How horses behave doesn’t necessarily match their stress levels

horses and retraining horses with behavioural or ridden problems.

He said different responses are something he sees all the time in horses faced with new situations.

He added managing stress, by giving horses a place in training to return to where their stress levels drop, or breaking the challenge down into bite-sized chunks, is very important and helps build confidence.

“When you introduce a horse to something new, generally speaking, he will become more stressed,” he said, adding that horses must be trained to understand what they are being asked in order to reduce stress in the long run.

“They will go through a level of stress, as humans do, when faced with a situation they’re unsure of,” he added. “What they need to know is the answer.”