During this repetition, a trainer must decide if progress is happening, no matter the time frame. Depending on the task asked, overcoming fear can take from days to months but during these months it is also important to understand that little steps are part of the acceptance even though the initial goal is not yet met. If you have hit a standstill or complete refusal for a long period of time this is where the decision has to be made whether the horse is really denying your training. Then different training methods are required. In the case of a horse who will not stand to be clipped a twitch can be introduced.
Confidence usually starts with ground manners.
A spooky horse is one we all have come across at one point or another. If a horse spooks and jumps into the handler, chances are it will jump out from under you when you are in the saddle. This lack of trust was never truly settled in proper ground manners. After all other factors have been ruled out and you realize the horse is no longer afraid, then the prancing and spooking are nothing less than a lack of acknowledgement of the training. Now it is time to use a sharper voice, the introduction of a whip or very often outside help.