Tips on helping a horse with vehicles

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manicmare

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A few weeks ago I was riding my pony down a country lane near my stables when a 4x4 came up behind us very fast definatly near the national speed limit and when overtaking us it hit my leg and just drove on. My pony has never been the bravest of ponies on the road and she got very spooked by this and I want to ride her down the road but I want to try and make her more confident with vehicles. In the yard if a vehicle goes past she jumps! Can anyone help or have any tips?
 
Have you got a friend that could come out with you on a horse which is really good in traffic? Your horse would gain re assurance from the attitude of the other horse and traffic often slows down more for two horses.
 
Brill advice from Northhorse. My past ned was very worried by scramble bikes and quad bikes. Actually, I think his mum (er ... me) was perhaps more worried than ned! Instructor borrowed her son's quad bike and we set up a special "lesson". Step 1. Ned loose in the indoor school. Instructor chugs in on the quad bike. Ned had chosen that moment to get down for a roll. Didn't even bother to get up! Clearly VERY worried then! Step 2, tack up ned and I get on. Ride quietly round the indoor school then instructor chugs in on quad bike again. Ned gave quad bike a bit of an eyeballing but with a stroke and a reassuring word, soon ignored it and we were doing left-to-left passes in the school in the end!. Cup of tea. Step 3, I ride ned off down lane to an agreed point and then instructor chugged up on quad bike. Ned eyeballed again but no serious reaction. Quad bike goes away home, we ride home. Step 4, I ride off again down the lane and this time quad bike joins me and chugs carefully in front of me as we go home. Ned follows. Going so well that instructor slows so that she is alongside me on Ned. No reaction. She comes BEHIND us. No reaction. In the end, I shouted RACE YOU BACK and we trotted back up the lane alongside each other, quad bike engine racing, me and instructor almost holding hands! Ned AND mum get A-level in quad bikes and keep all riding friends and their neds safe from quad bikes for ever more! YAY!!!
 
Try giving your horse their feed on the bonnet of a car, gets them used to being close to the car, could progress to feeding nearby with the engine running so they learn there is nothing bad about the noise.

I was recomended to try trotting after cars when they have passed and it does work. She feels like she has chased them off. The only problem we have is that sometimes she now tries to trot after cars without me asking
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