Conditioned relaxation is a training method that helps skittish or nervous horses, in particular, to reduce stress and alleviate anxiety. It involves associating a signal, object, or scent with a relaxed state and triggering it intentionally when needed.

Guided relaxation works for all mammals. It can be used in various situations and for various problems.

The link between a scent and relaxation is established through theprocess of conditioning. We recommend our Relax Buddy for this purpose. The Relax Buddy is a scented stick filled with lavender and hemp oil. With horses, it’s a bit more difficult than with dogs, for example, to catch them exactly when they’re dozing off.

That’s why it’s best to combine scent with touch. Once your horse has relaxed through the touch, hold the Relax Buddy near your horse’s nose. Repeat this process regularly over an extended period until your horse associates the scent and the touch with relaxation. Then you can use the tool even in stressful situations.