I sympathize immensely. After riding for 30 years, and having ridden a wide variety of horses and ponies, this is not an uncommon occurrence, and your certainly not on your own!
My last experience was with a friends horse who, compared with others, was not that bad, but if she decided she was in "one of those moods" that was it. I had her on loan, and got used to her moods. I would often spend the whole ride talking to her, saying things like "it's OK, it's only the wind" or "no, the blade of grass won't jump up and bite you!". We got so that she trusted my judgement, but that wouldn't stop her from suddenly cat leaping at the slightest little thing! Mr Bones, another horse I used to ride, had an inherent fear of the big round bales, especially those wrapped in straw, and dead trees. I spent nearly an hour one day trying to get him past a dead tree when out on a ride, and eventually got him past by asking a passing farmer to drive next to us to hide it! Polly backed into a ditch at the site of a dead Elder tree poking out of a hedge!! So yes, horses do spook at the silliest things,(but we still love them dearly). To help you, I seem to remember Your Horse doing a feature a few years ago on the way Police Horses are trained - not to spook at any noises crashes bangs etc.. It may be worth contacting the BHS or one of the mounted Police sections to ask their advice and see if you can maybe hire their facilities. In the short term, lots of encouragement and talking (even if the locals do think you've lost it!!) and when your horse goes past something that he obviously thinks is terrifying, even if he crab walks, lots of patting and "Good Boy's" to make him feel he's achieved something.
Good Luck
Liz
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