HORSIN' AROUND WITH VAN HARGIS
"Head Shyness"

Today we'll cover the basics of spookiness and head shyness. Head shyness is pretty common with horses, but we need to consider what causes this problem. Maybe someone has whacked the horse on the head at some point, which wasn't fair to the horse. The horse may also have an ailment like an ear tick or ear mite -- something that is physically bothering him.

Knowing that a horse is head shy, you'll want to start out by making contact in an area the horse is comfortable with. Start by stroking her mane halfway down her neck. If she's comfortable with that, continue to stroke her mane, moving your hand up toward her head a little bit at a time until you can touch it. When you reach a point where she's showing discomfort, stop where you are and just let your hand rest where it is for a moment.

It's okay for the horse to show discomfort. This is how she learns to trust you, having respect for you and understanding that you're not going to hurt her. Horses show discomfort by bowing their head or pulling away. When you see this, try to leave your hand gently in place on her head for a second. If she pulls away, move back to stroking her mane at a place where she's comfortable, and again begin to work your way up toward her head. Every time she refuses, go back to the comfortable place and start again, each time leaving your hand in place for just a moment when she begins to show discomfort.

Gradually increase how often you lay your hand her comfort threshold, and decrease how often you stroke her mane. The idea here is to get the horse used to being touched, and to teach her that you won't hurt her. You do this by the same process of "pressure and release" we use in all aspects of training. Place the hand gently between the horse's ears, then take it away. Pressure, then release. The reward for accepting the pressure is knowing it is followed by release -- removing the hand. Keep touching and releasing. Touching and releasing. Every time, the horse is learning that she can trust you a little bit more.

Gradually, you'll be able to place your hand on the horse's head and remove it without the horse pulling away. This process takes patience, but it is well worth it in helping a horse overcome head shyness. When you have a horse who is head shy, first determine if the problem is psychological by following this technique.

If the horse will not respond, it's time to call a vet and see if there's another problem like ear mites or ticks.