The Power of Noise
If you had asked me twenty years ago whether noise mattered in horse training, I probably would’ve laughed and said, “Honey, just throw your saddlebags up there and go.” And I would’ve meant it.
Back then, I rode trail for hours without a second thought. I wasn’t afraid. I didn’t worry about what might spook my horse. I didn’t think about desensitizing. And I certainly wasn’t intentional about noise. We just did stuff. Crazy, I know—but that was my reality.
But as the years passed and the miles added up, something unexpected slipped into my life with horses.
Fear.
It didn’t come in all at once—it inched its way in through small, unnoticed cracks. A spook here, a bolt there, a horse who struggled with cars, a few buck-offs. And suddenly, without realizing it, I became something I never thought I’d be:
A tiptoer.
I found myself whispering around my horse. Carefully easing stall doors shut. Tiptoeing in the barn because heaven forbid I make a noise that might startle him. My heart was nervous, which made him nervous, which made me more nervous… and I’m sure you can see the cycle.
Looking back, I can tell you the truth:
By avoiding noise, I was teaching my horses to fear it.
And that’s why tonight, I want to talk with you about the power of noise—why it matters, how it builds confidence, and how ordinary sounds can create an extraordinary bond between you and your horse.
Why Noise Matters More Than We Think
Noise is a part of real riding life whether we like it or not.
You can’t avoid:
A truck backfiring as you lead your horse to the barn
A limb cracking and falling on the trail
Gunshots in the distance
Airplanes flying low
Kids slamming a gate
A bicycle coming up too fast
A tarp snapping in the wind
Noise is everywhere.
And here’s the thing:
You can’t desensitize to everything. But you can prepare your horse for anything.
How?
By helping them understand that no matter what pops, cracks, bangs, rustles, or whooshes around them…
the safest place they can be is with you.
That’s what we’re after.
Noise isn’t the enemy.
Fear isn’t the enemy.
Lack of connection is.
Noise simply reveals what’s already there.
My Wake-Up Call: Becoming a “Tiptoer”
I didn’t see it happening.
All I knew was that I had ridden for decades without fear, and suddenly I was walking on eggshells around my horses. The horse I raised from a colt didn’t like cars, and every time a vehicle came around a bend on the trail, I knew what was coming:
The rear. The quarter turn. The slide. The bolt.
He never dumped me, but my confidence slowly unraveled one thread at a time.
And since I didn’t know how to fix the root problem, I did what so many riders do:
I tried to manage around the fear.
No noise.
No surprises.
No sudden movements.
I would've wrapped myself in bubble wrap if it meant keeping the peace.
But here’s the truth:
You can’t train a horse by tiptoeing.
When you tiptoe, your horse learns two things:
Noise is scary
You are scared
And a scared leader doesn’t make a horse feel safe.
The Real Problem With Avoiding Noise
Horses are prey animals. Their default reaction to something unexpected is:
Run first, figure it out later.
If you tiptoe through life with them…
If you try to keep them in a bubble…
If you avoid sounds because you don’t want the spook…
You end up reinforcing their natural instinct instead of reshaping it.
And that’s how well-meaning riders accidentally create:
Reactive horses
Horses who overreact instead of startle
Horses who don’t know how to stay with their rider when something scary happens
Horses who stay on high alert instead of relaxing
The solution isn’t silence.
The solution is controlled noise.
Noise Isn’t the Issue — Connection Is
Let me tell you something important:
A connected horse doesn’t leave you, even when they’re scared.
I used to think my horse and I were connected.
I was wrong.
True connection means:
When the limb cracks, they stay with you
When a truck backfires, they don’t plow over you
When kids scream or bikes race by, they don’t spin and bolt
When something unexpected happens, they look to you
You can’t desensitize your horse to everything…
…but you can teach them to stay mentally with you through anything.
Noise helps you do that.
Why Ordinary Sounds Are Extraordinary Training Tools
You don’t need fancy equipment. You don’t need a training barn. You don’t need to buy special products.
You need:
Buckets
Tarps
Feed bags
Your voice
Stall doors
A milk jug with rocks
Wind
Life happening around you
Everyday barn clutter is your biggest training opportunity.
Small noises build big confidence.
Big noises show you where you still need to grow.
And every noise gives your horse a chance to practice choosing calm, thinking through pressure, and staying connected to you even when their instinct says “run.”
Noise is feedback.
Noise is information.
And noise is a chance to build an unbreakable bond.
Start with Basic Noise Desensitizing
Before we add motion, speed, or chaos, we start simple.
Step 1: Pick one noise
A tarp
A bucket
A bag
A flag
A milk jug with rocks
Step 2: Present the noise at a distance
Let your horse see it.
Let them sniff it.
Let them acknowledge it.
Step 3: Apply the noise → wait for the relaxation
Keep the noise going (gently) until your horse:
Softens
Stops bracing
Blinks
Licks
Lowers their head
Breathes
Then stop the noise and take a deep breath with them.
Step 4: Repeat until boring
Rinse and repeat.
Don’t rush.
Don’t overwhelm.
Just chip away.
This builds mental maturity — and that’s what you want.
Then Add the Magic Ingredient: Motion
Most spooks don’t happen when a horse is standing still.
They happen when their feet are moving.
That’s why sending (the movement-based Unbreakable Bond core skill) is a game changer.
And that’s also why noise desensitizing in motion matters.
Examples:
1. Drag a milk jug with rocks
Attach a rope to the handle and walk your horse while dragging it.
Start small.
Build up.
2. Let a tarp slide along the lead rope while sending
First, hold the tarp so it doesn’t slide.
Then let it slide.
Then let it drag.
3. Make noise behind them
Remember:
Horses are prey animals.
They can’t see directly behind themselves.
So desensitizing from behind builds major trust and confidence.
Golden rule:
Never do noise-in-motion until your horse is calm with the basic, still version.
What About Super Reactive Horses?
Some horses — like Linda’s sweet boy — aren’t just sensitive.
They’re sound-sensitive.
They hear things we don’t.
They react big.
They get overstimulated fast.
They’ve lived in chaos and still haven't grown out of it.
With these horses, we use:
Punctuated Desensitizing
This means:
You don’t sneak around
You don’t build up slowly
You make the noise
You allow them to react
You let them see they’re okay
And you show them you’re right there with them
Reactive horses don’t need silence.
They need clarity.
And the thing that calms them most is connection.
Noise Reveals the Connection You Have — and Helps Build the One You Want
When your horse gets startled, here’s the question I want you to ask:
Do they stay mentally with me or leave me?
Every noise gives you information.
Connection isn’t proven in the quiet moments.
Connection is proven in the messy ones.
A horse who is deeply connected with you may startle—but they don’t:
Blow past you
Jump in your lap
Spin and bolt
Run away from pressure
They feel the fear…
…but they stay with their leader.
Noise helps teach them how.
Noise helps teach you how.
Noise shapes both ends of the partnership.
Don’t Tiptoe. Lead.
One of the biggest turning points for me was realizing:
Silence wasn’t helping my horse. It was hurting him.
Avoidance doesn’t build confidence.
Exposure does.
Consistency does.
Connection does.
So in your everyday interactions, practice not tiptoeing.
Shut the stall doors normally
Toss those buckets
Snap that tarp
Let the wind blow things around
Make noise intentionally
Make noise confidently
Show your horse noise is normal.
Noise isn’t a threat.
Noise doesn’t change who you are as their leader.
And then watch your horse’s confidence begin to shift.
Let It Be Messy at First
Some horses react big.
Some horses react little.
Some horses embarrass you.
(Some embarrass you a lot!)
But all of them will grow if you stay consistent, calm, and clear.
Noise work isn’t about eliminating the spook.
It’s about:
Building resilience
Developing mental softness
Increasing connection
Establishing trust
Preparing for the unexpected
Creating a horse who thinks through pressure rather than fleeing from it
Noise reveals where the holes are—and gives you the chance to fill them.
Your Horse Doesn’t Need Silence. They Need Support.
Here’s the truth I want you to carry with you:
Your horse doesn’t need a quiet world…
They need a confident leader in a noisy one.
Noise won’t stop.
Life won’t stop.
The world won’t stop.
But you can teach your horse that no matter what happens around them…
They can trust you.
They can stay with you.
They can think instead of react.
They can be brave because you’re brave beside them.
Noise is training.
Noise is opportunity.
Noise builds the bond that holds everything together when life gets loud.
If you want your horse to be okay with noise… you have to make some.
Don’t tiptoe.
Don’t whisper.
Don’t “ease” your way through every moment hoping to avoid a startle.
Make some noise.
Stay consistent.
Build connection.
And watch your horse’s confidence transform.
You and your horse can absolutely do this — and I am cheering you on every step of the way.
