by T.J. Wolfe

Created on: April 21, 2009   Last Updated: June 25, 2009

Riding a horse has different meanings to each of us. For some of us, it's a wonder and joy. Others may find riding boring and too predictable. For others, riding is stressful and fearful.

These same emotions go through a horse. A spooky horse may just be showing his joy at the ride. A bored horse may find spooking an interesting way to pass the time. The fearful horse that spooks is usually responding to prior training. And, other horses spook due to breeding.

There are two steps to bomb proofing a spooky horse.
1. You need to understand and identify the general reasons why a horse spooks.
2. You need to identify and implement the most common tools for the situation.

Here is some basic information to help you identify why your horse is spooking, determine if you can overcome the situation, and common tools you can use to overcome the sudden bolt across the arena or through the woods. Hopefully, you will also realize that not all horses can be bomb proofed. Sometimes, you need to walk away.

The number one complaint you'll hear from professional trainers who deal with a spooking horse is the horse isn't being ridden. Of course, the owner will be confused and wonder what the trainer means. They take the horse out four days a week and hack him around the arena for forty-five minutes.

To help you understand, think about going out for the track team. The coach takes you out the first day and has you do laps around the track. After three miles, you're huffing and puffing and wondering if you'll cross the finish line. Yet, every day for the next month, you jog those three miles.

The second month, you're in much better shape and can complete those three miles with no effort. In fact, you've found your rhythm. If you jog at your rhythm, you could jog forever. You never push yourself to do better. You only have to jog three miles. You probably end your jog with barely a glisten of sweat. Maybe you can even listen to the latest stock report and figure out your next investment strategy.

Of course, you're bored. You're doing the same thing over and over again. The pace has become is so routine you can multi-task three or four things while jogging.

This is what a professional trainer means when they say the horse isn't ridden. Sure, you jump on his back every other day. Yet, the horse knows the routine and they are bored. The propensity for boredom is exponential for arena riders. You may think those four walls ensure concentration. The horse thinks those four walls are the tomb of

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