My new horse- he is a bit odd, any ideas of how to help him?

[pedilia]

How terribly sad for him. After my TB was stolen he returned very much like this, he'd just lost that spark and showed no interest in life at all.

I did very much what has been suggested, just spent time with him. On the yard, in the field, walking him in-hand, short hacks,games in the school. It took a good year for him to come anything like normal.

4 years on he is back to the horse he was but its taken a lot of work and patience.

 

[Doormouse]

If I ride him in a field and let him go he doesn't know how to react.

Bless him, I had a WB from Holland a few years ago and the first time I turned him out he wouldn't leave me and got in a real panic when I tried to go back to the yard without him. It took me a week before I could leave him even with another horse! I don't think he had ever been turned out poor love. He learnt eventually and he ended up loving hunting, showjumping, showing etc and was a star but it did take a while.