horse just been broken but petrified of cars any advice please!

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NIKKI1974

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Hi everyone really looking for some advice from anyone who has had the same problem! My three year old has been away for five weeks now being broken,he is fantastic in the school and is a real natural,the guy breaking him has taken him out alone and in the company of another horse and he is great on the road until he sees a car! Great one hey! Gizmo is so scared of them that he tries to spin around and bolt home,this has not improved in the three weeks he has been trying hacking him out and is obviously a huge problem. He will walk past a car if it is stationary but is petrified when it moves and they have spent ages trying to reassure him that they dont bite.Im getting him back next week as the guy thinks it is a time thing and says it wouldnt matter if it was him or me doing it and that it is a genuine fear rather than him being naughty does any one have any experience of such a bad horse in traffic? all ideas welcome!
 
The best thing you can do is find a field next to a railway line, motorway or busy main road and turn your youngster out there for a couple of months with an older, wiser horse to give him confidence. That way he has to learn to accept it. My youngsters get turned out next to a railway line and they are never any trouble with traffic after that! It also means your youngster gets used to scary monsters without putting anybody in danger.
 
Drive a car slowly round the field or arena with your horse in it to get him used to them.
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Thats what we plan to do with our babies
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I'd start by doing lots of in hand work. Lead him up and round a parked car. Then get someone to turn the engine on - do the same. Then I'd lead him past a car going at about 1 mile per hour (in a yard environment, or drive or similar).

Then I'd do the same mounted - until he's 100% chilled about it.

Then I'd start taking him onto very quiet roads at quiet times with a bombproof horse (or two) and see how you get on. Or find a private drive or lane that a friend can drive a car past very slowly for the first few times. Or can park in the road and you ride round.

I'm sure you can sort it, but'll it'll probably take a while and lots of patience!?
 
I've no experience of horse being terrified of cars, but when I backed indie at rising 4 yrs I had been walking her out in hand for 9months previously on the road seeing cars, bikes tractors etc and she has always been an angel on the road. Could he be finding the frightening cars and a person on his back all too much at this stage hence why he is reacting the way he is? I would go back a stage when you get him home, only ride him in the arena and start him getting used to cars with someone you know starting a car up near him with you on the ground and work from there.
Also, don't make a big deal if he is acting a little frightened as this will make him think there is something to be afraid of, praise the quiet good behaviour. Hope this helps?
 
Totally agree with CP1. Desensitisation. Take it back to basics. Move forward in stages, bearing in mind you may have to repeat each stage a number of times. Don't hurry and it should come right.
 
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I'd start by doing lots of in hand work. Lead him up and round a parked car. Then get someone to turn the engine on - do the same. Then I'd lead him past a car going at about 1 mile per hour (in a yard environment, or drive or similar).

Then I'd do the same mounted - until he's 100% chilled about it.

Then I'd start taking him onto very quiet roads at quiet times with a bombproof horse (or two) and see how you get on. Or find a private drive or lane that a friend can drive a car past very slowly for the first few times. Or can park in the road and you ride round.

I'm sure you can sort it, but'll it'll probably take a while and lots of patience!?

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I can only tell you what happens on my yard.

Horses are never, ever taken out alone on the roads in their first year (usually) of ridden work, but always have company.

They always go out with a bomb proof babysitter, ridden by someone experienced in dealing with youngsters. And certainly for the first couple of weeks it would be ridden out as part of a trio.

I personally don't agree with leading a horse on the road to introduce it to traffic, it's far to dangerous IMO. But done properly ridden, with company then the results will speak for themselves.
 
Never ever have a problem with my young horses on the road, they always long rein for weeks before being hacked out. safer as well
 
This is fantastic advice everyone i really appreciate all your imput,before he went away to be broken i had done all the basics lunged and long reined , walked him round the yard and car and horse lorry to try and get him used to as much as i possibly could! He is quite a nervy horse anyway and although his paddock is next to a road there is a hedge between him and the traffic so although he hears all the noises and takes no notice because he cant see the cars go past he probably does not associate the noise with the vehicles if you see what i mean.I used to lead him up to the yard gate and stand ther so he could see the cars going past but i think at the time he would have been to much of a handful and too strong to have led him out inhand in the traffic hopefully now he is broken he may be a little more sensible but i will try everything in the yard first i think and go right back to basics i wonder if this also explains his real fear of loading too!
 
the guy who is breaking him for me who has been doing it professionally for years said that the last time he had a horse as bad as this was about three and a half years ago he also said that my horse may never get over his fear and may never hack out in his life ! Im not ready to think about giving up yet i too feel that this is a time thing ,i am determined that even if it takes months and months of repeatedly doing mundane things to get his confidence i will eventually have a horse i can hack out safetly!!!
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Drive a car slowly round the field or arena with your horse in it to get him used to them.
smile.gif


Thats what we plan to do with our babies
smile.gif


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Lol just read this wrong was havng images of a horse being stuffed into a car with legs and neck sticking out of every window lol x.
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Field next to a busy road would be my next try. The young mare I got a month ago was similar, and now she's waiting politely for a few moments by cars, she'll be fine in a while
 
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the guy who is breaking him for me who has been doing it professionally for years said that the last time he had a horse as bad as this was about three and a half years ago he also said that my horse may never get over his fear and may never hack out in his life !

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What a crock of .......
 
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Drive a car slowly round the field or arena with your horse in it to get him used to them.
smile.gif


Thats what we plan to do with our babies
smile.gif


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Lol just read this wrong was havng images of a horse being stuffed into a car with legs and neck sticking out of every window lol x.
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See what you mean!
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Agree with all the comments, seeing lots and lots of cars, and putting him in safe paddock near a road will help, could take months but you'll get there in the end.

However, this is the important bit, do not make the mistake of bulling him into it, meaning let him accept them in his own time, too much pressure to soon will only rock the boat in the wrong direction, panic him, could cause an accident and make the problem worse. Besides he's young and impressionable which means you've got plenty to work with.

Food association is always a good way to get round youngsters, you could do this a number of ways, grazing next to a stationary but running car (in a safe place of course for an hour while you stand at the side of him) Driving a car into his field with trailer full of carrots and leaving it there for a few hours while he helps himself to the carrots of the back of the trailer (again only if this would be safe).

Does he go in horse box or trailer?...perhaps going to a few very local shows just walking him round, most of them are parked and only drive away very slowly and threes lots of room and is of course in a safer environment.

Just take your time but do it little an often, expecting him to go down a main road (even a quiet lane with the odd car) when he's nervous will not help him right now, he will start to threat and eventually get could get nappy.

Just because he's been broken in, this does not mean you should put a hold on any of the ground work, its a scary place for them to be on there own while your up there on his back, remember he'll of been used to you being at his side, when it comes to traffic, puddles, people walking dogs, brollies, children on roller skates, bags blowing in the wind etc etc

Once he's calm and relaxed around stationary but running cars only then would I walk him out in hand in a string (nose to tail) with a couple of other horses that are both sensible and don't mind a youngster huddling up behind there bums etc.
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