You’re riding your horse down the trail on a big, loose rein when you feel his body tighten. “Uh oh,” you think to yourself, just as he shimmies sideways and snorts.
You desperately scan the area where he’s focusing his attention, trying to figure out what horse-eating monster must be lurking nearby. There’s nothing there. Well, nothing but the same bushes and trees that have always been there. You’ve ridden past them hundreds of times with no issues.
“What am I missing?” you ask yourself, panic gripping you. You know beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re sitting on a ticking bomb. The reins slip in your hands, slick with sweat, and anyone within a mile of you could hear your nervous heart thudding against your chest. Suddenly, your horse spins, leaving you hanging in midair for a split second as he races back to the barn.
All horses—no matter how much training they’ve received—will spook from time to time. There’s no getting around that. What you are in control of is how you react to the situation. Having the know-how to safely handle a spook, even if it’s caused by a boogeyman only your horse can see, can mean the difference between ending up in the ER and using the situation as an opportunity to train your horse and make him a better partner.
In the fall 2018 No Worries Journal article, “Conquering Invisible Monsters,” Clinton provides a go-to plan to use when your horse spooks that will give you both confidence.
Read the article now by logging on to the Downunder Horsemanship app or the No Worries Club website.
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