Hello ,
Abi here, I’ve got a confession… all this talk about helping horses 'face their fears' and, really, I’m a bit of a hypocrite! Fine, I’ll admit it — I’m absolutely terrified of spiders and unfortunately, it's officially spider season!
But it got me thinking… maybe this year I should try to tackle my terror — Intelligent Horsemanship style.
In fact, maybe you’d like to join me? If I can face my fear of spiders, maybe you can set yourself the challenge of helping your horse face one of theirs this autumn. Shall we say Halloween as a deadline?
Step One: Remember to Breathe
Anyone who’s been on an IH course or to a demo will know all about this. Slowing your pace and taking proper breaths lowers your heart rate, clears your mind, and grounds you — and your horse — ready to take on anything. Have you seen this short clip of Monty from the Control of Emotions series, where he talks about the importance of diaphragmatic breathing when working with horses? It’s a great reminder. Don't forget the full video is in the Members Area.
Step Two: Face that Fear
Now, while I doubt your horse is scared of spiders, they might be worried about fireworks, cows, tractors, clippers, plastic bags, show-jumping poles, loading and so on… You’ll find videos on all of these and more on our website — click here to find video's pre-filtered for phobias.
Here’s a video of the gorgeous Jack doing some head-lowering exercises to help with a fear of fireworks (sound up to hear the fireworks!). It’s a really useful exercise this time of year!
But… do you know why head-lowering works so well for calming horses? It isn’t just an old wives’ tale — it’s backed by science. Horses have a built-in mechanism that lowers their heart rate when their head is down. It’s nature’s way of stopping them from getting light-headed while they graze.
In training, this same mechanism can be used to almost “trick” the brain into relaxing — very handy indeed when used well.
Step Three: Where The Real Science Comes In
If you find that interesting, you’ll love what’s covered on the Online Horse Psychology Course. I know, I know — I sound like a broken record, but honestly, the best way to really understand why these techniques work is to learn the science and theory behind them, as well as seeing them in action.
That underlying knowledge means you’re not just learning how to tackle a single tricky situation (like fireworks night or clipping), but building a foundation you can use with any horse in almost any scenario.
So perhaps the ultimate challenge this autumn is not just to face a fear, but to dive into this course — and come out the other side understanding your horse better than ever.
Just a thought…
— Abi Pass MSc RAMP & The Intelligent Horsemanship Team
