Motor bikes, clippers and pony and traps

S

Sven

Well-Known Member
Joined
18 June 2007
Messages
276
Location
A really nice place
Visit site
These are the three things my horse is terrified of. Tractors, lorries, low flying aircraft (we are right next to an airport), not a problem. The pony and trap thing I can manage we don't meet it that often. But the motorbike thing is getting worse and I don't understand it. I can only think it's the pitch of the engine noise, same thing for the clippers. Any ideas?
 
My last horse was terrified of clippers. I spent months getting him used to them. Used reward based training. I started off giving a polo if he just looked at the clippers turned off from a few feet away andcsliwky got closer. Got to the point where I could run then still turned off over his body. Took a while to get used to them turned on. I clipped him last year and did his bridlepath last with him standing on the yard without being held. Hope this helps .
 
I had a horse who developed a phobia of motorbikes after we encountered one with no silencer and it 'popped'. I was catapulted off the horse.

Could you get a recording of a motorbike on your phone and start playing it quietly around him?
 
I had the very same issue with motorbikes after an accident involving an inconsiderate driver and bolting. My geldings' fear also became worse over time and gradually he started spooking even over just hearing the sound of motorbike engines in the distance.

Finally, I got several local motorbike drivers to visit us at the yard and help us out. First, we started with the engine shut off and letting the horse to sniff/touch/explore the vehicle. When he was okay with that, we proceeded to turn the bike on and gradually revv the engine louder and louder and, when he was calm and accepting around these noises, the next step was to follow a driving motorbike, to tolerate it passing us from both directions and becoming faster and louder. It was, naturally, done over the course of several days and many sessions, and I used positive reinforcement to train my gelding. We can now encounter any kind of motorbikes on the road and he will barely flinch, if they are particularly loud, but otherwise he is, once again, safe around this type of vehicles.

Here's some moments from our first sessions I managed to get on tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxHTP8OCF4A
 
scats said:
I had a horse who developed a phobia of motorbikes after we encountered one with no silencer and it 'popped'. I was catapulted off the horse.

Could you get a recording of a motorbike on your phone and start playing it quietly around him?
Click to expand...

This could be a superb idea ^^

We had a dog who totally freaked out around firework night and beyond, we bought a tape of fireworks and started playing it a long time before firework night began, first week it was fairly quiet and just in the background fireworks and after time the tape increased with rockets, bangers and all sorts going on, it certainly worked for her or do you have anyone who would lend you a bike or even a mini moto and if the paddocks are up to it just drive around (I done the mini moto thing, foot slipped and I drove straight into the electric fence and had it around my neck) pony now couldn't give two hoots about bikes but I now have a phobia about being strangled lol
 
I had an awful fall off my friend's Sec D when he heard a motorbike in the distance and bolted. Proper bolt as well, he nearly went through a post & rail, swerved at the last minute and the girth gave way. My right hand side looked like it had been skinned - so you have my sympathy.

My friend never totally cured him and his hearing was so much more sensitive than ours we knew that when he started to tense there was a motorbike in the distance. She got him to the stage where if he could see a motorbike then he was OK with the noise, by putting him in situations where motorbikes were on the yard and the track near the yard. Motorbikes in the distance remained a big issue for the rest of his life and it meant she never hacked him out alone as we had a lot of trail bikes around annoyingly.
 
I think there is definitely something in gentle and repeated exposure to a stimulus. My horse used to be an absolute divvy to clip but when I moved yards he ended up stabled right where all the clipping takes place - 30+ horses on the yard with the majority competing so most clipped anything from twice a year to every 6 weeks. Next time we tried to clip him he stood like an angel - he'd seen so many other horses be absolutely fine it must have impacted on him. Now we can clip his face without him batting an eyelid.
Now if I can just move him to a stable where he sees horses being loaded several times a week he would be the perfect gentleman!
 
Thanks for all you comments, the recording idea is great, and once a little happier my husband actually owns a bike that we can use around him so thanks for the suggestion. It isn't noisy one so hopefully that will help. My husband can't afford any injuries owing to an illness so I'll go recording first before exposing him to a charging half ton horse ��. I will do the clipper thing as well. I have tired before but didn't sustain it so my fault. Thanks, obviously really but sometimes you need someone to point it out!
 
My pony was scared of motorbikes. spinning Dancing on the spot or running away. I taught him the word Polo in the sand paddock. then when we were out if we saw a motorbike, even if it turned off before it got to us, I said the word Polo and offered him one. It took a few rides out to get the message. One day he was bouncing about trying to decide whether to run or stand and have a Polo. he made the right choice. After that it was easier he knew to get the polo. It got to a stage where he would stand still whenever he heard one coming. I would sometimes have to pretend to have difficulty getting the polo out until the bike was nearer. I would rather he stood still and look for his treat than be all over the place in panic on a Busy B road. Motorbike sounding cars confused him. He would think it was a motorbike going to come past and it was only a car. We did not see enough three wheeled motorbikes to get the message across. I was getting him to the stage where he could continue walking until the bike was nearer, but he has gone out on loan now to an area of quieter roads.
 
Sleipnir said:
I had the very same issue with motorbikes after an accident involving an inconsiderate driver and bolting. My geldings' fear also became worse over time and gradually he started spooking even over just hearing the sound of motorbike engines in the distance.

Finally, I got several local motorbike drivers to visit us at the yard and help us out. First, we started with the engine shut off and letting the horse to sniff/touch/explore the vehicle. When he was okay with that, we proceeded to turn the bike on and gradually revv the engine louder and louder and, when he was calm and accepting around these noises, the next step was to follow a driving motorbike, to tolerate it passing us from both directions and becoming faster and louder. It was, naturally, done over the course of several days and many sessions, and I used positive reinforcement to train my gelding. We can now encounter any kind of motorbikes on the road and he will barely flinch, if they are particularly loud, but otherwise he is, once again, safe around this type of vehicles.

Here's some moments from our first sessions I managed to get on tape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LxHTP8OCF4A
Click to expand...

Great post and video, well done S :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top