a proactive, positive approach for the spooky horse · pates ghosts in the surroundings will make...
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22 July/August 2013 • USDF ConneCtion
in response to overwhelming re-quests from USDF members, this is the frst of a series of articles
about horses with “issues.” We’ll talk about spooky horses, lazy horses, hot
horses, crooked horses, heavy-in-the-bridle horses, tense horses, and i-don’t-like-contact horses. Te good news is that these problem horses are
still horses, and their issues can be ad-dressed and even solved by following the same simple training principles that we use in training the “perfect horse.”
Tis month we’ll start with a look at the spooky horse.
Te spooky horse tends to re-act to objects or sounds that trigger the “fright or fight” mechanism. A spooky horse can be irritating at best, but he can also be frightening—and in rare circumstances, he can be dan-gerous. Te spook interrupts an oth-erwise pleasant schooling session or trail ride with a leap, a scoot, or a spin, and in the case of a timid person, fear in the rider is as big a concern as fear in the horse. Whether it’s because of physical problems or easily shattered confdence, some riders simply “can’t fall of.” if that’s you, then you’ll need a proactive, positive strategy. if that’s not you, you still need a strategy for quelling the spooks. Tat’s the goal of this article, but frst, let’s look at some of the causes of spooky behavior.
Why Do Horses Spook?
it’s helpful to learn the cause of your horse’s spooks. Sometimes there’s a direct cause; other times, the nervous-ness is habitual. Check out the spooky horse’s eyes, teeth, back, saddle ft, stomach (for ulcers), body condi-tion, and feeding program. Te Bau-merts’ Cloverlea Farm in Connecticut
is home to a horse with an eyesight problem. When he’s sharing the arena with other horses, he’s hyper-reactive and nervous; but when he’s alone, he’s fairly confdent and attentive. if your horse has that problem, have your vet-erinarian check his vision.
in the not-so-obvious cases, keep in mind that human senses aren’t as keen as a horse’s. Riders truly may not hear, see, or feel the terrifying crea-ture in the bushes that triggers the horse’s instinct to fee. Always remem-ber that, in nature, the horse is a herd animal that would be lunch for his predators if it weren’t for his speed. Despite centuries of domestication, the horse’s instinct to “revert to alert” lives on. it’s the rider’s job to be the proactive leader. Herd animals fol-low their leader, and they can become quite nervous without one. You want your horse to turn to you because he trusts you and will respond obedient-ly in times of stress. obedience and trust are tightly linked. Te reactive rider makes the horse even more ner-vous, but when the rider is a proactive leader, the horse will often trust rather readily and gain confdence and cour-age over time.
not only do you want to be the proactive leader, but you also want to infuence your horse positively by tell-ing him what to do, not infuence him negatively by telling him what not to do. to do so, you need a proactive, positive plan.
The Positive, Proactive Plan
in formulating a proactive, posi-tive plan, the good news is that your spooky horse isn’t a breed unto itself. He operates by the same training rules as all other horses. in fact, in training your spooky mount you’ll utilize—and depend on—the pyramid of training more diligently than ever. For exam-ple, you’ll need to focus on supple-ness and obedience because that’s what the spooky horse loses! He gets scared and stifens his body, and there goes his ability to bend (lateral supple-ness) and to stay round and stretch-
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Real Horses with Real ProblemsTraining doesn’t always go by the textbook. Here’s how to use dressage to
help horses with their issues.
A Proactive, Positive Approach for the Spooky HorseBy Beth Baumert, Maryal Barnett, and Cindy Sydnor
GET ME OUT OF HERE! Te horse’s fight-or-
fght instinct may kick in when we least expect
it, and some horses are more spook-prone than
others
USDF ConneCtion • July/August 2013 23
able (longitudinal suppleness). He’s not obedient to the rider’s aids, and he loses the rhythmic relaxation along with the contact. Let’s face it: He loses everything.
in contrast, horses that are round and bendable are on the way to be-coming relaxed and obedient. Te
kindest way to put a distracted horse out of his misery is to require that he be obedient to clear aids that are frm but friendly. if the rider needs to be strong, it’s important that the horse not feel he’s being punished for his spookiness. instead, you’re assuming the role of positive, proactive leader by telling him with clear aids what to do. in a positive and even playful way, the aids say, “Leg-yield left, leg-yield right, bend left, bend right, go for-ward, slow down,” and so on. Te suc-cessful leader has an obedient horse.
Tere are endless creative ways to devise your proactive, positive plan. Tey should focus on exercises that improve obedience and supple-ness. You’ll get to your horse’s mind by working his body; then, when you have more of his mind, he’ll give you more of his body. Te kinds of exer-cises that are most helpful for spooky horses include leg-yielding, bending, stretching, and upward and down-ward transitions. Here’s an example of an exercise that might help:
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THE ROAD MAP: Look to the pyramid of
training in approaching the training of a
spooky horse
PHYSICAL THERAPY: Suppling and bending
exercises, like this shoulder-in, help relax the
horse’s body and calm his mind as a result.
Ashley Perkins rides Veredus, an eleven-year-
old KWPN gelding owned by Maude Carr.
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A serpentine in the shape of a
3. Te serpentine is a brilliant sup-pling exercise because it gives you the opportunity to use the inside-leg-to-outside-rein connection in one direc-tion and then the other. As a result, you gain access to the ribcage and the hind legs, and your horse becomes more relaxed.
in this exercise, you’re going to combine a three-loop serpentine with turns on the forehand on the center line. Start in walk with fexion to the
left (or start to the right if it’s easier for your horse):• Begin the serpentine at C. Ride
your frst half-circle with clear left fexion and bend. Although we think of “inside leg to outside rein” as the bending aids, the inside leg and inside hand (unilateral aids) are important for a horse that has stifened. Tere can be no outside rein if your horse isn’t fexed prop-erly to the inside. You might need more inside leg and inside rein
than you think. Be aware of your horse’s marching rhythm.• on the center line, halt briefy
and make a 180-degree turn on the forehand from that left inside leg. Retain your fexion to the left, and...• …continue with your second half-
circle to the left. March. if you want to, ask for a little stretch in that left bend.• on the next center line, repeat
your turn on the forehand from the left leg. Keep the fexion left, and...• …ride the fnal half-circle to the
left.Your fnal fgure will look like a gi-
ant number 3. Do another 3 to the right using right bend.
Ride this exercise in trot. As you approach the center line (about on the quarter line), walk, halt briefy, and turn. if you do this a few times in a row, your horse will get the idea and will start making it easy for you.
next, ride a normal three-loop ser-pentine with changes of fexion, bend, and direction on the center line. try it in canter, with changes of lead through the trot on the center line. Tere are endless variations on this exercise, all of which give you access to your horse’s b
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BEND AND STRETCH: Dancer, ridden by
Annie Morris and owned by Jessica Morgan,
on a 20-meter circle
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Spooky behavior is often exacerbated by riders with poor technique
and psychology. It’s well known that the nervous rider who antici-
pates ghosts in the surroundings will make her horse wary as well.
The two feed on each other’s fears in a disconcerting cycle of anxiety.
Here are some common rider reactions to spooky behavior, followed
by suggestions for dispelling
the spook in a positive and
assertive way.
Too much “whoa.” Riders
often “keep the parking brake
on,” preventing the horse
from going forward and bot-
tling up his nervous energy.
Instead, supple that energy by
doing lots of bending lines in
a lively rhythm.
The outburst. A verbal
reprimand after a spook can
trigger even greater alarm
and confrm the horse’s
worst fears. Instead, quickly
regain the rhythm, balance,
bend, and get back on track
with your session. Then say
“good boy” in a low voice. No
soprano tones! Reinforce the
good behavior after the bad moment has occurred.
Unintentional punishment. When the rider is unbalanced by a
spook, she might inadvertently reprimand the horse with a jab in the
mouth. The horse doesn’t know that the jab was unintentional, and the
punishment confrms his fears, again teaching him to be even spookier.
To avoid this unfortunate scenario, try to ride from your center, and use
your bending aids to guide your horse’s nervous energy.
Trying to “face the music.” A few riders channel their anxiety into
anger or pressure. They may stop the horse and make him face the
fearful object and even hit him. They might obsess about the spooky
object and keep trying to go past it again and again. Instead, stay in the
area where your horse feels safe and do things that will help him relax:
Supple him with bending lines, regain the rhythm, and speak to him with
encouragement. Bending lines tend to “tame” the energy and supple the
body better than straight lines, making it easier to ride in a lively rhythm.
Then you can fex him away from the scary object and gradually leg-yield
him closer to it.
Let there be no mistake: Horses don’t connive to annoy their riders.
Your horse doesn’t want to be afraid. Every horse wants to be controlled
by a quiet, effective, sympathetic rider. Remember your role: You’re the
proactive, positive leader.
—Beth Baumert, Maryal Barnett, and Cindy Sydnor
The Cycle of Anxiety: When Riders Make a Bad Situation Worse
PROACTIVE APPROACH: Riding a turn on the
forehand away from her right leg helps Annie
Morris to regain Dancer’s attention and focus
in a calm way while asking her to yield through
her body
ribcage and hind legs. Tey loosen the
horse’s entire body and help him be-
come relaxed, attentive, and obedient.
Make up exercises of your own that
include leg-yield and more bending.
Tere are endless variations.
Focus on the Positive
Having a proactive, positive plan helps
you focus on the task at hand instead
of on your horse’s behavior. Focus on
his fexion. Focus on his bend. Fo-
cus on his rhythm. As you lead him
through the exercise, you’re saying,
“Let’s do this.” A transition says, “Let’s
do that.” You’re being the leader. if
your horse can do shoulder-in left
past a fearful object on the right, you’ll
be focused on riding his body in bend,
and he’ll be relieved that he doesn’t
have to look at the scary thing.
Stay focused on the task at hand
and your own confdence will grow—
which will, in turn, give your horse
security and improve his ability to
manage scary situations months and
years in the future. it takes time and
consistency to build trust in the rider,
but when you hear your horse breathe
a big sigh of relief, you know you’re
on the way to success. When a loose
horse gallops past you and your horse
turns to you for security, you will have
succeeded. s
Next month: Te lazy and the hot.
Beth Baumert is a Fourth Level USDF
certifed instructor/trainer based at
her family’s Cloverlea Farm in Colum-
bia, CT. She works with horses and
riders from Training Level to Grand
Prix. Beth was the technical editor of
Dressage today magazine for sixteen
years. She is on Te Dressage Founda-
tion’s Board of Directors and currently
serves as vice president.
Maryal Barnett is a USEF “S” dres-
sage judge and a Canadian Equestrian
Federation senior dressage judge. She
is a USDF “L” faculty member and
Instructor Certifcation examiner.
USDF ConneCtion • July/August 2013 27
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If you’re working with a spooky horse, lungeing is a sometimes a smart
place to start—after all, you can’t fall off!
Lungeing will improve the horse’s rhythm, relaxation, looseness,
connection, impulsion, and straightness. Those are the elements of the
pyramid of training that lead to collection. Side reins will help keep your
horse supple and straight, but be sure they’re adjusted so that he isn’t
behind the vertical and he can reach out to the bit. Use your voice in
a clear, friendly way. For instance, say “trot” with upward intonation if
you’re asking for an upward transition from walk. Say it with a lower
intonation if you’re asking for a downward transition from canter.
Start by lungeing the horse for 20 to 30 minutes daily without riding
afterward. Change directions about every seven minutes. Transitions help
him listen to you. It may take only two or three days before you reach an
understanding, but it could easily take longer.
Observe the horse to assess whether he appears to have let go of his
tension and is ready for a rider. If he’s still a little tight and tense, spend
another ten minutes with him on the lunge. If it’s a cold, windy day and
you’re outside, it’s fne to wait for a calmer day to begin the riding part of
the training. When your horse is lungeing well, mount and use the same
voice and phrases you used when lungeing. If you have a calming expres-
sion, such as a quiet “You’re OK,” the horse will take confdence from that
and will feel safer. Build on this. The goal is for your horse to learn that
you’re a friend who would never put him in a dangerous situation. Feeling
safe is the only thing on his mind, and if you’re trying to get him over a
history of spooking, this phase will naturally take time.
Keep the work simple: 20-meter circles, straight lines, three-loop serpen-
tines. Use the same fgures and lines often enough that the horse thinks, “I
know where we’re going. This is OK.” When a horse recognizes lines and
fgures, he becomes confdent and feels secure with them. If a new turn or
line is introduced, sometimes the horse instantly feels unsafe in that “new
environment.” It may seem silly, but that’s the nature of horses.
Eventually, you can skip the lungeing before you ride. But be careful
to observe your horse and get a feeling for his sense of safety each day.
If he’s nervous, such as at a show or at a new barn, go back to lungeing
quietly. You probably won’t have to do it for long and can get on after a
short period.
—Cindy Sydnor
Ground Work for the Spooky Horse
She has shown her own horses from
Training Level through Grand Prix,
amassing numerous local and national
awards. She is a full-time dressage in-
structor and trainer based at Notting-
ham Equestrian Center, East Lansing,
MI, of which she is a part owner.
Cindy Sydnor’s equestrian mentors
include H. L. M. van Schaik, Egon von
Neindorf, and Col. Bengt Ljungquist.
With her Brazilian Toroughbred
gelding, Lover, she was long-listed for
the 1976 Olympics. She has been an
examiner for the USDF Instructor
Certifcation Program for more than
20 years, and she recently retired from
a long career as a USEF “R” dressage
judge. She owns and operates Brae-
burn Farm in Snow Camp, NC, with
her family, including daughter Eliza
Sydnor, a Grand Prix-level trainer and
competitor and a Fourth Level USDF-
certifed instructor/trainer.