Advice needed with spooky pony

[NooNoo59]

Just wondered if anyone has any advice as to how to work through my boys spookiness as its getting in the way of getting any proper schooling done. he is 16 has been coming back after injury and has been going really well. But the last couple of times in the school he has been inattentive and jumpy so we had a rest from the school this week until yesterday. So I thought I would just get him moving forward not asking for an outline just get him off the leg, lots of circles and transitions, but he kept spooking, what he does is he sort of backs off the leg and props in front bit like tigger, its very unseating and interrupts the work flow in the end I gave up, now he as been at this yard for 3 years, gets enough work and no heating feed so what is the answer. I really need to get the canter going but if is going to keep doing this it is really off putting as you have to keep stopping and starting again and its getting frustrating. Anyone got any ideas or similar scenarios? all help gratefully received. Saddle back and teeth all checked on a regular basis.

 

[fattylumpkin]

Had a few more queries that'll maybe narrow the reasons down How often is he ridden each week generally? What level of ability is he at in the school, before and after his injury? Aaand last one, is it mostly in canter he spooks?

 

[Love]

My first pony was a 100% wuss with anything and everything. What helped with him was keeping him busy and always always thinking. Because he was spooking at things rather than in general, I could make him think as we were approaching the scariness so I'd ask for a different bend or shorten or lengthen the stride. Because he was working on something he didn't remember to spook! And for the ones that came out of the blue I just sat to it, totally ignored it and carried on as if it hadn't happened. He still did it right up until the end but it was few and far between (well, it was for him, maybe not compared to a normal pony )

Could either work for you?

 

[NooNoo59]

Had a few more queries that'll maybe narrow the reasons down How often is he ridden each week generally? What level of ability is he at in the school, before and after his injury? Aaand last one, is it mostly in canter he spooks?

worked five to six times a week hacking schooling and lunging. at prelim level before and coming back up to that and no all paces

 

[fattylumpkin]

Maybe in this case he's actually maybe working too much and gets the occasional niggle in his back that's why I wondered if it was mostly in canter he spooks, as it sounded that way in the initial post. Popping forward like that sounds more like an 'ouch' to me than a spook, particularly if he's not doing any of the other avoidance tactics.