Horse
Horses are fight or flight animals, and in order to make sure that your horse is safe to ride and handle around traffic, it takes some dedicated training. This article will give you some steps on get your horse used to traffic and its distractions.
Instructions
1. First recognize that horses have two main instincts--flight or fight. They were made to run, so that is their first reaction when threatened. If they are unable to flee, they will react with aggression. So being aware of these two instincts is your first step in training a horse to get used to traffic. When a horse first sees and hears a motor vehicle or motorcycle coming towards them, they will want to bolt, so be ready.
2. Begin by having the horse examine a car up close and personal with you on the ground and at his head. Have a helper get in and out of the car while your horse is right next to it. Have the car started and revved while the horse is there. Encourage the horse to touch the car and give a great deal of reassurance to him and praise him when he relaxes. You can do the same for a motorcycle.
3. Once you have accustomed the horse to the vehicles while you are on foot, it is time to repeat the lesson while you are mounted. Be prepared to have the horse act as though you are starting over, since now you are on his back rather than on the ground. Repeat the lessons until you can approach the vehicle while they are running.
4. Understand that the last step before a real road test is to have your horse follow a vehicle on the road while you are riding. Have your horse follow fairly closely, and even speed up to a trot as the vehicle speeds up. Soon, your horse will become accustomed to the noise and the motion. When he is comfortable with this, have the vehicle do a couple of circles around him while he is walking. Once your horse moves on and pays attention to you and not the distracting car or motorcycle, you are truly road ready.
5. Hit the road. If you have followed the above steps and not tried to get ahead of yourself, you will have a nice ride with very little to worry about. Large trucks are the exception, but if your horse is properly desensitized to moving vehicles, even a large truck will only make him flinch, not bolt. Be sure and allow the horse to look at the oncoming traffic that he might not be used to, so that he can see it coming clearly, but do not face him directly towards it, as that might make him think he is going to get hit.
Tags: your horse, horse follow, that might, they will, used traffic, your horse follow