Make sure you have enough mana to summon him, it's an apprentice level conjuration spell.
I was annoyed at first that it was an apprentice level spell but then it eventually led me to play a hybrid character which I really like right now. The problem is that if you are a vampire during the day with low magicka pool, no regen and no perks, it is hard to summon Arvak back to back almost immediately. Once you dismount, he vanishes very quickly. No mana regen = no ride.
I switched my pure assassin into a hybrid necromancer. Being able to call a horse on the fly is win.