Desensitizing With A Purpose

As a prey animal, horses are hard wired to react quickly and flee danger - it is what has kept them alive for thousands of years. The issue is that it makes them dangerous for us delicate humans to ride and be around. 

This is where desensitizing comes in. 

“Desensitizing” exercises teach your horse how to think, process, and relax when faced with danger/pressure/fear instead of going straight into reactive mode. Until we show them, many horses do not realize that they can actually think through fearful situations - because it is unnatural! Every instinct and fiber of their being is telling them “Holy crap, run, explode, get away, it’s your last hope, your going to die RIGHT NOW!”. Through desensitization, you are basically showing the horse how to override that overwhelming flight instinct and then rewarding him for it - which eventually results in him thinking more and freaking out a lot less. 

Desensitizing is especially important for nervous, fearful, hot, reactive type horses - it can absolutely transform them into relaxed and safe citizens. Understanding your horse’s natural temperament is key to determining how much desensitizing you need to include in your training program to get the best results for each individual.