Banishing Bad Spooks
To manage bad spooks, you need to step back and see the big picture. Horses, like humans, are products of both heredity and environment. Each is an individual. The excessively spooky horse might've inherited a more sharply honed trigger for survival purposes than calmer mounts. Or, he might've learned quick-to-spook tendencies from his dam, especially if she was the first in the herd to run from any surprise.
Of course, you can't do anything about your horse's genes or his experiences before you owned him. (But don't fall into "the abuse excuse"-laying all your horse's faults on alleged mistreatment by a former owner, and perhaps subconsciously, using these as an excuse for not exerting strong leadership.) However, you can decrease his tendency to spook, which will make spooks fewer and farther between. You can also eliminate those spooks that are truly dangerous. You'll accomplish this through a two-step approach, desensitization and discipline; here's how.
Desensitization. First, take the perceived danger out of potentially fearful objects and situations so that your horse is convinced he has nothing to fear. This is known as "sacking out" in old-timer's terminology or "desensitization" in modern, clinician's lingo. The idea is to expose your horse to a wide variety of stimuli. Board him in a large pasture with varied terrain. Constantly pass a variety of objects over his body, such as your slicker, a lead rope, and a longe whip. In a small, enclosed work area, have a friend ride her bicycle gently toward you, then stop when asked. Push any desensitization routine through to completion. Continue to gently expose your horse to the stimuli until he stops reacting to it, no matter how many passes it takes.
Consider teaching your horse to pack. The weight of panniers, the breeching under his tail, and the sound and feel of packs scraping on trees will help to prevent future spooks under saddle.
If your horse's spook causes a balk, his body language is saying, "This scares me, so I don't want to go there," To manage this type of spook, use the low-stress approach described by John Lyons. Keep your horse facing this new spook, wait until he relaxes, then ask him to move forward toward it. Yes, you can use your legs, weight, and artificial aids to drive your horse toward what he fears, but I'm not sure he learns very much. The idea is to convince him there's nothing to fear, and that takes time. (For more information on John Lyons' techniques, clinics, books, and videos, visit www.johnlyons.com.)
Another way to help your horse overcome his balking spook is to ride out with a patient friend on a steady horse. Make sure your friend understands that you're on a training mission, not a joy ride. Take turns leading. Don't always fall back and follow your friend over the scary place; you may find that when riding alone or in the lead your horse will still be afraid of an obstacle he crossed quite readily while following another.
If you're quite certain you're dealing with a fake spook, however, forget the low-stress approach, and drive your horse forward.
Discipline. When you instill discipline and self-control in your horse, you condition him not to flee even though his genes tell him to. Keep in mind that discipline isn't punishment; it's a system of learning. Your own discipline keeps you from doing something dangerous when someone says "boo."
Discipline training must include two basic curbs on behavior, and these must be absolute. One is "whoa," which means stop and stay stopped until cued to move. (Never use "whoa" as a command to slow down, or you'll dilute the cue's meaning and confuse your horse.) To teach the whoa, give the verbal cue, "whoa," and simultaneously apply rearward pressure on the reins (no more than necessary). Immediately release the rein pressure when your horse stops.
The other fundamental is lateral flexion, which means your horse allows you to bring his head around to the either side with little direct-rein pressure. To accomplish this, he'll need to learn to "give" (respond) to the bit or bosal.
You can then use lateral flexion to enhance the one-rein stop in a panic situation, when a "whoa" accompanied by rearward rein pressure may not do the job. In the one-rein stop, you'll bring your horse's head around until his nose almost touches his shoulder; in this position, he'll have difficulty running away or getting his head down for a buck. If you ever need to use this technique, be sure to release the rein pressure the instant your horse regains his composure, as a reward. However, note that if he's truly afraid, be ready to repeat the drill.
Lastly, look to yourself. Is there anything you may be doing to complicate the situation? When a potentially fearful situation arises, do you tense up? If so, your horse feels that and becomes more tense himself. To better handle a sideways jump, get in shape. The portly torso and weak legs that tend to come with middle age compromise a secure seat.
Dan Aadland (http://my.montana.net/draa) raises mountain bred Tennessee Walking Horses and gaited mules on his ranch in Montana. His most recent books are The Best of All Seasons, The Complete Trail Horse, and 101 Trail Riding Tips. Sketches from the Ranch: A Montana Memoir is now available in a new Bison Books edition.
