Train Your Horse or Pony for Road Traffic
Friday, January 2nd, 2009Riding a horse or pony out on the roads can be quite daunting, especially when you are not fully aware of how he is going to react to the other vehicles. Although you may not be sure on what his response will be towards the oncoming noisy tractor or that loud motorbike, there are a few ways you can prepare yourself and the horse for them.
Your main objective is to move your horses attention away from the vehicles and fully onto yourself. Distracting him from his concentration on vehicles approaching from the front or behind will help him adjust his viewpoints and place more of his trust in you as the rider.
Horses and ponies can spook themselves and dance around in the road or worse, bolt, simply by tripping up from lack of concentration. You need to be aware of where your horses focus is because if he is fixated more on his surroundings, he will more than likely ignore your commands and startle himself.
So what can you do to distract your horse or pony from oncoming vehicles or break his focus on his surroundings? One way is to occasionally tweak the reigns and squeeze with your legs to gently move him into a fast walk and a soft trot to pull his attention back onto his paces. If your horse keeps watching others in nearby fields, gently tapping his muzzle with your crop will help him focus forward.
When taught correctly, horses and ponies can be very fast learners. It is important not to get angry or frustrated when teaching him and mainly not to be scared, as he will be able to read your emotions. Talking in a nice but firm voice will show your horse that you are in control when dealing with the vehicles on the road, which will drive him to listen to you.
Another way to retain his attention is to ride with knowing exactly where you want your horse to step and make sure that he doesnt avoid the route by dancing around a grate for example. Keeping him in the mindset will move his concentration from the vehicles onto you and you commands.
When teaching your horse or pony to become more familiar with traffic, it is recommended to also take him on short walks on the roads by leading him and not riding him. However, when you do this, always ensure that you use a bridle instead of a head collar, which will give you more control over him if he gets scared or bolts as a result of the oncoming traffic.
A common answer to dealing with traffic when viewing new horses for sale is they are bomb proof. The only way to validate this claim is to watch him being led and ridden out a few times before considering buying him. Watching him out on the roads will let you get a feel for his reactions and whether or not he is sound enough or need more training.