Pistol is my first horse. I've had him since the beginning of September. When we first got him, I rode him after a few days of allowing him to settle in. He was alright, but then he ran off with me at full speed. We solved this by adding a tie down to his tack, and that made him a perfect little gentleman. Then, he started getting very uncomfortable whenever I shifted my weight, such as to mount or dismount, but only then. He got to the point where when I tried to get off he reared! We finally figured out why. He had an awful rainrot infection all down his spine and hips because the people we bought him from decided to leave him out in the pasture for 4 weeks straight during all the hurricanes. He got nonstop rained on.
Thanks to that wretched rain rot, he's had a 6 week vacation from riding, and has become extremely spooky in these past 6 weeks. I still handle him every day, he's just as nice as can be when you go to pet him, but he's a jerk sometimes. We got a second horse, Lacy, to give him a companion, give me someone to ride, and most importantly, to CALM HIM DOWN! Well, I think she simply made him more excited, even though she's extremely calm and seemingly bombproof. We were hoping that he would learn from her, but he hasn't.
I finally got back on Pistol yesterday, and it didn't start out very well. He acted like he had never seen tack before. When we went to put the blanket on him he almost hurt himself trying to get away. He clenched his muscles so tight to himself it was obvious, and even tried to lower his body to the ground without falling. Next we had to practically throw the saddle on him to get him used to it. He took the bridle OK, but this was really ridiculous. You don't forget what tack is in 6 weeks, and you don't forget manners. I got back on him after this fiasco, but not for more than 10 seconds. The second I started to get on he started trying to run away so Dad held on to the lead rope and I got on. Pistol instantly reared, trampled my dad, took off at a gallop and I came flying off.
Has my horse gone completely mental? I ask this very seriously because this isn't the only situation in which he's panicked. Oftentimes if he's just say, grazing outside, tied to a post, or even in his stall, everything will be peachy and calm. Nothing will change, no noise, no wind gust, nothing. SUDDENLY THE HORSE EXPLODES!!!!! He'll take off at light speed, he'll break the rope in a panic or tear a post out of the ground (yup, he's done it), or suddenly almost hit the wall. It's like something in his mind spooks him. I just don't understand why he's like this. He's also extremely, extremely head shy. He's not a mean horse or anything, he never has been, but he's terrified of something for some reason. I've checked everything. I make sure I never wear any make up or perfume around them, and I don't smoke, so my smell doesn't change. My clothes are usually the same type when I'm around them. My hair is never different. NOTHING will change, but out of nowhere, he'll spook and dangerously at that. He's cut himself badly on the tail end of a pickup truck one day by breaking his rope and taking off in its direction. I DON'T GET IT!
I can also tell by this, there is no way in the world this horse trusts me. How do you earn their trust? I've never hurt him, and I used to be too nice but I can tell with this guy it's going to have to be no nonsense from here on out. He got to the point where he avoided me, so I make him earn his dinner every night. He HAS to let me pet him, and not just for a second, for as long as I want, or else he's not getting any food. He's figured this out, and it's made him better about being a snot in the stall.
Can anyone help me with this? Is my horse mental, seriously? What kinds of things can affect a horse's behavior like this? Grain? Disrespect for people? My neighbors do like to come down, fill up a scoop, and hand distribute it among the three, but they let the horses push them around about it. But that doesn't explain the spooking, this was going on long before they started this. Maybe he's going to need a refresher course with a very, very good trainer... but that is going to have to be a last resort because I'm a college kid with very limited funds. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thank you.

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