Hack today not good -will it have a lasting effect?

[Yubbie]

Got my new youngster at the end of October and things have been going really well. She's getting used to various sights and sounds and has so far coped really well. We have to hack out on a busy road but it hasn't been a problem and she's met loads of different traffic and hasn't batted an eyelid. However today I went out with a different hacking companion and about halfway into our ride it became obvious that the horse I was with was getting itself a bit wound up and so started to misbehave.
We met a couple of lorries and a bus and this horse took exception and spooked, shot off and spun round........closely followed by my mare!!! It was obvious that she was reacting to the other horse, and worse was to come. As we turned into the lane back to the yard we met a tractor and trailer and even though the driver stopped both horses went nuts at it and got into a right state with cantering sideways and 'piaffing' for England!!!!! I'm now just concerned that this experience will have now given her the idea that big lorries etc are monsters to be avoided at all costs and that she is now frightened of them - she was doing so well and never paid attention to anything until today so has all our good work gone to pot?????

 

[Snowysadude]

No it shouldnt do I would just try to get her out with a calm horse that is very good with these sorts of things as soon as possible, I would offer to come out with you but have no idea where you are! My boy used to be a bit silly when I first got him but now is completley bomproof and will lead past any type of traffic no matter what the other horse is doing, we had tractors with silage things on the back and double decker busses the other day and he doesnt bat an eyelid (he used to also piaffe and spin... a lot! I just hacked out with a lot of calm horses for a while to get him used to it)

 

[Honey08]

It happens. Just make sure that you don't hack out with that horse again! Stick to quiet roads, and make really sure that you have a good, steady companion horse. Don't allow yourself to worry, or wonder what she will do - she will take confidence from you too.

 

[orionstar]

No your youngster was just doing the getting wound up follow my leader stuff, but you'll have to make a mental note not to repeat the exersice with the other horse. I've got two mares which I take out with my friends "I see dead people, horse" both are normally very bom proof. The older mare will occassionally follow the leader when my friends horse spooks but its usually a delayed reaction and half hearted because she's reacting to the horse and not the "spooky thing", the younger one just glances at the space which has caused the spook, but you must remember the next time you go out that this was not the normal, otherwise you'll start to get anxious and the horse will think that somethings wrong and therefore your more likely to get a reaction when you spot the tractor.