Who is the Spookiest of Them All?
April Clay, Psychologist
Your horse’s nervous system is wired for survival, not reasoning. As prey animals, their instinct is to react first and think later. When something unexpected appears — a rustling bag, a sudden sound, a shadow, the horse’s amygdala (fear center) fires rapidly, triggering a fight-flight-freeze response before the thinking part of the brain catches up.
And for you, When something unexpected happens like your horse stumbles, flicks an ear toward a sound, or you just remember a past fall -your brain’s alarm system (the amygdala) fires and propels your body goes into protection mode by doing annoying things like: speeding up your heart rate, increasing muscle tension and raising your self-talk to a loud and frantic level: “What if I fall off? What if he bolts?”
Your normal behavior in the saddle most likely changes as well, you may over-ride, freeze, tip forward, hang on with your legs and hands tightly. You may mentally check out while you attend to your own personal horror story in your head. It becomes a nasty feedback loop: your body says “danger,” your horse says “where??’ The two of you together can mean for a sensitive and over reacting team if you’re not careful.
Rather than argue about who started it (YOU looked at that garbage can first!), be the leader and take steps to de-spook your mind, which will ultimately be reassuring for the whole team.
The Takeaway: Both horses and riders spook. You can get caught in a loop when you are both anxious- sending and receiving messages of threat. It’s not that one of you are spookier than the other, you are just both wired with an autonomic nervous system built for survival. You can train yourself to cope better with these moments, thereby soothing both your nervous systems, and get back to a team that is enjoying their connection.
Want to get tougher? Try the Resilient Rider Online Course today! Go to www.bodymindskills.com for more information
© April Clay, 2025
April Clay, Psychologist
Your horse’s nervous system is wired for survival, not reasoning. As prey animals, their instinct is to react first and think later. When something unexpected appears — a rustling bag, a sudden sound, a shadow, the horse’s amygdala (fear center) fires rapidly, triggering a fight-flight-freeze response before the thinking part of the brain catches up.
And for you, When something unexpected happens like your horse stumbles, flicks an ear toward a sound, or you just remember a past fall -your brain’s alarm system (the amygdala) fires and propels your body goes into protection mode by doing annoying things like: speeding up your heart rate, increasing muscle tension and raising your self-talk to a loud and frantic level: “What if I fall off? What if he bolts?”
Your normal behavior in the saddle most likely changes as well, you may over-ride, freeze, tip forward, hang on with your legs and hands tightly. You may mentally check out while you attend to your own personal horror story in your head. It becomes a nasty feedback loop: your body says “danger,” your horse says “where??’ The two of you together can mean for a sensitive and over reacting team if you’re not careful.
Rather than argue about who started it (YOU looked at that garbage can first!), be the leader and take steps to de-spook your mind, which will ultimately be reassuring for the whole team.
- Notice and name it. (“My mind just spooked.”) That simple act brings the thinking brain back online.
- Breathe down. Lengthen your exhale; it signals safety to your nervous system.
- Anchor to the present. Feel your seat bones, the reins in your hands, your horse’s breath.
- Micro-move. Roll your shoulders, hum, or pat your horse — movement interrupts the freeze.
- Reset your direction. Replace “What if something goes wrong?” with your original focus before it got interrupted: “Now back to our regular scheduled programming, the 20-meter circle”.
The Takeaway: Both horses and riders spook. You can get caught in a loop when you are both anxious- sending and receiving messages of threat. It’s not that one of you are spookier than the other, you are just both wired with an autonomic nervous system built for survival. You can train yourself to cope better with these moments, thereby soothing both your nervous systems, and get back to a team that is enjoying their connection.
Want to get tougher? Try the Resilient Rider Online Course today! Go to www.bodymindskills.com for more information
© April Clay, 2025