compounded by prancing and pulling. I’ve heard a number of theories about why horses behave like this, and most of them come from a lack of knowledge about the prey animal psyche: “He’s competitive… he likes to lead… he just loves to run… he’s just stupid,”etc. If we are truly going to help our horses, the first step is understanding their perspective.
THE PREY ANIMAL PERSPECTIVE
Horses are prey animals, and much of their focus is dedicated to making sure they are not going to be
I’m often asked, “What should I do when my horse spooks on the trail?” In response, I typically say something along the lines of this: “Maybe the question should be ‘What can I do to better prepare myself and my horse so he doesn’t spook on the trail?"
be eaten. They are highly perceptive and are always alert. The farther they get from home, the less secure they feel, and spooking on the trail is a great example of how a prey animal acts when he senses danger.
WHAT WOULD HE DO IF YOU GOT OFF?
I’ve conducted experiments where I’ve had the rider dismount their spooking, prancing horse and turn him loose. The first thing the horse does is head out front and try to get the other horses to follow. When they don’t, he runs back and tries again. This usually happens a few times before the horse finally realizes that he’s not in charge. Then he’ll calm down, settle in behind the lead horse (or horses), drop his head, and walk along quite relaxed — no more spooking or prancing! This tells you a lot about the prey animal and herd mentality. As long as they can depend on an alpha, they’ll settle right down.
(continued)