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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.

Since this isn't the first post about this horse, I highly suggest hiring a trainer. It might be your only option besides selling him, and we never want to sell our babies!
He is obviously a handful and needs some good old fashioned basic training. The fact that you have no enclosed area is just making it that more dificult for you. It eliminates a lot of very helpful options. The mare may not have worked for just about any reason possible. He could have known a mare before so he gets excited around her.
Anyway, your horse more than likely isn't crazy, just green broke needing some patience, hard work, and basic work. Forcing him to do any work - even acceptin a saddle - isn't a good idea. This could make him even more hostile. If he isn't being responsive, there is something up. He is scared, or frustrated, or just doesn't know what to do. Take him back down to simple training - like he wasn't even trained before. If you don't, you will more than likely get seriously hurt if he continues to progress in the way he has.

I've noticed in the responses they're mostly about the saddle. I'm also very concerned about his random outbursts, such as breaking off the rope and cutting himself on the truck, ripping the post out of the ground, and knocking into the stall gate. What on Earth can send sudden bursts of a fear through a horse like that when there's NOTHING going on, NO change, nothing he's not used to? I noticed today while mucking Lacy's stall, out of nowhere he jumped away and almost ran into his feed bucket.

I think you're right about the training, this has gone too far, and obviously the almighty Dad's wisdom techniques aren't coming close to working. The horse showed him how much he appreciated them by trampling him yesterday. The first week he was here I guarantee he would've avoided dad at all costs. He used to go out of his way to make sure he didn't run into us, now he doesn't even care anymore.

Check his hearing and vision. That might be why he is so jumpy.

Vet said his eyes were fine, but then again your eyes can LOOK just fine and you can have bad vision. How do you test their vision and hearing?

To tell you the truth I always leave that to the vet... so i dunno!
Stand near the rear of him (that is if its safe) and start waving your hand. Horse's eyes, being on the side of their head, allow them to see almost completely around them. If he doesn't notice your movement, there is probably something going on.
As for hearing, stand at different spots and kiss at him. See if you get his attention. I don't really know how great of a test that is though. Have your vet look at im again I would say.

I agree with the suggestion to send him to a trainer, but first, how old is this horse? Is he truly a young, greenbroke horse, or have you inherited somebody else's problem horse?

But I'm not sure about the suggestion to stand behind him to test his vision. Researchers are still trying to find out exactly what horses see--for example, it was thought for centuries that horses only see in black and white. Wrong--they can distinguish certain colors. Not all horses(except purebred Arabians, who have almost 360 degree vision) have the same blind spot in the same place.

I'm not a vet or a trainer, but it sounds as if your horse has a physical problem and is not a head case. If you've had him thoroughly vetted and his vision, hearing, rainrot problem, etc. are okay, I would look around for a trainer. It's worth the money. If he is truly a young horse whose only problem is that he's greenbroke and has developed some bad habits, find a trainer known for bringing along a greenbroke horse. Force (even a restraint like a tiedown) never works in the long run. The horse has to learn what acceptable behavior is.

Joan

We just bought him a little over 2 months ago. He was alright then, but we had to use a tie down to keep his head down to make him behave. Before that he ran off with me and the whole nine yards. Now that has almost no effect on him! He's 6 years old, going on 7 this spring. The vet said everything physically with him is perfect. We're looking into trainers, although I'm not happy with the whole shelling out of $750 thing... But it looks like if I want to keep him I'm going to have to.

Horses panic when tied because they are prey animals, that is, escape animals. When they feel the restraint of the rope they feel trapped, pull back, go crazy, break the rope and flip backwards or run away because they have not been properly broke to tie. Again, lack of training. Sometimes they have developed a habit of doing this and it is hard to break them of it. There is a kind of tie ring you can buy from online tack places that when the horse pulls back, it lets out some rope so the horse does not feel trapped, panic and flip out. They work really well.

I'll bet you are worried, tense and nervous around the horse. This sounds like a scared untrained poorly socialized to people kind of animal. He needs a competant, confidant trainer. He may also be picking up on your nervous feelings.

My mare did similar when I got her. I could not saddle or bridle her without help and when she was saddled and we started to ride she would buck or rear and once she got me off, head for the barn.

I had to get some serious help to ride her.

This sounds very much like my first horse, an Appaloosa Mare. She was 15 at the time I got her and hadn't been handled in 2 years. To make matters worse, shortly after I brought her to the stable I was boarding her at she was shot at by kids with BB Guns (we caught them after they shot at horses during a riding lesson) while I was mucking her stall and she was in the arena. I came to find her galloping back and forth along the fence, when she saw me she pressed herself up against the gate and had sweat running off her like water. After that she was very spooky. She broke ropes, ran away, would rear and bolt while being lead and if you were in the way she would crash into you. I took her out on the trail and she did really good until we turned for home then she began to run backwards (her favorite thing to do when she didn't want to do something). Well, there was a road behind us and she kept going back, luckily my friend was there and grabbed her reins. I decided to stay on encase she pulled away. She pranced home and when we got the entry way of the stable. She reared and tried to pull out of my friends grasp, she backed into a fence and started bucking. When she finally stopped, probably just a quick little break, I got off and walked her in. Well, I could go on but this is getting to long as it is, you get the idea. One think I knew about her was she wasn't mean she was scared. Well, what I finally did with her was Parelli Natural Horsemanship. She became very quit and really became my partner. I began to lead the trail rides, riding bareback with a halter and single rein (the lead rope is just attached were it would be if you were leading). This really works. Willow has made such a turn around other people have started the program because of her. I don't mean for this to sound like an ad, I am just telling you what worked for me. Willow is 20 now and still going strong though she is beginning to get cataracts in the middle of both eyes so I'll have to see how she does as it progresses. Hope this helps.

Jenna

Thank you Someone else actually recently mentioned the Parelli Natural Horsemanship thing to me. I'd really love to try it. I can't believe the nerve of some kids/people. I used to know a few who shot horses with BB guns, so one night when I walked in on them doing it I yanked one away from them and started shooting at their legs. Little creeps. If only I'd had a rifle... then they'd be sorry!

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