Thoroughbred gelding

Question
Hello again,
Just a follow up. My horse is always keeped in a large paddock never stabled. So I don't understand how he could be barn sour. He is not aggresive at all just a big scardy cat. Thanks Kristy
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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
I own a 11yr old th/bred who I have owned for 4 yrs. I rode him when he was racing & took him on when he was finshed. He was general quite had the odd buck but nothing to worry about until this year. I could grab him out of the paddock & take him out for a wander, but the past 8mth he has had a real attude change he is scared of anything & everything around him, if you ride him you can feel his heart beating through the saddle. He has really put my conferdent down as & am start to be scared of his behaviuor. I have had his eye checked & teeth done & all are fine so I don't understand the reason for the temperment change. I was feeding him chamomile flowers which had a little bit of a inpacked but not much. He is seem the same on or off feed, so it dosen't seem to be a feed issue.Any imput would be greatly apprecatied.
-----Answer-----
Kristy,

Sounds like he's gotten barn sour.  The chamomile flowers would help but Bach's Rescue Remedy will be more helpful.  He's having the same sort of issues that a person who starts having panic attacks does.  Try some Rescue Remedy on him, give it about 1/2 hr. before you want to go out.  I give it when I've just gotten the horse and am cleaning it up and saddling it.  He is going to have to learn to be "brave" once again and to get past this problem.  Take some of the Rescue Remedy yourself too so that you don't communicate your anxiety to him.  If you have someone to go out with occasionally that would also be helpful at least to start.  Work with building his confidence.  Take him to where he's starting to be uncomfortable, ask him to sort of hang around there, maybe doing some basic ring-type work, side passing, turns on the forehand and hind quarters, you get the idea.  Something to make him think and keep him focused on you.  Don't ask for a prolonged period of time at first, 10 min. is enough.  Each time go a little further and he should get over this but it will take time.  

Let me know how it goes.

Lyn

Answer
Kristy,

A horse can be barn sour and never be in a barn.  They just get very comfortable with where they are and don't want to leave home be it a barn/field whatever.  Like I said, it's like panic attacks in people and they really don't know what causes them either.  So, you'll just have to work with him and convince him that there are no lions or tigers or bears out there!  He has to learn to be "brave" again.

Lyn