Question: I have a very nice Irish TB hunter. He came off the track a few years ago and was started badly over fences. I am told he was crashed several times in an attempt to make an overnight event horse out of him. He was also extremely spooky and nervous to ride. Now, he is still spooky but not nearly as much, and we finished a very successful year at baby green; but we still have a stopping problem. Rail fences are fine. At shows, most of time the gates are not a problem. Sometimes, however, specific fences will be. At home we have a castle gate. Every day it is cause to spook, stop if possible and leap it fearfully. It does not matter if it is 18" or 3', same reaction. I have tried patience, punishment, to no avail. Suggestions?

Answer: Some horses tend to spook all of their lives, but the more familiar they are with an object on a day to day basis, the less likely they are to spook when they see it. I would suggest turning the horse out in a paddock with the jump and putting some hay on top of the obstacle so that the horse has to get right up to the fence in order to get the food. If the animal associates the jump with a pleasant activity, such as eating, it's my guess that it will be much less likely to spook at it.