he's scared of everything

[mcrroxx14]

there is a pony at a stable that i use to work at.his name was magic and he is afraid of everything.i cant even go into his stall because he gets really scared.and you cant even ride him without him freaking out.i dont know what to do :( im scared he's going to get hurt.please help me thanks:)

[barrel_racer14]

ok put a plastic bag on the end of a stick or broom and w/o going into his stall shake it against the wall as far away as u possible can. do this for about 5 mins then give him an apple or treat or something like that. do this only increase the amount of time u do it for each session. after a while u should be able to go into the stall w/o scaring him. ne more questions feel free to ask.
cowgirl up,
christina

[iluvcreek4vr]

Move slowly and dont look him in the eyes. Look at his shoulder or back. They take it as a threat if you look them in the eye and he will get more scared if you do. Just spend time outside his stall until he comes to you than that means he trusts you and talk to him calmly. Wait a while until you pat him so he doesnt tense up if you do it to soon and get more scared. When he lets you touch him just do it slowly and just once than move away. Throw some treats to him but not at him or he will tense up or hurt himself. there might also be something wrong with him have a vet check him out.

[DarkChylde]

If this pony was a victim of abuse, it will take a long time to retrain him, and if you are up to it, try to not get discouraged. EVERYTHING must be baby stepped with this one, I would suggest. I worked with a Thorobred with a similiar problem, and it took a better part of a year to deal with the issues, but he is a fine foxhunter now, and he was really a mess when we got him.
I would start by entering his stall, DO NOT make eye contact (can be taken as a sign of aggression) and just ignore him (but not to the point you endanger yourself of course). Be prepared to not leave until he seems to not notice you. Sit in a corner, play with bedding, it will be boring but necessary, but DO NOT approach him, or anything. Then, when you leave, try to leave when he has acepted your presence there. Do this for as long as it takes, until he just looks at you curiously when you enter. It will happen, but you must prove you are not a threat. I would suugest at first to be silent, and unobtrusive as possible. Don't go near the feed. The point is to show him your presense will not hurt. WHen that glorious day comes where he doesn't seem to be bothered by you in his stall, then I would go in with a treat. Do not offer it, just hold it. Still DO NOT make eye contact, but don't endanger yourself either, can't stress that enough. There WILL come a day when he will not mind you being there, and may actually look forward to your visits. You will know when to offer that treat. If he doesn't take it, don't be hurt, he is still testing the waters, as horses do what they do for self-preservation, and no other reason. The day he will take your treat would be a day I would celebrate. I would start to touch him (this is AFTER he has accepted your prsesnce and maybe a treat- if he is food aggressive you might leave the treat part of this out, I am not sure what the whole situation is) on his withers, or neck or whatever he is comfortable with. If he flinches, or tenses up, withdraw, and go back to where he is comfortable. WHen you show him you are not going to force him into anything, he will come around. A soft brsuh and gentle grooming on his neck or withers (a touch point for relaxation in a horse), start to go farther up his neck and down his leg, always backing off when he gets nervous. Make his face and backside the last places you go. If it takes the time, it will be worth it. WHen an animal learns to trust, it is the most amazing and uplifting feeling you can get (I KNOW)! Inch your way farther on him every time, and you will be able to groom him in his stall (but not when he is eating).
After you are at a point where you can groom him in his stall, then I would try to be in a round pen or arena with him. You may have to start from scratch (I know it sounds discouraging, but it will work) and be a passive presence again. No eye contact, ect. WHen you can groom him and/or give him a treat in the round pen, you will be ready to retrain him, as he has learned to trust you. But be aware, always, of your own safety. This sounds like an issue for a real pro (and a good one, not all professionals know what the hell they are doing), but it is a matter of winning his trust, so you must be calm and quiet within yourself AT ALL TIMES. He will sense your fear, and if you have it, I would suggest you not attempt this.
If you can get to this point, I would be glad to go into detail as to how to proceed from there.
Best of luck, and watch out for yourself!

[HappyHorse13]

Awwww, poor little guy. Well, if he's just spooky, then try to desensitize him.

But...if he has been abused, follow everyone else's advice.

Here's mine:

Become friend's with Magic, nice and easy. When you go by his stall, take a minute and saw hello, and tell him how beautiful he is. You don't even have to pet him or anything, just get him used to a friendly voice. Corny, it may sound, but when I used to ride, I'd visit a GORGEOUS Paint horse named Cowboy for nearly an hour, and rub his head (he loved that) and scratch his withers and talk to him. Not that my dad was too pleased, but soon enough, Cow learned my voice and always popped his head out the stall door and nickered when he
saw me. Our bond even got to the point where I could
say, "Cowboy," and he would stop doing something that he shouldn't do
(like biting another horse or pawing, etc.) or wouldn't even do what he
was about to do. Cowboy wasn't given a lot of attention, so his
big brown eyes just lit up everytime he saw me. One day when I went to lessons (at the new barn), my trainer was holding Cowboy by his sister (so
the mare would calm down) and Cowboy kept going over to her, which he wasn't supposed to do, so when my trainer pulled him over and said, "NO," he
just store at me like, "Yay! My buddie's here! Who cares what the trainer says!"
So every time you see Magic, talk to him. Give him a treat. Visit him a lot, build up trust. It takes a long time but it is so worth it. Trust me, you won't regret it. Lots of times, "bad" or "spooky" horses can be insecure, and just need a reassuring pat, lots of love, and a buddy to get by with. That's what I did with Cowboy. He wasn't a "bad" horse---he wasn't trained properly, so people thought he was bad. Because he wasn't ridden much (remember, he was "bad") he got spooky because of it. When I rode him that one day, he actually went for me. He had only stood stock-still and wouldn't move for anyone when he had been previously worked that day. Even though he spooked, bucked and reared a bit, I still went back
to his stall and told him that we gave it our best.
Even if Magic scares you, and maybe does something that
hurts you, please don't EVER build up a resentment toward him.
It won't work.
If Magic's had a rough past, let him heal, and you may just find out something
about yourself in the process.
Okay, my Dr.Phil moment is over, but
I just can't stop myself when I get to talking about Cowboy...
I hope Magic gets better!

[Comanchegurl14]

I agree with everyone here. This is a big issue that I've had to deal with as well. It happens a lot when the horse hasn't been worked with in a long time, they start to get spooky. Even some of the best horses do that sometimes. But anyways, here's my two cents worth.
Don't even try and ride Magic until he calms down with just your presence. Just go in his stall and sit there, play with something. Or go in sit or stand there and just talk to him. Talk to him about life and how much you love horses and how much you love HIM. Once he gets used to your voice he will trust you a little more. And NEVER go up to HIM when you're training him to trust you. Always let HIM come to YOU. Only start going up to him after he's ok with you. Now, once he trusts you enough to let you touch him and halter him pretty well, start working him on the lunge line and just lead him around different places. Get him used to the sights he'll see around the barn so that when you ride him around there, he will already be used to it. Lunging will also help him trust you more. He needs to also be able to follow you around willingly, even to places that are scary for him, that's when you know he really trusts you, when he'll do that in a place he's never gone before. Once you can do all of this with no problem that's when he'll be able to be ridden. Let me warn you though, riding is a whole different story. There's no one in front of him encouraging him to move forward past his beast so riding might, in a way, be harder to get him over the spookiness thing. But eventually he will and you'll have a partner for life!! and then if you ever sell him, be comforted in the fact that he's a good pony and there's nothing wrong with being proud of yourself for getting him good enough to sell to a little pony club or 4-h kid. Just don't get a big head!!
Hope this Helps!!
God Bless,
Rachelle

[DressageDoll]

Everyone here has given really great advice and you should do your best for this little guy. However you should make sure you get permission from the owner before you do anything, your involvement with their pony could be a liability for them if you got hurt. So you make sure you explain to them your intentions before moving forward with to much interaction with this little fellow.

[Casper2002]

This may sound funny to you but I work with mustangs and when we tame them we go in their stalls and just sit. So homework in his stall, read to him, sing to him. It really works sooner or later they trust you. then just brush him that is all just make him realize that you are cool. Good Luck

[prince&me]

everyones advice is really good but remeber that if hes in a bad way and could hurt you dont go in.
and when you do go in always have someone near you so if you do go in.

[HorsayLuv]

My question: If you don't work their anymore, are you even alowed to work with him. I don't think most stables will let anyone just walk in a stall, especially if its a borders horse. And if you are aloud and its a borders horse the border might not be very happy with you if you make him crazy over you and not so much over them.

[Haley]

Well, it's really going to take a lot of time and patience. Treat him with absolute kindness and caution - make sure to move slowly, and speak to him when you're approaching him. Guide him through everything, speak to him, and try to make him as comfortable as possible.

[crazy4horses]

Well good luck to you :) !