Q. Over the last few months, my horse has changed from a steady, reliable, and willing friend to a miserable grouch. He’s an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding that I have owned and used just for pleasure since he was seven years old, and I knew him for a couple of years before I bought him. He used to be the kind of horse that seemed happy to see you whether you were feeding him or getting him out for work. He used to be great with everything from the farrier to the veterinarian.

Now, no matter what you try to do with him, he seems to be saying, “Don’t even try to do that.” He pins his ears and swishes his tail whenever anyone approaches, and he seems unhappy most of the time. We’ve had the veterinarian out to check him, and he says there is absolutely nothing wrong with this horse. This all started last year soon after I moved him from a nearby training stable to our home farm. My friends think he is just spoiled with too much attention and feed here at home.

His former trainer has visited him here to have a look at him. She agrees that he is a completely different horse, no longer the sweet and willing character she knew. She really thinks there is more to it than just too much attention–she thinks that something might be bothering him physically. Of course, she doesn’t have a clue what it might be.

I realize that neither you nor anyone else can say much without seeing a horse in person, but can you comment in general on horses like this and what might be going on? I know you probably don’t believe in animal communicators and psychics, and neither do we. But is there some way to evaluate whether equine behavior such as this is mainly physical or psychological? He does seem to be getting worse, and I find I don’t enjoy working with him