Every rider knows the feeling – one moment your ride is going great, and the next, you’re startled (even thrown off balance) by an unexpected spook. Whether it seemed to come out of nowhere or was caused by a gust of wind or a squirrel darting across the path, your confidence can be shaken by your horse’s spooky behaviour.
No horse is completely “bomb-proof” because they are hardwired to watch for and run away from danger. The key to moving past these unsettling moments lies in your ability to recover quickly – physically and emotionally – and continue your ride calmly and confidently. Here are some practical strategies to help you regain your seat and mental composure after a spook.
Understand the Spook
Spooking is a natural fear response for horses and part of their survival instincts. Being in an unfamiliar environment, sudden noises, movements or unfamiliar objects can all trigger spooky behaviour. Pain and stress also increase the risk of spooking and the intensity of the reaction.
Your reaction to your horse’s spook is also an innate survival instinct. Involuntary responses like holding your breath, bracing, tensing muscles, gripping legs and tipping forward happen automatically unless you train your mind and body to quickly override them.
The same response happens to you as to your horse when danger is perceived. The fight/flight response is automatically triggered, and the hormone adrenalin enters the bloodstream, causing heart and respiration rates to increase. Blood is redirected to the lungs and muscles from other areas, leaving you feeling tense, shaky and queasy.
That’s why the moment your horse spooks, your body becomes stiff, your legs grip, you pull back on the reins and become unbalanced. Unfortunately, this response does nothing to help you or your horse and even puts you in a more dangerous position, as it puts you at risk of a fall and adds to your horse’s stress and fear.
Override the Automatic Responses
Practising what to do when a spook happens is key to maintaining your seat and quickly regaining your mental composure. Eventually, these responses will become second nature.
1. Practice solid basics. It’s easier to maintain your seat in a scary situation or quickly return to it in moments of imbalance when you have a solid position. In all gaits, maintain a balanced position with a straight line from ear, shoulder, hip and ankle. Lower legs in contact with your horse’s barrel. Carry your hands over the horse’s shoulders with a straight line from bit to elbow without tension in your arms.
To recover from a spook and move on, sit deep the saddle, lengthen your leg, lift and open your chest, lower your hands and move your elbows slightly forward. Look ahead, not down. (Petra/Pixabay)
If you are thrown off balance during a spook, quickly lengthen your leg dropping your feet toward the ground as you deepen your seat by dropping your seatbones into the saddle, lift and open your chest, and look up to the horizon over your horse’s ears. Drop your hands down to your horse’s shoulders and move your elbows slightly forward instead of pulling backward and tightening the reins.
2. Exhale and open your vision. Two simple activities move you from the sympathetic (fear) to the parasympathetic (calm) nervous system. Breathe so that your exhale is longer than your inhale. Repeat several times. At the same time, look out to the horizon and soften your gaze so that you activate your peripheral vision.
3. Riding strategies on how to handle a spook. Practice riding your horse in a balanced circle when he gets strong or a bit out of control. Rather than pulling back to try to stop his movement, ride forward in the direction the horse is already going and turn him onto a balanced circle to bring him back into control. Using this technique when your horse spooks allows him to move away from the perceived danger and you can maintain a sense of control. You will both quickly regain your balance and composure.
After A Spook
Depending on the intensity of the situation, it can take 20 to 30 minutes (or longer) for adrenalin to leave the body. So, it’s good practice to:
- Do something simple in a place where you and your horse feel comfortable until you both feel more settled.
- Help return your respiration and heart rate to normal with deep, calm breaths.
- Hum to stimulate the vagus nerve, which is part of the parasympathetic nervous system.
- Repeat a short mantra like, “We’re okay now.”
- Do some stretches (for you and your horse) to release muscle tension.
Riding through spooks can build confidence when you focus on what you did well and celebrate that you handled it.
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(This article originally appeared in the 2025 Canadian Horse Annual – buy your copy here.)
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