Trainer’s Corner: Movement to Regain the Brain – Part 2

Response in Spite of Trouble

Last month we discussed one of the most common questions I hear, which concerns what to do when a horse spooks or how to build confidence in a nervous horse. These are broad questions and can involve situations with a wide range of possible factors, but I wanted to address this in general terms. I began to cover not only some idea of what to do in the situation, but also, just as importantly, how to prepare both yourself and your horse for the unexpected.

We looked thoroughly at the nature of horses and their predisposition to flight as a means for survival. The reactive state of the equine mind, emotions, and body in such situations often results in great difficulty for riders to be able to direct their horses and stay safe. We covered the importance of preparing the horse on the ground, separate from a scary situation, and showing them through gradual experience how to obtain their goal of self-preservation by responding to our requests rather than running away. In other words, bringing our horses back to a thinking and responsive state of mind will result in the safety the horse needs. It’s up to us to set them up that way.

Eventually, working on this while in motion helps them process and accept whatever stimulus they are dealing with (which is more significant than common “desensitization”). Movement also gives them practice taking direction from their human when they’re truly bothered by something and finding that there is another option for survival. 

Redirecting Movement

Yielding the hindquarters is commonly taught as the best way to address tension in horses, but I believe this is limited in its effectiveness and tends to be overused. Shutting down the horse’s movement that feels out of control makes the human feel safer but ultimately doesn’t mean we are getting more effective and redirecting that movement. We must work progressively to redirect movement that we didn’t ask for so that the horse can come back to the conversation. It’s a mental thing more than a physical thing; where the mind of the horse goes, the horse’s body goes.

When on the ground with an outside source of trouble, and if there is enough room, I begin to make a series of combination turns (yield the hind, then the fore in a change of direction), working the horse back and forth while I stand between them and the trouble. I am not forcing them closer to it, but they can’t just bolt and leave either. They can move their feet if they feel they need to, or they can stop to assess the situation. By attempting to regain the conversation I am being a proactive leader to help them survive and hopefully feel better as they realize the situation is not as dangerous as they may have thought.

Addressing the moment when their brain leaves us to focus on what they perceive as dangerous is important if we are to be seen as leaders by the horse and for them to continue to build trust in us. There is a balance—we shouldn’t mind that they are scared or that they need to check something out, but we do need to be able to regain their brain for our own safety and help them work through the circumstances so they feel safe again. 

They can’t just quit the country, but I’m not forcing them closer to the “trouble” either. This can take quite a bit of time and patience. The more solid your foundation in true response is, the quicker you can help bring your horse back to the mental and emotional state where response is possible.

Next time we’ll discuss how this applies while riding. Until then, check out our videos on Response In Spite of Trouble by starting your free trial of our Online Video Library or our brand new online community, The Remuda, at www.truewesthorsemanship.com. Keep a leg on each side and your mind in the middle!

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

See this article in the February 2025 Online Digital Edition:

February 2025