Opinion needed on a problem. . .

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Flint12

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My horse at the moment has drastically taken a turn for the worse on the roads. He was fine 3 weeks ago. Then he went down hill at home, we were off to my instructors anyway so i wanted an opinion on what to do. He was better with her but still far from well behaved. He has come home and my YO has kindly offered to take him on the roads for me.

Now just up the road(lane) from me is a stubble field the yard is allowed in. Now i really want to go and have a ride in it. But i DO NOT want to ride him on the lane.

Now how would you get up there?

Im thinking of leading him up there and getting on in the field, and then leading him back.

Or i just don't go, which would be a shame.

Or i bite the bullet and get on with it.

What do you think?

Thanks
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Well i have no idea why he has suddenly started to be frightened on the roads. Anyway, I would lead him down there and back to be on the safe side, or ride him with a well behaved plod
 
Have you got anyone who could come with you and lead the horse in a pressure halter until you get off the roads? We did this with Daisy when we first got her and it really helped, she's fine on the roads now.
 
Started 6 months ago with a very near accident. He i think is pretty terrified by traffic. Parked cars are fine, anything else causes problems.


He spins. If i am lucky he will just stop then try and turn around or go backwards, i can cope with that. At instuctors yards he was scare himself then slip and rush forwards as fast as. I dont think he is taking the mick, i think he was at one point but i really do think he is scared. He used to be very trustworthy on the roads untill the accident.

I have tried company at instuctors yard, and there was a difference untill he realised it was still scary. I will try again with a horse he knows well that may be more comforting.
 
I could see if there is someone. Have used a robert maxwell halter to sort him out loading and leading and it made a huge difference, might be worth a go. Thanks
 
silicis, i think i'd ask someone to spend some time driving very slowly past you on him in a field. do your homework somewhere very safe with a driver you know will do the right thing. an hour spent doing this would probably make an enormous difference.
i'd do it bit by bit, walking him past stationary car, then with engine running, then with car going mega slowly, etc etc.
 
We have a 30X60 school, i could substitute that for a field?

Funnily enough my dad actually offered to do this last weekend lol.

Will have a chat with YO to see if there is a field. Thanks for the idea will defo give it a go
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Also, have you got a field alongside a road? Mine are turned out alongside a main A road (hedge, post & rail fence, then electric tape) and they don't bat an eyelid at anything.
 
yes, silicis, a school is fine too obv. just remember than time = confidence to a horse, and keep taking him past the car, and then the car past him, from the front and the back, again and again, until he is totally okay with it (use diff cars too if pos.) v best of luck, time spent on this could be a real life-saver.
 
Sadly not. The only field along the road is for the mares and my lad is turned out at the back. He has a bath ones a week near te drive where cars come in and he copes with that.

Thankyou kerilli
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Thanks for all advice. Will get cracking once i have spoken to YO.
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I have exactly the same problem so can sympathise, the field in question is right next door to our fields but it means a five minute ride down the lane and I just cant trust him, if something came along and didnt stop Id be in serious trouble so we just dont go. We have in the past though and this is a suggestion, on that occasion I begged a lovely person at the yard to walk with me, its not that far to walk but having a person on the ground is such a reassurance to horse and rider. I have an added problem now though because we rarely go in there and when we do.... no brakes, yikes!
 
[ QUOTE ]
silicis, i think i'd ask someone to spend some time driving very slowly past you on him in a field. do your homework somewhere very safe with a driver you know will do the right thing. an hour spent doing this would probably make an enormous difference.
i'd do it bit by bit, walking him past stationary car, then with engine running, then with car going mega slowly, etc etc.

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totally agree., but also get him to eat out of said car, then get the car to drive up to him, stop produce his dinner etc, then progress to lanes.. start it all over again.. basically make him want to meet traffic no matter what!

i always work with my horses on the yard, to the point you can go topping etc in the same field as them, but you can also stand them by a car and hold the hand on the horn and they really dont care.

it may take weeks or months. but i really think its worth the work. once hes ok with one thing do some thing new.. be it a rev of the engine, or a ballon hanging out of a window..
 
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