Dealing with Fear in Horses
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It is a myth that horses are born with fear. It is just not true. All their fear is acquired in their lifetime with the kind of experiences they endure. In fact, the joy of riding which separates it from most other sports is the fascination of being able to develop a relationship with this ‘fearful’ animal and convert it as one built on mutual trust and respect.

Horses are preyed upon species rather than predators. Hence Nature has given them the gift of flight as a means of escape and a very sharp sense towards recognizing danger. As riders and trainers we must realize that most of the horse’s so-called ‘bad behavior’ comes from an instinct towards self-preservation.

If you are lucky enough to deal with a foal from birth, proper stimuli will help prevent development of fear to all sorts of common objects that could be spooky to horses. The rustling of plastic bags for instance can make a horse jump out of its skin and bolt with a rider if a horse is not used to it. Similarly, if you have a horse that has not been exposed to cows or dogs, you could find yourself in a tight spot when riding out in countryside.

Having said this, there is no hard and fast rule about horses acquiring fear. How we deal with it as handlers is what is of utmost importance. Almost any rider would have been faced with a situation of his horse shying repeatedly at something in spite of constant reassurance that there is no danger whatsoever. Try to remember that with a rider on its back a horse is less confident of being able to escape into the horizon! Left on its own, the very horse who will not go within 10 feet of a plastic bag or a strange shadow will go tentatively towards it, sniffing all the time. The reason for this is that the horse knows that at the slightest doubt, it can jump towards safety rather than be forced towards what, who knows, could be a crouching tiger! The only way out is constant, gentle exposure towards the object of mistrust. In dealing with fear psychosis in horses the key is to be GENTLE. Think of yourself with a particular phobia. No matter how many people tell you that a mouse is harmless, some of us go into blind panic at the very sight of one in the same room! If you can think of how you would feel in such a situation it would help with how you treat your horse when he seems to have an unreasonable fear.

It is therefore of utmost importance that you know what causes the fear and then for the owner to know how to deal with that fear. The owner will do well to remember the following basic guidelines:

• Whatever the problem, be gentle with the horse.
• Expose your horse gradually to any object of mistrust. It can be eased into the exposure without anyone on its back as it feels more secure about his ability to escape should the need arise, and hence more inclined towards that exposure.
• Get to the root cause of the problem. Most horses’ so-called ‘bad behavior’ is based on some bad experience it may have had. Get to know why a horse bucks, bolts, kicks or bites. You would surely find that at sometime someone has been nasty to the horse and it now says – hey! I don’t want you on my back or anywhere near me.
• Your entire relationship with your horse will depend on how much trust you can build in it for you. Patient handling and building up trust will slowly but surely give you the kind of animal that Nature intended – sweet, loving and surprisingly concerned about the well-being of its rider.
• As the owner / trainer / handler you need to take the position of a herd leader. Horses, by nature, are herd animals. They are influenced by trust and respect. As their trust in you grows, they will put their confidence into you for their well-being and will begin to depend on you to keep them safe from danger.
• Never ever punish a horse. Punishment will never work since it only induces more fear and resentment.
• It is of utmost importance to get into your horse’s mind and patiently and gently get rid of any lack of confidence that might be there, which is leading to apparent bad behavior. At the end of the day, horses with their hard hooves (mostly equipped with metal shoes), huge teeth and immense physical strength, can put humans to great risk should they decide to utilize the weapons at their disposal.
• Remember, a change of scene such as new stables, show grounds and the like can be a cause of concern as they are unfamiliar and in your horse’s mind could give rise to flighty behavior. Deal with all such situations in a reasonable and just manner and you will find yourself in one of the most fulfilling, enduring and enjoyable relationships of your life.

As you can see, the horse does not mean any harm. If you can handle your horse in a manner that its fear is managed, you will unleash the potential of the truly gracious equine splendor that makes many humans’ life incomplete without horses.

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