Question: I’m wondering if you could go into more detail on how I can get my horse to be more consistently confident with a new environment. My mare is a three-year-old Right/Left-Brain Introvert and is pretty confident in most situations, but will sometimes lose confidence when her environment has changed and there aren’t other horses around. I guess what I’m wondering is why does she lose confidence sometimes and other times she hasn’t a care in the world? I want to be able to take her out riding by herself but I want to be prepared in case she loses her confidence. I do quite a bit of Zone 5 driving with her hoping it will increase her confidence. ~ Sue L.
Answer: You’re very close! What you need to do is get on to longer lines – like a 45-foot Line – and then use more speed as your horse gets more confident. The faster a horse’s feet move, the more likely they are to visit the right-brain side of things.
Longer lines give the horse a feeling like they are by themselves, so it helps them become calmer, braver, more confident, but you still have the security of some contact. It won’t happen in the first session of course, but think about it being a program for the next seven days and the results will be most pleasing. After that, continue playing with this two to three times per week for a few months and you’ll be well on the way to building confidence as a new program.
Remember, at any time your horse loses confidence and you don’t know how to prevent it/regain it quickly while riding, you should get off and do what you know on the ground. You might even think of doing some trail “rides” on the ground with her, not riding at all. That’s great preparation with relatively low risk.
Check out the March 2009 Savvy Club DVD. In it, I tell Elizabeth to put her arm over her horse and head out. That way you can feel when your horse gets tense, do the right thing, and all the while be rehearsing for the future.
Yours Naturally,
Linda
