Got escorted up the road by the police today....................

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roz84

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Took my mare out for a hack on her own, she was an angel until we were nearly home then a pony behind a hedge spooked her (she couldn't see the pony so she assumed it was a monster!) She started being an idiot in the middle of the (quite busy) road so in the interests of safety I got off as she is known to do huge cat leaps in this situation - there were about 4 cars behind me then a police car appeared which proceeded to escort me up the road with blue flashing lights. Needless to say I was mortified by this, especially when mare stood on the back of my boot and tripped me up!

Just wanted to ask what people would do in this situation? My mare was extremely upset by the monster in the hedge, did I do the right thing to get off? How would you aim to overcome this sort of thing in the future? For info, she is an 11yr old TB and came into season a few days ago, although that was never a problem last year! When she does have a freak out generally that's it, she won't calm down for the rest of the ride, although 90% of the time she is a lovely safe sensible girl. Just need to sort out the other 10%!
 
I am afraid I am a bit of a wimp and usually get off if I think things are going to kick off. I'd rather get off than be catapulted off head first onto tarmac.
 
I tend to find I have more control when I'm on Kenny. My old pony on the other hand was better if I got off so it depends on the horse I guess
 
Nope I never get off, for fear that if they spooked too much and you lose them that is a lot worse.
Ive been known to sit for over 10 mins on road whilst my mare has a "parked" moment!
 
Depends on the horse, the TB can get a bit silly if something really worries him but will follow me anywhere, the WB is easier to persuade past something scary if I'm on board and I can't get back on unless I climb on a wall, so I do my best to stay in the saddle. I'm a believer in doing what you think works best.
 
You did the right thing- you made the decision that would keep you and your mare safe. Sometimes, its better to stay on board and sometimes its better to get on the ground, its a decision that only you can make at the time.

Do feel for you though, it's mortifying when things go wrong and having the police arrive at that moment was a bit embarrassing :)
Don't dwell on it too much, many horses would get a fright at an unknown monster behind a hedge. The best thing is to carry on as before but have a back up plan for those 'special' moments. It may have been just one of those things particularly if you've hacked out less over winter or if turnout is restricted.
 
Depends on the situation and the horse.

My TB is prone to moments where he completely loses his mind and acts like an absolute idiot but as a rule I never get off him as he is likely to still be an idiot if I was leading him and I would have less control/he would probably try to squash me. Saying that, if I was in a really dangerous situation I would get off.
 
I think as others have said it does depend on the horse, but not all drivers are horse aware and I wouldn't want to risk a collision if my horse were spooking badly with an impatient driver. A local horse was killed when it spooked into the road and the path of a lorry whose air brakes went off, terribly sad and traumatic for all concerned.
 
I was always told if you are on you have two chances of keeping hold of the horse, once when you are on and once when you have fallen off and are on the ground :D

Mind you my current horse can be worse when I am leading him, so I try to stay on board :eek3:
 
If it was my mare I'd have stayed on. She would never rear or buck. Just spin, go backwards and jog on the spot. Eventually I could get her passed something. In 12 yrs I've got off once for news paper in the road about 200 meters away. My boy isn't backed yet but has been known to rear in hand so I'll have to see what he does when he's backed and judge it on that Glad you're both ok if not a little embarrassed :)
 
My mare is prone to seeing monsters when she is in season so i just never take her on roads but if hyperthetically i did, i would stay on as shes easier to ride than handle from ground when spooked
If it was the boy (arabxtb) then i would have got off as hes easier from the ground

i wouldnt worry OP , you know how best to handle your horse and in doing so ensured nobody was hurt. you clearly did the right thing.
Horses no matter how well behaved, have a nind of their own so accidents and inccidents will always happen regardless.
 
The daughter has always said she would stay on although a situation that happened to her, made her doubt that decision.

Her & a friend went out for a hack the other month. Her friends horse started to rear & panic at a car coming towards them with a trailer banging about at some speed. This was on a single track lane with a ditch at both sides. The friend wasn't sure whether to stay on or get off as the horse was rearing. She got off. As the car came along side them the horse then did the rear of all rears, fell over onto its neck, shot up & ran off, dragging the girl who could not keep hold. I was at the yard round the corner & saw the horse come galloping past.


Luckily the horse was caught & no-one was hurt, the driver never stopped. The daughter said she didn't know if getting off was the best idea, but then again if the friend had stayed on it could have been a serious injury for her.

I think whether you decide to stay on or get off, can end equally good or bad & you have to treat each situation differently. It sounds like you did the right thing & at least you had someone there escorting you in case it did turn sour x
 
I generally stay on, partly because I feel more in control but also because if the situation allows it and it's safe with my two TBs I have found that a good trot can help disperse the tension, it's like the physical movement gives them somewhere for the nervous energy to go and they settle -but only if it's safe.

The only time I get off is if I have to lead past something scary and it's not safe or causing a jam to battle it out. E.g.recently I met a bus that bay tb v2.0 didn't want to go past. There were 3 cars waiting behind the bus and couple behind me and it wasn't fair in that situation to expect everyone to wait for me.

But as everyone has said, it depends on the horse.
 
I think it depends on the horse, but I would have got off my cob if I felt unsafe in anyway.

If he is really spooked or won't go passed something, I will get off and he will if I lead him.

His confidence has grown from me doing this on odd occasions when something has been ultra scary!!
 
How kind of the policeman, even if it was a little embarassing!

I tend to sit things out on my older cob - he is pretty sensible but can have the occasional silly moment, but trust him enough not to throw me off whatever the situation, and that I can maintain control.

However I have got off my 5 yr old a couple of times - I find if I lead him past what ever is upsetting him, he becomes more confident. I then pop back on and ride him back and forth past whatever has worried him so it is no longer an issue. A couple of times when he has 'lost the plot' I have also got off and led him until settled and feel safe to get back on.

There is no shame in getting off, as long as you hold on tight!
 
if my girl is napping- which she always does when hacked alone, i stay on and sit it out- she tends to go backwards, sometimes threaten to rear or do a baby buck or just stand still. but i don't actually do any road work with her. but if she is frightened i try to stay on board and comfort her, and just wait as long as it takes to get her past it. but after say 10 minutes, i might get off. as personally she is much better and safer being lead. i could lead her anywhere. if she is really freaked and starts to rear (luckily rare!) it is safer to jump off a quickly as possible as she wont calm down, i will fall off, and she has a chance of calming if i'm on the ground. if i'm off and can't hold her at least i am conscious! if i fell off and got knocked out.....

once there was a swan in and field which she decided was the devil, but i was on a single lane with about 3 vans waiting to get past (farm track). they were very patient but was not fair to wait it out, so i got off, lead her past, let them go by and then jumped back on
 
I'm really buoyed by your replies - thanks everyone! My mare is usually great with anything, brilliant with traffic we have never had a problem there. To be fair before I got off we were all over the road with lots of cars and if she had cat leapt i dread to think what would have happened.... These horrid panic attacks are still a work in progress, doesn't help she'd come into season, but I think I need to really ride her forward when these things happen - we are still getting to know one another!
 
Depends on the horse & on ability of the rider to control the horse.....personally I would not take a horse known to do huge cat leaps out on the road as its asking for trouble IMO.
 
OP nothing wrong with getting off IMO. Some horses take more confidence from a person on the ground than one on their back. Also I am sorry but I tend to think if there is going to be a disaster it is probably best to be one for the horse alone and not both of us :/
 
As you said you are getting to know your mare and to be honest I'd have dismounted as well if on my own as you were. But go thank the police officer, could be he/she is also into horses and if not you could end up helping more horseriders if they have trouble riding on the road. :D
 
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