Why my horse is so fearful? “The secret to the fearful horse”

The secret to the fearful horse is…. There is no secret!
It’s just a matter of understanding the nature of the horse. By nature horses are fearful creatures. Why? Because horses are prey animals not predators like lions, wolves, coyotes, etc. Horses are constantly looking out for anything that could potentially hurt or kill them which causes a flight or skittish behavior.

There are some ways to correct or contain this behavior in our domesticated horses.
The first thing you should do … for me personally it’s the most important thing is evaluating our behavior & body language. Are you a fearful person? What is your reaction when something scares your horse? Do you panic? Are you one of those that ask to have the tractor or water truck turned off because it scares your horse? If so shame on you.

If you do some or all of these things then you are creating most of the problem. The horse is already fearful by nature. You’re supposed to be the leader and guardian of the horse… the alpha. As I have explained before horses are also herd animals and the there has to be one leader in the herd. That leader protects and looks out for the predators so the others can feel safe, comfortable, eat & take care of the young colts in the pasture.
So in this case you are supposed to be the leader by protecting & making your horse feel safe by being confident. Let’s make this simple here… If you show fearful behavior then your horse will more than likely show the same behavior. I you show confidence and show no fear of the things around you then your horse will overtime become that way.

Here’s a tip when working with your fearful horse. Lets say your horse is scared of the tractor at the stable. Well instead of walking away from the tractor or asking that it be turned off stay right where you are. Your horse will probably want to get away but calmly stick with your horse until he/she stands still then gently rub your horse on the withers to reassure them that the tractor is not going to get them. Basically what you’re communicating to your horse is “If I’m not scared of the tractor then you shouldn’t be either” the next step overtime after your horse is comfortable standing is to then follow the tractor instead of walk away from it. You can use this method in different variations whenever you horse is fearful of something. Some things will take longer than others to get over, but the most important thing is to Check Your Energy and Body language!