Scary juntion

D

Dees-unpaidgroom

horses let us fly
Aug 28, 2008
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Well basically Dee is a very good happy hacker-just the way i like her. But a couple of weeks ago we had a VERY close miss with a tractor at a T juntion. It was scary and she completly freaked out, i prob did too as well tbh. She doesnt normally have a problem with tractors but it was just the fact that it was a huge tractor going very quick and didnt seem to want to stop for us. I shant go into more details as i said it was very scary.

But now we have a problem. When ever we approach said T junction Dee freezes. She wont move forwards at all. I know shes not taking the mick as i think she is genuinly scared as she suddenly holds her head really high (well for her!) and becomes really on her toes almost waiting for it to happen again. Its almost like she has flashbacks of what happened. But literally 10m before the junction shes fine and totally normal then she just freaks out and freezes almost like a mental block.

So what i have been doing is when she gets like this i have been dismounting and trying to lead her past it as sometimes she finds it a comfort to have someone on ground level and we do have a really good relashonship. But she just seems really scared and i cant seem to get her over this. Any ideas would be very much appreciated.
 
I think getting off is fine as long as you get past things together. Maybe you are subconsiously feeling anxious as you approach the junction and are expecting her to be scared and she may be feeling your tension through the saddle and rein contact. Try to think positively and ride forwards as you approach it so she takes the positive signals from you and feels confident.
Do you have to stop at this junction? Can you chose which way to go? I had a problem with my mare always wanting to go right at a certain junction and she would start to be silly a few feet before and refuse to go on and try to turn round. I got over this by thinking myself turning left around the corner so before she even started messing around I would gather the reins and ask her to flex the way I wanted to go so she was so busy listening to my signals she didn't have time to worry or get in a tizzy and before you knew it we were going where I wanted not where she wanted. In my mind I was saying 'we are going left here' rather than 'oh dear she is going to want to go right and start being silly' It worked for me in the end. I hope you get over this little problem. Some drivers are so inconsiderate.
 
Yeh i think maby without intention i may be passing on some signals to her. I have now managed to successfully walk her around the junction (and we have to go past this junction) but i thried to ride her around it which was uumm shall we say slightly unsuccessful so i'm usure if this is due to me possibly passing on messages from my saddle or rein contact although i am tring very hard to ride her forwards but maby trying too hard!
 
Try to do something to reduce your potential anxiety- talking to a friend often helps (on the ground or on another horse), or have a bit of a sing to yourself- you will most probably feel silly in not too long so then end up giggling, which releases lots of positive endorphins- hopefully that will help
 
Thanks,
i think i will have to pursuade a friend to come and hack out with me so that dee has someone to follow as she seems to still think of the scary insident which happened over a month later! I am trying very hard to do things to make me relaxed so that i am not passing on any anxiety to her inc singing!
 
Ahh how frightening!

I was going to suggest having a friend with you (either on foot or on hoss)

If she's happy to be lead across then try being really positive with your leg, keep it on her sides, talk to her and scratch her neck of she's actually scared.

Hope she gets over it soon.
 
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