Trust issues? Or something else?

Recently I've noticed that my horse, Sonny, is really afraid of my trainer. The problem just started today I believe, or sometime within the last day. I planned on doing a private lesson on Sonny due to he's still not entirely sure about all the horses in the group lesson that I usually attend. He's only been at the stables for a week today but seems to be fine with everything. Well I took him up to the arena, took off his blanket, cleaned his feet, then lundged him around for a while (I haven't been able to ride him as often as I want to, due to weather, school and work). After that I asked my trainer to hold him while I went to get on my boots and helmet. She walked over to Sonny and he backed up really quick and acted as if he was really scared. I calmed him down and then my trainer was able to hold him. But when she went to pet him, his whole body flinched and he started to breath heavier than normal.





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Trust issues? Or something else?
ok, this IS a tuffy. BUT! maybe this will help. I once knew a OTTB who's owner was VERY ABUSIVE. She always sreamed at him and hit him with a bat. When he was rehbilitated and gentled he was sold to this woman( friend of mine) and started dressage.everything was fine until one day she came to the barn and he freaked! he whoud't go near her, kicked at her sreamed at her and snaped. when I came to check and went in he was fine with me. My friend was so hurt and so scared she went inside to clam down. I took him out to his turn out and gave him some hay. when I went inside and tood her to come out he calm now she did, she took off her jacket and came out be hind me and we were able to walk up to him with out problem. the situation happened more that day and I was sitting down looking at a photo of him and his former owner and kew what the problem was. His former owner loved the color red and always wore a red jacket. HER jacket ment pain to the horse. so we fixed the problem and asked a vet. He said while horses eyes are ok, they have a great reptitional memory ( means if something is done the same way enough, they remember) good or bad. if a lady in a red coat, or the shape of it, or smell of it, or anything aprocching means hurt, he was rite to act in such way. well, i can't tell you WHAT started it but i can say until you have an idea, desinitize him to your trainer and EVERYTHING SHE WORE OR SMELLED LIKE THAT DAY!
Reply:Well if your trainer has been around your horse without you around, I would suspect she has been mistreating him in some way.





Or, she may have a scent that is frightening him, or just made a false move around him that is causing him to be afraid of her.
Reply:I think your trainer might move in a way Sonny gets scared of like if his previous owner move toward Sonny in a way that he could tell that he was going to get in trouble the trainer might move the same way...Next time the trainer walks toward Sonny try putting a carrot in her pocket or let her hold one.
Reply:i'm suspicious... does your trainer ever work with him when you aren't there??





could he be having problems with his eyes?? he might be a little blind and doesn't recognize her scent...





how does she aproach him? her posture and body language may be intimidating him...





where did you get him from?? did you adopt him? what was his previous owner like when handling him? has he been passed around to many different owners?? how do the employees at the stables handle him? does he spook like that for everyone but you ... or is it just your trainer?





your going to have to do a good investigation
Reply:well there may be something about your trainer that your horse senses but you dont know. she may be a abuseing him when your not there. maybe spy on her when you put on your boots again
Reply:Behavior that starts out of the blue often is your horse trying to tell you something. But it sure can take serious detective work to figure it out sometimes!


Since you have known your trainer long term, you can assume there was no intentional abuse. (That would be my first concern with a new trainer I didn't know). But don't forget - a horse doesn't have to be hurt by something to become afraid of that thing. Example: a horse looking at a tarp when a nearby obstacle falls over and strikes them. Then the horse is scared of the tarp because it was looking at that when it happened. Perhaps Sonny had some recent episode where the trainer, or someone who looks, moves, smells or in someway makes your horse think of the trainer was nearby when he was scared or injured.


Whatever the cause, I think its important that you "sack" out your horse with the trainer so he realizes that he won't be hurt in any way by her, and that he cannot flee or escape her when he chooses. I would do this the same way I would sack out a horse with a plastic bag with noisy pop cans in them. You need to have the trainer approach the horse and have contact with him, and to keep approaching calmly and persistently until the horse stops moving its feet. Then the trainer needs to pause, retreat and allow the horse to get relief before approaching again. I would suggest watching DVDs by Clinton Anderson or Cleve Wells on how to sack out a horse with an object if you don't know the proceedure. If this is a new and not well established behavior it hopefully can be nipped in the bud quickly. If you trust and know this trainer I would even encourage her to roundpen, lunge or work with this horse one on one to get through this period of fear.


Other considerations are - is your horse having pain from saddle fit (perhaps the girth issue) mouth pain, joint soreness or something that could be causing it anxiety. None of us feel trusting and confident when we are uncomfortable already. So if this problem cannot be solved quickly by having your trainer spend a session or two with the horse, it might be important to have him examined by a good vet. Ongoing pain issues could make a mild problem become worse and worse, so I think you're going to want to address this as soon as possible.


And don't forget, your horse has been moved to a new stable very recently. That may in fact be the biggest trigger. He may feel lost and intimidated with a change in enviroment and friends. But you can work through this if you follow a well established routine, and allow your trainer access to the horse (once again, assuming you have a good and trustworthy trainer!)


Good luck.
Reply:As you said all you can do is work together with sonny and the trainer. All it takes is for one person to annoy a horse and they can lose trust. Have your trainer maybe give him a treat while standing there, and slowly rub him all over. Even when sonny moves keep going with the rubbing to show that the trainer isn't going to harm him.
Reply:It sounds like something about your trainer is scaring him. Is she the one that feeds at the barn? She might have done something not realizing it that flashed to a past experience. Something like that is hard to identify. Ask her if he spooked at her for any reason another time, such as feeding or bring him in or turning him out.





Someone I met at a show had a horse that was sold about every two years. She trailered him just fine until she hit the two year mark - and he refused to go into the trailer. She was in the process of working with him when I met her.








It might simply be moving to the place where the trainer is triggered and episode in his earlier life where bad things happened when the owner of the facility was in the riding ring.





The best thing to do is to determine if he spooked at her another time that might have triggered this reaction and work from there. If not, then just work with your trainer to help Sonny overcome his fear of her.
Reply:That's really weird... maybe it was just a once off thing? See if Sonny does it again next time. If he does, then get your trainer to do nice things to Sonny like feed him treats to help him get over his fear.
Reply:maybe the horse senses negative energy and does the trainer ever work with him when your not there? or if not , its possible the trainer does come when your not there and does 'stuff' not necessarily "working" with him . maybe its best if you get another trainer
Reply:The horse my be letting you know that he is being abused by the trainer you do know a horse seance fear maybe she is in fear that you will catch her abusing your horse and he knows it



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