Featured Article
The Fear Factor
by Erin Rankin | Horse-Canada September/October 2009Clammy hands, racing heart, weak legs and spiraling thoughts – the symptoms vary but the diagnosis is the same: fear. It’s one of the most common emotions experienced by horse enthusiasts from novice to pro. And, it’s probably one of the least talked about subjects.
“As horse people we believe we can’t show fear or it will affect our horses. So, we try to mask it by burying it within ourselves,” said trainer Anne Gage. During her two decades as a coach, rider, competitor and owner of High Point Farm located outside Orangeville, ON, Gage has seen her fair share of clients struggling with fear. A certified Chris Irwin trainer at the gold and silver levels, she herself fell under its cloud three years ago after a fall left her uninjured but her confidence gutted. She soon found herself on a personal journey searching for solutions.
Gage doesn’t believe fear itself is the problem. Rather, it’s the unwillingness to work through it in an open manner that does the most damage. It’s why she and Wolf Knipping developed their Women, Horses and Fear Workshop. This one-day workshop gives women of all ages and experience levels a safe place to learn skills for managing fear.
For women who want to learn basic horsemanship skills, Gage and Knipping offer Women in the Company of Horses. Also, a one-day workshop, this session is designed for women who are absolute newcomers or are returning to horses after years away. Both sessions run under the banner of White Horse Workshops and are based on Equine Assisted Personal Development (EAPD), a growing trend where horses become the teachers and humans go back to school.
A Leg Up
When Gage hit the ground three years ago, she didn’t see it coming, especially, since the horse she was riding was a homebred she had worked with since the day the six-year-old warmblood-cross was born.
“Dooley had always been the easiest horse. He was easy to start, easy to train and easy to ride,” said Gage. Unknown to her at the time of her fall, Dooley had developed a muscle condition called EPSM (Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy) while recovering from bone-chip surgery. “I had just sat on his back and was walking when he exploded bucking,” she said. Gage had no reins and no control. The gelding bucked his way across the arena into a jump standard. Gage came off – unhurt but not unchanged.
“I never blamed him. He was hurting and there was no other way for him to tell us. But I began to be not confident,” said Gage. “I realized I had to work through this, or find another career. And since the latter wasn’t an option I decided to deal with it,” she said. Dealing with it meant talking about it. Gage said she refused to deny the problem. She talked about it openly, she read books and she reached out to her own mentor, Chris Irwin.
Using EAPD to resolve fear
The Canadian-born Irwin has garnered wide spread attention for his horsemanship methods, which are rooted in understanding horse behaviour and psychology. As a certified coach in Irwin’s approach, Gage is well versed in his practices. She has participated in his “train the trainer” clinics and is certified at the gold-level in groundwork and silver in riding.
Gage says fear is one of the best examples of a human emotion that affects how we intentionally or unintentionally interact with horses – there are many others. Teaching people to recognize their emotions and how they affect our relationship with horses is at the basis of Irwin’s brand of Equine Assisted Personal Development (EAPD).
“Most programs work with horses so that the horse gives the feedback. If you feel stressed, the horse responds to the stress and this gives feedback to the participant. Chris is different in that he works with horse psychology and body language. We do exercises aimed at benefiting both the horse and participant, so it becomes very reciprocal. And, when you help another [human or animal] feel better you feel better yourself,” said Gage.
Taking a page from Irwin’s book, White Horse Workshops is based on the same methods of helping participants understand horse psychology and body language. The result, said Gage, is that participants learn what triggers aggressive or
fearful responses in horses and how to avoid them.
Horse Psychology 101: Take me to your leader
So how does this equate to humans overcoming fear around horses? First, says Gage, we need to understand that horses are prey animals, which means they run first and ask questions later. Second, horses require a leader. This is a non-negotiable basic rig-up of horse psychology. In the wild, it’s another horse. For domesticated horses, it’s their handler or rider. “A leader means safety to a horse, so if they’re unsure about your leadership qualities they want to be anywhere but where you are,” said Gage. Third, horse language is made up mostly of body language.
Gage says when humans feel fearful, it translates into physical terms that are easily read by the horse: two classic examples being tension in the body and holding the breath. “Horses are beings that are directly in the moment. They are perfectly literal. So, if a horse sees fear in the designated leader it means there is real danger and they’re in it,” said Gage. As the horse’s prey reflex is triggered, the horse begins to show fear by elevating the head, breathing more quickly and getting ready to react. The downward spiral tightens as humans feel the changes in the horse, which escalates their own fear. This feeds directly to the horse that now believes danger is imminent and then, suddenly, ka-boom – the horse shies, spooks or bolts.
Think you can mask it? Think again. “Horses are innately aware of body language, it’s what survival in the wild is based on,” said Gage. Because fear is such a powerful emotion for both horses and humans, it tends to work so that it amplifies over time. For horses, a classic manifestation is chronically spooking in one end of the ring. For humans it can manifest as avoidance, or meekness, or even aggression. Gage has seen all of these human tactics at work (and many more) in all age groups and in all ability levels. However it comes out – and it always comes out – fear has the same affect of undermining our relationship with horses and our equestrian goals.
From Ground to Group
Fran Nicol knew she shouldn’t have been riding the night she had what she charitably terms her “wreck”. “I was riding a green horse without much training. Anyway, my mind really wasn’t on the task. I’d had a bad day and wasn’t in the moment,” said Nicol. The horse bucked Nicol off, but on the way down his back foot connected with her check bone and eye socket. There was no permanent nerve damage, but Nicol required two surgeries and two months off work to help her heal.
Although she was grateful her physical recovery was successful (she now has six titanium plate pieces in her cheek), Nicol was left in an emotional black hole. “I didn’t want to be around horse people. I didn’t want to be judged,” she said. Nicol soon found herself at a dead end. While she continued to ride, she became more scared and endlessly replayed the events of the accident in her mind. “Every time I put my foot in the stirrup I saw my wreck,” she said. “I became so afraid I found myself going fetal on top of the horse.”
Serendipity stepped in when Nicol met Gage at an Irwin clinic. “I saw Anne working a really explosive horse. It was impressive.”
Nicol began learning from Gage. “She coached me about breathing, releasing body tension and positive visualization. Even now, when I’m on a horse and I think negative thoughts, I can hear Anne’s voice saying, ‘Stop, Fran, and think of a good thing that’s going to happen during this ride.’ It’s very real in my head and it amazes me every time how it makes me smile. Sometimes there is a lovely moment, and sometimes there isn’t, but I know my whole body changes and relaxes as I go through that thought process and start to visualize a positive outcome.”
This past June, Nicol attended a Women, Horses and Fear Workshop. Asked by Gage to help out, the workshop became pivotal for her. “There were about eight women. We sat around Wolff’s big country kitchen and just talked. We talked about our bad experiences. It was such a release. By the end of the day we were hugging each other like best friends. I finally realized I wasn’t alone and, you know what? It’s okay to be afraid,” said Nicol.
When Wolff Knipping moved with her family of four children and her husband from Toronto to their 125-acre sheep and horse farm outside Orangeville, ON, she couldn’t believe she was developing a fear of horses. “We had several off-the-track thoroughbreds and they just overwhelmed me,” she said. Knipping’s fear also progressed. Soon she found she didn’t want to ride her own 17-hand Irish cross Henessey. Knipping admitted she was caught off guard by her fear. She’d always seized every adventure in life from back-country wilderness camping to hang-gliding.
“Can you imagine moving out to the country to a horse farm and then not even wanting to ride? I was at the point of telling my husband that maybe we should pack the family up and move back to the city,” laughs Knipping.
Similarly, Knipping hooked up with Gage at an Irwin clinic and was also impressed by Gage’s calm demeanor and confident approach. Soon, they got talking and discovered their farms were within a concession. Gage helped Knipping restore her confidence and work through her fear. As their friendship evolved, they talked about helping other women.
Hosted at Knipping’s Amaranth Farms, White Horse Workshops was born. “It just made sense to do this,” said
Knipping. “I want people to come and enjoy the farm and feel welcome here. I love hosting. ”
So far, the responses to the workshops have been enthusiastic. The first workshop in 2008 filled to capacity and, this year, the response has been similar. “We had women attend from all over Ontario, from London, to Barrie, to Ottawa,” said Gage. It’s been so successful Gage and Knipping are in the process of developing a sequel.
For more information on Anne Gage and her clinics and workshops, visit www.annegage.com
Study investigates affect of human anxiety on horses
It’s long been said that horses can detect nervous riders. Researchers in Sweden have now discovered that the heart rate of a person riding or leading a horse can affect the animal’s heart rate.
The study was conducted by researchers in the Department of Animal Environment and Health at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences in Uppsala. The horses used in the study were Swedish leisure horses of mixed ages, sex and breed. All except two of the people were female and all were of mixed age and riding experience.
The heart rates of 10 horses and the 20 people who led them, and 17 horses and the 17 people who rode them, were recorded in an indoor arena. Each horse-human pair walked or rode between points A and B - a distance of 30 metres - four times. However, just before the fourth pass, participants were told that an umbrella would be opened as they rode, or led, the horse past the assistant. The umbrella was not opened, making the pass no different to the previous control occasions. However, there was an increase in heart rate for both the person leading or riding, and her horse.
The findings indicate that analysis of heart rates recorded simultaneously from people and horses under different experimental handling or riding conditions presents a useful tool to investigate horse-human interactions. The findings have been published in the July issue of The Veterinary Journal.
