Horse scared of traffic after near miss today

[lhotse]

Just got back from a lovely ride, that is until half a mile from home, on a narrow but straight lane, when the man driving a flatbed truck ignored my request to slow down. Having just met another flatbed, a pickup and a tractor, all fine and all slowed down but this one was going to fast. My horse got scared and planted herself in the hedge and spun round. He did stop and apologise, I think he though he'd hit us. I rode my mare back past the truck, stopped her and gave her some carrot then went on my way. Next vehicle was a 4/4, luckily driven by someone I know with horses because my poor little mare just completely freaked out. I then got off to lead her back down the main road because now both of our confidances are shot. I did get back on at the bottom of the hill and stood her right next to the road for some cars to come past. Now, this is a mare who I have had for a year, who I would happily take down the highstreet. I've just arranged to go out tomorrow with someone on a bombproof pony. My concern is that mare mare is arab, and I worried that she's just not going to forget.
Please re-assure me that we can get over this, I live to hack, that is the reason I have a horse.

 

[kirstyl]

What a horrible scary thing to happen. Have you got a confident friend and horse that can go out and babysit you both and build your confidence up again?

 

[PandorasJar]

She's had a bloody big fright and so have you. Between the two of you it's not a surprise the next vehicle was an issue.
Rather than looking at the fact she freaked out I'd be looking at how well you both handled it. You both had a shock yet controlled the situation. She had a moment but didn't take off, you got off safely and walked her back safely.
I assume she was okay when you stood at the bottom of the road? So you know that it hasn't affected her majorly and just shaken you both up.

I agree with getting someone safe and sane on next hack(s) out and if nervous perhaps you can walk her past some cars in the yard or any tracks in a controlled place?

It sounds like you both handled the situation well though.

 

[lhotse]

Thankyou, I feel like crying now but have arranged to go out with a familiar bombproof pony tomorrow so hopefully I can get her confidence back straight away. She didn't try to run in either situation, although the second one did take me by surprise as I thought she was fine. She trusts me on the ground, and as we were coming down the hill, a transit came up and past and she seemed to calmed down by then although she was still scared at the top of the hill. She was also fine with the cars at the bottom, and I had got back on and stood her right on the road edge. I have noticed that she has become sensitive to rattly vehicles over the last couple of weeks, she hasn't been ridden as much because of the snow, and the man who owns the yard at the end of my lane has been driving up and down in his JCB scraping the stones on the lane to fill in the holes so maybe this has scared her also. This is the first time she has spun though, normally if something spooks her, she just paddles on the spot so she must have had a big scare this time. Normally she will let even a cement mixer pass on the lane, and she is a bit wary of them.
My biggest problem is finding someone to hack out with, I stable on my own and although we have a main livery yard, most people are at work when I am free to ride.
I'm sure this is workable though, you are right, we were both on edge so tomorrow is a different day.

 

[amandaco2]

I am going through helping my mare get confidence. She got hit by a car.
Been leading her out with two people to make the cars slow

 

[lhotse]

Sorry to hear about your accident, I hope all goes well for you both.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I used to have a Clydesdale mare who wasn't frightened by any kind of traffic but could be worried by cattle/goats, etc, even once by a couple of colts running alongside her as we hacked past their field. If we had an 'incident' when out and about, she would hold it together until all danger was past and then have 'a moment'. After she had settled again, she would be absolutely fine. My guess is that your mare will be fine tomorrow, if you and your friend's bombproof pony give her confidence, and then will be happy to go out solo-hacking again. if you're not sure about solo-hacking just yet, how about taking her in-hand for the 1st few times?

 

[piebaldsparkle]

Don't dwell, tomorrow is another day, be positive and move on and so will she. xxx

 

[PeterNatt]

If possible I would find someone with a bombproof/spookproof horse to hack out with and repeat the same route and if this is not possible Then I would go out early on a weekend morning when the roads are quiet and repeat the route.
Once your horse realises there is no danger she should return to normal.

 

[lhotse]

Thankyou for your replies. My last mare wasn't great with traffic, but I knew that and we coped. I was so happy when this mare showed herself to be so confident. I haven't ridden in company since last summer, so maybe she just needs a bit of confidence from another horse once in a while as well.
I do dwell on things to much, infact, I'm worried sick that she's going to get injured and me too. I never used to be like this with my old mare, but a very near fatal accident whilst climbing has made my nerves bad!!
She's normal grouch this evening, so hopefully our hack tomorrow will be great, and I'll be doing a 10 mile run first thing in the morning so that should get ride of any pent up angst!

 

[Nari]

She's had a bloody big fright and so have you. Between the two of you it's not a surprise the next vehicle was an issue.
Rather than looking at the fact she freaked out I'd be looking at how well you both handled it. You both had a shock yet controlled the situation. She had a moment but didn't take off, you got off safely and walked her back safely.
I assume she was okay when you stood at the bottom of the road? So you know that it hasn't affected her majorly and just shaken you both up.

I agree with getting someone safe and sane on next hack(s) out and if nervous perhaps you can walk her past some cars in the yard or any tracks in a controlled place?

It sounds like you both handled the situation well though.

This.

Today she was probably still on an adrenaline rush when the 4x4 came, by tomorrow she'll have calmed down & as long as you do the same the odds are she won't be worried. Try to relax & be confident, you both managed well & will continue to do so!

 

[lhotse]

Just thought I would update this after today's ride.
Perfect with everything we met, vans, 4x4's including in exactly the same place we met the one yesterday and was calm down the hill on the main road and even after we had left the other pony. The only thing she took notice of was a rattly trailer after we had already turned off into my lane, but it was just her usual jump on the spot.
She did seem to be obsessed with the yellow exercise sheet on my friend's pony, I think she decided it was edible!!
So, I don't think there is any lasting damage to her confidence luckily, and I can sleep well tonight too, which I need as my morning started with an 11.5 mile run at half marathon pace!!! So the legs have had a good workout today!!

 

[PandorasJar]

Just thought I would update this after today's ride.
Perfect with everything we met, vans, 4x4's including in exactly the same place we met the one yesterday and was calm down the hill on the main road and even after we had left the other pony. The only thing she took notice of was a rattly trailer after we had already turned off into my lane, but it was just her usual jump on the spot.
She did seem to be obsessed with the yellow exercise sheet on my friend's pony, I think she decided it was edible!!
So, I don't think there is any lasting damage to her confidence luckily, and I can sleep well tonight too, which I need as my morning started with an 11.5 mile run at half marathon pace!!! So the legs have had a good workout today!!

That's fantastic Sure your friends pony will have something to say if she takes a bite

 

[kirstyl]

Good news! And well done

 

[Nari]

Just thought I would update this after today's ride.
Perfect with everything we met, vans, 4x4's including in exactly the same place we met the one yesterday and was calm down the hill on the main road and even after we had left the other pony. The only thing she took notice of was a rattly trailer after we had already turned off into my lane, but it was just her usual jump on the spot.
She did seem to be obsessed with the yellow exercise sheet on my friend's pony, I think she decided it was edible!!
So, I don't think there is any lasting damage to her confidence luckily, and I can sleep well tonight too, which I need as my morning started with an 11.5 mile run at half marathon pace!!! So the legs have had a good workout today!!

Thank you for such a good update!

I think they're often more resilient than we believe, & though there are exceptions I suspect a lot of these are horses that weren't 100% confident to begin with or where the incident was so significant that it made a big impact.

 

[amandaco2]

My mare is really struggling

 

[Nari]

My mare is really struggling

Your's got hit though, that's a much bigger deal . I had that with one years ago, thankfully when roads were much quieter, & it took a very very long time to get him right again - if I'm honest he was never happy in heavy traffic afterwards & certain engines made him very tense. On top of the accident with me - which was bad enough, we both went over a car bonnet - I also found out he'd had two driving accidents where vehicles had hit his cart, so it was small wonder he never came back 100%. Just give it time, keep repeating steps until she's relaxed & stay safe. I began by feeding William by a parked car & it was some time before he was happy doing that!

 

[Ditchjumper2]

My bombproof 4 y o was upset when a flat bed buiders truck came past us. All the tools and wheelbarrows in the back were shaking and rattling.

Unfortunately he never forgot. I ended up only ever taking him out on a Sunday as if you met anything big he would jump into the road in front if it. However, when he was out hunting he was not too bad. When he was about 18 he was a bit better.

I think it depends on the horse. I hope yours works out OK.

 

[lhotse]

Just another update.
Sorry!!
We went out on our own today for the first time since saturday's incident, everything seems to have been forgotten about and she was as good as gold. I do wonder at the mentality of some women drivers though, as the one who ignored my request to slow down and sped on past on the main road should not be behind the wheel of a car in my opinion!! All the others I met were fine.
Two things I have taken from it though, I was wearing a hi-viz vest, now I'm wearing a flo yellow windproof as well so my arm movements are clearly visible, and I will no longer put myself in the hedge along the lanes, I will ride defensively so they have to slow and then move over when I'm ready!!

 

[OWLIE185]

I am a big fan of long sleeved Hi-Viz jackets.
I was taught by the central London mounted police to always wear them and if I wanted a to stop a vehicle to point at them for 3 seconds and then put the palm of my had up so as to indicate that i wanted them to stop. (Always looking at them in the eyes while doing so).

 

[CBFan]

Just another update.
Sorry!!
We went out on our own today for the first time since saturday's incident, everything seems to have been forgotten about and she was as good as gold. I do wonder at the mentality of some women drivers though, as the one who ignored my request to slow down and sped on past on the main road should not be behind the wheel of a car in my opinion!! All the others I met were fine.
Two things I have taken from it though, I was wearing a hi-viz vest, now I'm wearing a flo yellow windproof as well so my arm movements are clearly visible, and I will no longer put myself in the hedge along the lanes, I will ride defensively so they have to slow and then move over when I'm ready!!

That's great news!

I do this... and it works... I would also highly reccomend you get a fluoro exercise sheet for your mare, if you haven't already... one with a tail flap so all drivers see is a GIANT yellow arse!! tends to slow people down I have found

Also tabards / jackets with clear instructions like 'please pass wide and slow' are better than non-descript ones like 'horse and rider'

If you are feeling your nerves at all maybe try some rescue remedy before you ride? Boots also do their own flower remedies which I find really effective

 

[lhotse]

I already have a 'please pass wide and slow' tabard, although some drivers seem to have a problem understanding that it means just that!!
I have to say that I'm not a great fan of using exercise sheets all the time though, and I think the flower remedies might send me to sleep!!