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They cannot be trained to perfection and can spook at the weirdest of things. They are to be respected.
They can be trained a lot better than they are tho.
In the netherlands I passed horses that didn't spook at bicycles, police horses do not spook at paper bags etc etc.
Pffft!!! They don't even pay road tax
Prior claim to what?
Oooo, I don't know. Stuff like bridleways for example?
Even once they're trained horses need to be regularly ridden. Many if not most recreational horses spend far too much time in the comfort zone of their stable or field. Taking them out can be "exciting" and requires discretion about where you go and what you do with them. No way would I take Roberto down the Derwent trail, I know I'm taking a risk riding him and it would be totally unacceptable to expose others to that risk in the confines of a busy railway trail. Jazz on the other hand, he'd be fine, a similar risk to having a well-trained dog on a lead.
The comment by the jockey of the grand national winner amused me when asked about the horse's character, "he's not a horse you'd stand in front of".
Horses can/will get spooked at the strangest things. One I used to look after had a thing about crisp packets. When it saw one in a hedge, it would just stare t it and kind of rotate its body around it rather than walk past. Bloody stupid animal. Also kicked people, specifically me.
I agree with Edukator's comment. If they are exercised regularly around other things, then they are [generally] less likely to get spooked. This one just sat in a field until the owner (ex-wife) could be bothered to take it for a ride out.
Not bitter. Nope. No way.