Your horse however, is suspicious of strangers and is a bit fidgety. The vet is in a bit of a hurry and doesn’t fully understand why horses do what they do, and the more the two of you try to make your horse stand still, the more sceptical and nervous your horse becomes, especially when the vet starts trying to get a hold of his ear which just happens to be situated in the death spot (see previous article on Sensitive Spots).
Fortunately, you have a bit of savvy around horses. You know that as Alpha Horse, it’s up to you to ensure that your horse feels safe, then he will look for comfort and stand still. You understand that if you can show your horse that you control his flight distance and direction, he will see you as his leader and do as you ask. So, you give him what he needs in this moment – comfort ... by moving him around a little. Not just letting him move around but causing him to get his feet moving. Then, you show him you control his direction by disengaging his hindquarter. Now you ask him to stand still and he is happy to do so. If he is still not yet ready to stand quietly, you calmly go through the process again until he is. You’ll have him standing calmly and happily in no time if you just take the time to help him out. Plus, it’s a lot safer than trying to make a nervous horse stand still.
Remember, in flight from fear mode your horse will run, then stop and turn to see if the scary thing is still there. In order to decide whether to continue to flee or to stop, your horse must think therefore using his left -brain in that instant. So, the better you can disengage his hindquarter, the more you show him you have control over his direction and can cause him to use his left brain. The more he uses his left brain, the more he’ll think and the sooner he will understand that nothing is hurting him, therefore calming down more quickly.
To help your horse calm down even further, lower is head. This will stop adrenalin being released through his body and be replaced by endorphin which acts as a calmative.
Remember, the best cure for any situation is prevention. By becoming adept at your 3 Basic Skills and 3 Purpose Plays you will become such a great leader that if your horse sees that you are calm, he will stay calm. If you have a horse that is nervous and gets worried over things, he is telling you to hurry up and become a better leader ... he doesn’t feel safe. Some horses live their whole lives like this, constantly stressed, as do some people. So, become a better leader ... do it for yourself, do it for your horse.
The Road To Horsemanship Lesson Videos
Lesson 3, Chapter 2:
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- By Meredith Ransley, Quantum Savvy.