Fight or Flight

It is not uncommon for a trainer to say that the horse is a flight animal. That is a simple enough concept but how do we deal with this instinct?

Most horses use flight as their primary defense mechanism. Fight is usually their secondary instinct for survival. When faced with danger or perceived danger a horse will instantly run away. There is no thought process that triggers this. In fact there is no thought process at all when in flight mode. A horse will essentially run blind with no regard for personal safety as long as he can escape and survive.

When we train our horses we can use this to help the horse learn. By giving the horse the option to move his feet, he can think about what we are asking him. The key is not to make them stand still — it is to control where they go as deliberately as possible. The slower a horse is moving the more capable he is of processing information.

When he can move his feet he knows that he can utilize his flight instinct if he feels too threatened. As long as the option is available he can deal with the stress he is faced with unless it becomes overwhelming.

If he cannot move his feet when stressed he will feel he has no other option but to fight. This secondary survival reaction varies from kicking, biting, striking, and pulling back to bucking, bolting, freezing up, or throwing themselves down. Essentially they will do whatever it takes to stay alive. They feel cornered and these secondary instincts can be very sincere in their delivery.