calm horse freaking out

Question
My quarterhorse gelding is usually very calm and level headed. He does spook occasionally, but always "in place." He also will typically stay with me on the ground without being held - following where I go. Twice this week in the same arena he has been ridden in for the past year - he spooked. The first time he tensed up and I got off and just walked him around to settle him down. I got on again and he refused to move out (he is normally ultra- responsive). Then the other day I was working him on the ground in the arena at liberty. He was following me as I walked the pole pattern around the poles in the arena. Then something caught his attention to the left and ALL focus was gone. Then the really weird (for my horse) thing happned. He actually fast loped to the arena gate. He then paced the fence and stood facing me with his head held higher than I ever seen, standing in the corner. I talked soothingly to him and he let me snap his lead rope on. But the usually very respectful, well-mannered gelding was totally freaked out - whites of eyes showing, head up, and when my husband opened the gate he even shoved his head into me trying to get me to leave. It took quite awhile to settle him down. returned to the arena - he was upset again, although I kept working him to distract him from what he was worried about. He wasn't so bad , but he was still very distracted and upset. I have no idea what prompted this behavior, but one thing I do know is that the guy that lives in the mobile home by the arena killed a bobcat a few days prior. He has the skin in his backyard and someone told me he has the carcass hanginging in the leanto next to his house. I know my horse's nostrils were flaring like crazy - he was smelling something. But could the smell of a dead bobcat really set him off like that?

Answer
Hi Nancy,
          The short answer is that the smell of the shin, most likely set him off. Horses are flight or flee animals and are genetically programmed to flee at the smell of any animal that could hurt or kill them. unlike a human, he is unable to differentiate between a dead or alive animal.

Lisa