30/10/2025
๐ดโจ Because their feelings matter too โจ๐ด
We came across this and just had to share it.
So many horses are labelled โnaughtyโ or โdifficult,โ when really โ theyโre scared, overwhelmed, or confused.
Horses donโt pretend to be afraid.
Their fear is real โ even when we donโt understand it.
Our role isnโt to punish panic.
Itโs to be their safe person.
To pause.
To breathe.
To support.
To show them they can trust us, even when the world feels scary.
At Pegasus Equestrian Centre, we believe in gentle horsemanship, emotional safety, and building confident horses through patience and understanding. ๐ฑ๐
Letโs always choose compassion โ it creates partnerships, not battles.
We donโt just train horses โ we build trust. ๐๏ธ๐
Their fear is real.
Even if you donโt know or understand what theyโre spooking at.
Even if you think what theyโre afraid of is silly.
Even if you wanted them to behave better.
Even if youโre trying to get good marks at a show.
Their fear is real to them.
They arenโt just pretending to be scared for no reason.
They are actually afraid.
Imagine if the one person in the world who is supposed to protect, care for and support you failed to do so when you needed them to.
Imagine, if while you were actively having a panic attack, your friend chose to yell at you and act punitively instead.
Many horse people behave to their horses like that theoretical bad friend.
Instead of comforting and soothing during times of fear, they instead become the boogeyman.
They show their horse that they will be abandoned when they are afraid.
That the very feeling of the onset of stress may predict their human lashing out at them.
We choose to work with flight animals.
How ridiculous is it, then, to be angry when they behave like a flight animal?
To treat the horse as if theyโre out to get you when they engage in normal behaviours?
If itโs too frustrating to naturally work with fearful animals, we donโt need to work with horses.
Their fear is real.
Instead of taking it personally, show them that they can trust you and feel safe around you.
You will get a lot further with that than you will by teaching them that you will add to their fear by punishing them.
You should be a safe place for your horse.
Not a primary source of stress when theyโre already uneasy.
