I am considering buying a approx. 8yr old paint pony 12.2 hands. The only issue I see with him is he shys when you raise your hand to reach to pet him or swat a fly, he will actually jump a little. If you are facing him and bring your hand towards him to pet his face he is fine. Is this a correctable issue or should I be leary of purchasing this horse for my family. Also I heard it might be his feed. Any help appreciated.

Hi Taryn,

This simply sounds like he is a bit head shy and this can easily be corrected with patience and steady training. I am not an equine behaviorist, but from your description, he should be fine once you spend time with him and gain his trust.

From a nutrition perspective, there is no way for me to tell if he is deficient in any particular nutrient. Certainly, you'll want to feed him a balanced ration which is made of mostly good quality hay and/or pasture, and a multiple vitamin/mineral supplement or commericial ration to fill in the gaps.

So, the best advice I can give you is to get the type of horse you are comfortable handling. If you have limited experience with horses, you may be better off with one that is more at ease around people.

All the best,

Dr. Getty :)

Where are you from? Colorado