Mind matters
Our experts
Catherine Bell is an equine behaviourist and helps to co-ordinate the Equine Behaviour and Training Association.
Sharon Smith MSc EBA(Reg) BHSAPC is an experienced behaviourist and co-founder of the Equine Behaviour Affiliation.
Jane Brindley works with riders at all levels using hypnotherapy, psychotherapy and NLP.
Photos:, Jon Stroud
Red flag
My horse is scared of loose material – flags, kites and bunting – what can I do to help him?
Lisa Martin
A Catherine Bell answers:
It’s really common for horses to be scared of things that are flappy and unpredictable. Maybe it’s the noise, maybe it’s the visual movement but, either way, we can introduce them to horses in a manner that helps them learn to understand, and subsequently cope, with these items when seen in unexpected settings.