Chase the tractor......

[Supertrooper]

I may be going mad but I'm sure I read that this is a good way of getting tractor phobic horses better with them ie once tractor has passed 'chase' it down the road!!! By getting horse to trot after it.......

Pls tell me I'm not mad ;-)

 

[Cornish on the Cob]

True in my opinion! My friends horse is having traffic training and when we meet a tractor, her horse freaks if its coming behind her, so we pull in and let it pass then chase it so the horses think they are 'chasing the predator' rather than it chasing them. It's become quite a game now in fact!

 

[starryeyed]

.....is this why my new horse throws her head up in excitement and canters madly after every tractor that passes us?!

 

[Sandstone1]

As horses are prey animals I would think it goes against their nature to chase something they are frightend of.

 

[Cornish on the Cob]

.....is this why my new horse throws her head up in excitement and canters madly after every tractor that passes us?!

Probably! Lol!

 

[Cocorules]

This definitely works. I understand that it works because predators do not move away so scary thing moving away means it is not a predator. Also horses can feel they are making it move as lesser horses move away from stronger horses. I have one pony that is naturally more nervous than average and anything I can introduce her to which I can move away from her really gives her confidence.