Helping to open up a shut down mistreated horse by reconnecting & listening to him

This is a paint horse who has been badly mistreated throughout his life. He carries a lot of anxiety. He is partly shut down and very robotic. He is also particularly frightened on his right rein (partly due to his connection and confidence on this side and also previous punishment from making mistakes).

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When I say "shut down", I see him as a horse that doesn't seek people for help and won't connect with them. He does what he has to do but with anxiety under the surface.

Prior to this video being taken, I was trying to help the owner to steer him better to the right, and flex, look and think better into his turns. He was very braced on both reins under saddle and in particular his right rein. When he bent a little bit too far, he would suddenly spook out. Interestingly he could do a reining spin, but he couldn't look into a turn.

I put this down to him not being able to communicate and confidently look at someone out of his right eye. He has probably never been allowed to search. His body and feet have been ridden; not his thoughts.

To improve his steering and his overall confidence with us around him, I went back to getting him to communicate with me and open up to me and his owner. This video shows me working on the side he would commonly block people out and be very frightened on.

Earlier on I walked in and out similarly to how I approach a wild horse – when I saw a thought change (curious or tense) I stepped back to acknowledge it and give him space. Then I pressed his bubble a little as shown in this video. What I like is that he starts to hold his focus on me on his right side – you can see it more clearly when his whole head turns to the right. When he sniffs me, this is a really important moment – he is starting to make a decision to see if I am safe, rather than just shut me out. Sniffing and acknowledging are important connection signs. You can get a horse’s focus; but if they haven’t sniffed and acknowledged you I don’t think you can truly have a connection.

When he drops his head, this wasn't to do with submission, it was to do with him connecting with his right eye and letting go of a really troubled thought. Dropping his head is a release of tension and an acceptance of feeling safe with me there. I could see his whole eye shape and facial tension change. The owner was in tears because she had never seen him so relaxed like this - ever. And it was on his troubled side.

It may look like small steps - but it is a big change for him; and an important step in his new foundation of re connecting with people and becoming confident in his own decisions.