help lorries and vans are monsters!!!

[kateknights]

Well as the title says really. I have had my girl since last June, we mainly hack, we live on country roads, so barely meet much traffic.
When I bought her i was told that she's not keen on lorries, which didn't bother me because of where we live and hardly ever see any.
We mainly hack alone. This morning we met a small lorry and she spun around and tried to gallop away from it, she didn't get away from me but would not walk towards it, there was a van behind the lorry and then another van came behind me, so they're all stopped and there's me trying to calm Daisy down so that she would walk past them, in the end I had to shout," can you turn your engines off please", when they did she was ok and I managed to get past.
It was scarey.What can I do? shall I take her on that road and stand her on the verge nice and quietly whilst the traffic goes by?
I just do not know what to do. She is in a waterford snaffle and goes great in it, apart from when she spins round in the road and i can only just hold her, do i think about trying another bit? if so what?

I really want to tackle this for the summer, as i do not want to avoid this road, It's a lovely ride.
Sorry for the long post, just wondered if anyone has any ideas.
Thanks
Kate x

 

[JoBo]

Have you got a horse you can ride out with that isn’t scared of lorries and vans? This might help give your horse confidence?

I don’t personally think a different bit will help with the situation, if a horse wants to go, it will whatever bit it’s in!

 

[kateknights]

Wel i have a neighbour that drives his horses, I went to see him and he said I could ride out when he goes out on his trap with him, so that may be an option, Daisy hasn't got a problem with traps as we have met a few times.

 

[pottamus]

Having been through this myself it is down to a hell of a lot of patience, confidence and practice. I had no one to go out with and we meet vans, aggregate lorries and low loaders at any time of day! You need to have your wits about you so that you can hear them coming before they are on top of you and find somewhere decent to pull into (so you need to memorise the places en route). Field gateways are no good unless the gate is open for you to enter the field a bit. You need to stand you horse quietly away from the passing vehicle and keep calm - no gripping, no pulling at the reins - and talk to your horse and stroke her neck whilst asking her to stand. She may jump about a bit but she will get better each time. When the offending vehicle has gone praise her loads and loads and even give her a mint or carrot (take with you).
Some other tips...get your horse used to voice commands like stand, walk, steady or whoah...they will help if she starts to run, find out whether your horse prefers to face the vehicle or have her bum to it...mine was better if he was not watching it descend on him, so I always turned him away from it, use a neck strap if you need confidence, don't tense up, sing to destract yourself and the horse, thank the driver for slowing profusely, even if it is just a massive smile or quick hand up. When she is a bit better continue to really emphasise the patting as the vehicle comes near you - it seems to slow them down because they anticipate problems if you are stroking and patting!
It would be best to go out with another though, but this is how I coped with the problem on my own. Hope that helps.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

Try and find someone with a bomb proof horse to take you out. Your horse will feed off the confidence the other horse has & hopefully this will resolve itself. It will take quite a few outings but for him to do it on his own will be difficult. Good Luck.

 

[Twinkle Twinkle]

My boy was a bit scared of lorries when we first broke him in l would get him to a safe place and let him face it and talk to him. Now he is ok with them or ride out with someone who has got a bombproof horse.