Welsh Section D temperaments

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titchy

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Hi,

I have had my welsh Section D for 7 years, he is now 12 years old. When I bought him he was 95% ok in traffic. He is a lot better in traffic but can still be a handful at times. It is as if he has a panic button. Does anyone have any opinions on Section D temperaments which is making it difficult for me to desensitise him to traffic. It is if panic of traffic is build into him. Any advice welcome.

Thanks
 
Friend's Secion D was a nightmare on roads when she got him. Four years later and she was happy to hack out on her own (though he was still a bit bouncy). He was ten when she got him. He's the only Section D I really know, so would not know if this is a Welshie thing.
 
Oh forgot to say welcome to the forum
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We buy and bring on, then sell a few ponies. Every welsh section D we have had has major problems and been difficult. Maybe just the ones we have come across but this has been the case!
 
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mines 100% but very strong willed so if she decides one day that buses are spooky.. then that day... buses are spooky!

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My mare is exactly the same, she lives on a very busy farm and has done since she was 4 months old. One day a car or tractor or fork lift is boring, the next it's going to jump out and eat her!

The strong willed-ness is a very welsh trait!
 
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mines 100% but very strong willed so if she decides one day that buses are spooky.. then that day... buses are spooky!

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My mare is exactly the same, she lives on a very busy farm and has done since she was 4 months old. One day a car or tractor or fork lift is boring, the next it's going to jump out and eat her!

The strong willed-ness is a very welsh trait!

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Completely agree with both of you. My sec d has very good days and very bad days. He used to be scared...terrified of tractors (though we have 5 on the yard) on the road, detroyed my sisters enjoyment of riding through bolting with her when he saw one. Hes alright with them now but still tenses up crazily.
Everything i have to do with him is fine one time and awful the next. Like rugs for instance, he has always been fine with rugs being thrown over his back if im in a rush or what not, but this year he has decided this is far too terrfiying to just stand still so he has to jump up and down like a roo. Lol. I've finally learnt to live with it now!
 
My welsh D developed a problem with tractors towing silage trailers (due to some extremely incosiderate farm contractor drivers), and for a good number of years I would have had to stand in a lane of gateway if one approached. At the same time, he was completely unphased by a tractor towing anything else ie large hay rake etc.
We moved to a v quiet area, and he did gradually learn to pass silage trailers.
I wouldn't say that they were worse in traffic than any other breed personally.

Fiona
 
Our section D we had years ago was terrified of any large traffic, think it seems to be a common thing with welsh Ds - in fact I think there is even an old thelwell sketch of a Welsh D terrified of traffic?!

I they are just very very strong willed and tend to know their strength and use to their advantage when they don't much like something. Smaller welsh breeds don't seem to suffer the same problem though - hmm, is that just my thought, maybe I've not experienced enough of them!. My welsh pony was 100% bombproof though - well apart from killer plastic bags obviously!
 
My D is pretty darn good in traffic...the only times he gets a bit tense if if its something particularly loud. Unfortunately this is thanks to a VERY irritating bloke who drove past us with a flat bed trailer at 50 mph. It made the most almighty racket with all the stuff bouncing up and down, poor pony was on his own so it really scared him!!

Other than that he's fairly good, the other day we hacked up the road where some blokes were cutting trees, he stopped at the traffic lights whilst they were at it with the chainsaw and didn't bat an eye lid!
 
my sec D is bomb proof and from the age of 2 has always led out in traffic alone or first in line tractors lorries are no fuss to him ,
however he is terrifed of donkeys! rears spins everything he can to get away!!!
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Section D's of recent breeding are, unfortunately for them, tempremental and spooky.

they are over bred and in-bred.

Fortunately D's are now being bred for their purpose instead of the show ring..so the breed is beginning to return to it's roots
 
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Section D's of recent breeding are, unfortunately for them, tempremental and spooky.

they are over bred and in-bred.

Fortunately D's are now being bred for their purpose instead of the show ring..so the breed is beginning to return to it's roots

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i have to agree with this statement. you only have to look at some of the inhand c's and d's.......do we ever see them under saddle?? rarely is the answer, and TBH it'as not all their fault.....how many times have the handlers at welsh shows (and every other bloody show come to that) been seen chasing the poor things around with bottles full of stones.....bloody bad manners, no other native people behave like this.
i am lucky with my D, he has a fabulous temprement and so far has been good in traffic, including tractors and artics, but then again he wasn't shown inhand before i had him, and i have done a little but the yobs with cobs really put me off, i'll stick to dressage, so much more civilized.
 
i have 2 section D's and they're both angels in traffic. the old boy is a spooky little sod and will jump at nothing, but he's safe as houses with heavy traffic. the new one is terrified of things on the yard like clippers, plastic bags, poles, wheelbarrows, shadows, nothing, you get the picture, but he's also absolutely fine in traffic. do not ask me how the Welsh brain works - it's a weird one, but get them on your side and they're the best ponies in the world.
 
My Sec D is terrified of tractors, I have to get off and lead him past. But anything else, bags, balloons bird scarers, low flying jets; He doesn't bat an eyelid at!
In fact I can canter, trot, holding the buckle off road, but on the road....no way!
 
My lad is great on the roads and in traffic but he has the panic button that you mention...good description. He can go from being plod along donkey to a raging nervous wreck, on full red alert and impossible to reason with in seconds if he sees or hears something he does not like. I have learnt to deal with it and can eventually ride him through these episodes and carry on again...but it is something that does not go away even now he is 11.
If you are on the ground with him when this happens you have no chance, you cannot hold him to calm him down enough...so I lead him everywhere in a chiffney just in case...sounds extreme but it is not worth the risk with him. It is easier to deal with on board to be honest.
He also goes through phases of not liking things and being silly about them...even when they were ok the previous week. But saying all that, he has the most wonderful character and attitude that I would not swop for the world.
 
I agree they do seem to use their strength against you more than other breeds - Ive had highland, connemara, welsh b and c, and none of them had the 'tank gene' of the sec d
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Mine is ok with traffic that he can see, but can be nervy of noisy things coming up behind him

Great ponies once you get them onside though
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Welsh D's are very strong willed and often a little quirky or difficult. They usually need riders with nerves of steel and endless patience, saying that I have neither and I wouldn't swap my boy for the world.
 
I've got a 4yo sec D that I've had since a 2yo & he has the most fantastic temperament. Pretty much unflappable, if he does have a doubt I just put my leg on & tell him to walk on. So far he's gone past everything including buses, lorries, pony & trap, tractors & all sorts of flappy plastic.

He's very easy to do but will take the mick if he thinks people are nervous of him or baby him - he tends to wander off to the nearest bit of grass with them trailing behind him & refuse to come back until I go & get him, at which point he's all innocent "who, me mum? I wasn't doing anything!". He's quite forward to ride & will pull if he's given a chance but he's safe, will go front or back, doesn't care what the others do & is also good on his own.
 
I would agree that Welsh Section D's should be completly safe in all situations however due to interbreeding for the show ring they have been messed up.

Having said that I have a traditional Welsh Section D who is excellent in traffic and with spooky things.

Of course much of the problems of horses not being good in traffic or being spooky is due to them not being exposed to these things at a young age and being hacked out on the roads on a regular daily basis.

If you want to hack out then buy a horse that has the temprement to do so.
 
A friend has a section D not good in traffic but she has never lived anywhere where she had a chance to de-spook the mare i.e. either too much or not enough traffic.

I have an old CBx? driving horse who is ace with all sorts of traffic and a CB mare who doesn't like tractors. This does not lead me to make a decision on the breed.

Sadly today we have to share the road with oinks who know nothing of horses once bitten twice shy - a bad experience takes a lot of getting over.
 
My welsh D X was always pretty good in traffic as long as it didn't involve any sort of trailer or waiting at traffic lights - she doesn't really do standing still under saddle. On the lead rope though she is a total darling. Welsh Ds are highly intelligent and think for themselves, then argue with you when you don't agree with them - add on the chestnut mare factor and that's my girl! Any one with one will know about their habit of having " Welsh moments" too. Mine also wasn't helped by having an extra dollop of arab blood in the veins either.
 
i am new to this site however felt compelled to add my thoughts to this. my sec d mare is offcially the most strong willed stubborn horse alive (love her to bits tho!) def agree bred for the wrong reasons sometimes. she is fine in traffic one day and the other its a total no go, as with every other little thing!
 
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