Bombproofing your horse

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Rapidash

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Basically my youngster is not good in traffic- particularly with the maniacs you get around here who won't give you an inch or slow down. Basically I just want to be able to hack her around the village when it is too muddy round the fields.

However what is the best way to get her safe in traffic? I'm wary of just doing it because I feel like that's a shortcut to an accident. I don't have a bombproof companion to go with either.

Would sending her to a professional work? Is that the kind of thing they do or do they stick to just breaking in/bringing on? How much should I budget and how long could it take?

I'm toying with sending her to be broken to drive. Would that solve the traffic problem too?

Cheers!
 
I don't know your setup but here's some ideas.

Can you turn her out in a field next to a road? Even if there's a hedge so she can't see much she will still hear it.

Wait until summer and dry ground then get people to drive round your field while you ride. As many different vehicles as your friends have.

Get on a bus, talk to a driver and arrange to be in the village next time they come through and for them to go really slow past your horse so she has a chance to get used to it.

Is there any empty car parks or village green etc next to a bus stop? Could be the perfect opportunity to hang out at a safe distance and hear air brakes, get close enough to sniff a bus etc.

Teach her to stand still when scared instead of running away.

When riding, turn her head a fraction so she can see vehicles coming up behind her. Carry a long whip and stick it out sideways to give you some more room, don't ride excessively close to the curb for the same reason. Teach her to leg yield so you can step sideways to avoid being hit by a vehicle coming too close.

Increase your horses trust in you by exposing her to any new or scary experiences.
 
To be honest I would sort the traffic problem before breaking her to drive as if she was to bolt with a cart on, well it doesn't even bare thinking about.

Sending her to a professional could help. They would know what to do and would probably have a nice safe steady horse to ride out with her which would probably be the best thing for her. Then she will see there is nothing to be worryed about. :)
 
Gosh, so much you can do to make your chances much better. Break it down into all the little elements and deal with those.

OK, teach the horse to stand for long periods in random places. Also, practice getting on and off when you are out, when it is calm. Then if you decide to get off at any point if your horse is getting a bit upset, it won't think you are abandoning it and make it panic more Practise getting on from things other than your mounting block, that helps.

Then think. A car is a loud, shiny, fast moving object. Anything you can think off that involves one or more of those elements really helps. For example, when you lead your horse out to the field try holding, progress to bouncing then kicking a ball. Shiny things you can do with silver foil. Get a bit, put it on the floor, scrunch in into ball and put on trees you are passing, etc, etc.

Loud, well bang a dustbin lid every time before you feed or get one of those desensitising tapes or use your iPhone and leave it playing loud music in odd unexpected places.

Then start to put it all together. Do you have a car you can lead your horse past, first with the engine off, then on, then moving etc, etc. Teach your horse that a single car is nothing to worry about.

I am sure you get the picture, just use what you have to hand, garden strimmers, lawn mowers, trampolines, toddlers on tricycles ..... just acclimatise your horse to as much as possible in a controllable space then you have a chance for it not to be freaked out when you are out.

Finally, I use positive reinforcement (clicker & treats). That just helps me get my timing right and works for us. If you are interested, a got my original ideas from Richard Maxwell and Hannah Dawson Equine has some very good ideas!
 
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Horses are either laid back in temperament or are not and I am afraid some just can not cope with it. However, if the roads near you are too dangerous then why not take your horse on a two week break somewhere else where the roads are quiet and start there and see if you can get your horse used to light traffic.
 
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