horse spooking and running into traffic

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Jodie

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Jan 17, 2001
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I just got a new horse in november when i got him he seemed really quiet and the owner said he would only spook at things every horse would spook at like dogs jumping out and barking suddenly. Even when i started taking him out he was still quite quiet although slowly he has been getting more spooky. He has no fear of cars, trucks ect so when he does get scared he runs torwards the road sometimes his spooks are just a side step but when he see's another horse or donkey ect in a paddock he spins and runs towards the road i havejust been able to keep him from running out into the traffic but he gets closer each time and the last time he did i was leading him he still nearly pushed out onto the road i was just able to stop him and the car had to stop and wait till he got over wat scared him. So if i'm riding he'll spin and run towards the road and if i'm leading him he'll just run towards the road and try and drag me. Just wondering if anyone had any ideas coz its only getting worse and i dont know if i'll be able to stop him from running into traffic all the time. I've been riding four about 4 years at a riding school his my first horse so i am able to stay on and am not worried if he does it when theres no cars around coz i can stay balanced until he calms down it just the fact that we have to ride near cars to really get anywhere and i can see him running straight in the cars before he calms down. Any ideas would be great.

Jodie
 
Sorry I have no solutions for you except maybe ride out with a horse which has a bit more confidence for the time being. Even though I only ride out with another rider my horse walks into the middle of the road everytime we walk past something she does not like. If we are walking past a field of horses she is either trying to walk towards the fence or into the middle of the road. I have not been able to slove the problem yet. Even tried to keep my leg on to stop her but not worked so far.
 
a useful trick is to turn the horse's head slightly away from the scary thing and leg yield past it. the horse thinks "i'm not looking at it so it isn't there" or at least "i don't have to go up to it", and you can keep your inside leg on and hopefully keep yourself out of the middle of the road. it also gives the horse something else to think about and might take its mind off spooking. practice leg yielding in the school first though!
 
It sounds as though it's your own confidence that's lacking and not your horse's. Most horses will be a bit tentative when they move homes and are ridden by a strange person in strange territory; however, as you get to know each other, provided the horse is basically calm and sensible any problems should be small, and should disappear fairly quickly. If, as you say, the situtation is getting worse, it's probably because you aren't giving out the right signals to your horse. If you're worried, your horse will pick up on it and will either be nervous too, or will take advantage of you.

You need to be saying "you're with me now and if I say it's OK, then it's OK." The less you worry, the less your horse will worry. As Miriam says, riding out with another sensible horse, and with someone to have a chat to as you ride along, can really help take your mind off the worries and break that vicious circle. If you really can't ride out with another horse, try to remember that your horse was sold to you as sensible, and was fairly sensible when you first started riding him, and there's no reason why he shouldn't be sensible now if you remind him!
 
It does sound as if he needs riding forward with confidence all the time. With him going from being quiet, to spooky, it could be that you're allowing him to let his concentration move away from you.

The worst spooks I've had, have been when I've relaxed too much and drifted off into a daydream - I'm certainly not saying thats what you do. But some horses need a constant communication, all the time, being reassured by your attention.

I'll bet a bit of subtle nagging will stop the spooking. Ride him out with a mission, don't let him slop along, if your in walk, demand its a good straight active walk, keep his head in front of you, don't allow him to gawk about, insist he concentrates on you. Be confident, sit up straight, keep your eyes focussed ahead, be relaxed and breathe.

Try and see potential scary monsters before him and leg him on, the other day my 4 yr old was eyes out on stalks at some round silage bales in black bags, she's actually grazed in a field with some in! I gave her a flick of the schooling whip across my boot, relaxed the rien and legged her on, we had a couple of strides of what I call backward thinking trot (back end thinking about trotting, but front thinking about going backwards - if you know what I mean) another flick of the whip across my boot and a strong verbal aid did the trick. She didn't even feel very tense as she passed them - just trotted past on a soft contact.

Horses vary, some need to always be in touch and guided by the rider or thier confidence will diminish. Some spook out of boredom, some out of genuine fear - these are the most difficult to settle. And there are those lovely placid characters who are quite happy to plod along regardless.

But with all of them positive thinking and sympathetic, confident riding usually works. Always be 'the rider' its normally when we become 'the passenger' we encounter problems.

Good luck

Lesley
 
Thanx

It could be as you said lesley i know i'm not at all nervous on him as his way more sensible than other horses i've ridden and when we ride out coz of that reason his normally got a long loose rein and i let him just slowly walk along and take his time coz i'm to busy chattin with who i'm riding with...lol. So i will try riding him forward past it rather than letting him take his time and letting him have a good at it. His alwayz ridden out with a horse he knows well they are paddocked together and i think have grown up pretty much together she's one of the very few horses he actually likes. We have thought about puttin her infront to show him its not scary but shes scared of the donkey (not the other horses) as well and gets nervous in heavy traffic without him infront.

Thanx heaps Jodie
 
if you are worried riding out why not walk for a little while. It is better to ride a while and walk or longline a while and succeed than put yourself under pressure which will transmit itself to the horse and fail.
Being positive usually works but if you do get a spook when you are concentrating well, ie horse tuned into you and vice versa it can be a goody as the horse is genuinely startled. Connie shot sideways with me the other day when a plastic bag came out of nowhere and blew between her front legs! "Aren't I clever Mum look at me trotting out - on the bit and all...... What the heck was that?!!!!" No damage to one and all though.
good luck
 
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