Does your equine partner feel threatened by other horses in the competition warm-up arenas? Does he jump sideways when a horse gets too close, or does he threaten to rear up, and even succeed, like mine did? Perhaps he is new to presenting or is overwhelmed by busy crowds because he is used to working alone? Maybe he’s just claustrophobic. Regardless of the cause of your horse’s fear, overcoming it starts with patience.
Step One – Work With Another Horse
Start your rehab by introducing you to others in a familiar setting where you feel safe. Ask a friend who has a calm horse to ride with you in the arena.
1. As close as your horse will allow, ride side by side at a walk and in the same direction. Do this on both kidneys.
2. From time to time, switch sides. Some horses feel ‘stuck’ against the outside fence and need reassurance that they are safe when they are between a horse and the edge of the arena.
3. Then have the other rider walk behind you.
4, When your horse is comfortable with that, the other animal should walk towards yours, only as close as your horse is comfortable. Don’t take him too far out of his comfort zone at this point.
5. Gradually decrease the distance between the two animals, until yours is relaxed to pass on either side of the approaching horse with very little space between them.
This may be all your equine friend can take for the first few sessions. Be patient and try not to get frustrated. Your goal is for your horse to trust you. pushing him a short going beyond your comfort zone is necessary to progress and for you to realize that you are not going to get hurt. But if you overdo it, you will break their already fragile trust and you will be in a worse position than before.
Slow and easy is the key. Once your horse is relaxed and happy with steps 1 through 5, perform the same exercises at a trot, followed by a canter. Don’t take a step until you’re completely relaxed with your current level.
Step Two – Introduce a Second Horse
Now you are ready to travel with two others. The second horse should also be a trustworthy animal, to increase your horse’s ever-increasing confidence.
1. Walk between the two, in the same direction.
2. Leave enough space between animals so yours doesn’t feel claustrophobic.
3. If you feel uncomfortable at first, take him to both sides of the duet and then re-introduce him in the middle.
4. When you agree with this, walk in the opposite direction.
5. The other two horses should now walk towards yours, with a wide space between them for yours to pass through. If your horse gets anxious, have the other two back away from him. Then repeat the process until he is no longer afraid and can calmly walk between them.
6. Your horse will feed on your trust: mount it firmly between the animals that approach you so that it learns that it will not be hurt if it obeys you.
When he’s focused on you, begin working at a trot followed by a canter, passing between the other two horses as they come toward you again. Only step up when your horse is 100% comfortable with the current one. It’s crucial to take this slow.! Your horse will probably take longer to get used to working with two horses than with one.
Congratulations! You have crossed a great obstacle. Keep practicing with the same horses, then add others or change riding partners. Your horse may even begin to enjoy being ridden in company.
Step Three – Switch Riding Spots
Before jumping into a show setting, test your horse’s confidence by riding him in an unfamiliar non-show setting with other horses. By putting him in a less stressful situation than you’ll find at a show, you’ll also be calmer and give your horse the best chance of passing his confidence test with flying colors. Ride it in indoor and outdoor arenas. (My horse was most anxious in an outdoor arena, so that’s where I focused his rehabilitation.) Doing this will ensure that your horse is comfortable at both indoor and outdoor shows.
Step four: be a non-competitor
Unless you’re the super cool guy whose nerves won’t erode your horse’s confidence, you might consider taking him as a non-competitor to his first post-rehab show. Choose an inconspicuous location for your reintroduction to competition conditions. This will allow you to spend as much time as you want in the warm-up arena without the pressure of competing. You will be more relaxed and give your horse a good experience with strange horses. Then take him to the real thing, when he’s proven he’s ready.
conclusion
Every horse is different. His may be the type that gets over his fears quickly, or he may be like mine, and he needs a lot of time and persuasion! Do not have a strict schedule to rehabilitate it. If you act like you have forever to solve the problem, it will be solved much faster than if you try to force it before a specific deadline. He may miss a season of shows, but he would have missed it anyway while his horse was scared from the warm-up. Keep your goal firmly in sight, but be flexible with your time frame. Patience is the key.