Not long ago, I toured a Western art museum and found myself absorbed in the works of Russell and Remington. Their paintings, alive with movement, depicted the unforgiving life of the cowboy — scenes filled with dust, tension, and the raw energy of untamed horses. These animals, used for transport and survival, stood in stark contrast to the roles horses now occupy in our world — companions in leisure, competitors in sport, and trusted partners in training. But one detail in every piece caught my attention and left me uneasy: riders with rigid hands pulling back, and horses resisting, mouths wide in distress.

In another of my horse training articles, I discussed how tension impacts not only the horse’s well-being but also the overall training experience. In this article, I’d like to share a few strategies aimed at encouraging relaxation when a horse becomes overwhelmed.

Those who ride and care for horses know that an injured equine is an inevitable event, even if the horses in their care live in a padded stalls wrapped in protective gear. While some horses seem remain remarkably unscathed, others keep us on high alert (and drain our wallets) with their uncanny ability to get injured. But is it really just bad luck? Or could our approach to horsemanship play a bigger role than we realize?

The link between speed and stress in equine behaviour - My first mount charged his jumps with enthusiasm. He never backed off. I believed he was a “brave” jumper — passionate about jumping, just like me! Every time we approached a jump, his head would lift, ears would lock forward, and his pace would quicken. I assumed the jumper ring, with its emphasis on speed, was a more suitable match for my spirited jumper than the slower-paced hunter ring. But once we entered the competition arena, his eagerness became an issue.