Hacking past fields of running horses!

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canteron

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How would you deal with this, a little lane I can ride down has suddenly got 3 fields of horses, 2 on either side and then further down, 1 poor horse on its own, who goes completely crazy (understandably) when it sees another horse and gallops up and down the fence line bucking.

If I use this as a training opportunity, do I just have to take the horse past it at every opportunity until it becomes more normal, do I stop and wait for the horses to calm down before continuing, however long that takes, or any other suggestions gratefully received.
 
This can be so tricky and I'd say it depends on your horse and your own confidence how you handle it. I'd ideally want to stay mounted and keep my horse calm by talking and keeping them walking on, despite the horses charging around. Don't avoid the situation and DO use it as a training opportunity, however nerve wracking.
 
I’d just keep walking, with my mare I can hop off to lead her past anything and she’s fine but when I had my gelding you were always safer on his back
 
They do tend to stop reacting to it, our mare is very mareish and if we ride past horses that come towards the fence she went through a phase of kicking bucking and squealing at them! My daughter just rode her positively past them, tried to ignore etc etc. eventually she stopped reacting to it x
 
We generally piaffed past these with my old horse. It was one of the only things that wound her up without fail. It was always a fine balance between moving forward but not bombing off. She never changed and getting off and walking was never an option. So I guess that's no help but find what works for you!
 
Bearing in mind the topic of the thread I'm slightly embarrassed to admit to being a YO which has a lane running straight through our area - where one herd are one side of the road and the other lot in separate fields the other side, so yep the area here has probably attracted the name of "Disaster Mile" or whatever............. sometimes everyone hoons around like idiots, other times all is quiet here.

I've also had to ride alongside a local stud where there are always horses in the field just by the hedge.

The problem with any sort of situation like this is that if you encounter a vehicle(s) - then the driver(s) don't have a clue what's happening the other side of the hedge! It's just like if you have cows in a field alongside a road, it is the same sort of potentially volatile scenario!

Best thing to do IME is to just make sure you're on a tight enough contact for if things do go t!ts-up, kick-on, and keep going!
 
We hack past a field like this quite regularly, I just keep my leg on and tell mine to get on with it. If he’s particularly fresh I’ll do a good working trot past (proper working trot into the contact, not just let him race past) as I’d rather get him listening and going past than give him time to consider his other options! It’s a good learning opportunity, my horses have to be familiar with listening to me in busy warm ups, on the hunt field etc. and quite a few training venues we go to involve hacking down tracks with fields either side with fresh horses running around. As far as I’m concerned what other horses are up to is none of their business, they’re working and their job is to listen to me. When they’re out in the field with their friends they can play silly beggars then.
 
really depends on your horse and road conditions.

i would generally try and stick to walk and keep moving slowly and calmly, neck down and in shoulder in to maintain control.

however......my younger lad would be better to trot past in certain situations, i can just feel when trot is best option so try to get trotting before loony horse, keep as far to other side of road as possible and keep leg on riding firmly forward in to hand.
 
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