# Suddenly spooky, what's going on?



## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

Horses are often on their best behaviour in new surroundings. It sounds like he's settled in and he's testing you. He may prefer the pasture to his stall. I'd use a knotted halter and give him about 3' of lead. Focus on where you are going and ignore him when he spooks, just keep going and try not to look at him. Don't pet him to soothe him as he takes that as a reward. The knotted halter has some bite to it if he pulls against it and he'll be more respectful of it. Be sure you pass the "spooky" things going and coming so he sees it with each eye. Don't ask him to touch it altho allow him to do so if he wants.


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## Indigosblue (May 9, 2011)

you are right to get a vet out... be sure to have his eyes checked. If the horse is having issues with his eyes (blindness, etc.) he might be spooking at things he only sees. If he is healthy then you probably do have to just ignore his spooking and not make any fuss. If it gets to be too much or there is no improvement i would suggest talking to a local trainer, maybe the vet can reccomend one?


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## HollyBubbles (Jun 22, 2009)

Just wondering, is it spring or Autumn/Fall where you are? Reason being my horse goes completely bonkers at just a whiff of spring grass and he is also an off the track horse who is normally extrememly quiet.

Needless to say Mitch is now strip fed and on Equilibrium B1 cool mix.

If it's anything to do with the grass(it takes a while to get out of their system) then I would reccomend feeding magnesium, or when the vet is there maybe have Harry's selenium levels tested, because that can be a factor too.

Has he been wormed lately? I know a friend who's pony went mental suddenly and they hadn't wormed her for a while so once she was wormed she was fine.

I hope you get it sorted out, and welcome to the forum


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## TravelerandTequila1234 (Nov 26, 2011)

At my house I set up a big desensitizing course of tarps and tires and all that good stuff and work on that for a few days. You should try it!


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## AngieLee (Feb 20, 2011)

Has his diet changed at all recently other the more grass? it could be the grass. Or the change in routine/life, i find horses can change like that in new situations. i agree with getting his eyes checked and that he could aldo just be testing you. My horse does that he'll have a minor spook and then decide hes done and wants to go home and he'll argue with me. to everyone else it looks like hes massiv spooking but when your on his back you can tell hes arguing and not at all scared anymore.You could try doing alot of respect and trust building exersizes?


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## Annnie31 (May 26, 2011)

Is it hunting season where you live? If it is daytime can be scarry on pasture for horses and if gunshots were heard by him that fear may be transfered to every outside experience. It can make horses extremely jumpy. It is hunting season in Ontario (deer) which can also put wildlife on the run. That can make horses nervous too.
If its not hunting season consider that it may have been something else out on pasture that has your horse nervous. If you can rule out such things consider he is simply testing you although I believe he would have done that when you rode him the first few times. How did your wife make out riding him? Does he behave better for her, or was there problems and that is why she gave him to you.
I think we need a great deal more information to help you out here.


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## Ragin Run (Nov 26, 2011)

Part of it is trust, I'm sure of that. He behaves a little better for her than he does me. And while it is the fall hunting season (deer) here, I seriously doubt that even if he heard distant gunshots they would bother him. His barn is right next to a Naval Air Station, across the road from a helipad, and in the industrial part of town. He hears constructions equipment, booming, helicopters, and low flying fighter jets every day. He was fine with it before, and it doesn't seem to be the noise that's bothering him. I would think that a fighter in full afterburner would bother him a lot more than a distant gunshot. Nobody hunts close, because the barn is within city limits and surrounded by industrial vendors and barge refurbishing companies.

While I'm about to switch his feed soon, he hasn't been eating anything different. Before that week where he was in the pasture all day we still put him out in one of the smaller pastures for about an hour every day and he seemed to enjoy it -still does- but I don't seem him any more or less eager to get at the grass.

There was an old truck and some farm equipment in the pasture he was in that week, but he hasn't been back there since. Would he really still be acting this weird if one of those things had made him nervous? 

I will try some more respect and trust building exercises tomorrow. It's something I'm still trying to learn about. I found a few things but I haven't had time after work these past few days to actually try using them.


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## DraftXDressage (Aug 29, 2011)

You mention you and your wife have had him since September or so, and that he's off the track. Did you get him straight off the track? If so, it seems to me that the timing is right that you might just be seeing a horse who has detoxed from track life and has been fed up, and consequently has a ton of energy without the outlet that he's used to.


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## Ragin Run (Nov 26, 2011)

He was taken off the track in March if my memory serves me correctly. The person we bought him from got him from a rescue. They were going to use him for jumping but found out he had a bone chip in his knee. (nothing that hurts him, but the vet said jumping and hard running could risk lameness, so they sold him to us).

I hadn't thought about that, but it's been a while since he got off track. He spent four months after being retired neglected on pasture. Perhaps now that he's getting the rest of his groceries back he's feeling spunky?


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## Ragin Run (Nov 26, 2011)

Well, the Vet came out and had a look at him. She didn't find anything wrong with him, so I guess it's just him becoming testy. I put a stud chain on him and have been using a dressage whip to give him a little encouragement. So far, he's been acting much better.


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