Scary ride today , how to avoid the same situation

[motherof2beasts!]

I have had my cob 2.5 years, he came to me as a very green 10 year old , no malice but scared of his own shadow. For the past year he’s got better and better and tries to please and enjoys his work.

He will pass all sorts of scary vehicles, road works , flags etc but is terrified of pigs, donkeys and cows . Ordinarily if he sees one he does a spin and tries to escape but not far, has a panic and will nervously pass.

Today we did a familiar ride , the cows have been in for winter and i thought still in….. wrong. They were lying unseen in a dip, he saw them and tensed up but was ok until a cow and 2 calves suddenly got up . He bolted down a steep road in complete panic , stopped after 6 seconds (I have Equilab it felt like a lot longer). Thankfully I stayed in saddle , he didn’t slip, no cars were coming but now I’m nervous about how I can avoid this kind of reaction again, he has never done it before and I’m hoping never will again but how can you desensitise to this kind of situation. He has frequent physio/osteo/dentist/saddle checks etc I don’t think this was pain but was fight or flight, not helped by fact I froze.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Only persistence will work, and some desensitisation

 

[meleeka]

If there’s a next time you are unlikely to freeze as you now know it’s a possibility. You can’t really stop a horse from a true bolt, unfortunately as everything is telling him to run. Sometimes you can get their head round and they’ll stop or slow, but not always possible. Getting him to the point where he isn’t that scared is what you should be aiming for, which will only happen with time and practice.

 

[SEL]

I'm not sure there's a huge amount you can do when caught by surprise. My usually bombproof native did exactly the same when some electric gates slammed shut as we went past. She pulled up after a few seconds looking a bit shocked at herself.

Yours did stop pretty quickly so although it gave you a shock get confidence from that and he didn't cart you all the way home

 

[stangs]

If he stopped after six seconds, it was not a bolt in complete panic. It was a "oh sh*t, I didn't see that." He handled himself well enough to stop after a few seconds, which is already a good thing.

The only thing you can do is just get him comfortable around livestock: taking him to arena hires where livestock border the arena; asking friends with horses who are very good with livestock to hack out with you; finding a grassy bit of land where you can sit with him, and let him graze and watch the cows in the distance. If you think your lack of confidence will stop desensitisation from being successful, then hire an experienced and confident rider to ride him out for you for a bit.

Other thing is to have a plan for what you'll do to get back control if he does tank off again. I'm partial to turning horses into hedges if need be. You can also train emergency stops - some people do them with R+, but the most common thing to do is train a one-rein stop, though I wouldn't fancy doing one on the road.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Yes it took us both by surprise , he’s never keen on livestock but goes past with encouragement , usually he tries to turn back rather than run blindly forwards. Passed cows later on same ride ok, but they are always there , think these ones had shock value.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

If he stopped after six seconds, it was not a bolt in complete panic. It was a "oh sh*t, I didn't see that." He handled himself well enough to stop after a few seconds, which is already a good thing.

The only thing you can do is just get him comfortable around livestock: taking him to arena hires where livestock border the arena; asking friends with horses who are very good with livestock to hack out with you; finding a grassy bit of land where you can sit with him, and let him graze and watch the cows in the distance. If you think your lack of confidence will stop desensitisation from being successful, then hire an experienced and confident rider to ride him out for you for a bit.

Other thing is to have a plan for what you'll do to get back control if he does tank off again. I'm partial to turning horses into hedges if need be. You can also train emergency stops - some people do them with R+, but the most common thing to do is train a one-rein stop, though I wouldn't fancy doing one on the road.

Thank you, that’s reassuring , I’m hoping was a one off, we have made great progress with getting past usually but these were not in their usual place /hidden so threw his brain into flight mode.

 

[JBM]

Any chance you can ask a nice local farmer if you can turn your horse out with his cows for a day or offer a few weeks grazing for his calves
My horses get turned out with bunch of animals so nothing is scary

 

[GreyDot]

Sounds like to he got a real shock and ran first and asked questions later.
Were you on your own? If you can get someone to come with you on a good, sane horse, or even someone on foot who can chat merrily to you as you pass the area again. I would be tempted to go the same route tomorrow with company and be prepared.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Sounds like to he got a real shock and ran first and asked questions later.
Were you on your own? If you can get someone to come with you on a good, sane horse, or even someone on foot who can chat merrily to you as you pass the area again. I would be tempted to go the same route tomorrow with company and be prepared.

I was with a lovely calm schoolmistress , we were in front, she followed too . I do plan to conquer again though. May do the loop backwards so he’s exhausted by the time we reach them. It’s odd he’s reactive to some and not others , today was a big shock. He is also reactive to Men in those flat cap hats, dread to think why.

 

[cauda equina]

How food oriented is he?
If he likes treats and you're ok with using them, looking at cows from a safe (in his view) distance while feeding treats could create positive associations and help him get over his worrie

 

[thefarsideofthefield]

Yes it took us both by surprise , he’s never keen on livestock but goes past with encouragement , usually he tries to turn back rather than run blindly forwards. Passed cows later on same ride ok, but they are always there , think these ones had shock value.

Nothing scarier than than a sudden cow !

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

My mare who often has cows grazing alongside her with just a piece of electric tape between them, is totally unfazed by cattle. I even had a calf jump out of a hole in the hedge right next to us with her irate mother and the rest of the herd throwing a complete wobbly the other side of the hedge. It was a very narrow single track lane, I just used her to guide the calf backwards and forwards until we literally squashed it back through the hedge, much to mother cow's relief.

I only relate the above to illustrate how one could possibly call her bombproof with farms animals, but she is not, and I don't think any horse is actually 'bombproof' with anything. On another occasion we were walking over a small bridge (on the buckle ) and unknown to her half a herd were drinking from the stream below us, as they heard her clip clopping along they became startled and leapt out back onto their side of the bank. Dolly took off at a very hefty pace and we stopped eventually about 300 metres up the lane when I managed to gather the reins back up. It was not the cows per se that caused her to have a run, it was the very sudden unexpected and noisy appearance of them that alarmed her.

I think if you do the route a few more times he will know they are there and probably not be bothered. But it is pretty much always be prepared for anything from even the most reliable sort, they are not machines and even the best will have the odd little run off or spook if suddenly alarmed by almost anything that could crop up when riding out.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

How food oriented is he?
If he likes treats and you're ok with using them, looking at cows from a safe (in his view) distance while feeding treats could create positive associations and help him get over his worrie

He’s very food orientated I had a handful of treats in my pocket which he gets when he’s been great, needless to say today was not his day

 

[motherof2beasts!]

My mare who often has cows grazing alongside her with just a piece of electric tape between them, is totally unfazed by cattle. I even had a calf jump out of a hole in the hedge right next to us with her irate mother and the rest of the herd throwing a complete wobbly the other side of the hedge. It was a very narrow single track lane, I just used her to guide the calf backwards and forwards until we literally squashed it back through the hedge, much to mother cow's relief.

I only relate the above to illustrate how one could possibly call her bombproof with farms animals, but she is not, and I don't think any horse is actually 'bombproof' with anything. On another occasion we were walking over a small bridge (on the buckle ) and unknown to her half a herd were drinking from the stream below us, as they heard her clip clopping along they became startled and leapt out back onto their side of the bank. Dolly took off at a very hefty pace and we stopped eventually about 300 metres up the lane when I managed to gather the reins back up. It was not the cows per se that caused her to have a run, it was the very sudden unexpected and noisy appearance of them that alarmed her.

I think if you do the route a few more times he will know they are there and probably not be bothered. But it is pretty much always be prepared for anything from even the most reliable sort, they are not machines and even the best will have the odd little run off or spook if suddenly alarmed by almost anything that could crop up when riding out.

Thank you , yes I’ve yet to meet a bombproof horse. Think the fact it was on a steep downhill narrow lane , thank god no cars! He thankfully didn’t go too far so no major damage , bar very nearly setting myself

 

[Nudibranch]

Exposure. As above, give him as much opportunity to see cows as possible. In an ideal world, turn out next door or even with them.

That said, I have 20 odd sheep and mine still loses her **** when sheep pass in a trailer

 

[LadyGascoyne]

One of mine tried that with me today and she was summarily marched back up to the cows and made to stand there until she got over herself. We were there about 20 min, and as soon as she stopped fidgeting, I gave a big pat and let her walk on.

Tomorrow we will do the same. Exhausting.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Exposure. As above, give him as much opportunity to see cows as possible. In an ideal world, turn out next door or even with them.

That said, I have 20 odd sheep and mine still loses her **** when sheep pass in a trailer

Yes we were stabled next door to a farm with pigs before, daily exposure, never went past calmly…..

 

[motherof2beasts!]

One of mine tried that with me today and she was summarily marched back up to the cows and made to stand there until she got over herself. We were there about 20 min, and as soon as she stopped fidgeting, I gave a big pat and let her walk on.

Tomorrow we will do the same. Exhausting.

I probably should have done the same but needed to get off to retrieve my phone /vape whilst he did that awful extra loud snort they do .

 

[Baywonder]

I completely understand your situation - my old boy was terrified of donkeys.

The very first time he laid eyes on them he stopped dead, snorted, span around and tried to leg it back home - and we were on a fairly busy lane. Luckily the cars stopped both ways whilst I calmed him down, but it was a bit nerve wracking to say the least!

From that point on, I knew more or less what to expect, so I just persevered; talking to him all the time, with lots of reassurance and positive riding. After a few weeks, my old boy would stand by the fence staring at a donkey on the other side, as calm as anything.

It took time and patience, but we got there.

 

[Sossigpoker]

I don't think it's a problem with cows he has but the issue was that they moved suddenly- the horse doesn't stop and think what it is, it just reacts to the movement.
By all means keep introducing him to cows - but of they suddenly appear again he's likely to react. Mine used to live with cows,.we've been charged at by them and he doesn't bat an eye lid. But when one was lying down by the fence as we passed and then got up, my boy had a real fright.

Best thing you can do is work on yourself remaining calm and not reacting if he does react. You already stopped him after 6 seconds, that's really good. If he reacts to something again , try not to react back to him and if he shoots forward ,.just pull him up and carry on as if nothing has happened. I know it's easier said than done though !

 

[Caol Ila]

Been there, done that. All of it.

1. Highland has a PhD in sharp, fast spinning/tanking off in the opposite direction for a few fast canter strides. But he always stops. Sometimes before you've gathered your reins. The answer? A velcro butt and not making a big deal out of it. Go, "Cool," and get on with your day. Easier said than done, but it's why I don't offer him to green riders. He's a lot better than he was two years ago, but I know that's always there, so I'm careful about who I let ride him. I can stick it out without getting scared. Not getting scared or flustered yourself plays a huge part in gently suppressing that kind of behaviour. They are flight animals. If something startles them, shooting off in the opposite direction is a totally natural response. You freaking out about it (they don't know what you're upset about!) kind of justifies their flight behaviour.

2. My old draft cross had a serious cow paranoia. I got her to the point where she would go past them so long as they were quietly grazing and ignoring us, but if they got curious and approached the fence, I could kiss my a*rse goodbye. Never did fix that.

3. If you can arrange life so you can control your engagement with cows, you should try some CAT-H work around them, which will hopefully make your horse less reactive should they pop up out of nowhere.

 

[Boulty]

The Welsh one was terrified of cows. He lived with some on a few occasions. All that happened was that those particular cows that he lived with were sort of ok as long as they weren’t running around in that weird way that cows do. The rest of the cow population remained utterly terrifying. Black & white cows were the worst.

I used to dismount to pass them at close quarters unless I had a VERY good nanny horse. Weirdly he thought I’d protect him on the ground so wouldn’t run but if I was on board all bets were off.

Didn’t help that he once took off down a road with me (barging through the 2 horses we were with when they tried to block him in) for about half a km when a cow looked at him funny & he spent months trying to run off if he saw cows vaguely in the distance.

Goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys , peacocks, pheasants, trains, planes & the air ambulance were all fine though!

 

[smolmaus]

I agree with most people here that you can desensitise to a cow but a cow popping up out of a ditch... probably not.

I have been as thorough as possible about "if you spook at it... you get a treat if you touch it" and obviously you can't ask them to touch a cow but you could definitely do a reward for looking at a cow and being normal about it. It would solve the first half of the stress buildup and then at least you only have the bloody jump scare to deal with

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Thank all , when I wrote this I was still a bit shocked it was only 6 seconds but the road is so steep they usually slide in walk so I was a bit shaken. I had a few “on a road ” comments and what ifs but thankfully he didn’t fall, I didn’t fall, no cars came etc etc just a stark reminder that they are animals and however reliable they are they can throw in a reminder that your dealing with a large animal not a robot.

He’s a funny thing really his default is usually spin canter maybe 1-2 paces then stop and have a mini panic before going past then rewarded for doing so. He’s never ran past at 20mph so was a shock, that shit I have no control feeling.

He will go past anything on roads motorbikes, tractors, loud roadworks but livestock (bar sheep they are fine) but the others are always a panic even after 2.5 years of daily exposure. He hates men that look like farmers too and trembles . Hes from Ireland so imagine he’s have seen all of these things as a youngster but highly doubt positive experiences, he was driven young like way too young .

 

[cauda equina]

Is there anywhere safe (low or no traffic) near cows or sheep where you could hand graze him and give him a rewarding, low stress time?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Any chance you can ask a nice local farmer if you can turn your horse out with his cows for a day or offer a few weeks grazing for his calves
My horses get turned out with bunch of animals so nothing is scary

I had a Clydesdale mare who was very worried about cattle, she was unhappy just passing the farmyard when there were no cows in sight, until we came here and there were cattle in the next field. As soon as she realised that the cows had *babies* with them she got over herself, so that she could lean over the wall and talk to them.

 

[Auslander]

I'm on the fence about getting horses used to live creatures! Mostly because mine live with 3 shetlands, and aren't bothered about them in the slightest. Meet the two shetlands that live on one of our hack routes, and its's googly eyes, snorting and power walking past them...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10157121453955730

 

[motherof2beasts!]

I'm on the fence about getting horses used to live creatures! Mostly because mine live with 3 shetlands, and aren't bothered about them in the slightest. Meet the two shetlands that live on one of our hack routes, and its's googly eyes, snorting and power walking past them...

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10157121453955730

That’s usually how he passes them , hot and anxious but the stand to flat out gallop downhill was a new trick!

 

[Red-1]

I do think that 6 seconds is a substantial period of time if they have done one, too long for me to feel comfortable with anyway. Obviously, any loss of control isn't good on the road, but I have a 3 stride rule, as in I must have pulled up by 3 strides. I find that after 3 strides, they can sort of take over. 3 strides is forgivable when startled, for a youngster, but as they mature I expect them to stamp their feet, jig or crouch in place.

If mine managed a 6 second take off (so likely substantially more than 6 strides) I would add extra braking until I had worked the problem. For example, if in a snaffle, I would change to a pelham with the same mouthpiece as the snaffle, ride on the snaffle rein unless it hits the fan, then hoick them up on the bottom rein. I would really sit them on their backsides, as more than 3 strides goes from startle to disobedience.

I know many would disagree.

I wouldn't be so hot on desensitising to cows per se. I would firstly make sure the horse is off the aids and between leg and hand. Any transgression would be worked on. I would go sort of scary stuff and make sure the horse can stay tuned in to the aids. Shoulders in line but mostly intention remaining forwards.

This is the process my BH is going through this year. He is generally placid so last year I simply hacked around on a long rein. If I needed it, I simply put a kimblewick in (as he wanted to chew the second rein of the pelham LOL). He is bigger and stronger this year so he is learning to go between leg and hand. Currently, he is not such a fan as it is hard work. We just came back from a lovely ride though, where he may have been worried about some things, may have walked like he had a brush shoved up his backside, may have had occasional wrinkles in front of his withers, but he stayed in his box. Stayed in a straight line.

Of course, they are all animals, will all be startled. I just think that 6 seconds is straying into disobedience and ignoring the aids. I actually prefer it when they do the push up donkey type startle. Safe from cars when they do that!