In previous articles I’ve written of “approach and retreat”.  This method has been around for years and years.  I didn’t invent it for sure!  Now I’d like to elaborate on that in this article.  Why do I use this method and how does it help the horse with learning new things.  

I’ve established in previous articles that horses are prey animals.  That they have 1,000s of years of instincts telling them to “get out of dodge” when something they are worried about enters their comfort zone.  I’ve talked about how to introduce things to horses using approach and retreat.  Now I’ll talk more about WHY.   

Because horses are cowards by nature, when you thrust something scary in their face or force them towards this scary thing, they can actually become even MORE afraid!  I want you to understand that when a horse is afraid, he truly believes he’s going to die.  His instincts tell him so.  Even that leaf blowing in the wind or that mailbox he’s passed 100 times before now could be his demise.  He truly believes this.  It is his nature and we will never take that out of him.  Some horses are more sensitive than others.  A horse’s innate characteristic drives just how explosive his reaction to a scary thing can be.  It could be as slight as just a quick tightness in the body that leaves him as soon as it comes. Or it could be an all out, run for you life, bucking, bolting, blind get me out of here reaction.  I’ve also talked about thresholds.  What they are, how to recognize them and how to help a horse through it.   

So my thoughts on this are why would we fight a 1,000 pound animal into doing something when we can “talk them into it” without a fight.  We can encourage them and bring out their curiosity leading to confidence in new things.   How would we do that?  By using APPROACH AND RETREAT.  

I’m going to use a case example to continue with this article.  Perhaps you can make a mental picture as you read it that will help you understand the process and what I was thinking about while working with this horse.   

A horse came to me who needed to learn how to carry a flag for an event.  The horse was quite sensitive.  So the first thing I did was establish that I can move his feet.  “I drive the bus”.  In the round pen, I proved to him that I could move him in a direction I chose at the gait I chose.  He could change directions only on my request.  If he tried to do it any other time, I blocked him.  When he started looking for me and wondering what I was all about.  Then I allowed him to come in and hook on to me.  I haltered him, moved him on a rib bend forward, backwards, left and right.  All this time, proving to him that I am his leader because I’m moving and directing those feet.  Just like the leader in the herd would do.  (For more on this, see the article on Leadership).  Then I got in the saddle and applied what I did on the ground in the saddle at walk and trot.  Rib bends, yielding the hind end, front end and backing up.  Once I had control of his feet and felt that he was tuned into me, both on the ground and in the saddle, I got down.  I brought out a flag on a stick.  Right away he was worried about it.  Instead of going to him with the flag, I turned away from him and let him follow me as I carried the flag AWAY from him in RETREAT.  When he closed the gap of space between us, letting me know his curiosity of this flag had come, then  I turned and faced him, as I continued to back AWAY from him.  But I APPROACHED him with the step of turning to face him with it, but continued to BACK AWAY in RETREAT.  I allowed 10 feet of rope between my hand and his halter.  I continued to back up as he closed the gap of space between us as his curiosity of the flag made him confident enough and before long he had touched the flag with his nose.  Paying attention to his thresholds, I moved the flag along his jaw, to his neck down his back and all over his body eventually.  As I came to a threshold, I would retreat to where he accepted the flag on his body.  Example:  When I got to his neck he was fine, when I went to let the flag touch the saddle, he raised his head, I immediately RETREATED the flag back to his neck, where he had accepted it.  Then I APPROACHED the saddle again, inch by inch with the flag, until he accepted the flag on his saddle.  Going to the threshold by approaching, and retreating the flag back to where he was comfortable if he got worried.  Little by little raising his curiosity and confidence grew.  He didn’t get spooked off or over react to this because my Approach and Retreat method wasn’t over pressuring him or making him do something he wasn’t ready for.  By the end of the session, he accepted the flag all over his body touching him everywhere.  He could have it above his head waving all around his body.  He could carry  the flag on the saddle in walk around me.  He was confident and accepting.  Then I took it to the saddle with me on him carrying it.   

So now you ask me….”That’s all great Terri, but what about if I’m on the trail and a bike comes along?”   Good question!   Ok, well, first thing…TURN AND FACE THE SCARY THING.  If it’s behind you, turn your horse to face it.  As it comes towards you, allow your horse to back up if needed and then let his face and body follow the bike.  As the bike passes….FOLLOW IT!   If you are trotting along and your horse spooks to the side or side steps something like a rock or something, continue your focus AHEAD.  Allow the horse to sidestep if he has to as long as he is going forward.  Don’t make an issue out of it.  If you feel him tighten up or get tense, get into some rib bends.  Make SURE you are BREATHING!  Lift up one rein and talk to those feet.  Let the horse know that you have control of his feet, therefore his mind.  As he softens, continue on your ride and enjoy it.  Be aware of your surroundings but don’t LOOK for things to worry about.  If you do this, your horse will too.  One of you has to be grounded mentally, emotionally and physically whenever you are in a situation that requires some control.  If you can’t manage it, just get off your horse, move him around on the ground as stated above.  When he gets soft and tuned into you.  Remount and continue your ride.  But make sure you are confident before doing so.  There is no shame in dismounting to stay safe and protect your confidence!  Even if you walk him all the way home and remount in an enclosed area where you are confident.   

By using approach and retreat along with proving to your horse that you can move his feet and keep him safe, you can help your horse do anything.  They will be willing and confident if you don’t force them.  Instead talk them into it with this method.  As humans we can be in such a rush to accomplish things that we don’t take the horse into consideration sometimes.  We can over cook them in our expectations.  By taking just  a little more time and doing things in the smallest steps possible, you’ll be amazed at just how much more willing a horse will be.   

Remember too, that horses will always spook at some point.  It is in their nature to protect themselves.  There is never a guarantee with horses.  But by using the above suggestions we’ll have a better chance at having the horse “check in” with us as their leaders before making an animal based decision to protect themselves.

Have fun with this idea.  Take your time, preserve your confidence and that of your horse's. See how much more confident and comfortable your horse will become when introducing new things to him.