scary new horse advice please

I already have a 3/4 tb but have recently bought a new younger horse. turned him out for a few weeks to settle and have just started using him.

However he is sooooooooooooo spooky its unbelievable! He is quite a bit bigger than my mare so I bought him as a confidence giving cob cross. Our vet thinks he is more thoroughbred than cob though.

He spooks like mad though at everything and when I took him out on road he spooked at his own shadow, ran backwards up curb and did a u turn. He also spooks at trotting poles etc in school. Worried I will lose my confidence on him so has anyone any ideas?
 
it sounds like he has a huge issue with confidence. I would ride him out accompanied with an older, steadier horse until he has completely settled in, dont let it become an issue. Have you tried long reining, walking out in hand?
 
no offence, but if your worried about losing your confidence i wouldnt even risk it, i got rid of my spooky (not as bad as yours!) loan horse over a year ago and my confidence has still not recovered. id had him for just over a year, i was determined to sort him out. but he got the better of me.

if your set on keeping him id go back to ground work, that helped me loads
 
sorry to say it sounds like you are already well on the way to losing your confidence, these are things that most young horses do, especially in a new home. He needs someone to give him confidence and push him past these things, Is there anyone that could ride him for you while he settles in

Was he sold as a confidence giving cob, or is it just because he is bigger you thought that?

I have a big chunk Welsh x TB and he most certainly is not a confidence giving hack.
 
Hiya, I expect being turned out on the spring grass will have increased his spooky-ness (though would have helped him settle into his new home), so he may not be like this all the time. Have you tried lunging him for 20 mins before riding him? Leading him out for a few walks in hand to let him check out the area but with you on the ground being a confidence giver? Are you riding out with a sensible lead horse? When riding do you ride confidently past 'spooky things' turning his and your head away and keeping your legs on him? good luck
 
I would say, without meaning to be rude, that youngsters and not the right horses to give the rider confidence.

I think many people underestimate how much support younger horses need & how much they take their cues from their rider. Yes a cob cross will likely be less sharp than a tb but at the end of the day, the horse is young and needs a confident rider to show him the way.

That said, it IS early days, give him a chance to settle & become accustomed to where he is & to gain some trust in you. He may just be unsettled by the move. As others have said, can you hack out with an older horse that knows the ropes? I wouldn't be taking him out alone at the moment. Don't be too disheartened & good luck with him!
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hi, sorry, he is actually 12. my mare is 19 though. My mare is more tb then he is and is a handful but manageable.

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ah - ok - my mistake!
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Then I would persevere with him, try taking it easy & don't put too much pressure on him or you. I am sure that once he is settled and knows you well that he will settle down & you can have some fun
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