Posted: 2nd December 2014 | Back to news feed
It’s natural for prey animals to be more spooky in windy weather. All that movement in the bushes makes it much harder to detect a predator so they are on high alert. But here’s the key... when a horse feels totally safe with you he will no longer feel so unsafe, it’s all about the relationship.
Many people think they have ‘great’ relationships with their horses but let’s now start to look at what ‘relationship’ between horse and human really means. Does he see you as friendly and trustworthy and a worthy leader? Check it out on the points below....
- Does he come to you as soon as he sees you or turn away and leave?
- Does he prefer your company or the other horses?
- Does he let you touch him everywhere or does he have spots he’s worried or defensive about?
- Does he do what you ask willingly, or does he argue with you or get skittish and bracy?
- Does he go confidently where you ask or does he balk and shy and try to go the other way?
- Does he get more relaxed in your presence or more tense?
- Is he calm when you are calm, or does he act as if you aren’t even there?
- When he’s afraid, do you get tense and hold him back or can you stay calm and focused without making him feel wrong?
This is the kind of relationship we are talking about. When you can say ‘yes’ to all the above points then you know you have transcended the prey-predator relationship of constant insecurity (on both parts!) and of course all your problems go away... not just the spookiness when it’s windy.
Horses respond to love, language and leadership in equal doses. Some people are really good at love, others at leadership... and most are not good at language with horses. This is because for the most part we are taught to longe our horses in mindless circles to blow off steam, saddle up and get on, kick to go and pull on the reins to turn or stop. There is so much more you can do to communicate in a more sophisticated way... a way that gives you the language to calm a horse down, prepare him for things and to use energy and body language more than legs and hands. In order to truly get your horse’s trust as friend and leader, you need to be good at all three: love, language and leadership.
Conclusion.
There is no quick fix for spooky horses. It’s all about building their self confidence, their confidence in you as their leader, and then maintaining that confidence as you go into more and more challenging situations. When your relationship really becomes strong, all those problems simply disappear. It’s not about the wind.
for further information contact the Parelli UK team on 0800 0234 813 or visit www.parelli.com
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