Desensitization is one of those big, “pow-wow”, go-to tools used and recommended by horse owners and trainers across the globe. But here’s the thing – this powerful training tool is creating learned helplessness in horses!

It isn’t that desensitization is a bad thing. But the concept of desensitization has been lost inside the idea that it is a cure-all for anxious, flighty horses.

When using desensitization as a tool, it insisted that the horse not react to whatever stimulus is being paraded around them – whether it is a flag, tarp, plastic bag, rope or even a rider. But without a number of crucial elements, we push our horses into shut down, and with enough repetition, learned helplessness.

More often than not during the “training” process, the horse is inside the fight/flight/freeze mode instead of in a learning brain – because of these missing elements that makes true desensitization a powerful and successful tool.

Sure, the end result may be a horse that doesn’t react, but this isn’t because they have learnt not to be afraid of the scary flag/tarp etc, but because they have learnt to be more afraid of what will happen to them if they DO react. Literally, this horse is submitting themselves to the handler because they no longer have control of their survival.

Eventually, this inability to manage their own survival skills is what becomes learned helplessness. The horse is giving up all will to survive and living only at the demand of its handler. And that’s not the type of connection I want with my horse, or any horse for that matter.

Desensitization, without relaxation, communication and consent, is causing learned helplessness. So instead of asking your horse to give up control of their survival, why not ask them to be curious and confident instead?