Capriole
Well-Known Member
Why have H&H printed that? Surely it's a p*** take, and whoever wrote it is probably laughing their socks off.
Next stop, a co-written article on road safety with the Bertie Bassett woman.
Why have H&H printed that? Surely it's a p*** take, and whoever wrote it is probably laughing their socks off.
Marydoll, mate, just do exactly the same. Record the noises that upset your horse then bore him to death by playing it back to him each and every day then go and record some more and keep repeating as necessary; very easy solution but it usually works, same goes for clippers. If he's scared of plastic bags then hang some up in his stable. Just think and ask yourself what he's scared off then replicate it as many times as you can.
I am about to state the obvious here, but I feel that as H&H have printed such tripe, then perhaps the editors need to have the obvious stated:-
Not H&H, Horse Magazine, slightly more inclined to print tripe
My horse only spins when cars splash water up from road spray. How do I fix this one when he's fine as long as the roads aren't wet? Its certainly nothing to do with me tensing up because its raining, I like rain.
It is not unreasonable for cars to have to pass horses slowly, and they should have to, it shouldn't be some sort of favor, the same way they have to respect speed limits in built up areas which are necessary to protect vulnerable road users.
Peeves me right off that just because there are houses in an area, non-motorists are protected from fast cars by speed limits motorists have to respect, even if there are footpaths and good visibility, but on country lanes with high hedges, blind bends, no footpaths and barely wide enough for two cars to pass one another, its perfectly legal for cars to tear-arse about past horses, cyclists and pedestrians at only 10mph slower than they're allowed to go on a motorway! It is not fair!
Marydoll, do you think it could be a bit of a subconscious tensing up on your part because you're out on the road thats affecting your horse's behaviour when out?
If in the school you are your normal self and ignore the 'everyday' occurring noises, but out you yourself are even slightly more tense, your horse surely will think 'uh oh, if mum's worried I had better run away!'
I think you are perhaps missing the point here; the average modern person knows NOTHING about horses - they don't realise that the things they are doing are potentially causing the reactions (like the gentleman starting his car engine right next to your horses, etc.). They also don't realise how dangerous horses can be. So, rather than getting angry at the "stupid" car drivers, if you want to ride on the road you must be responsible for you and your horses actions. If you cannot control your horses, don't go on the road. And NEVER expect car drivers/cyclists/whatever to think like a horseperson - they cannot.
If that's the case then the remedy is entirely down to you to get him used to them at home. Record every car/lorry/bus/train starting up, crank the volume up and play the tape to him each and every day; he'll soon get used to it.
You do have the remedy yourself but obviously just haven't got around to doing anything about it.
I think you are perhaps missing the point here; the average modern person knows NOTHING about horses - they don't realise that the things they are doing are potentially causing the reactions (like the gentleman starting his car engine right next to your horses, etc.). They also don't realise how dangerous horses can be. So, rather than getting angry at the "stupid" car drivers, if you want to ride on the road you must be responsible for you and your horses actions. If you cannot control your horses, don't go on the road. And NEVER expect car drivers/cyclists/whatever to think like a horseperson - they cannot.
Cortez and maesfen are quite right ( cant quote on phone)
Horses will become accustomed to anything if exposed to it enough. Think horses in battle (war horse, cowboys and Indians) horses in films ( again war horse and westerns) police horses and ceremonial horses (royal events etc)
Obviously the rider is the key, mostly it's the rider that's worried about the traffic etc, so as the horses leader you are telling him danger is around so he is ready to take fight in an instant. I know plenty of posters will dispute this. But until that FACT is accepted some horses and their owners will always be at risk from anything from a bag to a bus.