# My horse is scared of wind!!!



## RisingGlory (Sep 12, 2010)

Hi! I really need some help. I don't know quite what to do. For you to understand this, I'm going to just tell my horse's story. He is a 10 to 15yr old Geldingthat we got in August. When we went to see him, he never seemed spooky or mean. He was very calm and you could put him somewhere and he would stay there for a while. Well, when we got him home, he seemed fine, no attitude or anything. Then, I don't know if it is the winter that he hates riding in or what, but now he is quite spooky. I went out riding him one day and the wind picked up. He started to get a little uneasy and really wouldn't listen to me. We were heading home and he knew the way, so I just let him go, me guiding him only a little bit. Now though, even if he is in his pen and the wind starts whistleing he gets a little jumpy. Not bad, but still, it is a little scary.:? He's has only bucked once and I don't know it that was on pupose becuase he might have stepped in a hole and freaked out. Also, (I don't know if this was play) my brother was getting something from this boy's pen and the horse came after my brother a little bit. He has also done this to me but I just don't know. I don't know a lot about horses, so he sort of scares me.:-| I live on a farm, so I don't take lessons. There is a guy by us that is really good with horses and who has horses of his own. I have been wondering if it would be worth it to ask him for help. If you guys could give me some advice, that would be well appreciated. Thank-you!


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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Don't worry. Most horses get very goofy on cold windy days. They feel that wind blow up their skirt and just lose their minds. Good news is it ends once the cold weather does for most. All you can do is either wait for warmer days or keep exposing him to it. Definitely enlist the help of your friend down the street. If you can take both your horses out at the same time, that should help your horse stay more settled.


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## RisingGlory (Sep 12, 2010)

Thank-you that is good news for my ears. I always get a little worried about him. He's my first horse, so I get a little worried too.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

Hi,

I think you would be smart to let this fellow who knows horses help you out a bit.
Here's what I think happened.

Your horse maybe came from a home where they knew more about how to handle horses and were better leaders (dominant) for the horse, so he felt more secure. Horses need to know that somebody is in charge and they would actually prefer that the somebody be somebody else. But if there is nobody being in charge, they will step in and take over. Why? becase the one who is in charge will be the one that keeps eveybody safe by making quick decisions regarding danger and such.
So, your horse comes from a place where he is not in charge and he accepts that and is secure. he gets to your place and at first he assumes all is the same. But as he gets scared (as hroses will always do), and nobody tells him what to do, he gets even more scared because he finds there's no leader anymore. He steps in and takes over (going home ) and from then on he becomes less secure around you. He now considers himself more of the leader and when you enter HIS pen, he feels confronted and he decides to put you in your place by going after you. Things are upside down, making both of you unhappy.

You will need someone to help you reset your self as the leader so that he can relax and be a trusting follower. Easier said than done, I know, but that is probably the situation, in a nutshell. Seek out the help of the neighbor.

Also, I used to ride a mare that was very skittish of wind. I just simply didn't ride on windy days if I could avoid it. If I had to , I got off and walked. She was so good otherwise.


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## SPhorsemanship (Apr 5, 2010)

Horses are usually more skittish in the wind. They rely on their hearing quite a bit and when it is windy, they loose that sense to a certain degree depending on the wind. The best thing would be to get the horse to focus on you rather than going back to his pen. Talk to him a lot, make noises, bend him, just get his attention. Make sure he can hear you. Think about what he is feeling: He can't hear as well so there could very well be predators sneaking up on him that he cannot hear. He's being ridden so he doesn't feel as free to take off if there is danger. He isn't near a herd who are kind of like extra senses(and he's a herd animal!). Then, if you are tense on top of that, he thinks there is something that he must be tense about. Chillll. Relax your body and your aids, move with him and use your seat! The more you pull, the more his head will go up to brace. Then adrenaline goes through him and the situation escalates. Get him stretching down and moving forward into the bit. Rather than pulling him, circle him. Make sure he stays balanced though.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

I agree with horses being funny when ridden in the wind. They can't hear as well so their fear is heightened. If you are not a confident rider he will take it as he needs to watch out for number one. Himself. You either need to be relaxed and confident or really learn to become one. Having a trainer or friend is great but it won't teach you confidence or how to handle that situation unless you get your horse through a scary situation yourself. 

Your best bet is to either watch how someone handles a scary situation with a flighty horse or read some more information. Worst thing you did was let him run home. He took over and was in control. Nothing was worked out and he won't see you as someone he can rely on to get him through his fear. Don't ever let your horse think he has the upper hand or you will never be able to ride him out on a trail again. He will take over.

Start at an area he feels comfortable with and work yourself to the scary area. Giving him more and more confidence. And I believe if you find yourself in a situation where he is running and you don't have control, a ONE rein stop is your best bet! Start with watching someone who is very knowledgeable and go from there.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## RisingGlory (Sep 12, 2010)

Thank- you all. I guess that I was just really scared too at that point because ( I didn't hear one) but we have some cyotes sort of close to our house. This means I have to be really careful when we go out riding. With the wind picked up and that too, it really freaked me out. I tried to stay really calm, but, I'm a worrier. Also, We use a hackamore. We tried all kinds of bits, but they didn't work. The last owner said that if the bits didn't work, use a hackamore.


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## mbender (Jul 22, 2009)

What kind of bits have you used?
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## apachiedragon (Apr 19, 2008)

I wouldn't worry too much about coyotes. Generally, unless they are starving, they wouldn't even attempt to go after a full grown, healthy horse. They are very shy by nature too, and will avoid humans if at all possible. We have quite a few of them around here, you can hear packs of them howling at night, but in all the years I have ridden back in the woods and around the river, I have never seen one. In fact, I've only ever seen one at all, and that was one that was crossing the road as I was driving.

Get some pointers from your neighbor, ride with him if you can, to build your confidence level, and even if you don't feel confident around the horse, try to move and act as though you are. One other thing, when you are out riding, don't just be a passenger when it comes time to go home. That could encourage other bad behavior that you don't want. It's never a good idea to just let them go home whenever they want to, even if they are acting up a little, that will quickly lead to a barn sour horse. I'm not saying don't go back home if you feel unsafe, I'm just saying make it your decision to do so, go at your pace, and the way you want to go, and expect him to act accordingly. This may very well require someone with a little more knowledge, at least at first, if the horse has figured out you are unsure of yourself.


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## butterflysparkles (Mar 12, 2011)

Wow! I've never heard of that happening before! How unusual! I sure hope that you can fix it.


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## ButtInTheDirt (Jan 16, 2011)

Riding/working with horses is a bad idea when it is windy. Horses always get a little stupid and jittery when it's like that. Heck, I get sort of stupid and jittery when it's windy out. Just like if someone had a class outside, they wouldn't want to listen to their teacher. They'd be worried more about the wind.


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## Mickey4793 (Sep 24, 2009)

Most horses act up in the wind, my horse acts like a bird when it's too windy. I know people who can't even mount up when it's windy because it's just not safe. Talk to the guy with horse knowledge, and if it's really windy try maybe just hand walking him or letting him run around in a paddock.


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## RisingGlory (Sep 12, 2010)

We've used snapples ( think that's what they're called) But the best one so far that really agrees with him is the hackamore. This is also what my neighbor uses. (Different neighbor) We just free ride and a little western so the hackamore works fine


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