Move past it

However bold your pony is, there’s bound to be the odd object that frightens him. Whether it’s a parked car, traffic cone or plastic bag stuck in a hedge, here’s how to help him get past scary things with confidence.

Predicting the future

The first step to handling spooks confidently is being aware of the things that might worry your pony. Think about what you’ve noticed him spook at before and how he reacted. If you can predict a spook before it happens, you’ll be more likely to avoid it!

Top tip

Wear at least one piece of high-vis on you and your pony when you hack out, ideally in different colours to make you stand out!

Top tip

Wearing a body protector can give you a bit of extra confidence if your pony spooking makes you nervous.

On and back

Spend some time riding in the arena and fields at your yard making sure your pony listens to your aids, especially your legs. Spooky ponies tend to be behind the leg, so practise asking him to respond quickly and focus on what you’re asking him to do.

Did you know? 

If your pony suddenly becomes really spooky, it’s a good idea to get your vet and physio to check him over to make sure he’s not in pain.

Head on

Some riders like to get their ponies to walk up to a scary thing so they can look at it. This can be helpful if he’s just a little unsure, but consider where you are and whether it’s safe or sensible to try it. If it’s safe to do so, you can ride past and around the scary object, gradually getting closer until he feels comfortable being near it. You can then incorporate a halt near the object so he can get a better look at it when you’re both ready. This method can be really helpful if your pony spooks at fillers or dressage boards, because you’ll eventually need him to feel confident around them long-term – this is a process called desensitisation.

Top tip

Put a neckstrap on your pony to give you extra balance in case he does spook.

Ride through it

We have the perfect routine for you to try when you need to ride past something that could scare your pony. Here’s how to give it a go…

1. As you ride towards the scary object, bend your pony away from it, wrapping him around your leg and diverting his attention.
2. Use your legs and voice to encourage him to keep moving forwards as you bend him. Talking or singing to him will help keep him calm, too.
3. You can scratch his wither with a finger, and tell him he’s doing a good job to help boost his confidence.
4. Straighten him up once you’re past and ride away positively – remember he might be unsure about having the scary thing behind him, too. 

Stressed out

If your pony becomes stressed to the point of spinning around or trying to run away, carefully and calmly remove him from the situation and do something else to help him relax and settle before you worry about getting him near the scary object again. While you want to build his confidence by showing him new things, overwhelming him will teach him that trying something new is a bad experience and will upset him.