Is he spooky or just normal for a horse

[Loveponies]

I think my pony is spooky but I only ever ride alone and don't know what other horses do .
Today was a typical hack - all on sandy woodland tracks for 1.5 hours. During the hack my boy scooted sideways about 6ft off the track 3 times at apparently nothing but he was apparently looking at something - shot forward from walk to a canter for 5/6 strides twice again apparently for nothing, went from medium trot to fast trot for about 10 strides (blackbird flew out of tree) , jumped up a bank and tried to turn but I stopped him when a dog walked out in front of us, gave a pile of poo a snort and wide berth as we trotted by, flinched and arched round a tree stump, stopped dead when saw someone walking ahead but walked on again fairly quickly albeit giraffe neck, gave molehills on grass verge the eye and a wide berth and spooked at some cow parsley just before we got back to the yard. He does the same route regularly and there was nothing he has not seen before. Every ride there are always att least 5 or 6 reactions
Would you describe him as spooky or just being a horse?

 

[AmyMay]

Yep, spooky.

 

[BeansNsausages]

Yes. I would expect one or two spooks for the average horse on an average ride.

 

[phizz4]

Sounds typical. Yesterday my mare walked calmly past the gardener using a petrol strimmer on the grass verge (he was wearing ear defenders and didn't see us so we gave up waiting for him to stop), then 5 minutes later she jumped sideways at a blackbird in the hedge. I think it's all about what they do or don't perceive as a threat. If they can see the object or activity they have time to evaluate the threat level, if it's a rustle in the grass or hedge it could be a threat so they react. My mare will often stop and stare at something that I can't see, so I don't know what she sees. She will then, usually, carry on, (or take flight for no apparent reason as she has done a few times). Remember, horses are flight animals by instinct. It keeps the rider on their toes.

 

[IrishMilo]

That would do my head in! Definitely spookier than average.

 

[spotty_pony]

Sounds like he’s on the spooky side!

 

[Hackback]

Mine can be like that some days, sometimes to the point that by the time we get home I'm spooking at everything too. Other days he's like a donkey. I never know which I'm going to get. After 12 years I've given up trying to analyse it ?

 

[scats]

I feel your pain. I took Millie out for a road hack this evening and she was an utter idiot for a good portion of it. A man actually asked if she was young because she was being so ridiculous. She had me in the middle of the road on more than one occasion.
I had to get off down a residential road and lead her past a man in his garden because she kept reversing and nearly sat on a car bonnet. Apparently the man was terrifying…

You never know with Millie what you’re going to get. You just have to accept her ridiculousness and not get too hung up about it. I can mostly see the funny side!

 

[Spotherisk]

They don’t improve with age either. As a 5 year old my cob was spooky, continued just the same all his ridden life until mid 20’s and last year aged 29 spooked whilst I was feeding him a treat, in his own field, when a tractor appeared two fields away. He isn’t scared of tractors, he’s just a young soul.

 

[HashRouge]

Sounds like my share horse! He's an Arab and I'm afraid he does live up to the stereotypes. I don't mind though - I think, so long as you're a calm rider, spooking is easily ignored.

 

[hobo]

LP yes that is on the above ave spooky. As long as it does not scare you though it is what it is.

Mine is very much the same as Hackback's which to me in a way is worse and resulted in me coming off the other day as she had been very relaxed and chilled and I was on a long rein yards from home and she suddenly saw OH on hands and knees putting a mole trap down in her field.

 

[Regandal]

Is this typical behaviour, or new? If new, could be spring grass related. Basically too much sugar.

 

[Ratface]

They don’t improve with age either. As a 5 year old my cob was spooky, continued just the same all his ridden life until mid 20’s and last year aged 29 spooked whilst I was feeding him a treat, in his own field, when a tractor appeared two fields away. He isn’t scared of tractors, he’s just a young soul.

I've got one of those, too! Twenty-nine years old, retired Grade B showjumper, fed very plain diet, turned out every day >10hrs, eyes checked, leaps sideways with all four feet off the ground when a bird flies off the fence in the school . . .

 

[Hackback]

I read a hilarious tale some years ago of someone who fell off before she even got on, because her horse spooked at its own fart just as she was mounting.

 

[milliepops]

Mine blew his nose the other day and spooked at that. You have to wonder what goes on in their heads sometimes
I don't mind a spooky horse too much, a nappy one is much more frustrating.

 

[scats]

Mine blew his nose the other day and spooked at that. You have to wonder what goes on in their heads sometimes
I don't mind a spooky horse too much, a nappy one is much more frustrating.

Mines a nappy spooker. Nightmare!

 

[milliepops]

Yeah. I didn't bother hacking my one like that as it was just a recipe for disaster ?

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Mine blew his nose the other day and spooked at that. You have to wonder what goes on in their heads sometimes
I don't mind a spooky horse too much, a nappy one is much more frustrating.

Ah that's a good one!

Mine "enjoys" spooking at the hairs falling off of himself when shedding.



That's definitely on the spooky side, OP. However, mine could have a ride like that one day, but then walk down the trail on the buckle cool as a cucumber the next day (or a few days later). Totally depends on the weather and his mood.

We were at a dressage (Sat) and jumping (this morning) competition. His first jumping competition and the jumping warm up was chaotic with thrills and spills. The only thing he truly spooked at this weekend was...his white dressage pad. That he's seen and wore before. So ?‍ did not care about the white jumping pad the next day ?

 

[scats]

Yeah. I didn't bother hacking my one like that as it was just a recipe for disaster ?

Horrid isn’t it. She’ll hack fine around our farm ride and 9/10 she will do the local lane and housing estate with maybe a couple of ‘stops and looks’, but occasionally she’ll act like an absolute idiot from start to finish, but I’m so pig-headed about hacking alone that I just keep on doing it ?
Following someone else she’s a dream, but no-one else at our yard will hack ?. I could have happily abandoned her in a neighbours garden last night, it was so embarrassing!

 

[SEL]

Another one with a nappy spooker here - with no sense of self preservation either. Signed off by the vets after last year's (latest) lameness as fine for happy hacking. Shame she doesn't agree that hacking is happy ?

The microcob on the other hand is fine with most stuff apart from sheep and cows and is a delight to hack.

 

[Peglo]

Mine was unusually spooky this week but the spring grass is definitely coming through so hopefully she will settle again soon.

 

[J&S]

My companion pony (who we ride) is very spooky. She doesn't mind about the biggest vehicles/trailers/tractors etc but a bit of grass the wrong shade can have her turn 180 degrees! She is sooo quick too. You need a good sense of humour to ride her but she is fun.

 

[tatty_v]

Our new boy can be a bit like that, definitely worse on spring grass. Bizarrely he’s fine with traffic, tractors etc, but nature in any form usually sets him off ? he has good days and bad days, usually related to how anxious about life he is feeling…