Why are horse scared of plastic bags?

Answer 1

One must always understand that horses are first and foremost a prey animal. Being a prey animal means that their first response to an unfamiliar sight, sound or smell is to spook and run away, never to come investigate like predators--including dogs, cats and humans--do. Horses are animals to run away first, then come back and investigate later.

The plastic bag is an unfamiliar object and from the contrasting, unnatural white against the background to the loud, also highly unnatural crinkly sound associated with it. Not only that, but the movement of a plastic bag in the wind is simply alarming to an animal with a high sense of self-preservation and always thinks like a typical prey animal, never a predator.

The best way to teach a horse to not fear a plastic bag is to habituate it to all forms of plastic bags, from the sound it makes to the movement it makes in the wind. Teaching a horse--best is by pressure-and-release--to not fear the plastic bag takes patience and knowledge of the behaviours of a horse. Often it's best to begin using positive association--such as bringing treats or feed to a horse in a plastic bag. Soon the horse learns that the bag means something positive and good. Once you've made that step you can slowly progress to more challenging exercises associated with plastic bags.