Equine Behavior Q & A: My Horse Is a Scaredy Cat!
My horse is normally very calm, but whenever we take him out of his stall and into a nearby pasture he gets incredibly scared—and we can't control him! However, when we ride him in a closed arena, he is completely calm and very easy to control. What can I do to help him overcome his fear of wide open spaces?
—Simone
I assume that the behavior is occurring when he is being turned out in an outside pasture. I would suggest that he be pastured with a calm and seasoned horse. Horses are herd animals, and take cues from each other regarding safety and potential danger. Partnering your horse up with a more relaxed friend will likely help reduce his anxiety.
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Labels: ASPCA, Horse Behavior, Horses
posted by ASPCA at 12:17 PM PERMALINK
2 Comments:
You may want to consider your role as a leader for your horse and how you can help him gain confidence in situations he considers frightening. Have you looked into any natural horsemanship behaviour training such as Pat & Linda Parelli or Clinton Anderson's programs? You might gain considerable understanding of equine psychology and how best to help your horse. I think you'll find that one of their recommendations would be approach & retreat.
being a leader is great but you need to have this horse checked for ulcers. over 80% of them have ulcers and it causes (among other things)nervous, spooky, behavior. i have one with them and i have been told to sell him, whip on him, and send him to trainers for his behavior. the only thing that worked was treating the ulcers when a vet finally suggested that .
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