Getting off a spooking horse???

[piggyinablanket]

OK, background in brief, Fatboy Slim, a wee bit green on roads alone but coming along brilliantly, been hacking out alone now 2 weeks (which is FAB as I was also a nervous wreck about it before) took him a route today he has not done on his own yet.

....so, going well, lovely happy pony until while on quite busy and faster road (though nice and wide) we come to a van, minidigger, all the signs and, worst of all, a man in a big hole.

Slim throws a mental. I was trying to stay calm and lots of leg, pony spins a few times, and takes me into the bushes.
Ok, so traffic coming behind, and toward. Pony trying to leg it backward.

So I jump off, (didnt want to FALL off!) Seemed like all I could do at the time. Let traffic past and crossed over, still took some persuasion to get past, but remounted after and carried on, pony calmed down lovely.

SO.... when I get home, OH insists that it was a bad idea to get off, he will remember, it wont help him to trust you, etc. etc. I felt helpless at the time though... but nice and calm after. Did I do the wrong thing in YOUR opinion????? Do I fight it out in the road? I dont think its a good thing to dismount either, but when WOULD you?

 

[Wigglypigs]

If i was with friends id prob stay on but be sh!tting myself as i know they would act the same as you husband although how you can calm a nervous horse when you are paralysed with fear is beyond me
If i was like you and out alone id have done what you did.No point in getting squished and scared.I dont think your horse will suffer any lasting ill effects as its not as if you got off and turned for home, he still went past it after all.
Congrats for getting back on BTW
x

 

[SHAYTAY]

i would have done exactly the same. Whats the point of both of you getting into a state and putting yourselves in danger. By getting off you stop the argument and also give him the confidence to go past. Dont let anyone else tell you different! x

 

[OrangeEmpire]

TBH better to get off and get past safely, than to allow his panic to escalate into dumping you or sitting on a car. At least this way all that's happened is that he's been a bit scared and eventually got past it by following you. You didn't let him turn round and run home so he's learnt that he has to go past things. So all in all, not a bad lesson really. Next time hopefully you won't need to get off.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Forget what OH said, it wasn't him on the horse was it. If you feel that you are in a dangerous sutuation & either you or someone else will get hurt then there is no shame in bailing out. As for the horse remembering, I doubt it as a one off. If it happend again you may be in a better position to ride it out but when you're on a road & in traffic it can't always be done. At least you live to fight another day.

 

[Flicker]

I've hopped off the mare to lead her past something scary before and the interesting thing is that next time we rode past it she didn't bat an eyelid. Must have realised when I walked with her that it was ok and she had the security if needed. She never spooked at the same place again. Sounds like you did the right thing. It is all very well to say shoulda woulda coulda when you are not in the situation, but when you are in the situation you need to think first and foremost of your own safety and that of your horse. I would have done the same, for what it's worth.

 

[katie_southwest]

If my mare ever spooks on the moor, obviously I stay on because there is minimal danger, but if I was on the road with traffic around, for our own safety and the car drivers safety I would rather get off and avoid an accident

 

[hedgehog1]

when theres danger like that (traffic, other people etc) its not just you getting hurt to think about. so getting off seems pretty sensible to me, and the fact that you got back on is the main thing.
i did exactly the same thing once. mine was trying to reverse at speed into a massive ditch alongside the road as a lorry was thundering past, got back on afterwards and all was fine next time etc.
maybe try and take someone else with you next time if you think he's learnt it ?

 

[Gonetofrance]

If you didn't feel confident enough to ride through it, then you did exactly the right thing. In an ideal world you wouldn't have felt the need to get off, but you MUST do what is safest for you and the horse.
Men in holes are very very scary, so when horses see the ground ahead swallowing up a human, it's their job to tell you how dangerous it is. It's them your job to show the horse that it is OK.
It's not 'giving in' in that kind of situation. On a road, in public, with traffic, it's a no brainer. Be safe, and don't beat yourself up, you were right.

 

[angiebaby]

I agree with everyone else, for you it was the right thing to do.

 

[piggyinablanket]

Thanks for your replies, glad I kinda did the right thing, Hubs wasn't being mean about it, its just we are trying to give this pony confidence and I think it would have been preferable in his opinion to 'ride' through it. (If only my legs and seat were as good as his, lol) Glad you are agreeing with what I done, it makes me feel a lot better.

On the plus side, I then took him down the bridleway and cantered him down it, no biggy you may think, but I have a mental block about both cantering him on his own, and this bridleway (for my own silly reasons) so I'm chuffed to bits!

 

[samstar]

I've managed to stay on before when i took a friends horse out and we met a cement lorry, ended up going backwards and spinning and nearly backed into a car, Ended up with rein breaking with me still on so had no steering. You did the right thing in getting off and walking past what scared him. Next time as I know it will happen again, I will def be jumping off.

 

[MizElz]

From experience, I dont think getting off is the answer, although in some cases it is pretty inevitable!

I had a pony once who was very naughty and spooky, and I got so scared that I would fall off her that I just jumped off every time we met a tractor/bale of hay/bag in the hedge etc. She quickly got canny to this, and then refused to walk past anything without me getting off, and I wasnt strong or experienced enough to get her out of the habit! We actually had to get someone in to ride her to make her go past things and stop her napping in the end

With Ellie, I resolved from day one not to ever get off if I could help it. Aside from the fact that you are giving into them and letting them think it is ok not to obey you, there is also the safety issue - if the horse decides to bugger off once you've dismounted, you have far less chance of holding on than if you were in the saddle. Again, I have experience of this - I once got off to walk Ellie through some spooky bollards on a byway, and she made a huge leap through, crushed me against one of them and then got away from me and went off down the road. If I'd stayed on board, I would have had a fight with her, but I would have managed to hold onto her - and wouldnt have a) injured myself or b) lost my horse!

 

[Maesfen]

I agree with you.

Only thing I would suggest for next time (and the circumstances safely allow it) is that once past the scary monster, you turn around and walk back past it again, then back again, then back again; let him look and snort but make him walk past nicely. Then, all being well, you get back on and ride him past the big fat scary monster that by this time, he should be thoroughly bored with and get on with the rest of your ride.
The only thing is, if you can, do try to sit it out and not jump off at the first shy, that will teach him you are easily scared and he will start doing it whenever he feels like a bit of sport. Think positive, think forward, sit up and think positive again, he'll soon get used to you getting your way and not the other way around!

 

[SillyMare]

I can understand why you did what you did - better to calm the situation down and avoid an accident.

However personally I would never get off - especially on the road. Absolutely nothing to do with them 'getting away with it' when I get off. Reason is because it is far too easy for them to pull away and leg it - you really have very little control from the floor.

In that situation I would tend to back off the hazard until the traffic has subsided (or stopped completely) and then insist on riding past it.

With a baby horse I am happy that they stop and look at something. I will take as much time as it needs to get past - but every step has to be forwards. I never let them turn away and kick on hard if they try to run backwards.

While your OH may have phrased his comments badly in a moment of stress, I would be inclined to agree with him.

 

[OWLIE185]

Firstly I very much hope that your horse is kitted out in Hi-Viz are that you are wearing Hi-Viz with long sleeves so that the traffic can see your hand signals from a distance.

I have trained horses to be ridden by themselves through Central London Traffic etc and I would get off a horse in certain situations. However I believe that one may be in no more control on the horse than off the horses. Depends on the horse and the training it has had!

 

[SunshineTallulah]

Sometimes getting off can defuse a situation.

 

[Daffodil]

I think you did exactly the right thing. By getting off and leading him quietly past, where he could see you and feel protected by you, I think would have increased his confidence rather than otherwise. No point in the episode escalating into a fight, with the dangers that involves. Well Done.

 

[YorksG]

I agree with the majority, I too have disembarked when situations became dangerous. If possible and mare goes backwards, sit it out, but if spinning and genuinely scared then get off and lead, she gains confidence, we stay in one piece, she goes past it next time, no worries.

 

[Tinypony]

Well, most people put in most of their training with their horse when they are on board, so naturally they feel more in control there than on the ground, and they are probably right. I have put in a huge amount of work on the ground as well, setting up patterns of yielding, stuff to make my horses switch their brains on... so in my case I'd never hesitate to jump off if I felt I needed to. I am sure that my horses have never remembered this as a cue to get away with things in the future, because they still had to face their demon, just with me alongside rather than on top.
Bottom line, if I were to lose control of my horse when on the ground, I'm pretty certain I'd have also lost it if I'd stayed on top. In which case, the sad reality is that I'd rather be on the ground weeping and distraught than on top - should the worst happen.
A friend of mine bailed out when her horse was bolting towards a road, despite being on top of a well trained horse she couldn't get control and she had just seconds to make the decision before he emerged on to the tarmac at a gallop. Devastatingly she ran out on to the road to find her boy breathing his last breath, he had run straight out into the road into the path of the car. All her friends have reassured her though, that to stay on would have only meant both of them lost.

 

[Tuppence88]

My top tip is the song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! I have seen so many horses rearing up and spinning around because the rider is scared. I know that people 'put on a brave face' but horses are telepathic. They know you're scared. Just singing calms you down. I have had endless naughty horses intent on turning themselves inside out. Sit there like a bag of potatoes and sing!
Whatever you do don't think van, mini digger and man in hole...think car differant shapped car, strange tiny person (man in hole) and jump filler (signs) because before you 'told' the horse they were something scarey thats all they were to him.
I know both things seem silly but they are tried and tested...and you'll always get the one horse that goes backwards into a drainage ditch, and it will be your employers expensive shiney new pony when she is out hacking with you.

 

[Cop-Pop]

There's no point coming off on the road and doing yourself a serious injury - much better to get off and control the situation (and not put others in danger too) then go from there. Chances are if it was scarey he'd spook at it again anyway

 

[piggyinablanket]

Thanks for all your replies, all very valid points! And very useful for next time too.

I think my family/friends are getting bored of hearing about his exploits, lol.

 

[PapaFrita]

PF can be randomly spooky. Whenever I feel her start to quiver, if there is ANY kind of danger, such as traffic, I get off and she immediately relaxes. In other situations I would stay on board and try to soothe her.

 

[Mavis]

I used to be a die-hard 'never get off unless it chucks you off' mainly because my previous horse, who I had for years, was 17.2 and I couldn't get back on without the aid of a fence/stepladder/tall passing gent to leg me back on. I also had the notion that I had somehow 'lost' the battle if I resorted to getting off.

Recently, with my new horse, I have come to the conclusion that it isn't 'giving in' if you lead it past things; it's simply applying the quietest and most hassle free tactics to avert any major situations. The other weekend, I was riding out alone, which my horse can be quite stupid about, and we were climbing a steep chalk track which is like glass underfoot. He suddenly clocked a heap of creepers, head went up, heart started racing and before I could even think about coming out of my own little dreamland, he'd shot up a vertical bank, whipped round and was cantering/broncing back down the slippy track, legs everywhere and blundering like a drunk on speed. Once Id stopped him, I tried to get him going forwards, but was mindful of the fact he has a tendency to rear if panicked. I could tell he was having none of it and I really didnt want to start a battle I couldn't win, so hopped off, dragged him past (he had the cheek to try to eat some of the creepers on the way past) and carried on with my hack with no further incident.

I don't see anything wrong with getting off occasionally, obviously something would be amiss if you hopped off at the slightest whiff of trouble, but to avert a sticky situation and carry on as if nothing much has happened, I dont think there is anything wrong with leading a horse past things. If you were to stick on no matter what, you could end up making things worse (not only for yourself or your horse, but for other road users!)

 

[Nickijem]

I'm another one agreeing with the majority on here - you did the right thing. I rarely had a problem with my previous horse spooking and I had the idea that you never get off (instilled in us from pony club!). However there was one occasion where he absolutely refused to go past a pile of stones (!!) on the grass verge. He wasn't being naughty, he was genuinely scared. I tried to persuade him past but even though we were on our way home, he absolutely refused so I hopped off, led him past then remounted. The next time we went round that route he walked past with no problem.
I personally hate kicking and whipping a horse that is genuinely scared - I would much rather reassure the horse from the ground.
I am aware there is a risk that the horse could get away from you on the ground but there may be a greater risk that you could fall off and lose the horse if you try to sit it out.
Common sense needed!

 

[ladyt25]

I think if it is getting to a stage where it is potentially unsafe or you are causing a traffic jam then best tp get off, lead past, get back on and carry on to be honest. The last thing you want to do is get MORE stressed thinking of people waiting for you to get passed. I don't think a horse 'remembers' you had to get off but i think it would recall a stress level if you carried on battling to get past.

I have a pony who i have had for what, 14 years now. He is a bit erratic but not dangerous but one day (last year) he took exception to some silage bales (wrapped in bright blue plastic) in a field we had to pass on a road he has been up and down hundreds of times. He decided he wasn't going to go past and proceeded to reverse down the road. He isn't scary (although the person in the car behind me was a tad concerned) and i don't think he was really frightened he was just being a sod! I resorted to getting off (cos otherwise he gets himself in a tiz), lead him passed got back on and carried on.

Best for both of us really as spared us both getting wound up! i don't think arguing with your horse in the middle of a road is ever really a good idea. With more work and when he sees more strange things and trusts you more he'll go past things no problems, just remain calm, don't make big deal of it cos if you don't then they are less likely to.

 

[X0XbringitonX0X]

Ive been in the same situation when trying to go past a lorry, in the end I just got off and lead past - otherwise he would have had me off. I think the important thing is that you get on again. But well done for doing so, its always hard to do so if you are really scared!