By the EIE Editorial Staff
We all know that horses are primarily flight animals. This means their first instinct when faced with a threat is to run away.
Their evolutionary history as prey animals on the open plains ingrained this response. They rely on their speed and agility to escape predators.
However, horses also have a fight response as a secondary option. If they're cornered or can't escape, they may resort to fighting back with kicks, bites, or rearing to defend themselves.
For that reason, when they hear, see or feel something where they believe they are unsafe, they will spook!
Here are some of the most popular (or unpopular) spook triggers in horses.
1. Flags and Bags. Yes, the blowing flag and the dreaded plastic bag tie for our number one spot on this list. We’ve all been riding and seen a random plastic bag blow across our path. We brace ourselves knowing that our horse will leap up, or sideways – thinking that his leg will be entrapped with no way out. This is such a common issue that even when NOT riding we think of spooking horse episodes when seeing a blowing flag or bag. Yes, perhaps we have PBPTSD (Plastic Bag PTSD).
2. Balloons. We love a nice celebration but celebrations which involve balloons, especially ones that are blowing or get released into the air, can be mind blowing for a horse. Beware!
3. Barking or chasing dogs. You are trail riding minding your own business when an unleashed dog who has never seen a horse runs up on you. The frantic owner tries calling and gets irritated at you when you suggest the dog should perhaps be on a leash and they should get a refund on obedience classes, lest the dog gets kicked or the horse bolts. Yes, it's always the rider's fault. Sigh.
4. Motorcycles. This is pretty self explanatory. A few unknowing bikers didn’t realize the impact this has on horses when several of them showed up at a horseshow wanting to watch. The loud sound is just too much for them. Chaos ensued and horses scattered but fortunately no one got hurt as they we kindly asked to quietly roll their bikes off the grounds.
5. Wildlife. Trail riding can bring many surprises like the time we were quietly walking down a path and a 12-point buck launched himself from behind a bush across our path. Fortunately, the horse was a veteran, stopped in shock but carried on after the deer disappeared.
6. Spray bottles. We bought a young horse that was clearly not handled much and the first time we tried to fly spray her she spun around the stall. So, we worked with her gradually little by little by wiping the spray on her and slowly introducing her to the spraying process. Interestingly, a couple of our horses never got accustomed to the Equispot process and spook away from the dripping on their topline. Perhaps they associate it with flies landing on them.
7. Unexpected touch. While trying out a horse once, a friend joined us. While riding while the friend was walking on the left-hand side, the horse suddenly jumped to the right. Since I didn’t give her a cue, I asked, “Did you touch her?” He said he did. UGH! Don’t touch a horse while someone is riding without them knowing! No wonder why she spooked.
8. Water. Some horses love to jump in a pond, stream or river. If they start pawing, be careful. They may just roll around and you'll get an unplanned bath! Others never want to be a “mudder” and are insecure about the smallest of puddles because they don’t feel safe about where to put their feet. With exposure to water features, this can be overcome and enjoyable to the horse.
9. Cars. Riding alongside a road can be harrowing when drivers don’t slow down and give you and your horse space. It is scary for both you and your horse – and can be extremely dangerous. We always encourage riders to ride during the day and wear a helmet. Many also choose to wear reflective gear.
10. Shadows. Horses rely heavily on vision, but their sight works differently from ours. They have excellent peripheral vision but poorer depth perception. A shadow on the ground can be a confusing change in the landscape for a horse. Their monocular vision (focusing on one eye at a time) might make a shadow appear to jump or change shape as they shift their gaze. One of the most famous shadow spooking incidents is when racehorse Dayjur jumped a shadow at the finish of the 1990 Breeders’ Cup Sprint which caused him to lose ground – and the race!
What triggers your horse? Let us know!
You can find more interesting stories in our section on Recreation & Lifestyle.
