08/05/2026
The Hidden Side Of Flooding
Let’s have an uncomfortable conversation about the hidden side of flooding. These horses in our lives deserve us having these uncomfortable conversations, leaning into them and becoming better versions of ourselves as a result.
This uncomfortable conversation is about the hidden side of flooding. The side no one wants to talk about. The side concealed behind a curtain of pressure free, aversive free, positive reinforcement, fear free, etc type of training.
Because these ideals are not about being better for the mustang. These ideals are about making you feel better about yourself. It doesn’t actually serve the horse.
I hate to break it to you but YOU are the aversion. Spending hours hanging out with your horse in their space is PRESSURE. They cannot relax when they have to worry about you.
I see that recommended all the time in mustang groups. Just spend time with them. Get a chair and a book and sit in or by their pen. This is FLOODING. This is constant pressure with no release in sight.
I have seen many popular mustang trainers spend HOURS everyday or over many sessions per day, working with their mustangs. This is flooding. It deteriorates the nervous system and physiology of the horse. This constant stress.
Extended periods of time being near your mustang, even if you are not training, is flooding them. They need time ALONE with other horses for their nervous systems to regulate and their bodies to reach homeostasis.
We have been pressured by clients before to get results and train their horse to meet milestones on a timeline faster than the horse could handle. To witness in real time a horse getting more relaxed, trusting, developing curiosity and try then get pushed too fast and devolve into an anxious mess. Watching them stop eating, stop relaxing, fighting with their neighbor, starting neurotic coping behaviors, etc. is devastating. This places us between a rock and a hard place. Please the client or serve the horse. Not be able to help the horse because the client leaves before they were ready. It’s an impossible situation.
These beautiful sentient beings are completely subjected to our emotions, whims, traumas, baggage, unregulated nervous systems, fantasies, unrealistic expectations, delusions and the other multitudes of inner waste we like to sweep under the rug or ignore.
When you go out to work with your horse, consider thinking “what will help this horse today, what can I do FOR them (and not myself)”. I promise, this approach is far more rewarding and healthy than the feeling you get when you feed your horse a carrot or kiss them on the nose.
It simply takes the time it takes. Apply consistency over marathon sessions and timelines. Apply well thought out strategies and methods with clear achievable goals over doing nothing for long periods of time.
Your horse will be better for it.
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