Trainer’s Corner: Defusing Trouble Under Saddle – Part 3

Response in Spite of Trouble

This month we wrap up our discussion on the principle of Response in Spite of Trouble, having covered the foundational understanding and some examples of situations starting on the ground. If you’ve not been reading along, I encourage you to check out the articles in the January and February issues.

So now for the ridden aspect. Ideally, we’ve already tested our horse in different ways to make sure they understand coming back to us and having a conversation, in spite of being bothered by something in their environment. Additionally, our basic ridden communication is accepted and understood, and they are willingly yielding to our seat, reins, and legs (see the Ridden Basics series in my Online Video Library). This means I can walk/trot/lope, stop, turn both ways, and yield hindquarters.

When the horse gets bothered, they want to feel the freedom to move. As I stated in the last article, simply shutting down this movement with the commonly taught one rein stop or a hindquarter yield is not what I usually do. Yes, I need those to work, but often it’s impractical (if not dangerous) and doesn’t always help the horse deal with the trouble or learn to come back to a responsive dialogue because we are basically just shutting everything down. It may make us feel better, maybe safer, but often doesn’t help in the long run. Also, we don’t get better at redirecting movement that feels out of control by shutting it down.

Instead, if there’s space, I like to let them move but redirect them into a bend toward the trouble. For a green horse still being direct reined with two hands, this means my inside seat bone, rein, and leg work together to help shape the bend. As they come around to face the source of bother, they will often switch directions (swapping eyes as well, which I’m also looking for) and go back the other way, most likely still seeking to evade the trouble and leave. I will immediately switch the bend in my horse by changing seat bone, rein, and leg, continuing to allow them to move freely. 

This may carry on for some time, depending on if they want to stop and assess the trouble, which is great of course. In other words, I’m allowing them the use of their feet but directing the movement, thus reconnecting with their mind, while at the same time exposing them on both sides to the trouble. I allow them the space required to process and realize they can survive without fleeing—not just in spite of us but actually “with” us and maybe even get curious about what’s bothering them.

So, it basically looks like a figure 8 as I move back and forth, changing directions (bends). Again, if they want to stop and check things out, I’ll let them, but not to the point where they freeze up and/or explode. I may be getting closer to the trouble as we turn towards it each time or maybe they can’t handle that, and they blow laterally in each bend enough to keep their distance—it doesn’t matter. I avoid letting them turn away from the source of bother as that puts the “trouble” behind us and sets them up to bolt in flight.

In these situations, which may last moments or minutes, it’s important that we as riders stay calm and relaxed. It’s difficult for a horse to come back to a responsive state when his rider is being reactive; it’s hard for them to relax and grow in confidence when we’re tight and scared. I find it helps folks to have a plan like we’re discussing here and to have practiced it in less stressful environments. It sure beats the old “grab both reins, hang on, and try not to scream,” plan, but it does take a lot of practice and experience to be able to operate smoothly in those sudden situations when your horse perceives danger. 

One of the practical applications of this is when a strange dog comes after you or surprises you along a road for instance. Most of the time, your horse wants to quit the show entirely but it’s more effective if you can face up and not let the dog get behind you—most of them will back down. Working a cow that wants to get past you is approached the same way. This builds the horse’s confidence to face its fears. Remember, this goes deeper and beyond what is dealt with in common desensitization. We are looking for a thoughtful response from the horse in spite of trouble. I have two videos that specifically address Response in Spite of Trouble from the ground up. The Lusitano who was deathly afraid of bikes was a great example and I’m glad we filmed it. You can watch it for free:  www.truewesthorsemanship.com/free-video. If you’re looking for more resources, start your free trial today of our new private community, The Remuda, which includes our entire online video library, regular virtual events, easy access to Q&As and no negativity or unwanted ads!

See Part 1: https://nwhorsesource.com/trainers-corner-help-for-the-spooky-horse-part-1

See Part 2: https://nwhorsesource.com/trainers-corner-movement-to-regain-the-brain-part-2

See this article in the March 2025 Online Digital Edition:

March 2025