Cathy's Monthly Article from Texas Horse Talk Magazine

Calming the Nervous Horse

By Cathy Strobel

Good, experienced horsemen appreciate the value of a calm mount who will allow you to take control and will respond to the aids. Less experienced horsemen sometimes confuse calm with lazy. A nervous horse may appear more exciting to the novice rider, but is often too full of adrenaline or distrust to accept the aids and focus on the rider’s commands. Nervousness can be spawned from fear, improper training, poor communication, poor nutrition, pain or memories of a bad experience.

Nervous horses can be identified with behavioral issues such as grinding or chomping the teeth, wringing the tail, pinning the ears, carrying the head very high, gaits that are quick or more explosive and dangerous behavior such as shying, bolting, bucking and rearing. Most of the time, a nervous horse can be calmed, but it requires some retraining along with a great deal of time and patience. Some horses however have such deeply rooted issues that changing the behavior can become too difficult and even unsafe for most riders. It is important to assess your own abilities along with the horse’s responsiveness and progress when attempting to retrain a horse. Seek professional help immediately if you are not confident that you are experienced and knowledgeable enough to recognize an unsafe situation.

Begin by checking a nervous horse to rule out pain in his back, mouth, legs and feet. Also check his diet to make sure he is not consuming too much feed, protein, sugar or supplements. Next, check for equipment issues such as an improperly fitted saddle or bridle or a bit that is too severe. You may need the help of a good vet or trainer to help you rule out any of these physical problems.

Once you establish that there are no physical problems, you can move on to retraining the horse. Start with some groundwork to determine where the nervous behavior is coming from. Note if the horse is uneasy when being led. Does he have good ground manners with respect for your personal space? If he exhibits ill behavior or trust issues, spend some time quietly working with him to develop a relationship and gain both his trust and attention.

A variety of methods can be used to assess him while centering his attention on you. Grooming will tell you if he has sensitive spots on his body that worry him. Leading while frequently stopping, starting and turning and using voice commands along with body language will help you relax and focus him in on you while gaining his trust. Longing can burn off extra energy as you look for soundness issues. If he wants to run like a maniac at the end of the longe line, keep shortening the line and slowing him down until he can calmly hold the walk and trot on command. Longe him with tack on to reduce his anxiety just before you transfer your weight from the ground to the saddle. Don’t worry about stirrups dangling as he longes since he needs to accept minor distractions while focusing on the task and your commands.

When he appears calm from the ground, go ahead and mount. Make sure you have your reins organized and mount calmly. Gently place your weight on his back. A heavy plop in the saddle will irritate most horses. Make him stand quietly for several seconds before moving off. As you walk forward, check your position to make sure that you are centered and balanced. Make sure you have contact on the bit and your hands are steady enough to avoid hitting him in the mouth. Start out on a circle and gradually increase the size if he remains calm. Reduce the size when he tenses up.

Most nervous horses will carry their heads very high which allows them to use their long distance vision for self-preservation while evading the bit. The flight or fight mentality is instinctual to equines. When threatened, horses will run from danger. If they cannot run, they will strike with the hind legs, forelegs or teeth. Encouraging your horse to lower his head and stretch down into the bit will help him shift his concentration to the immediate area. Flexing at the poll also allows endorphins to be naturally released into the bloodstream and consequently calm the horse. Repeated and soft half-halts that are held until the head begins to drop are the best method for lowering the head.

Teaching the horse to travel in a long and low frame while quietly praising him will encourage his trust. Work at the walk for as long as it takes to accomplish this. Then take the horse to a trot and continue in a long and low frame. Keep him from traveling with quick steps. When he seems relaxed at the trot and can make transitions without tensing up, you are ready for the canter. Make sure the canter is slow and soft. If he still seems tense, make circles or do some lateral exercises such as shoulder-in and leg yield to supple him.

If the flat work is good and your problems don’t show up until you jump, try a very slow trotting approach to the jump. Most nervous horses will get quicker and higher headed as they get closer to the jump. Send a message to him that the closer you get to the jump, the slower you will go. Combine that with half-halts to lower his head. Calmly release the hold when you get to the jump. Hold the mane if there is any chance you will hit him in the mouth. If he exhibits tension after the jump, bring him to a walk and lower his head as soon as he lands. If he resists, take him onto a circle and walk over the next jump. Make sure any jump that you walk over is no higher than twelve inches. Wait until he can go calmly to go at a faster gait.

If the tension shows up through bolting or shying, turn his head to the inside, lift your inside hand and squeeze your inside leg to push him into your outside rein to steady him. For rearing, lean forward and turn him onto a circle. For bucking, lift his head with your reins.

Regardless of how the nervous tension surfaces, the main thing to remember is to interrupt the behavior, slow the horse down and give him positive reinforcement. Speak softly and gently stroke him on the neck when he gives you the proper response. Never yank his mouth or hit him to punish for nervous behavior. Develop his trust in you. Spend time on the basic skill of relaxing your horse as you stretch him downward. It will be time well spent.

Cathy Strobel has over 30 years of experience as a trainer, judge and clinician. Contact us if you have a topic that you would like addressed or need help with a particular problem.