Traffic proof

[stormox]

How would you expect a horse described as "traffic proof" to be on the roads?
I would expect it to be able to be ridden on most roads, and passed by cars lorries bicycles even tractors with no problem.
Do others think differently?

 

[SEL]

The microcob is as close to bombproof as any I've ridden and she can do all those plus the combine (on a single track road!)

She can't do cows though

 

[HorseMaid]

I'd say mine is pretty traffic proof, she goes past everything without any fuss EXCEPT motorbikes if they don't slow down, she doesn't like them at all (can't really blame her), she's fine if they slow down and crawl past though. I feel confident and relaxed riding her on the roads.

 

[cauda equina]

I agree with you OP
If it's described as 'traffic proof' with no qualification I'd expect it to be safe with any sort of vehicle, at any speed

 

[AmyMay]

How would you expect a horse described as "traffic proof" to be on the roads?
I would expect it to be able to be ridden on most roads, and passed by cars lorries bicycles even tractors with no problem.
Do others think differently?

I do actually. Good in traffic is different from good in all traffic.

Lorries and Tractors are hugely frightening to many, many horses who are otherwise excellent in traffic.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

One of "my" horses at work lead the entire string past a huge tractor with a trailer full of straw bales on a single track road as a 3yo. He tried to snack on the straw as he went past. Does this make him traffic proof

 

[Peglo]

I’ve had 2 horses that were traffic proof. An artic lorry went passed me and the TB and she just looked at a bull in the field as it passed us. I felt intimidated by the height of it but she didn’t care. They never reacted to traffic but did dislike other things.

 

[Birker2020]

How would you expect a horse described as "traffic proof" to be on the roads?
I would expect it to be able to be ridden on most roads, and passed by cars lorries bicycles even tractors with no problem.
Do others think differently?

I'd expect it to be sensible and used to traffic but it depends what the seller thinks is traffic.

If they live down half a mile of lane where you might see two cars in an hour it's a bit different to my type of hacking which is having to cross a busy A road and negotiate 40mph lanes where you encounter groups of cyclists, lorries, buses and tractors! Now that's what I'd call traffic proof.

Bails never worried about anything like buses, lorries or bikes and we regularly rode a short distance from a 30mph zone to a 50mph stretch but she still did the odd shy at other things like certain leaves, or a patch of mud or oil on the road.

 

[motherof2beasts!]

Mine is traffic proof , happily goes past anything vehicle /bike wise but is not livestock proof so maybe that’s a way of trying to say that

 

[Zoeypxo]

Mine is brilliant in traffic i feel very safe on the roads. But.. a bridleway with cows along side it

Traffic proof i would expect to be able to ride on the road with no issues, pass lorries/heavy machinery/motorbikes etc

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I've had several traffic proof horses, they would all ride confidently through any traffic you care to mention, double deck buses, motor bikes, coaches, huge farm machinery that our neighbours deal in, cycles, horse-drawn vehicles.
When I viewed the Westphalian, I saw her ridden on an A road in the middle of Bradford, she didn't bat an eyelid when an empty sheep transporter passed her. I was riding her from home myself when we came upon some people unloading a wind turbine. She wanted to stop and watch but certainly wasn't worried about it.

 

[ycbm]

How would you expect a horse described as "traffic proof" to be on the roads?
I would expect it to be able to be ridden on most roads, and passed by cars lorries bicycles even tractors with no problem.
Do others think differently?

Yes, this.

Big buses , noisy motorcycles and vehicles which speed as well.

I have one now, but it was a big surprise when he freaked out at a quarry train!

 

[gallopingby]

I have one who is so nosey he doesn’t worry about anything. Had a ‘chat’ with a strimmer the other day, wish l had a photo. Ear forwards and a ‘how does that work, l need to have a closer look. Neighbour turned it off to prevent him getting strimmed!

 

[oldie48]

Most of my horses have been completely traffic proof but a plastic bag bowling down the road towards us has always been an issue. Daughter's eventer used to spook if a flower looked at him the wrong way and Mr D hates things behind hedges. Rose was not traffic proof but in the company of a traffic proof companion, she could cope with a big lorry or tractor, little stuff didn't bother her.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

One of "my" horses at work lead the entire string past a huge tractor with a trailer full of straw bales on a single track road as a 3yo. He tried to snack on the straw as he went past. Does this make him traffic proof

I had a little cob that actually tugged so hard at the hay as a very polite tractor and trailer came very slowly past it toppled some of the load! The coblet didn't bat an eyelid as a few bales tumbled down beside him Luckily it was a lovely young man who could see the funny side of it and was happy to re adjust his load and retrieve the bales off the lane that my cheeky young chappy was still happily feasting on. He was only just broken in and for sale, so I was pleased to say honestly he was ok with farm machinery, but not those little blue spray markers the council put around a hole in the tarmac for refilling? Nope no way was he going past that monster.

 

[scats]

Millie is pretty traffic proof but unfortunately she’s not ‘life proof’
Heavy traffic, not a problem. People living their lives- gardening, washing cars, getting into cars, opening boots… absolute terror!!

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

Dolly used to be very good with most heavy farm machinery on narrow lanes on a good day, however she was not reliable. That could all change if she was having one of her 'days'. However, a small yellow cowslip growing in the hedgerow, or even a white butterfly fluttering past would call for an attempt to instant reverse spin and head for home ASAP.

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

I had a little cob that actually tugged so hard at the hay as a very polite tractor and trailer came very slowly past it toppled some of the load! The coblet didn't bat an eyelid as a few bales tumbled down beside him Luckily it was a lovely young man who could see the funny side of it and was happy to re adjust his load and retrieve the bales off the lane that my cheeky young chappy was still happily feasting on. He was only just broken in and for sale, so I was pleased to say honestly he was ok with farm machinery, but not those little blue spray markers the council put around a hole in the tarmac for refilling? Nope no way was he going past that monster.

The only thing that would stop my guy in his tracks was a puddle! He always had to stop and play in it he now has a happy life hunting all winter and eating all summer

 

[Widgeon]

One of "my" horses at work lead the entire string past a huge tractor with a trailer full of straw bales on a single track road as a 3yo. He tried to snack on the straw as he went past. Does this make him traffic proof

I doubt you'll have a hard time rehoming him when he retires....

 

[SO1]

Homey was traffic proof but he didn't like any sort of rubbish lying around in lay-bys or road side.

We even had a motorbike comes between us and a car that was over taking. Buses absolutely fine, lorrries, tractors, hot air ballons, etc. The only time he was scared of traffic was when a caterham racing car came past at high speed reving its engine.

Most of my horses have been completely traffic proof but a plastic bag bowling down the road towards us has always been an issue. Daughter's eventer used to spook if a flower looked at him the wrong way and Mr D hates things behind hedges. Rose was not traffic proof but in the company of a traffic proof companion, she could cope with a big lorry or tractor, little stuff didn't bother her.

 

[sky1000]

One I had was fine with traffic - the much more likely thing was he would shy into the traffic at litter in the hedge. The thing that terrified him the most ever was a horse drawn carriage. I was the best rider I have ever been that day. I had to sort of counter which way he was thinking of fleeing by thought - it felt like had I done anything more he would have exploded the other way

 

[Jambarissa]

I would expect that to mean the vast, vast majority of traffic - including tractors with trailers and huge lorries. So continuing forward ignoring it as it passes at a reasonable speed and distance. I wouldn't necessarily expect it to include the biker gang with sidecars that blast past you at 60mph sounding their horns (this would never happen, bikers seem to be the most respectful on the roads).

Even my couldn't give a sh*t cob stopped to look when an entire fairground including life-size dinosaurs went past on a trailer convoy. I think if we'd been with a spooky horse she may have reacted but I sat there singing 10 green bottles (as you do) until they'd gone past.

It doesnt mean they dont spook at non traffic though.

Have you bought this horse and it is significantly not as described? Get video evidence if safe to do so and complain immediately.

 

[dottylottie]

i would expect traffic proof to mean good with everything, and “good in traffic” to mean unphased the majority of the time.

i’d say both of mine are good in traffic - lily is scared of just about everything else, and anything too noisy - buses are fine, until they set off and the breaks hiss

diva hasn’t yet encountered a vehicle she’s scared of, although she did decide the tractor that she’s seen daily for months gave her a funny look the other day - i wouldn’t mind but it wasn’t even moving!

my mums pony is absolutely foot perfect with everything you can imagine except tractors, if you see one of those you’d better hold on haha. in 10+ years of riding her, the only other thing that’s ever scared her was a wicker chair someone had stuffed in a bush on the bridleway, we were halfway back up the lane before i clocked it

 

[Birker2020]

I always joked that Bailey could see the flea on the back of the ant on a fence post and shy at it!
It felt like she liked to 'look' for things to spice up the ride. She would spin (only ever to the right, so when I had Lari and he was only ever to the left it was hard to stay on!)

I often felt she would shy at things for a hit of adrenalin. It wasn't all the time, and never in company, only just her and me.

 

[Lexi 123]

Basically not reacting to anything on a road no matter how fast they are going including tractors and motorcycles .

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I've only had 1 truly traffic proof horse that was Grace my mare you could have ridden her along the M25, in the 6 years I had her she wasn't bothered by anything on the road.

I have ridden her past road works I remember once a tuck pulling a trailer with a flat tyre was coming from behind us, the noise was horrendous the other 2 horses we were with were all over the place she didn't even flinch.

 

[cauda equina]

My steadiest horse in traffic and with machinery was the most spooky about other things
Flail hedge cutters and sugar beet harvesters were fine, and once we had to squeeze through a tiny gap behind a grain lorry which was being loaded by a noisy telehandler - he couldn't have cared less
But he had fits of the vapours at things that seemed trivial to me, like bits of wet cardboard on the verge
I would have described him as traffic proof but not bombproof or unflappable or anything else implying lack of reactiveness

 

[SDMabel]

I'd 1000% describe mine as traffic-proof.

She doesn't flinch at anything, sprayers, tractors, combines, people driving too fast, people with trailers bouncing about . To her they just aren't there.

She doesn't need other horses with her for confidence round vehicles on the roads and is often used to nanny those that are starting their ridden career on the roads / traffic shy horses.

 

[First Frost]

I would say my older horse is good in traffic. He is perfect with cars, vans, motorbikes and smaller lorries. However with huge artics and large tractors he needs me to hold him between hand and leg, then he trusts me and is fine. With a less confident rider he would probably be different with large things.
My young horse is what I would call traffic proof, he isn't bothered by anything from huge tractors, artics, large groups of motor bikes. Nothing bothers him, the other week we had to negotiate 3 traction engines!

 

[Lucky Snowball]

I consider all mine good in traffic, however, the ‘main road’ rarely has more than one vehicle at a time and most the farmers slow down. Definitely not traffic proof on the open market.