Riding past a field of naughty horses

[canteron]

On what becomes a giraffe, when the lively youngsters are bombing the fenceline!

Would you should-in past, stop and say hello or what technique would you employ? And what reaction would you find acceptable from your horse.

This field has only just been turned into a horse field, thus adding interest into a previously quiet route!

 

[Ahrena]

Following with interest as my youngster finds passing horses rather… overwhelming

 

[Patterdale]

I just walk past and ignore them. Definitely wouldn’t let them say hello!

 

[Jenko109]

Leg on and get your horse firmly past.

I absolutely would not be stopping to let them say hello

 

[poiuytrewq]

You’ll probably find the youngsters loose interest in horses going past really quickly and there’s no problem.
We used to have this when they turned something, not sure what big horses used to appear for a few months at a time just pat me in a usually empty field. They used to come tearing along the fence line as horses rode past on the road. It didn’t last long once they got used to being out and seeing things pass.

 

[pistolpete]

Ha ha. Yes. We’ve all been there! Depends on your horse really. Saying hello is probably wrong from a bio security point of view but have let mine touch noses in the past. Just need to be aware there might be a strike out and that can be dangerous. If your horse is worried I’d practice a shoulder in or a collected pace a little before the field to get your horses attention on you. Hope it soon becomes reassuringly boring!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Letting them say hello would never occur to me and having horses in a field myself on the road side I’d be really annoyed if anyone let their horses make any contact with one of mine.

 

[Gloi]

I'm still feeling nervous riding out since a couple of horses galloping in a field really got mine wound up last week. I'll be glad when mine is at grass and will chill out again. It's me though I seem to lose confidence easily at the moment as I've been off injured since Xmas.

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

I would pop him into an outline so he's in 'working/listening' mode, and be doing shoulder in and leg yielding etc on the lead up so he's tuned in and listening to you before you get to the field. Then continue up past the field also.

 

[suestowford]

Riding two young ponies past a madly galloping mare in a field was interesting. We found ourselves whizzing at great speed towards the main road. Stopping to say hello would have been preferable as I really thought we were done for.

 

[canteron]

I would pop him into an outline so he's in 'working/listening' mode, and be doing shoulder in and leg yielding etc on the lead up so he's tuned in and listening to you before you get to the field. Then continue up past the field also.

Thank you - super practical and useful reply …. this would be my instinct so will try out tomorrow!

 

[Sanversera]

Leg on and get your horse firmly past.

I absolutely would not be stopping to let them say hello

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
this

 

[Goldenstar]

Leg on and don’t look at the horses .
If they don’t want to listen I would should in / leg yield past .

 

[HopOnTrot]

Leg on and walk past whilst muttering “don’t you bloody dare undo all the physio”

When I had my old horse we had a “farm of doom” in the village which at various points had a stallion, foals, goats, pigs or emus!

 

[scats]

I would pop him into an outline so he's in 'working/listening' mode, and be doing shoulder in and leg yielding etc on the lead up so he's tuned in and listening to you before you get to the field. Then continue up past the field also.

This is what I have to do with Millie with any exciting incident or occurrence out hacking, or if she gets tense or worried. She’s very much a hand-hold type or she takes the situation into her own hands… and that rarely ends well!

 

[poiuytrewq]

Leg on and walk past whilst muttering “don’t you bloody dare undo all the physio”

When I had my old horse we had a “farm of doom” in the village which at various points had a stallion, foals, goats, pigs or emus!

Don’t you bloody dare is my favourite

 

[spotty_pony2]

walk past as calmly as possible and try and ignore them. I’d think about leg yielding towards them to stop the horse from spooking out into the road or swinging his hindquarters out.

 

[Vodkagirly]

Leg on and walk past whilst muttering “don’t you bloody dare undo all the physio”

When I had my old horse we had a “farm of doom” in the village which at various points had a stallion, foals, goats, pigs or emus!

We have a camel, llamas and wallabies. It's a great place to practice extension

 

[Boulty]

Will admit I’m at the hop off & lead stage with the fuzzy thug as it reduces the amount of screaming at them that occurs. He’s ok with ones that we pass on a regular basis but new horses or horses that weren’t there the last time we rode past a particular field are HIGHLY exciting and it’s Sod’s Law that most of the fields with the more excitable creatures in tend to be right next to the most narrow bits of paths! He’s a bloody idiot who would squeal and strike out if he thought they were close enough to be impressed by that. If I’m on a nice, wide path with loads of space to keep him well away then I’m not as bothered.

The Welsh D would snort, bounce and prance and there might be a few strides of Welsh Trot but generally we could then continue on our way as he’d want to show off not start a conversation.

 

[TheHairyOne]

I chant 'dont do it, behave, ignore them' and maybe a few prayers.

Most of the time now he is actually very good, but I agree with the others and I have to set him to work if they are really kicking off. I have a youngstock field on one of my routes and this one is always a bit hair raising at weaning time.

The one I really dread though is the one with the guard geese, we dont see them often enough to ever get used to those!

 

[Hallo2012]

depends on your horse....both mine are stallions and one would be fine walking past and the other i would have to wedge in an outline and trot past at a spanking pace to keep his head screwed on.