Theosmom wrote:
the only other horse with him is another arab cross who is older and somewhat calmer. I dont think he would do well being ponied or that the other horse would pony him. And he didn't actually go through the fence, he just bumped into it I don't think he could see it because it was wire. Luckly the fence wasn't on. He does ok when I hand walk him. he mostly just wants to eat the grass...

Well, I would start with ground work.... "back to basics" style, first and foremost.

Ie: manners, whoa, moving away from barn.. etc, whoa, yielding and letting you be in control of his feet, whoa.....  ya know, basics. And go over the basics yourself... such as the one-rein stop and doubling the horse.
Then ride him in the arena and rinse and repeat over all those.... 
If you take him out and he behaves like a complete twat and acts like enough of a shit that you decide that your trail ride isn't working.... work the hell outta him at home. Being home should never be a get outta jail free card if a horse is acting like a dick when you're out riding or trying to ride.
Make him work harder at home than he has to away from home. Make being away from home or wherever he wants to be... super, happy, fun, cool time.


The "spook & bolt" always starts somewhere...  if you're not a confident rider or you read too much into him acting like there's "boogers in the woods" ... you may have been the start of the habit.  Equids are smarter than most people give them credit for. Your gelding has learned that if he wants to get out of work and go home... then he just has to act like a jackass.



" We are all lone souls. It pays to know humility, lest the delusion of control, of mastery, overwhelms. And, indeed, we seem a species prone to that delusion, again and ever again. "

"...But nothin' ever came
From a life that was a simple one."

" You are not a beautiful and unique snowflake.  You are the same decaying organic matter as everyone else, and we are all part of the same compost pile. "