3 F Words You Need to Learn: Freeze, Fly, Flow
Problem-solving with your horse can be as easy as identifying whether your horse is freezing, flying, or flowing.

Too often, we assume a standing horse is a relaxed horse. But standing still can mean many things. A horse can stand quietly because he’s relaxed, or he might stand still because he’s shut down, dull, or afraid. Likewise, a horse moving with energy might be flowing in partnership, or he might be flying away from pressure or out of excitement that isn’t connected to you at all.

Freeze
There are two reasons a horse might freeze:

Fear – The horse is tense, locked up, and waiting for the scary thing to pass.

Quiet dullness – The horse has learned to tune out the world, appearing “calm” but actually disconnected.

Both of these matter. A fearful freeze needs gentle confidence-building. A dull freeze needs awakening and engagement.

Fly
A horse flies when he moves quickly with tension. This can also come from two reasons:

Fear – Flight is the horse’s primary survival strategy.

Playful excitement – Young or energetic horses sometimes fly off to test boundaries or express themselves.

In both cases, the horse is not in a state of partnership. He’s operating in his own world, and your job is to bring him back into connection.

Flow
The ideal is flow – the horse is responsive, attentive, and moving with you, not against you. Flow feels like riding a wave instead of fighting a storm or dragging a heavy log. Flow is softness with energy. It is responsiveness to your lightest suggestion.

The Quiet Horse Test
A tired horse may look relaxed.
A quiet horse may look relaxed.
But the truth is only discovered through small, clear requests.

Ask for a soft feel, a hindquarter yield, a step forward, or a gentle back-up. Watch what happens:

If he freezes, you have information.

If he flies, you have information.

If he flows, you have confirmation.

This quick test tells you where your horse really is on the inside. It gives you a clear starting point for your training session and helps you see if your horse is in a learning frame of mind.

Why This Matters
The next time you feel stuck with your horse, pause and ask:

Is he freezing?

Is he flying?

Or is he flowing?

Once you see which “F” is showing up, you can adjust your approach:

If freezing, add safety, energy, or clarity.

If flying, slow down, get present, and guide the energy into connection.

If flowing, celebrate it and build on it.

Freeze, fly, or flow isn’t just a cute phrase—it’s a quick diagnostic tool to understand your horse’s state and find your way back to trust, softness, and progress.