how bombproof is your horse?

[mandwhy]

Just wondering really. If you have a fairly bombproof horse do you think this is due to experience and training or more down to temperament? Obviously a combination of the two!

If your horse is very nervous out and about, have you found that experience has made them better, in which case what did you do?

Mine is going through a spooky phase at the moment, she is only 6 so hopefully she will be pretty steady as she gets older. I think her current feed (dengie healthy tummy) makes her a little bit worse as it contains alfalfa which I have previously removed for this reason but it has so many other benefits for her digestive comfort, weight and energy levels, happiness and attitude that I would be loathe the change it.

She is not too bad and was really nappy before so in a way it is better for her to jog and sidestep past things as she is still moving forwards, just takes a bit of getting used to!

 

[Auslander]

Alf is weird. He goes from totally bombproof to a shaking wreck from day to day!

 

[windand rain]

Lifestyle would be top of my list all my ponies are bombproof having lived on an airforce base next to the runway and shooting range they are great with guns and helicopters, the red arrows did their own airshow regularly now hacking regularly on the A46 so lots of traffic and are great with pigs and sheep as they live in the field next door. However they are all completely different in temperament

 

[Kelly1982]

I think it's def a combination of the two. Some are just laid back in general and aren't really that fussed about anything, others get better with training and experience as they gain confidence.

My instructors mare is just an exception to the rule as she has had her for about 14 years, competed to a high level but never managed to crack the spooking

 

[Alphamare]

My six year old is going through a fraidy cat phase! He was bombproof and now we just have to continue with positive exposure to get there again. Silly things scare him and sometimes the biggest things are absolutely fine! Normally it's something coming up behind him and not passing straight away. Oncoming traffic is never a problem.

 

[twiggy2]

the right exposure can make a lot of a nervous horse, i think a lot of it is how those around them respond when they spook.

if mine spooks i just ignore her and whatever she is spooking at, she is very brave though and does not have a tendency to turn and run she tends to stop and look then approach the scary object.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Yes, I have 2 and have had several in the past - I don't do spooking, if I can help it.
I'm pretty sure that they have all been born that way but of course their experiences have helped to foster that attitude. I have recently bought a 2 yr old cob, when I went to view her, I followed as she was led along a busy main road through a small town. She stood at the T-junction as a Landy pulled a trailer full of rattling gardening equipment past her, then as she turned on to the road, 3 dogs rushed to their garden gate barking at her, there was a man power-washing his car and a washing-line full of washing blowing around, all with the normal motor-bikes and cars passing us. Then she had to wait behind a parked car for a bus to pass, it let its air-brakes off as it did so. Not once did she jump or hesitate.
When we got her home, she gave a lead to the other youngster to go into an unfamiliar building to the stables. Definitely born not made.

The other one is a lot older and can 'read' traffic, which of course is down to training and her previous experiences. I once had one which understood traffic lights and would never go through at red - a bit awkward if they were broken! That was again because he had driven along the 'Golden Mile' in Blackpool but he obviously had the right temperament to do so.

 

[RPM]

I'd agree exposure to lots of hazards definitely helps and a horse becomes less worried by them. I do think, however, that horses have a basic character that doesn't change dramatically over their lives.

We had a Connemara\TB cross from 6 until he died in his twenties and he still jumped at the same things (pigs, those plants with leaves like rhubarb, odd lines in the road, goats - I can still remember most of the list!). He was a very responsive horse, but once he was upset it was difficult to calm him down. Once upset, he was on his toes for the rest of the ride. I was much younger and more confident then and it didn't particularly worry me, but it was a bit tiring!

I've had my current horse, a Welsh D, since he was 5 (he's now 16). He was very nappy as a young horse and scared of birds, but he always had something special, a sort of inner calm about major scary things that went along with the stubbornness. He is now as close to bombproof as a horse can get - today we passed a pneumatic drill, a hole in the road with warning signs etc, combine harvester, big tractor etc etc. He will however, look at puddles in the road quizzically and the other week he and his friend got quite worried by some white butterflies! The big difference between him and the Connemara cross is that he calms down very quickly and carries on with the ride in his usual way. The odd things he looks at just make me smile.

 

[flirtygerty]

MY lot are pretty fearless, my lad was spooking at haylage wrapping a couple of years ago, tied some to the round field feeder, he soon lost his fear of it, the rest is down to having a barn like a wind tunnel, there's always something banging or blowing, I keep my rugs tied over the metal gates in the barn, it helps stop the draughts in the winter, we also have low flying jets come over, we also play with tarps, flags or anything unusual I can find

 

[tessybear]

I would call Tess pretty bombproof, she is laid back and not much spooks her. However when she does spook she does take reassurance from the rider so in that sense i would never stick a total novice on her for a hack, in the school without a doubt.

 

[Kat]

My 6yr old is pretty bombproof, she is safe with all kinds of things. I think it is partly her nature, she's pretty smart, and partly giving her lots of calm experiences when she was young so spooky things were never an issue.

 

[skint1]

All three of mine are relatively bombproof, though of course I don't think any horse is 100% bombproof. The gelding is probably the most likely to decide to spook at stuff, for instance there's a trough in a field next to a track, he is ridden by it all the time but always has to have a little sidestep and a snort when he sees it. Sometimes my mare will do a little sidestep at a bird flying out of brush but generally they're all pretty laid back. Tarp, brollies, cars,lorries, tractors, windsurfers, low flying military aircraft, coaches, the motorway bridge (that spooked me more than them!) don't bother them at all.

I don't know why they're like that, I suppose we tend to be very low key about stuff, like if we saw a tractor we wouldn't take any evasive action (other than making sure we were safe from it) we just get on with it like we expect them to do the same. That;s not to say we wouldnt comfort them if they were upset by something

 

[snooples]

My older horse is completely bombproof and I genuinely mean that nothing fazes him. You could drive a combine harvester into him while holding an umbrella and waving a plastic bag and Id say he wouldnt bat an eyelid.
However he wasnt always like this he used to be scared of tractors and trailers and general farm machinary when I got him and would have a look at things in ditches. Lack of arena and muddy fields during winter meant LOTS of hacking on roads to get him hunting fit

 

[horseluver4eva]

Hmm id say a bit of both really. my mare was brought up next to an airport and so is great with all types of vehicles, yet any unusual noises or even something as simple as an open gate she will spook or spin around and try to go home. saying that she is impecable in company she just sometimes gets nervous on her own. some days she is great though based on temperament her spookiness does stem from some of this. A lot of the time on the ground she is an angel but will try it on and need put in her place which is a lot like when ridden. half of the time ridden she is only trying it on i think, as much as you ride her she'll still hope she can go home haha. anyways in a less complicated way yes i think its down to temperament and training, my mares 7 and so is starting to mature properly and learn that her rider wont let anything hurt her. Excuse spelling on an awful phone

 

[whizzer]

I would say my TB is 99% bomb proof,it's partly his nature as even when very young he was very accepting of scary things & it's partly training as if he does find something genuinely scary he trusts me when I say it's ok to pass whatever it is that he's worried about. He does pretend to be scared of things to entertain himself sometimes but if I tell him to knuckle down & get on with it he does! In comparison I rode a new forest before I had him & he was a nightmare to hack as he worried about everything & I never seemed to be able to gain his trust enough to reassure him about things.

 

[Captain Bridget]

I ride two ex racers, one is 7 and pretty bombproof, doesn't spook at much, the other is 17 and enjoys spooking at blades of grass and various other silly things. The owner has had the 17 year old for at least 6 years and they live on a working farm, are used to dogs, cats, cars, tractors, low flying aircraft etc. The 7 year old she's owned since he was 4 but he's got a much more relaxed temperament and is a bit of a dope. I've put an empty bedding bag on his nose and he's not batted an eyelid!

 

[lhotse]

I wouldn't call my mare bombproof as she can still spook at certain things, and doesn't like cement lorries at all, but...
I have ridden her through the local highstreet on a saturday dinnertime, on market day, with bunting, wedding fairs and buses.
She will walk between a dumper truck and a JCB, both running, without batting an eyelid.
Didn't worry at all when the electricity helicopter emerged over a high hedge at about tree height, directly above us!!
Lets tractors pass on very narrow lanes.
Walks straight through a large herd of cows and helps round up sheep.
Passes a stationary lorry with 200 head of sheep on board with little more than a slight jig.
Couldn't care about cyclists, even in large groups, mobility scooters, pushchairs and dogs.

She doesn't like goats, and the previously mentioned cement lorries, but will still go past without too much bother.

She's a 7 year old arab mare, who trusts me, but is also of a very sane nature and was well brought up by her previous owner.

 

[DabDab]

Bomb proof - yes (during shooting season they stand the other side of the electric fence to shoot the pheasants being driven over)
Rock proof - no (overly dramatic 4ft leap to the right - never spooks at the ones on the left)

 

[spotty_pony]

Agree it isa mixture of training and temperament. Repetition is key - young horses should be exposed to as many new and potentially spooky situations as possible and as others have said, spooking should be dealt with correctly by encouragement and praise, not through force in order to gain confidence.

 

[Tiffany]

I would say my mare is almost totally bombproof although she isn't so confident out hacking alone.
She used to be nappy, strong and generally very insecure, I have owned her or 11 years now so I suppose we have learned to trust each other.

 

[JFTDWS]

I'd say all mine are bombproof to an extent - they're all exposed to bizarre and potentially alarming things on a daily basis and handle them completely calmly in the field. My old lad is calm and bombproof everywhere - at showgrounds, during horseball matches, in the field, hacking for miles over any terrain (urban / country). The 3 y/old is fine with everything he's been exposed to in the field / long reining, but clearly hasn't been hacked for miles and seen lots by himself as he's only just backed / ridden away.

Fergs is interesting. He's calm as anything in the field, chilled at shows and very sane, and calm in exciting places like horseball matches / sponsored rides etc. However, out by himself, he is a total worrier and is very spooky with things like birds and bird scarers. He's fine on routes he does regularly and knows well, but I wouldn't care to take him out somewhere new alone. He's a totally different horse, which is a shame as he's pretty saintly the rest of the time.

eta - in some ways, he's similar to lhotse's mare in that he's saintly with traffic, farm machinery, cyclists, good with livestock, pets and crowded busy places (actually he's better if there's lots of people around!), and a lot of the traditionally "scary" things. Stupid things like small birds and horse-eating leaves on the other hand...

 

[Alphamare]

My six year old is better in company only if its one of the others in his herd. We meet horses out hacking often and e gets very upset when they are behind us but then anxious to go with them if they over take. Very frustrating but I persever because he has a great temperament even though he tends to the woose side.

 

[LynH]

My TB exracer is bombproof, nothing bothers her and she very rarely spooks and when she does it's nothing just a step sideways. My ID on the other hand is scared of almost everything. She has a tenancy to duck behind your leg at every opportunity and generally has a stop and refuse to move attitude rather than spin or bolt. She is headshy with other people and has a couple of dangerous phobias.

I'm sure the TB has been there and done it all in her previous 7yr racing career so being bombproof is probably down to experience rather than breeding.

The ID and I have been together for 15yrs and I backed her and am no doubt a large part of her problem. I find solutions that work for us and she does everything I want but I am very calm and we have little routines get around her terrors and to the outside eye she appears better behaved than she is. In another home I am sure she would struggle and cause considerable frustration or be potentially dangerous but as she will never go anywhere it isn't really a problem. Others may disagree.

 

[ozpoz]

Oz spooks at his own pile of hay and approaches it with great suspicion and a hint of a tremble. It is in the same place . Every day.

 

[mandwhy]

Aww thanks for the replies everyone, quite a selection of spooky to not so spooky!

My ponies do live quite near an airport actually, we hear the planes and helicopters fairly low and one of our hacks passes right near it which can be very loud! We also have a motorway bridge which makes me want to poo my pants but my haffy doesn't care about that (thank god) and likes to stop for a poo at the top

Traffic is not so bad as I walked her out a lot in it and cars can pass quite quickly (although having more recent wobbles if too quick) but there's a building site she doesn't like at all, she gets nervous passing horses in fields, and does not like things like oil tankers, clattering trucks and is understandably cautious around buses! Bless her she does have a lot to contend with but I figure our hacking can only get quieter!

The 2yo is pretty flighty and nutty bless her, being under 11 hands I do wonder what she will turn out like and if she will be a suitable child's pony. She does learn quite quickly though! She just likes to race around like a mini arab

 

[mandwhy]

Oz spooks at his own pile of hay and approaches it with great suspicion and a hint of a tremble. It is in the same place . Every day.

Teeheehee, I was riding in the field today and we had a lot of spooks over some old poo I had failed to pick up, and a pile of mostly burnt weeds!

 

[FfionWinnie]

Definitely depends on breed. My American Paint is sharp in some respects but not spooky or silly when hacking and from the age of 4 would lead others past things. My welshie, is er, welsh. She is not sharp and I feel much safer on her, but she looks at everything and is completely idiotic at times, but she doesn't do anything other than goggle at things and act highly suspicious. The first one, is generally very very laid back where as the welshie is a typical highly strung welsh!

 

[debsg]

Blaze, my cob mare, is pretty much bombproof and has been since I bought her as a green 5 year old, nothing fazes her..........with one exception - she is terrified of donkeys!!! This is a horse that I would happily ride around the M25 in a headcollar and if she was bigger (she's 15hh) would make a fab police horse and is a quivering, snorting wreck at the sight of a fluffy grey donk!!
Marygold, my PBA, is pretty much bombproof and Jas the Devil mare is getting there, which I'm sure is a combination of being fostered by Aunty Blaze from the age of 12 weeks and having spent the past year in a field next to a busy road. I am very lucky to have three girls who can be ridden almost anywhere, two of them by anyone!

 

[Shantara]

Ned used to be really good! It was rare that we had anything more than a slight fright on hacks or in the school. Unless he was in a nappy mood, he was really good.

In the school, you could do anything

 

[Auslander]

eta - in some ways, he's similar to lhotse's mare in that he's saintly with traffic, farm machinery, cyclists, good with livestock, pets and crowded busy places (actually he's better if there's lots of people around!), and a lot of the traditionally "scary" things. Stupid things like small birds and horse-eating leaves on the other hand...

I think we need to make sure that Alf, Fergs and lhotse's mare never meet! I think they are related! Alf will ignore the massive juggernaut polo lorries, which fly around here with mad argentinians at the wheel, and skip lorries, and tractors - but show him a line of tree stumps along a verge, and he will have a meltdown!