A spooky horse is often in their own world. They’re preoccupied with their surroundings, rather than listening to their handler or rider. It can make training sessions difficult when you don’t have your horse’s full attention. Furthermore, it makes some people nervous when their horse is spooky or anxious. There are a few techniques you can try to handle this situation though!

Warwick Schiller offers his advice on how to redirect the attention of a spooky horse. This lifelong equestrian moved from Australia to the United States to pursue his dream of horse training. His philosophies are based on the horse’s nature behavior. Most agree that he’s an excellent natural horsemanship trainer! He’s also a skilled and talented reining professional with numerous wins.

In his video, Warwick mentions the horse is concerned about something on the other side of the fence. He describes how to handle this by turning the horse away from the scary object or situation. As you’re turning your horse in the opposite direction, wait for their inside ear to flick toward you. You can than release the turn and walk away. Next, you’ll bring the horse back to the spooky object for another try. As the horse relaxes, you can halt and back or do a half-halt instead of turning. They’ll become considerably more relaxed each time!

Learn more about this technique in his video below!

Interested in learning more about effective riding? Check out ‘Crafty COWGIRL: Better Horsemanship in 10 Easy Steps‘.