Assuming this is the truth, my new guy was barely halter broke in the field until he was 8-years-old. Breeder sold him to a dealer who "cowboy broke him." I believe he had him for a couple of weeks. He sold him to the guy who I bought him from who I believe only had him for a few weeks but taught him some things. Then I got him. I didn't realize he was that green at first because he's very quiet, friendly, and submissive. Never says no. Always anticipates. Has never bucked. I've had him for a little over a year. I have some physical issues so have been going slow. He's coming along very nice and always wants to please me but, this is weird--though he's brave, he's also spooky. He will spook for no apparent reason. When he spooks, he bolts. He doesn't try to run away with me. The second I can cue him, he stops. A couple of other odd things. Sometimes he braces like he's waiting for me to whack him. But he's friendly to me. Would crawl into my lap if I let him. I've had some young green horses before but never one this age who was just started. What can you tell me about an older horse who was just started? What can I expect? Thanks in advance!

Honestly, ignore his age.

Your horse doesn't know how old he is, and doesn't know that he is supposed to be farther along in training, etc etc.

He's a horse. He has the personality traits and tendencies that he was born with. Work with that you have in front of him. His age doesn't matter when it comes to training.

You can have a level-headed 3 year old that can take pressure and handle it fine. And you can have a 7 year old basketcase that can't handle anything. Some are wired to be extremely sensitive and some are laid back from day one. It doesn't have anything to do with their age. But COULD have to do with their experiences along the way.

"Cowboying" a horse doesn't do any good!

I bet all those cowboys for the last 150 years that broke a lot of 4 and 5 year old were doing everything wrong. Yet they had jobs to do in some of the roughest country chasing wild cows. They had to ride what they had. They didn't even break horses till they were 5. Those cowboys could teach you barrel girls a lot. They were not necessarily rough in breaking horses but they didn't let the horse be a spoiled brat.

Yes, I don't think he's had any experiences but I really don't know for sure. 8 years is a long time to not have any experiences. I've had my three 26-year-olds since they were two-year-olds but this guy is different. I've been working with him for over a year. I love him. He's a keeper. He just does some odd things I don't expect. He's laidback. I wouldn't describe him as jumpy. I wouldn't describe him as a hot horse. But, for example, when I took my helmet off the other day and hung it on the horn, he freaked out. I handled it. No big deal. Now I hang the helmet on the horn regularly. But I just didn't expect that since I've been hanging my jacket on the horn for months. Another example. The spookiness. He's real quiet but all of a sudden, something unseen and unheard might set him off. He spooks and bolts. He stops as soon as I cue him but it seems like it's for no reason. Like something popped into his head. And, in fact, I think he has gotten worse and not better, which is not the norm. However, it's possible I just THINK it has gotten worse because I am riding him more often now. (I took months being real easy, letting him settle in.)

My friend came over and rode around my arena with me. He lives in the field around my arena. He's in that arena daily. It's not like we were out in the woods on a trail or even in my big field. My friend's horse, a mare, is dead quiet. Not in heat. She's quite old and paid my horse no attention whatsoever. You couldn't find a quieter horse for a green horse to ride around with. So we moseyed around my arena for a little while, my friend's horse half asleep, my horse walking around fine. Did a little jogging. Mostly walking and talking; relaxed. We were done and were sitting on them yakking, ready to get off, about 20 feet away from each other, when all of a sudden my horse spooked and jumped sideways and would have bolted if I didn't grab him fast enough. My friend couldn't believe I stayed on. 

Yes, I'm going to keep working with him and desensitize him to things, but it's just odd because he is so quiet and willing in general. I think if I can figure out why my horse is doing something, I can respond correctly. And since I have found nothing wrong with him physically, I was thinking it might be his age, or as you say, lack of experience. And I was wondering if anyone else started a horse late and what their experience was. 

I would never turn a horse into a spoiled brat. I hate that. Every one of my other horses is completely well-behaved. I don't tolerate bad behavior. When I say that I was told my horse was "cowboy broke," by that I mean a cowboy threw a saddle on him and rode him hard so he could sell him quickly. He got a little more training from the cowboy I bought him from. 

From my own experience, the older they are when you break them, the harder they are to train. They are more herd bound and set in their ways.  As with any green horse, never let them get away with anything. Always make them do what you ask them to do and always end on a good note. 

Debi, 

From the EPM positive horses I've been around here in Oklahoma, the weird spookiness is a big sign of it.  You might consider treating him for it, although I don't know how much of it there is in New Jersey.  You might also consider having his vision checked.

When i got my one gelding he was about 7 and had been broke at 5 or after. Per trainer  who broke him"he spent an entire day bucking around the round pen so they were going to give up. But he saddled him the next day and he was fine." Jets 27 this year and while he might not be the fastest hes usually consistent. There is also no slow button on him and if you go running through a field he better be first or you wont stop him for quite a while. Hell "spook" at stupid things but other things he doesnt care about. I was young when I got him so i guess i just didnt care about anything but riding. Hes also old school ranch lines so hes got tree legs and never needs much maintance. Sometimes they just take longer to mature but its worth it. 

He does want to be herd bound but I nipped that in the bud. 

It is a "weird spookiness" but I just looked that up and he doesn't have any other signs of EPM. He does have one of the signs of PSSM--super sensitive skin. Flinchy. Can't stand bugs. But that is the only sign of that too. However, in my reading, I stumbled upon the fact that he has a lot of the signs of magnesium deficiency. I believe my pastures are low in mag since I had a ton of buttercups this year and that's a sign of low magnesium. May just be coincidence but I started him on a supplement.

That is a good idea to get his eyes checked. 

That helps--being a kid when you get a spooky horse because all you care about is riding! Nothing rattles you, lol. Jet sounds wonderful. I'm in no rush so if it takes a while for him to mature, that's okay. 

Being young helped a ton. But he was never bad. His "spook" is to curve his body around and keep moving past it. Luckily hes the bomb and hes become my moms horse over the past 10ish years. Shes older (70's) and runs him. He can still be a derp about going in and just decide hes not moving but he takes care of her and they have a collection of buckles.