Spooky horse

[Rachael42]

Hi all,
My horse is very spooky in the arena, we have been at this yard almost a year now and he won’t get over it! Anyone got any tips to help show him things on the outside aren’t scary? it’s the same things every session but he can be dangerous with it, spin round and bolt.
back/saddle/ teeth ect all been checked as thought there was a pain issue.

 

[Bellaboo18]

If you think it might be a pain issue, I'd get a workup.
Sadly back/saddle/teeth isn't checking everything.

 

[Red-1]

I agree with Bellaboo. Saddle/back/teeth is a good start, but if you suspected a pain issue, there probably is one, just you haven't found it yet.

 

[Rachael42]

He’s had a lameness exam and checked by a vet, physio and chiropractor. There is no pain. I should have written that differently.

 

[Bellaboo18]

He’s had a lameness exam and checked by a vet, physio and chiropractor. There is no pain. I should have written that differently.

Scoped?

 

[Rachael42]

Scoped?

Yip the full works

 

[Bellaboo18]

If hes been scoped for ulcers and it was clear, it could still be hindgut.
My point being, I just dont think you can ever say 'There is no pain'.
From your posts, he puts in a dirty stop, hes getting increasingly more spooky/stressy, he's bolting, spinning and he finishes his hay in a couple of hours and stands with none for the night.
Hes telling you something.

 

[hollyandivy123]

have you checked your forage and feed? he might be magnesium deficient ? and his blood work up and urine screen?

magnesium is a cofactor for many processes from gut, signalling in nerves and all the way through with muscles etc etc

i am not saying he is deficient, but it is a possibility and to talk about it with the vet

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Mine is definitely more chill when I supplement magnesium. He also can hallucinate on a feed with soya. So...I avoid that. If blood work, nutrition, and body (saddle, eyes, teeth, pain, etc.) are all in check, then I would suspect a rider/training issue.

My horse was a bit of a stop and spin type when he was younger, he just really was not a confident horse and required cool, calm, and firm support from his rider. With the wrong rider or program it could've been a disaster. So I would be looking into the training side of things if all health issues are sorted out.

 

[LEC]

Most of the time it’s because the horse is not properly trained or between hand and leg.

 

[milliepops]

is he the same in other arenas? might there be something about the arena at your yard that he doesn't like? I left a yard because both my horses were almost unmanageably anxious in the school on site, it was screened on all sides by a tall hedge but they could hear sounds from a busy footpath on one side, and electric fenced fields on the other side (couldn't stop the fence from ticking) plus farm machinery on the hill above... i was on a hiding to nothing there and it was always a huge relief to ride off site.