Working With Nervous Horses

I've received some letters recently asking how to handle a jumpy or nervous horse. Firstly I'd have to say that probably the most important thing to remember is to stay calm, with any horse, but especially this type of horse. With your own attitude you can show him that there's nothing to be afraid of or nervous about; you can also show him the type of attitude that you would like for him to have.

It's easy to become nervous yourself around a nervous horse. The difficult thing is, horses (and all animals) have an innate talent for picking up on that, no matter how well you hide it on the outside. I've never met a horse yet who couldn't tell when I was scared of him, or even just a little nervous. When this happens, a lot of horses will take advantage of that if your relationship hasn't been developed yet and your horse still doesn't see you as "in charge." Now, if you have tried and still can't help feeling nervous, the best thing I've found to do is simply continue with your training and do your best to ignore the nervous feeling. Before long, it will actually fade away as your relationship with your horse develops and progresses.

The important thing through this time (when you still aren't actually comfortable with your horse yet) is to act like you are. Whether or not your horse senses that you're nervous, even if he tries to take advantage of it, if you act like you're in control and that you won't let him get away with anything, there's not much he can do about your inner nervousness.

I'll write more on this subject at a later time to expand on it; in the meantime, try my strategies and let me know how they work for you!

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