Spooky horse - help!!

[scross]

I wonder if anyone can give me any advice. I have had my welsh cob for 6 years now and he has always been a bit of a handful but recently he has become really spooky.

He has always been a bit jumpy but never like this. It seems to be getting worse everyday. I have had his back and saddle checked. He has been on several of the 'calming' supplements none of which seem to work.

Any advice would be great.

 

[ajn1610]

If it is a sudden change with no obvious reason do you think it could be his eye sight?

 

[scross]

Thanks for your reply. That has been at the back of my mind, I think a visit from the vet may be needed. I have looked in his eyes and there is nothing obvious but then I wouldn't really know what I am looking for.

 

[Hippona]

Have you changed his feed recently? My boy is spooky/sharp at the best of times, but any mixes, even the cool ones set him off. Also some brands of haylage make the rides much more, shall we say..interesting..... I read somewhere that failing eyesight does not cause spookiness, its usually the ones with v good eyesight that spook, but it won't hurt to get checked out...

Sometimes I think my lad gets more spooky because of me, I try to just ignore it, ride lightly and calmly and think positive....sometimes it works - he's 21 now, i dont think hes going to grow up/settle down any time soon!!

 

[Dressagebabe]

Spooking is 9/10 a way of evaiding work! is he usually a forward thinking, hard working sort or does he drag his heels a bit and tends to be not very quick off your leg? If you have started to push him a little more he may be Spooking to side track you from the schooling. If you are certain it is not caused from a medical problem then I would be inclined to ignore him and try not to give him any reaction at all as this is what he wants whether its a pat of reassurance or a raised voice of disapproval. If you just continue with what you are doing, regardless, then he will realise the spooking has no effect on you and should deminish with only the odd genuine spook of fear.

 

[xXShelleyBXx]

Hello there!
When did you last have his teeth done? The bit could be causing him discomfort if his teeth haven't been filed.

If his teeth are fine are you loose with his rein or quite tight. Might be worth slackening the rein a bit to encourage him forward with a bit of leg on.

 

[Dteccytiv]

.i.have a section D that does spook quite alot when he's in the front of a group. I have to ride him forwards and to totally ignore his spooking, some days he spooks every few minutes so it's not always easy to ignore. I often think i make it worse cuz i look for things that he will spook at. I also feed him calmers and pony nuts that have added magnesium. I'm not sure if the calmers help him or not cuz some days he spooks and some he doesn't, it depends what mood he's in.

 

[scross]

Thanks for all your advice. I have recently tried him on 'Magic' as everyone down at the yard was saying how wonderful it was...I think it made him worse so he immediately came off that. Apart from that his feed has stayed the same.

He is very forward thinking and is very keen to please. I do try to ignore the spooks but now as they are becoming more of an issue, I am starting to look for things that he might spook at.

I just need to establish that there are no medical reasons for his sudden change in behaviour and then just persevere. He is 11 now, I had kind of hoped he would start to chill out sometime soon!