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When your horse spooks, what's the first thing your body does?

7K views 47 replies 36 participants last post by  Cordillera Cowboy 
#1 ·
I'm talking automatically, and non consciously.

If my guy spooks in place, nothing. If he scoots forward or does that big leap as if to run, I notice two things. First, I sit up tall. Second, I do a small check with the reins if needed. But, I also find my right foot or calf clamping on his side! How about THAT for a (oops) mixed signal! I'm trying hard to overcome that. But its a funny thing for a reaction ...it just happens unbidden!

Oh well, its not as bad as this: One gal, when her horse spooked and ran, let go of the reins and hung on to the BACK of the saddle at the cantle!
 
#2 ·
It stays on. LOL! I had a bad wheel a few months ago when a bedded down deer jumped out 10 ft from my OTTB and I don't know what I did, exactly, but my right wrist hurt like hell for a few days. :) I kind of think that if the spook is unremarkable, usually I do nothing. It happens and we move on. Once I had a 3 inch bruise on my knee from the saddle when my horse spooked at a hand gallop at a squirrel in a tree. *eyeroll*
 
#3 ·
iI inhale and grit my teeth., then nothing.

If it's a big spook, like a lunger forward, I then clamp down with my legs, and lastly, if its a huge spinning type, I reach for the neck, 'cause that's that last thing I try to catch before I tumble off over teh shoudler. been there, done that.
 
#7 ·
Not going to lie, my first instinct is to say whoa and check the reins in I'm totally caught off guard.... probably harder then I should.

If I know it's coming I take a rein in each hand and make sure to keep my horse straight between my legs and encourage her forward.
 
#9 · (Edited)
Funny thing, even though I'm an english rider, when I am on the trail, I always like to hold my reins (usually close to the buckle) with my right hand, and the other hand has the buckle end. Its so much easier/faster to gather up the reins in a hurry if I need to.

I've been caught before with too much rein out when holding my reins singly. I hate having my hands in my gut trying to stop a horse running off and me leaning back!!

I think its easier, too, to transition to a one rein stop from holding both reins in one hand.
 
#12 ·
The more relaxed you are the less likely you are hit the floor.
I usually do give the horse a good sharp pull the moment I feel it going 'off track' - It gets over the message that I don't agree with spooking that amounts to more than a jump on the spot better than anything else does.
 
#13 ·
If it's a light spook just a small jump to the side or spin around I usually just sit there and collect the horse up.

A violent spook where the horse lands 10 feet over there and moving fast, I usually am hanging off the side by then ( what happened to my one rein stop?)and maybe checking out the ground for a nice soft spot. I try a nice "whoa horsey" and hope it works.
 
#14 ·
My legs usually clamp down but my upper body will get very loose.

Worst "spook" I've ever seen was in one of my lessons. A girl was riding a relatively green horse and she had only been on a horse a handful of times. Don't really know what my trainer was thinking with that combo. Anyway a big gust of wind whipped up a rag that was sitting on a fence nearby and the horse lost it. He spooked and jolted forward which scared her and she dug her heels into his side as a reflex. He surged as a result of being booted and then she ripped back on the reins but never took her heels out of his side! Poor thing had no clue what to do -- go forward but don't you dare take a step! He started to rear which only made her pull on him worse.
 
#15 ·
I think I grip with my inside leg. (The leg in the direction of the spook) That is the muscle memory reaction for me, conscious reaction depends on the setting.
 
#16 ·
Hmm... I'm curious as to what @gottatrot does? I think many of her rides include spooks :wink: :lol:

One thing I am good at is staying on (although I won't say that I can't fall off because we all know where that kind of thinking lands us). That ability only came after being dumped numerous times, lol. I don't remember all of my reflexive actions, although I do know I tend to just follow the horse.

One example would be my mare having a rearing fit out of nowhere going down the trail. First rear: lean forward and push reins forward. Second rear: lean forward, push reins forward. Third rear: started to lose my balance and vaulted off as she was coming down, keeping hold of the reins. All of this happened within the span of a few seconds and all was reflexive, there was no time to think.

I later found out that my mare had a random rearing fit because the saddle didn't fit her quite right and was restricting her shoulder movement. Couldn't find any saddle that did fit her right, so I decided to try out the ProTector pad and it solved the problem. Completely changed my horse's attitude and way of going under saddle, and she was/is no longer unpredictable.
 
#17 ·
Also, depending on the spook, I like to see if my horse can collect himself by himself. I don't necessarily check with the reins if its just a scoot forward. But there was a mighty big spook I could not sit. A big raven got inside the arena and emerged from the wood panelling (it was chasing baby birds inside) just as we passed. Not a hope of sitting that one when my horse jumped 8 feet over in the blink of an eye. Talk about your unscheduled dismount.

I'm so glad I've passed that stage where one does the fetal position though. Haha. I remember those days.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Spook in place: nothing. Usually don't even pick up the reins.
Jump to the side with idea of taking off: I tend to grab the rein on the 'inside' of the spook so my horse's head turns toward whatever it is
BIG jump to the side: I tend to fall off, unfortunately.
 
#19 ·
Step 1 is pucker factor LOL. It's amazing how helpful it is to turn that sphincter into a suction cup ROFL.


Seriously though, my first step is to get deep in the saddle and get my legs around the horse, meaning lightly gripped all the way to my heels. Back loosens up and, after years and years of practice and muscle memory, I take up the outside rein (opposite direction they spooked or spun so spook left I grab right rein) to hopefully keep them from getting out from under me, which happens very rarely but does happen.
 
#21 ·
I had to think about this. I haven't had to sit a good spook in a long time. My little guy never spooks, WB only does mini spooks.

He doesn't spook at objects, or he will have you ample warning and drifts away, so you just bend him and ride through it. Today I was walking him and he did his mini spook. Basically he just sticks his head up like a giraffe, scoots his bum under, and might take a couple quick steps.
He only does these at the walk. It appears my reaction is to just sit, maybe grab the front of the saddle/pick up the reins, but I've just about trained myself to do nothing. It's not like he's going to go anywhere or do anything beyond pick his head up and maybe trot a few steps before stopping.

I used to tip forwards, but that has been squashed.
 
#22 ·
I say "oopsie", which isn't a word I ever use and my mare isn't trained to it. The word doesn't even exist in my native language.
I get up into two point and release contact.

o_O

I have no idea where all of that came from. I don't even jump so two point isn't something I use every day.
 
#24 ·
Depends who I'm riding, but I always talk to the horses. One Selle Français gelding I ride can spook to just about anything, including his own shadow. He usually leaps to the side, takes couple steps or trots forward. I usually laugh it off and say things like "Oh for goodness sakes, Bello". We have fun. He stays with me 100% at all times.

My Arab mare needs a bit more support than that... If she is really feeling the wind under her tail she can do just about anything from 90 degree spins to a bolt. She needs to know that I'm there for her, with her all the time. I take a light contact if needed and release contact when she goes forward in a relaxed manner and doesn't try to run for it. With Talila things can escalate quickly if I don't react to her subtle signs of telling me she is worried. She only wants me to assure her that all is fine.

So my answer is: I gather myself from whatever position I'm thrown if the spook is violent or takes me by surprise and release any contact taken, I relax my body and talk to the horse. With the small ones nothing barely happens, I just move with the horse and laugh it off.
 
#25 ·
There are many different type of spooks, and for the true fear spook, just ride on like nothing happened. Usually, those catch you un aware anyway, so you are already sitting relaxed, able to go with the horse.
A spin or a bolt, an'extra action, after a spook, that is corrected.
Yes, first thing is to stay on, but then they horse is made to turn back in the direction he was going, , using outside leg. Ie if he spun to the left, he gets booted back to the right
That ingrained 'whoa;, should have a horse shut down an attempted bolt, before he gets anywhere past on or so forward leaps
You can never prevent the true fear spook, any horse as a prey species will react, where something suddenly pops out of the woods
You should though, with work, teach your horse to then not try to leave 'Dodge', and thus dampen that flight reaction, after that intical reactive spook
 
#26 ·
If it just a simple crow hop, I'm usually laughing which our mare has learned means "you screwed up!" If it's a true spook and jump sideways, I try to relax my hips and do a one rein or pulley rein stop. If she bolts, normally, I quit riding her and giving her a head down cue (on the withers), she slows and will engage her brains. Then there are those wild, untamed mustang spooks where I do a ground check and can verify that ground has gotten a lot harder over the decades!


Hubby's gelding seem to be virtually spook-proof, and has only spooked once in the 6 years we've had him.......at his own shadow! (Note to self, change horses with hubby!)
 
#27 · (Edited)
Great replies! Ha, yesterday had the opportunity to pay attention as to my automatic responses. My guy decided something was terribly frightful in the woods beyond the (1/3 mile circular) track. He spun left, which put my outside leg* on his side, and he danced around and became pretty wild (for him). I gathered up my reins as his head was now giraffe -like and he was snorting to beat the band. I just knew from his demeanor my choices were to dismount, try to move through it, or back off and do the track in the opposite direction.

I decided to retreat but kept gently checking him so he didn't run off. As we approached the scary part from the other direction he was spooky but stayed forward. This is a track he's done hundreds of times but there was roofing construction and air guns from beyond. I certainly hope I haven't taught him that reversing is okay because I've only allowed him this circumstance once!
 
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