Calming the anxious horse

To help a horse overcome his nervousness, you need to become a source of comfort and security for him. Here’s how to do it.

To help a horse overcome his nervousness, you need to become a source of comfort and security for him. Here’s how to do it.

Very few of us haven’t encountered an anxious horse. His state of mind may be plain to see or it could present itself subtly. Some horses wheel and spin or bolt to a place of comfort---the barn, a stall or a group of buddies. Others grind their teeth while otherwise performing well.

There are infinite reasons why a horse could be nervous in his job. Very often anxiety stems from confusion: The horse doesn’t understand where he is, why he’s there and what he has to do. Or he may be struggling to comply with a request he finds difficult.

In eventing, for instance, we deal with a lot of off-the-track Thoroughbreds. Racehorses are asked to give 110 percent most of the time, but in eventing, as in most other disciplines, we actually don’t want our horses to be exerting that much energy too often. As the former racehorse makes the transition to eventing, it’s not uncommon for him to feel high anxiety about his new job because now he’s being asked to do something different from what he’s known his whole life. A rider might think that asking this horse to slow down a little is not a big deal, but for him it’s a huge change.

Whatever the source of a horse’s anxiety, there are things you can do to help alleviate it. Try the following techniques to reduce his distress.

Think small, especially in the beginning

When working with an anxious horse, it’s critical to avoid adding to his tension by asking too much of him.

First, recognize his physical limitations. Depending on his level of training or physical conditioning, he may not be able to do as you ask even if he is inclined to try. This means that you need to be aware of his physical capabilities