My horse is spooky under saddle and even when getting saddled what can we do?

A horse that is spooky both under saddle and during the saddling process is showing you a generalized anxiety pattern rather than a specific reaction to a particular stimulus. A horse that spooks only at specific things has a desensitization need that can be addressed stimulus by stimulus. A horse that is generally anxious and reactive across multiple contexts — including something as routine as being saddled — is a horse whose nervous system is running at an elevated baseline level of arousal. Before you approach this as a training problem, have your veterinarian evaluate the horse thoroughly. Ulcers are one of the most common causes of a horse that is anxious, cinchy, reactive to grooming and saddling, and difficult under saddle, because the baseline pain and discomfort keeps the horse's nervous system in a state of low-grade stress that amplifies every external stimulus. Thyroid imbalances, magnesium deficiency, pain from ill-fitting tack, back soreness, and hormonal issues in mares can all present as generalized reactivity and anxiety. Evaluate your management alongside the veterinary check. Horses kept in stalls with limited turnout, fed high-grain diets, worked inconsistently, or kept in high-stress environments have management-based reasons for elevated anxiety that training cannot fully overcome. A horse that lives outside in a calm herd environment with free access to forage, consistent daily routine, and adequate exercise has a fundamentally different baseline nervous system state. For the saddling anxiety specifically, begin with whatever step first triggers anxiety and work several steps before that point. Perform each step slowly and calmly until the horse relaxes completely before advancing to the next. Progress in increments that keep the horse below his anxiety threshold rather than pushing through it and creating a defensive reaction. Under saddle, when the horse spooks the rider's response should be calm and matter-of-fact — a redirect back to the work, a one-rein bend if necessary, and an immediate return to whatever the horse was doing before the spook without drama or punishment. Groundwork done consistently is one of the most efficient tools for reducing generalized spookiness because it builds the horse's attention to the handler and his confidence in being directed and guided before the complexity of carrying a rider is involved.