Helping an Unconfident Horse & terrified of pig at new place!

I recently bought a new horse and he is the first new horse I have gotten in 7 years. I sold the mare I had for the last 7 years and bought this one because I'm switching disciplines from western to eventing. I absolutely looove my new guy. He has a good mind, rides soft and supple, loves attention, is an absolute joy to be around, and seeks leadership. The only huge difference is just that. He NEEDS leadership to feel confident. My mare was alpha and had no problem thinking for herself and while she seemed to enjoy my company and follow my lead, she definitely had no problem not having a leader to look up to. She was naturally curious and hardly ever spooked no matter who rode her or was handling her.

Shorty (new horse) is also very curious but he is definitely going through a lack of confidence issue right now that makes him more reactive. For 2 obvious reasons that will most likely go away in time:

1) New Place: has been cross-country schooled, foxhunted (twice) in the past, but the last time he was away from his home was last winter for a month at a hunter/jumper trainer. When I bought him last Saturday was the first time he was away from his home in a year. He has been out of work for the most part but rode around bareback in a halter by former owner around a busy barn atmostphere and to/from pasture and did fine.

2)New owner! He has been owned by the same person for his whole life minus 2 years when he was still very young. The people I bought him from broke him to ride and have had him ever since.

I realize that this horse's world was turned upside down when I moved him a week ago with no familiarity at all and I am being super patient with him while he adjusts...and he was doing good considering all of that until he met the barn PIG! He is absolutely terrified of it, and will balk walking towards ANYWHERE around the barn area because he is looking for that pig.

Luckily like I said he has a good mind and for the most part spooks in place. He tenses up like crazy and will look and stare and walk side to side but manageable. He will become jumpy at other small things that probably wouldn't have been a problem is he wasn't in such a high alert state. My barn owners are great and have had to deal with horses' fear of pigs as they come in to be trained or as new boarders...said that he's not the worst case they have seen but it's pretty bad and say in time he will get over it. They have given me some advice that has lead to some of what I have been doing with him. Don't know why a huge horse boarding facility also houses one of horses' naturally feared animals...but anyway...

I wanted to see what some of you might do to help him adjust and more specifically how you think the best way to handle the terrified horse. Previous owner said he has no history of bolting, bucking, rearing or anything, but when unsure will stop and look. My understanding is that he was allowed to do this and when he was done they would move on. I would rather him not have to look at all. He seriously looks like he might explode when he does that and one day he might just decide to run for his life without advising with me first.

When I walk him around on the ground I make sure his attention stays on me all the time. If he wants to stop and look at something I lightly jiggle the lead line to get his focus back on me while we walk. If he finds something that causes him to actively spook, and snort at like kids running around, horses running around, sounds coming from inside the enclosed round pen, or the worst...the pig lol, I stay as calm as I can and will get his feet moving and lunge him around me (usually at a walk, sometimes trot if that's what it takes), changing directions, yielding hindquarters, whatever I have to do to get his attention back on me and not everything else. The things like kids running around and movement from inside the roundpen I think are hightened by his fear of that darn pig. If it's a new day and he hasn't seen the pig yet, he is usually much more relaxed and gets over things quickly. Once he has seen that pig...bye bye focus.

I do Parelli games with him everyday in his pasture and another arena away from the barn area that he does not associate with the pig because he has never seen it down there. He has always been WONDERFUL there. No fear, no issues, completely different attitude. I lunge him, ride him, and build our relationship there before going up to the barn. I know I have to be his leader and eventually I hope he trusts me enough to follow me no matter what. He already walks up to me in the pasture and follows me around at liberty. I think he spooks less with me around, too, but that pig just messes him up. For the last couple days I have put him in the arena by the barn to feed him with the pig nearby. I will put his food as close as he will come to it and he may eat and retreat as much as he feels necessary. After he's done and the pig is still munching, I will lead him in figure eights/serpentines and just before he starts getting uncomfortable we turn towards the pig and then away again. Each time I try getting closer and if he's relaxed enough I'll do some of the friendly game, rub his head, etc. We are still about 20-30 yards away. The second he gets spooky and unfocused I make his feet move etc until he has his ear cocked to me for the circle and not the pig. Then we start walking again.

Of course I can't wait until he gets over his fear of the pig so I can ride him up there where the jumps are and around the whole property without him being so nervous. I plan to continue working with him in the top arena by the pig but another suggestion has come up that I can stall board him for a week or so where the outside run is near where the pig usually hangs out. He would have plenty of time to figure out that the pig is not going to harm him. He would of course still have turn out either day or night.

Any feedback, suggestions, ideas or comments about what I'm doing or could try to do? I have seen him EVERY single day since I moved him 8 days ago and very determined but patient to help him through this. He has so much potential and I really enjoy working with him, just need to get over this hump and if anything this is doing nothing but good for our relationship. I feel like I HAVE to do all the groundwork with him and become his leader right off the bat instead of sliding by and just riding like I probably could have done without the pig. I'll be thanking this whole situation as soon as we meet our first huge booger out on cross country I'm sure.

The attached picture is him in his favorite place (the arena with no pig stinch! )

I think he'll get over it in time, but he'll have to get familar with the pig. Maybe being next door to the pig would resolve this faster, as long as he couldn't chase the pig.

When we brought our sheep onto the property, we had the same reaction from the horses. They were (depending on the horse) anything from intensely curious to totally terrified. My 32 year old lame gelding was upset for 3 hours. But, at one point we found that the sheep would duck under the electric fence and they could come into the gelding's turnout. He ended up being buddies with them in just a short time - they were eating out of his feed tub, standing under his belly, etc. and he was calm as a cucumber. We think he kind of likes their company now. I think that pigs, sheep and llamas are in the same category of terrifying animals as far as horses are concerned, so you might be okay in time.

Sounds like you're doing a lot of things right, just remember to be uber confident around your horse, or he will feed off of your anxious energy.

Thanks for sharing your experience! Being really confident is definitely key. He is really sensitive and if I move quickly when he spooks I can tell he spooks worse. He is very dependent. He is not really a spooky horse, though. Doesn't mind flapping jackets/blankets, plastic bags, fake flowers, trick-or-treat pumpkin buckets, and I can touch him anywhere...ANYWHERE (first gelding I've had where sheath cleaning will be relatively easy). My mare wouldn't act much different if I was nervous or not. So it is taking a lot more self control on my part but I am getting better at it because I know I have to for him (I kind of like a horse that depends on me actually...). The winds were gusting here 20-30 mph today and I gave him a break from the pig. He was a good boy with the wind, didn't phase him where he was comfortable, but might have been too much stimulus with the pig added and I didn't want to make anything worse.

We have two barn pigs. I got them strictly so the horses had to get used to them. We have a lot of feral hogs in this country and some of my trail horses were so terrified of them that an encounter in the hills and brush south of us could result in a bad wreck. When the wild pigs first invaded this country (Southern Oklahoma) I was in a wreck on a colt that ran into one. This wreck got me a $9,000.00 helicopter ride and in intensive care for 3 weeks at an OKC trauma center. I could not ride for a almost a year.

Sooooo! I got 2 pot bellied pigs that squeal every time they see a person or a horse. There is a big tree by their pen (to shade it) and I tie horses to the tree until they aren't afraid of the pigs. Some get over it in a day. Others crouch down and tremble for several days. I just tie them out in the morning and put them up at night until they don't care about the pigs.

And yes! Most horses do not like sheep, goats or llamas if they have not been around them. I remember the first time I encountered a llama. I was packing into a wilderness area in Colorado. As I went up the steep trail, I met some hikers that had rented a llama to carry their food and gear. I had a pack-horse jerk away from me and scatter my food, cooking stuff and bed-rolls down 3 or 4 miles of steep mountain trail. We were the rest of the day catching the horse and trying to find our gear. Never found some of it.

My guy draft horse is afraid of pig he smell them before I see them so he will go pass at a quick pace but do not as him to stop

And goats. Don't forget the evil, demonic, terribly frightening goats! My big ol' 2.5yo absolutely hates goats. The BO's crazy lab is fine...but goats are out to get him, he swears on a stack of salt licks (his favorite thing).

Take his feed pail and move it closer to pig. Hold on to his lead but leave some float in it. He will have to decide if he wants his feed bad enough that he can tolerate pig. Don't interfere or even talk to him. Let him deal with his fear. Not too close at first but each day move it a foot or two closer. Food is a great learning incentive.

Saddlebag has a great idea. Grazing nearby will help too. And just don't make a big deal out of it. Don't let him run you over and just watch your step.

Keep us updated :)

I never knew horses were deathly afraid of pigs.

The kids next door to where I board raise a litter of 4H pigs every year about 20 feet from the arena. Other than the lovely day when their "guard dog" tried to kill the pigs while I was riding, none of the horses have minded the pigs. The lesson pony at the barn likes to hang out next to their pen and watch them.