# How to calm nervous horse?



## gigem88 (May 10, 2011)

I would work her hard by whatever scared her. Keep her engaged so she doesn't have time to think about it. Sometimes horses will booger at things to get out of working!


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## Jacksmama (Jan 27, 2010)

I would do as much desensitization as possible, and as gigem said when she does spook don't give her too much time to think about it. What kinds of things is she spooking at?


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

She spooks of sleeping dogs that suddenly bolt under her feet, or (ok, this isn't spooking, but she behaves the same way) seeing non-familiar horses when we are on trail. With other things she's ok... 
She was afraid of motorbikes, cows, tractors, and other things but it's 2 years from then and she is completly fine with them now, she even doesn't notice it.

Dogs and horses are things I don't know how to desentize her to, she is fine with dogs, until they announce that they are there. But sometimes they just creep from a corner, silently, and then suddenly jump behind her and bark. 
And the horses... I think she just has to check if there is a handsome stallion around 
But I don't like it, cause then she doesn't work at her best.

I won't give her time to think next time this happens  We'll work hard


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

My horse picked up the scent of something in the woods last week and started snorting and jigging. Very narrow trail so nowhere to circle. What I did was have him walk back and forth just 10' or so. He calmed down after about 7 turns. Something about frequent changes of direction seems to switch their brains over from reacting to thinking. That's all I can think of the try with your mare.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

When Dusty isnt listening to me or gets spooked I will flex him side to side it gets him back to the thinking side of the brain the barking dog thing I think I'd find a recording of a barking dog and play it for her 24/7 until she forgot about it. The other horse thing I dunno mine can get excited like ohhh who is this but never scared.


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## Indigosblue (May 9, 2011)

in the arena i do lots of circles with my mare. She's hot and somewhat nervous too, so this seems to help her calm down. However, it's not very practical to be circling for 10 min., lol. Changes of direction actually worsen it somewhat for my mare though... she seems to like to go faster away from the scary object, so if she's not looking at it it's hard to keep her collected and calm. I think the most important part is for you to stay calm, and maybe try out what works best for your horse =) Good Luck!


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

MyBoyPuck said:


> My horse picked up the scent of something in the woods last week and started snorting and jigging. Very narrow trail so nowhere to circle. What I did was have him walk back and forth just 10' or so. He calmed down after about 7 turns. Something about frequent changes of direction seems to switch their brains over from reacting to thinking. That's all I can think of the try with your mare.


 
YES!! this frequent change on a narrow trail would necessitate the horse disengaging the hind end and stepping under herself. While the horse does this, they momentarily must focus on their balance. That is a good thing to do if the horse is worried about another horse. NON punitive work, just work that requires her to think a little.

As for the dogs, well I would have a fit if I had to deal with what you deal with. I know if you can chase the dog, it builds confidence in the hrose, but I know that doesn't always work. I have no adice there, as I would be hard put to deal with that, too.


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## Equilove (Feb 21, 2011)

MyBoyPuck said:


> My horse picked up the scent of something in the woods last week and started snorting and jigging. Very narrow trail so nowhere to circle. What I did was have him walk back and forth just 10' or so. He calmed down after about 7 turns. Something about frequent changes of direction seems to switch their brains over from reacting to thinking. That's all I can think of the try with your mare.


The same thing happened to Savanna on her very first trail ride. We were out alone and she heard something in the woods and stopped and wouldn't listen. Her feet were planted and she was staring into the woods. I changed her direction two or three times and then she walked quietly past the place where she balked. She was also afraid of some of the anthills that we came across. I had to do the same thing. I say it's a good way to get them moving!


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## Oxer (Jul 9, 2010)

i apologize for hijacking this thread, however i don't want to start a new thread and i have a few questions that are kinda' on the same pathway here. 
So my horse is also a bit nervous. He tends to be anxious both on the ground and under saddle. i am trying to work with this behavior slowly and sensitive to the fact that he's a flight animal. So would you folks say that it is better to address scary things (i.e. a liverpool, traffic cones, balloons, whatever else) on the ground/in hand or in the saddle? i would like to do the most safe thing for myself, but also the most dominant and alpha choice as well.


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## AlexS (Aug 9, 2010)

Horses should take their confidence from you as their leader. If this is not happening, you need to assert yourself more and become their leader. 
Horses spook, it's what they do, but you should be able to regain that and their confidence quickly. 

By the way, I think it's reasonable for your horse to freak out with dogs running up behind her and barking or darting between her legs. Those dogs need to be controlled before they are dead dogs.


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## LuvMyPerlinoQH (Jun 21, 2011)

Have you tried being proactive with the dogs by using your horse to chase them might help her too to see they are scared of her.


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## manca (Feb 23, 2011)

> Horses spook, it's what they do, but you should be able to regain that and their confidence quickly.


It seems to me that I can't get her confidence back after something like that. 
2 days ago I was riding on a trail under a stable where some horses are kept. Well Candy knew that, she started whinnying, and horses talked back. She started resisting, and she didn't want to go forward! In some time as I was trying to get her going, the owner of the stable came for a chat. I think this made things even worse, because I stopped trying to get her to move. Well when he went, again she gave me a big fit about not going away. I did circles, walking back, turning her around... Nothing helped and nothing didn't look like it should. Circles weren't circles and walking back was almost in trot. I tried for 10 minutes, than I went off her and lead her 20meters away. Once I was on the ground she was calm. And after that 20meters I get back on her and she was perfect for the rest of the ride. 
Usually she doesn't do this if horses are INSIDE the stable, only if they're outside and even that rarely. I think that she wanted to stay so much more because she was in heat and they own a stallion.

Dogs are dogs, most of them here are not trained, they spend most of the time fastened on a chain, so no wonders they are crazy. I plan on chasing them, at least the ones I consider not so very dangerous (I already gave up on 2 trails, because dog there is just too crazy and I'm afraid he actually may throw himself at my mare) but also the ground isn't always proper. Awful mud, narrow trails, very rocky roads... I just try to predict when something will happen and keep my horse calm, but apparently I'm not very good at it. 



> So would you folks say that it is better to address scary things (i.e. A liverpool, traffic cones, balloons, whatever else) on the ground/in hand or in the saddle? I would like to do the most safe thing for myself, but also the most dominant and alpha choice as well.


Start from the ground. A lot of desentizing, flat work. When your horse is ok with scary things around him then get on and put "horse eaters" in round pen/arena and ride there.


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