Following a combine to help a horse give away its fear 22 Oct 2022

Horses are prey animals so by Nature they are afraid that a predator is going to eat them. But, as you have likely noticed, horses misidentify many things as "potential predatory threats" which are not predatory threats at all. So one way to help them "give away their fear" of something they have misidentified as a "potential predatory threat" is to have them follow/chase that "scary thing." Obviously the following/chasing may start out quite far back but as they keep following/chasing they themselves most generally start closing the distance as they start noticing the "previously scary thing" is not trying to eat them but is moving away from them. You do NOT try to force them to get close - you follow from what they feel is a safe distance to follow from until they decide a closer distance is safe. Obviously YOU decide to not let them get too close to something that it would be dangerous to be close to - because their curiosity may lead them too close eventually.

In this video I am riding Hank the Missouri Fox Trotter - who is in training to be a ride/drive horse. Hank spent his whole life where he could see NO road traffic at all - so at 9 years old he has a LOT of fear of traffic to overcome and this is one way we are working on that.

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

Remember to read, study, and ponder upon God's word each day and also pray each day to find out what God needs you to do today and then do it. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
Certified Farrier - Colt Starting Trainer https://griffes.tripod.com/farrier.html
Freedom is the cure - Learn, Love, Live the Principles of Liberty https://griffes.tripod.com/Learn-Founding-Principles.html