Many prey animals live in herds. It is one of the most effective ways to protect individuals from predators. There is safety in numbers, both in running from the hunter as well as in detecting the fact that the hunter is there. For centuries horses have refined their "radar." If one member of the herd sees, smells or hears the approach of danger, he reacts instantly with fear, followed by flight. Every member of the herd is immediately aware of the fear and joins in the flight from danger. The entire herd is now running with the same sense of urgency, the same fear, as the horse that first detected the danger. The only difference is the rest of the herd has no idea what it is they are running from. Over the course of millennia, any horse that stopped to question the existence of danger detected by another member of the herd was most likely eaten by the predator and therefore did not survive to procreate. Any genetic predisposition to stop and question did not survive in the species, and as a result, "spooking" is as natural a part of being a horse as four legs and a whinny.

Often, a rider becomes fearful. Many different things can cause this fear, from the horse himself to obstacles on a trail to nerves at a horse show. Only the most confident and self-assured of horses are immune to responding to the fearful impulses transmitted, often totally subconsciously, by his rider. In this subtle and totally unintended way, a rider tells his horse there is something to be afraid of. There is a boogieman out there. As the horse reacts with nervousness and spookiness, the rider’s worst fears are realized and the situation spirals out of control. On the other hand, a horse that is a bit insecure will feel the confidence transmitted by the other member of the herd, the rider, and will often cross the obstacle or get past the scary spot without the panic fostered and fed by a fearful rider.

Horses exist with each other by a very definite set of social rules. A herd is a society based on a "pecking order." Establishing dominance is a serious game played by horses from birth. However, it is counter productive for a herd to self-destruct, so the establishment of dominance between individuals is as often based on bluff and threat as actual blows. The same radar horses use to detect fear of predators between themselves is also used to detect fear of one another. A horse that senses an upper hand with a particular individual will most likely take advantage of it. A horse that feels as though his opponent might strike back is just as likely to back away from a fight. Occasionally two equally determined horses will have a confrontation that ends in violence, but more often the one that looks and acts the toughest will prevail.

To a rider, understanding this radar is of vital importance. We socialize with horses, and therefore, according to their out look on life, we, too, are members of the herd. If a rider reacts to anything with fear, that fear is instantly relayed to the horse, which deals with it accordingly. A horse that has not completely accepted the dominant role of human beings in the herd may choose to read fear in a rider as an opportunity to make his move. As the horse begins to challenge his rider by resisting his cues or out right fighting the commands, he is also attuned to the rider’s reaction to the "bluff." If the rider becomes insecure or freighted, the horse will take that as a sign that victory is possible, and will pursue the fight with greater intensity. If, however, the rider reacts with confidence and control, the horse is usually quickly subdued. Winning is the goal for the horse. It also needs to be the goal of the rider. Too often, a rider will make excuses for his horse, providing humanistic motives for equine behavior. As the rider backs off, indulges his horse’s whims, expecting the horse to appreciate his kindness and patience and reward the rider in kind, the horse is feeling an advantage over this particular "member of the herd" and takes full advantage. Once the clear cut relationship that must exist between horse and rider gets cloudy and who is the boss is no longer obvious, the conflict will continue until dominance is once more indisputably established. If the horse wins, the rider is in trouble.

Fear is possibly the most difficult emotion to control. Anyone who rides horses has probably been confronted with fear at some time; fear of the horse, fear of a bad spot on a trail, fear of the horse’s reaction to a frightening event. Controlling that fear is fundamental in a successful horse-human relationship.

Fear must be managed at its source. One important source of fear among riders is a human being’s ability to foster a catastrophic imagination. We can see in our mind’s eye just about everything and anything that could possibly go wrong in any situation. As we react to our own imagination, the horse begins to look for a very real threat. There is a difference between a healthy respect for the dangers inherent in riding, and an irrational fear of all the possibilities.

Fear is often an expression of self-doubt. The less a rider believes he can manage the horse or the situation, the more his fear develops. As a result, the horse either takes advantage of the rider’s laps in dominant behavior, or becomes fearful of the situation himself. As the rider deals with the horse that is either obstinate or spooky, his fear is quickly justified. The next time this rider finds himself in a similar situation, his fear will return as experience has shown him what to expect. This repetitive cycle can only be broken by an earnest effort to not let the fear control the rider. Truly a mind over matter effort is called for. The rider must make a conscience effort to send signals of confidence to his horse, even if the rider feels somewhat less than confident. Much like easing the mind of a frightened child on a stormy night, the rider must take command of the emotions he feels to control the instinctive behavior of his horse.

Confidence is the key to controlling fear, and experience is the best confidence builder.