|
Post by carol666 on Nov 30, 2012 14:10:13 GMT 1
My 6 year old gelding has developed a fear of oncoming traffic on narrow roads. I live in an area with very little traffic, so we only pass one car about every 10 mins. Unfortunately the other horses nearby are no longer ridden so we always hack on our own. I have thought about putting him to a livery yard with busy traffic for a couple of months so i can ride with horses and busier traffic each day, but dont know if this is likely to be long enough. I have young children so moving him to a livery yard away from home isnt ideal for me. I put him at a friends farm for a week next to a busy road, but i dont think that was long enough. His field is next to the road, but he bolts across the field if he is grazing at the fence and a car comes. I dont know whether to accept that I should just accept that I dont have the right environment to solve the problem and sell him. I dont think he was as bad when i got him a year ago, although he has never been great, but I always try to ride him forward in an outline with a strong leg and a bit of shoulder in. Any advice would be appreciated if anyone has managed to sort out a similar problem.
|
|
|
Post by annas on Nov 30, 2012 14:33:50 GMT 1
Sounds like a tricky problem. Do you have somewhere safe where you could do some training with him? Start by going past a parked car (in hand or ridden whichever he is better with). Maybe have someone walking with you in front to show him it is not scary. If the other horses nearby are not ridden but well behaved could they be led past the car whilst you ride past behind? Then build up the training slowly to having the car running (but not moving). When he is OK with that get someone to slowly drive along as you go past etc. If he never really sees them it will be difficult for him to become accustomed to them. It might take some time before he is completely comfortable but i guess you need to show him they are OK so he understands not to be scared.
|
|
|
Post by rifruffian on Nov 30, 2012 15:57:43 GMT 1
I have a horse who has been through this with me. I do not agree that the idea to move the horse to a place with lots of traffic is a good idea. Under saddle, it is not purely fear of traffic that is the only difficulty. The horse does not have faith in the ridden combo to keep him safe. (Yes, even though he also does run away when at liberty in the field) .The idea to have the horse ridden in the vicinity of controlled traffic as outlined above by annas is a good one. In this context it is just as important that the rider be calm cool and collected, just as much as the horse. With my own horse it has taken more than a year and the horse/rider relationship is at least as important as the traffic. 'Strong riding' as mentioned in the OP ...I don't think it's that important but certainly the horse must be well mouthed and compliant to signals through the bit.
|
|
|
Post by jill on Nov 30, 2012 16:19:08 GMT 1
I haven't seen it done, but Richard Maxwell used a technique for horse who were scared of quads and motor bikes etc. He allowed the horse to FOLLOW so that the machines were going away from him and the horse felt in some sort of control. Not sure whether you can adapt that to have him follow a vehicle as a start, and then build to other vehicles round and about, and finally to those approaching.
|
|
|
Post by misty on Nov 30, 2012 18:29:32 GMT 1
When we started Rosie we got her used to cars and motor bikes on our drive, took her out for walks in hand. On Monday, on a narrow road with a high bank she went passed (o.k. did have a little dance) a huge refrigerated lorry who had to keep engine on. As said it is getting him used to vehicles bit my bit and being confident in yourself. Keep trying.
|
|
|
Post by BJMM on Nov 30, 2012 20:00:58 GMT 1
My youngster, Jasmine, had this problem. How is your horse if the oncoming traffic slows right down? Jasmine got panicky if the traffic approached at speed so I always signalled to cars to slow down and thanked them. It took a while, but repeated exposure has worked and she is very good on the road now. But I have to say that hacking out with Aunty Blaze, who is utterly bombproof, is what has given her the most confidence. If you don't know of anybody with a suitable steady horse to hack with, might it be worth advertising locally for a 'hacking buddy'? I moved my horses from a very quiet yard to a field alongside a busy road 8 weeks ago. Jasmine shot across the field every time a rattly trailer passed and was generally jumpy. Yesterday a police car passed with blues and twos on, she didn't bat an eyelid, so I think busy traffic next to your field can sometimes desensitise them, and in a relatively short time.
|
|
|
Post by carol666 on Dec 1, 2012 16:08:26 GMT 1
Thanks very much for all the responses. Actually I should have added the first time - I have been having friends drive past slowly and keep passing and passing again, he is ok with this, but its difficult to ask friends to come and do this consistantly over a period of months. I have also done the same with stationary horse box. I also ask drivers to slow down when I am out, but as its a country road many seem to slow down , to a speed that is still too fast for him, or if on a bend dont see early enough to slow down. If they slow down to dead slow he is fine. I am surprised at the suggestion that moving to a field next to traffic isnt a good idea, as I thought that must give confidence as traffic would become the norm. His schooling is fantastic, he is certainly compliant to signals though the bit and well mouthed, and is perfect in every other way hacking out. I think the key thread from most of your responses is to continue trying to build up incrementally. (I am also interested in the robert maxwell suggestion of following the traffic, and will try to find out more about this approach.) Thank you everyone.
|
|
|
Post by BJMM on Dec 1, 2012 18:51:09 GMT 1
I think a field next to traffic DOES work, same as I parked my babies next to the radio when they were newborn ;D and ran the vacuum cleaner! My children slept through anything and we didn't have to creep about if they were asleep. I think a similar principle works with horses and traffic. And it's not flooding - they can move further away, across the field if bothered. Mine rarely react now to the most rattly trailers, air brakes or sirens, even if they are the other side of the hedge next to the road.
|
|
|
Post by jen1 on Dec 1, 2012 19:26:22 GMT 1
I haven't seen it done, but Richard Maxwell used a technique for horse who were scared of quads and motor bikes etc. He allowed the horse to FOLLOW so that the machines were going away from him and the horse felt in some sort of control. Not sure whether you can adapt that to have him follow a vehicle as a start, and then build to other vehicles round and about, and finally to those approaching. This is just my thing I love traffic problems I've done join up with Quads and tractors
|
|
wills
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,657
|
Post by wills on Dec 1, 2012 21:50:04 GMT 1
i would have thought if you could turn her out nearer traffic might help. My field runs beside a road, granted its a quiet road but my 3 now as a result are not bothered by most things. their is a recycling bins next to mine, you should have seen them when the lorry first tipped the bottle banks up I thought ori was about to have a heart attack, now they don't even flinch.
|
|
|
Post by carol666 on Dec 1, 2012 22:09:09 GMT 1
Thanks again. Jen1 - I had a look at your web site, which looks ideal, but it very far from me - is there anyone who does similar training around South Lanarkshire/Central Scotland that you could recommend?
|
|
wills
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,657
|
Post by wills on Dec 1, 2012 22:20:34 GMT 1
|
|
|
Post by carol666 on Dec 2, 2012 13:38:40 GMT 1
Just had a look at the scottishhorsehelp web site- I didnt know that existed, its only about 20 mins from my home, so I may be able to get some help at home. Super thanks.
|
|
wills
Grand Prix Poster
Posts: 4,657
|
Post by wills on Dec 2, 2012 17:35:10 GMT 1
Good luck. I used to get lessons from Morag and she really is lovely. She used to travel to our yard monthly and its quite a trek to us. Keep us updated x
|
|
|
Post by clara81 on Dec 3, 2012 12:20:40 GMT 1
Turning out next to traffic definitely helps. I tried to get my pony used to traffic by standing at the end of the drive to watch it but every time a big vehicle went past she took off and dragged me back up the drive. I moved to a field (for a different reason) that was right at the side of a busy junction with a bus stop and with a few weeks she barely noticed skip wagons, air brakes, cars backfiring etc. BUT, the field had no grass in it so I tied haynets on the fence right next to the road. At first she would run away from a bus or whatever and then go back to the hay but in the end she stopped even looking up from the haynet. I think if she could have stayed away without getting hungry she would have. Obviously this won't work if your horse would rather starve than be near the road but mine's an Exmoor so not an option lol!
|
|