[DefinitelyADreamer]

As some of you might know, I purchased a Paint filly back in November. At that time she was 1 yr. 7 months, and had not had alot of handling (she was halter broke, and picked up her feet okay). When I got her home I noticed that she was a little spooky, she would jump at things you wouldn't expect and be fine with the big stuff. We worked away at getting a bond and she seemed to settle down in a routine. I noticed that if anything changed in the routine she became very flighty (if that's a word?) and would blow and snort and bring her head up. This would even happen if someone was just standing in the door way. Then we had an incident where she got her leg cut up really bad!! We made it through although the going was tough sometimes. After her leg healed up I started lunging her and had a saddle pad on her back, she was going really well, although the odd time she would still spook. At the start of June I sent her to a trainer near by and he started working with her (I go every night (I think I've missed three maybe)). At first she was really spooky with everything and it took about a week and a half to get her to semi stand quiet to get the saddle on her. Anything new she freaks at or she's good the first day and throws a fit the next. She got to the point where she would walk around quietly with a rider on her back but at least a few times a night she would spook and scoot ahead a few steps then stop and be fine again for a while. Then one night she blew up and was walking around the arena on her back legs. He got her settled and got on her and she was fine. Then last night he went to ride her and he had just gotten on and she started pitching (bucking) and spinning around. He went off and she still kept at it for a few more bucks then just stood there. He went to get back on again and she scooted way from him. So he lunged her for a few circles put her bridel back on and got on and she was fine, and I rode her after and she was fine??
Has anyone delt with a real skittish horse?? could this be genetic?? could she have some neurological problem?? She is so sweet, but spooks at everyday stuff or nothing at all, and its so out of the blue. When she spooks she seems to be honestly terrified for 2 seconds then its over?? I just don't know what to think or what to do?? I really like her and when she is good she is really good, but she is so unpredictable. She just seems to be making so much progress from the way she was but still has these spooky fits??
Any help would be very much appreciated!! Thank you.

[CrazyHorse]

Sounds like she's going through the "terrible twos!" LOL!

[CanadianWrangler]

Generally a "skittish" horse is a horse with a higher instinct of self-preservation. Mainly this means that something "unfamiliar" to them is viewed as a threat, and is reacted to as one immediately (horses first instinct of a threat = RUN). Also many "skittish" horses also tend to be more sensitive about fast movements, pressure, and noises as well. This leaves them with a tendancy to be on edge most of the time unless they are with other horses they can "take cues off of". EG: the skittish horse gets nervous of something and its herd mate doesn't; the skittish one will calm more quickly as "obviously its nothing to worry about too much".

Some physical and personality characteristics of a "flighty" horse are a general appearance of being "wide-eyed", head carried high, fidgety/won't stand still, tense, react strongly to loud noises or fast movements, generally becoming trusting in one or very view people. It is hard for many of them to accept a human (a predatory animal) as being trustworthy.

One other thing you can look into is having her eyesight examined. A horse with vision problems will often be very disturbed by new or different things as they don't recognize them properly, and efficiently.

[John]

CW s post covers this problem well. This type of horse takes a lot of work and as CW says will probably only work well for one person. When working her make sure to change your training patern almost daily even to the point of changing stalls. She will develop a habit or routine (good or bad) very quickly and it is hard to get them out.

[buggywhipp]

I don't know if this will help you out much but I leased a Tb gelding from a friend of mine. He was a total sweety but when it came to spooking he was a total nut case.lol Anyways being he was my friends horse she told me how to handle situations when he was spooking. When working with him on the ground and he would spook I didn't make a big issue about it. I acted as if there was nothing going on and continued what I was doing with him and once he seen how calm I was being he would settle down within mins. When I was riding him and he would spook at something I would just ride him through it. I would start doing different things mainly transitions with him. Things that would have to make him pay attention to what I was asking and it didn't take long for him to forget about what he was spooking at and pay attention to me. He was the type of horse who would find numerous things to spook at on a daily basis.

[DefinitelyADreamer]

Thank you all for your replys! I did have her eyes checked and everything was fine. My next step was to have her blood tested. I just feel so lost somedays and the man who is training her is so very patient with her and has done extremely well with her. I know he's trained alot of horses and she is by far the most challenging. I realize her training will take alot of time and I'am fully prepaired to put that time in.
Last night my trainer had a meeting, so I tacked her up and lunged her and was able to ride her with no problems (I was very proud of her she didn't spook once and the neighbour was out cutting grass!), then when I was walking her in to untack her I sneezed along the way and she jumped, she is such a funny duck.
I do find she is less spooky if I do alot of turns and figure eights (just basically keep her busy) and when she does spook she scoots two steps and stops and thats the end of it. Well thanks again I will definitely try your advise !!

[arabiangirl171]

you should try rescue remedy(if someone already mentoned). start doing alittle t-touch with her. but we had a black out. wil reply later

[emsNkeeper]

Emily (a 3yr old I'm working) can be like that. If you don't give her something to really think on, she goes off to la-la land which seems to contain only horse eating monsters. I do alot of circles, figure eights, poles, extending and collecting, anything to keep her mind out of the shadows.

Have you thought about sacking her out? This made Ems alot less spooky about stuff I was doing, though that kitty on the fence post might still turn into a fire breathing dragon...lol babies.

[DefinitelyADreamer]

Yes, I did "sack her out" at first she was very spooky, but settled down. Little things that you would think wouldn't bother her are the things she freaks at and the big stuff is no big deal.

[arabchic]

My horse sounds just like yours! A fly will go by and its the end of the world!LOL

I have finally worked her through it tho, i had to keep her busy, give her a job. Like a head set to hold, if i gave her her head she looks around and you can literally see her eyes get huge as she sees all the horse eating blankets or hoses, then she will tense up and freak out at everything. Now she is becoming a reiner, and i have a different horse now, she is too busy trying to anticipate when i am going to tell her to whoa or turn to even think about the scarey things anymore. I honestly think she has forgotten how to spook! Now she has become a joy to ride.

It just takes some time and patience, good luck!!!