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Member
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| As a 3 year old I took my colt everywhere and he wasnt scared of anything. He is 6 now and over the past year he has become a spook about everything! I have to get to get to an arena super early to ride because he is afraid of everything. Just when I think he is over it somebody puts a chair by the fence and its over with. I have to start all over. He is so frustrating I dont know what to do. He is a super sweet but extremely lazy horse and I have no idea why he has gotten so scared of things....HELP
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
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Location: Jersey Girl | I have a spooky horse so I feel your pain.
My thoughts are if he has now become spooky maybe something is wrong with his vision or he might have a pain issue somewhere. Also, when you are riding him around it helps to focus on the task at hand and try to ignore the spooking (can be hard I know!) |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 678
Location: Canada | If saddle fits and he doesn't appear in pain and vision is good is it possible that you contributing to the issue (sorry I mean no disrespect). Do you go to an arena anticipating that he's going to be looky? Does he get constant reassurance that its okay when he spooks at things and a break from what he's doing? Does he get out of work when he's spooky or have to work harder?
I used to have a horse that was totally bomb proof, nothing rattled this horse so I sold him to a beginner adult to learn to race on (he was in his early 20's now). About a month or two after she bought him he was spooky. He'd spook at birds, the walls, his shadow any noise. There was nothing wrong with him, he learned that if he spooked he'd get a break. We chatted and I suggested making him work harder if he was being silly so she did and the spooking stopped. He was simply pushing her buttons.
Hope you find the solution
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  Damn Yankee
Posts: 12390
Location: Somewhere between raising hell and Amazing Grace | I have the ultimate spooker.....
He is 9 years old. He will never ever change. The little prick can run 1D just about every time out, and yet still spooks at the barrels if they aren't set up in a cloverleaf........
I swear that horse was put on this planet for the sole purpose of irritating me.....
He has been like this since day one. He is worse at home with the stuff he sees every day then he is at new arenas. He is a tee total jerk to ride at home. His only saving grace is that he is not a flight horse. He spooks, but doesn't try to turn and run....
I will say though he's not gotten any worse. He has been like this since day one and has pretty much stayed the same, just no better. |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| I have a spooky horse too!! She is now 11 and I feel she is getting worse with age. I honestly think it's an eye sight thing because she is worse at night and it's mostly shadowy things she spooks at. |
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Member
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| I always assume he will ride fine because he is so laid back. He seems to pick something new each time so im riding with confidence assuming he is fine. The same announcer booth hd has been by 100 times he will all of a sudden be terrified of. He does not flee but he is so quick he does a quick 180 and stops. I continue riding him that will usually include breezing him so I certainly dont let him get by with it. He is just getting worse and I dont want to be mean to him if he is genuinely afraid for whatever reason. I should probably get his eyes checked. Do regular vets do that? |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 477
| boonboy - 2014-05-11 2:32 PM
I always assume he will ride fine because he is so laid back. He seems to pick something new each time so im riding with confidence assuming he is fine. The same announcer booth hd has been by 100 times he will all of a sudden be terrified of. He does not flee but he is so quick he does a quick 180 and stops. I continue riding him that will usually include breezing him so I certainly dont let him get by with it. He is just getting worse and I dont want to be mean to him if he is genuinely afraid for whatever reason. I should probably get his eyes checked. Do regular vets do that?
If you find out about getting the eyes checked let me know. My horse sounds a lot like yours and it's worse with age. I would think some horses could be like people. We loose our eye sight as we age. I just bought silver lining herbs bright eyes. I will let you know if it helps |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 1118
Location: The South | missroselee - 2014-05-11 8:43 AM I have the ultimate spooker.....
He is 9 years old. He will never ever change. The little prick can run 1D just about every time out, and yet still spooks at the barrels if they aren't set up in a cloverleaf........
I swear that horse was put on this planet for the sole purpose of irritating me.....
He has been like this since day one. He is worse at home with the stuff he sees every day then he is at new arenas. He is a tee total jerk to ride at home. His only saving grace is that he is not a flight horse. He spooks, but doesn't try to turn and run....
I will say though he's not gotten any worse. He has been like this since day one and has pretty much stayed the same, just no better.
Our horses must be twins LOL. It kills me when he spooks at dumb stuff because he's a mounted shooting horse. He's absolutely okay with me holding a gun out and shooting a LOUD blank and popping a balloon within 10 feet of his face, but he'll spook when my husband tries to hand me something to drink. Or if we have to walk past a barrel laying on its side out back...look out!!!
He fell with me in September and I got a bad head injury, and I can't seem to convince anyone that it wasn't his fault because they've seen how stupid he can be.
He never bolts, just does a quick 180 then stands there. |
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