People often tell me their horse is hard to catch, won’t stand still, is reactive, bites them, pushes into them, kicks out at them, etc., or how their horse must have been abused because he’s afraid of this and you can’t do that. No matter what it is, these types of things are legitimate problems for both the owner, the horse, and their overall safety and well-being. It’s important to understand this- any problem with a horse is just a symptom of a cause. Every problem you can imagine a horse having stems from a lack of respect, or fear, and on the rare occasion both. For example, people often get a horse that is extremely reactive around a whip and automatically assume the horse was abused and make every effort to protect their horse from anything that moves quickly and makes a noise. Remember, horses are prey animals, and they inherently dislike anything that moves and makes a noise. Could the horse have been abused with a whip? Yes, he could have; although, the bottom line is the horse is fearful and the worst thing you can do is tip-toe around him and make excuses for his fearful behavior. He will only become more fearful because you act like has a reason to be worried and anxious. Regardless of a horse’s past, focus on the real cause to help him be a confident, safe, and willing partner.
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