dollymix
Well-Known Member
I was wondering if anyone has any advice on how to successful traffic-proof their horse? I have a 5yr old ID mare, who can be a pain in traffic.
When I went to try her, I was advised that she is bad with tractors, but fine in other traffic. I did actually hack her about ¼ mile down a main road (in quite a built up area), with vans, lots of cars and she was foot perfect.
I havent done as much hacking with her as Id have liked, with dark nights, I cant hack after work, and I have my lesson on Sundays, which only leaves Saturday. Sometimes we havent hacked out then either if its been icy or blowing a gale too which means her hacking has lapsed somewhat!
Where I keep her, it is on a very quiet country lane, which is also very narrow. We dont come across many cars, but when you do, you either have to get into a deep gateway and let them passed, or they have to full over as far as possible whilst you sneak past them.
The problem I am now finding is that she is a pain in the (insert your word of choice!!).... on the roads. She has always been a bit spooky (nothing horrendous, just jumpy at her own shadow) but on Friday, I was riding towards home, when one of the other liveries came towards me in her lorry. She very kindly stopped as far over as she could and turned the engine off. We were luckily at a slightly wider point, where there is also a narrow verge and my husband was riding my absolutely bombproof welshie with me. Well, OH and welshie just went walking passed without a glance, but Dulcie acted like the workd was going to end, trying to spin, and when she couldnt reversing at top speed. Rather annoyingly, I didnt have a whip with me (I usually ALWAYS carry one when hacking) and so I just had to nag away with my legs, keep her from turning and eventually, with much drama we got passed.
Problem is, all the way back home, whenever any car went passed, no matter the size, she tried the same reversing at speed and I had to get to the point of pony club kicking whilst speaking to her very sternly.
When we got back on the yard, we have to go through the car park. One of the liveries was sat in her pick-up truck, with the engine on and talking to another livery. Well, Dulcie proceeded to try and bolt passed them too, and when I span her to face it, she almost reversed into another car. I then spent the next ten minutes walking her passed the car (which the other livery very kindly left parked up in the middle of the car park, switched on) until she went passed calmly.
The next day, the lady with the wagon, left that parked up, with the engine running so I could try that too. She was much better, but still panicked a couple of times and tried to turn and run, but because I had her on my dually halter, she couldnt. I finished the session by giving her tea next to the wagon, right next to the noisy engine.
Now in the bigger picture (sorry this is soooooo long!), she really is petrified with tractors .we have only met one twice out hacking so far (ironically on the same hack), but we were much further away from home on a wider road and the first time, we got into a deep gateway, where I only just managed to talk her out of popping the five bar gate to escape it and had a kind of gallop on the spot instead. The second was parked up, but switched on and I managed to get her half way passed, before she noticed the huge trailer on the back and she had a paddy about that too! Big sigh!
On our yard, there are regularly tractors up and down, and her stables look right out onto the main yard, so they do come passed her door. I had hoped this would help, but she just dives o the back of the stable, rolling her eyes and cowering until it goes!
Anyway .rather long post that (apologies! And very big chocolate brownies for whoever got to the end), but anyone who could offer any advice on helping her would be my favourite person in the whole world! I really do love hacking in the summer, plus I hope to do some ODEs this year hacking will be an important part of our fitness work so I need to get this sorted.
Do you think it might be just down to the fact that she needs to get out more? Any tips on traffic proofing would be great!
When I went to try her, I was advised that she is bad with tractors, but fine in other traffic. I did actually hack her about ¼ mile down a main road (in quite a built up area), with vans, lots of cars and she was foot perfect.
I havent done as much hacking with her as Id have liked, with dark nights, I cant hack after work, and I have my lesson on Sundays, which only leaves Saturday. Sometimes we havent hacked out then either if its been icy or blowing a gale too which means her hacking has lapsed somewhat!
Where I keep her, it is on a very quiet country lane, which is also very narrow. We dont come across many cars, but when you do, you either have to get into a deep gateway and let them passed, or they have to full over as far as possible whilst you sneak past them.
The problem I am now finding is that she is a pain in the (insert your word of choice!!).... on the roads. She has always been a bit spooky (nothing horrendous, just jumpy at her own shadow) but on Friday, I was riding towards home, when one of the other liveries came towards me in her lorry. She very kindly stopped as far over as she could and turned the engine off. We were luckily at a slightly wider point, where there is also a narrow verge and my husband was riding my absolutely bombproof welshie with me. Well, OH and welshie just went walking passed without a glance, but Dulcie acted like the workd was going to end, trying to spin, and when she couldnt reversing at top speed. Rather annoyingly, I didnt have a whip with me (I usually ALWAYS carry one when hacking) and so I just had to nag away with my legs, keep her from turning and eventually, with much drama we got passed.
Problem is, all the way back home, whenever any car went passed, no matter the size, she tried the same reversing at speed and I had to get to the point of pony club kicking whilst speaking to her very sternly.
When we got back on the yard, we have to go through the car park. One of the liveries was sat in her pick-up truck, with the engine on and talking to another livery. Well, Dulcie proceeded to try and bolt passed them too, and when I span her to face it, she almost reversed into another car. I then spent the next ten minutes walking her passed the car (which the other livery very kindly left parked up in the middle of the car park, switched on) until she went passed calmly.
The next day, the lady with the wagon, left that parked up, with the engine running so I could try that too. She was much better, but still panicked a couple of times and tried to turn and run, but because I had her on my dually halter, she couldnt. I finished the session by giving her tea next to the wagon, right next to the noisy engine.
Now in the bigger picture (sorry this is soooooo long!), she really is petrified with tractors .we have only met one twice out hacking so far (ironically on the same hack), but we were much further away from home on a wider road and the first time, we got into a deep gateway, where I only just managed to talk her out of popping the five bar gate to escape it and had a kind of gallop on the spot instead. The second was parked up, but switched on and I managed to get her half way passed, before she noticed the huge trailer on the back and she had a paddy about that too! Big sigh!
On our yard, there are regularly tractors up and down, and her stables look right out onto the main yard, so they do come passed her door. I had hoped this would help, but she just dives o the back of the stable, rolling her eyes and cowering until it goes!
Anyway .rather long post that (apologies! And very big chocolate brownies for whoever got to the end), but anyone who could offer any advice on helping her would be my favourite person in the whole world! I really do love hacking in the summer, plus I hope to do some ODEs this year hacking will be an important part of our fitness work so I need to get this sorted.
Do you think it might be just down to the fact that she needs to get out more? Any tips on traffic proofing would be great!
), and I ended up getting off her halfway around and walking her around the route instead. She was trying to turn around and run home, snorting, shaking, leaping in the air at ANYTHING -sounds of leaves blowing, birds chirping, a duck swimming on a pond, a squirrel running down a tree! It really did start getting dangerous and by the time I got home to be quite honest I felt like crying with despair. 
