Spooky!

Some horses are easily startled, especially the hot bloods like Thoroughbreds, but any horse will suddenly jump if they catch sudden movement out of their peripheral vision. Their peripheral vision covers a lot of territory - pretty much their entire side - & engages a very primitive part of their mind. They don't think, just react.

If a horse sees something with their binocular vision, anything straight ahead of them, they're not usually as skittish, but check it out with a fairly logical mind. Usually.

Qualifiers are a necessity with any animal. They're individuals & their reactions to anything vary a lot by breed, temperament, & even the day. They have moods just like people.

The weather can have a lot to do with it. A crisp day with the wind blowing & the ground soft will usually mean the horse is really ready for some action. On these days, they'll often shy at anything just for fun. A very hot or cold day with hard ground & they don't feel like doing much. They'll just do the minimum grudgingly & couldn't care less about minor distractions.

Sometimes their moods are hormone driven. For about half the year, mares will cycle in & out of season for a week in each three. The same mare has been the best or worst horse we've ever had, but which one we'd find in the barn on a particular day was a mystery. It was a trial when the kids were showing them.

Other times, I just don't know why a horse gets spooky. Horses see hay bales all the time & they don't scare them, but if they're part of a jump, they're cause for great concern. Ours will 'help' me unload bales into the barn. Anywhere in or near the barn & they want to eat it. If I move the bale out in the middle of the field & it's somehow different - an alien laying in wait to eat them. What's up with that?

I don't know, but when training Chad to jump for a show, it's one of the things I'm going to have to do. It should be interesting. Wish me luck!