What to do about horse that is bad in traffic

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Alphamare

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I have two horses that are not good in traffic. One is fine (can be slightly on his toes) when in company but a bit of an idiot alone. I would like to ride him out and the last two times I tried it it was unpleasant for both of us.

The main problem is my mare. I need to bring her back into work following remarkably successful rehabilitation form a tendon injury, check ligament followed by suspensories in the same leg a month later! She has been scanned and checked. She is 100% fine and I want to persue what I bought her for in the first place. Endurance.

We are at a private yard with good hacking near by. Problem is the main (and very busy) 60mph road that I need to ride 200 yards one way or 350 yards the other to get to hacking. She was ok with light country traffic. She was ok to hack out alone. She has separation anxiety but after a lot of work I can take the others out. But she won't leave her herd now. She just rears when I try to ride her. I don't really have anyone to ride out with. She is going to be a total nightmare to try and bring back into work.

I have a couple ideas. I can take her on the narrow verge to graze. I'm not sure if that will help or if it's a good idea. I won't lead her in hand on that road. She doesn't long rein, she is terrified of the ropes.

Any suggestions? For her and for the gelding? Who is less of a problem thankfully. Shall I just get on him and ride out alone and hope he calms down? I am genuinely worried about her though, someone (me, her possibly drivers) could get seriously hurt. A yard move is out of the question. :)
 
There is one paddock right by the road but has very high hedges. They go on there in a couple months. They can all see the traffic from the other fields though.

She is ok in one car scenarios so using one car isn't going to make a difference. Same with the gelding, even with the volume of cars he is fine he panics when it's bigger vehicles. She will panic just at the volume of traffic god help us if something bigger comes by. I've spent a little time standing in the gate way but you can't see the cars until they are right there which is why I am thinking of trying the verge.
I'll also feed her sedative when I do.

Has anyone had any success curing a bad in traffic horse?
 
Lots of praise.
Lots of tit bits.
Lots of grazing.

Has worked fine for a couple of spooky cobs and an insane Welsh D.
Each time a car passes, as clicker would work "click, treat" kind of idea?
Let her graze and relax around traffic.
Calming words from Mummies always help too, and Mummies not get uptight of frustrated with there babies ;)
Just keep going at it, plenty of Hi viz! :D
Good luck!
 
Bump

Sorry :-)

Has anyone had any success curing a dreadful hacker? Could you tell me how you did it? I don't want anyone to get hurt.
 
I have one the same he's 14 and not going to change now he's always been scared of heavy traffic and would regularly spin round and run backwards or forwards. I have given up with him riding him on the roads now but we are lucky and have off road hacking. Hope you manage to sort it only thing I can suggest is beg someone with a bombproof horse to hack out with you to increase her confidence.
 
Can someone not ride your gelding out with you for a few weeks to get the mare out and about for a bit before going on her own?

I had a nappy gelding who was a nightmare on his own....I realised I wasn't competent enough at the time so got someone else to ride him out and he was much better.....can u take her out in a bridle in hand on the road?
 
I think you are in a situation with both horses that in order to make progress you need to make some choices.
Find a competent person to ride out with you you will probably have to pay them as you really need a professional on whichever one you do not ride yourself, it will not help if they go to pieces at the first problem.
Move the mare temporarily to a yard with better hacking and work on her gradually increasing her exposure to traffic, ideally in company at first.
If you have transport load up each day and go to quieter areas, as above gradually letting her meet more traffic again if you can take both it will help.
I have found horses that are nervous in traffic can get better a sensible companion is the best way to go but any fright can cause a complete setback to where they started or sometimes they get worse.
As with most things the more you can do, every day if you can, the more they learn, it becomes part of their life and routine.
 
I feel your pain! My mare totally lost confidence out hacking after 9 months off through injury. The key with her was leading her out off a traffic proof horse followed by solo hacking on quieter roads and building up. I used Global Herbs TB calmer for this period which definitely helped. If you can't do this it would be well worth taking her elsewhere for a month to somewhere you can. Long reining can really help build confidence (but not on the road obs) as can "chasing away" the scary vehicles i.e. Get her to follow a lorry down the road so she feels she is moving it away from her!
 
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