Any concept how to self-possessed a horse who is spooked drastically confidently contained by an outdoor college?
I ride in our floodlit school most nights after work,but he is so shuddering,and scares himself then bolts off,any concept?
Answers: Blinders. He can see ahead, but won't be able to see to the side. He may be catching glare from the lights in his lateral vision (which in a horse is "behind" him), and that startles him.
It sounds as if the lighting is not designed for "hours of darkness riding" and therefore creates shadows and spots. Horses have very pious vision and he is seeing all of these creepy things and it scares him. I don't know whether he will become accustomed to this with time, because the shadows and movements will keep shifting. This is an unsafe situation for you and him. I wouldn't ride him in these circumstances. He will become more and more fearful and very unconfident and those vibrations and fears will translate into all aspects of his life, especially anything associated beside you. Have you tried schooling him on the ground, doing basic ground work in this lighting to help him return with used to it? That might be a solution and help him with his issues. If you can't control his mind, you can't control his foot and I have to have control of the feet on the ground beforehand I ever mount, regardless of the time and/or location. Be safe.
