Road Safety and Horse Riding
Most of horse-riding safety depends on the co-operation and teamwork of both the horse and the rider during their trips. A steady, experienced horse can be spooked easily if they have an inexperienced and nervous rider as the riders’ nervous feeling will transmit to the horse. After all, how would you like to be led through traffic by someone who is unsure of their own capabilities? Your confidence and ability will prove to make your adventures safe and enjoyable. There are many different ways you can handle the situation, and have your horse more accustomed to the traffic.
1. It is important to get your horse accustomed or less nervous with traffic before actually going on an adventure. There are many methods you can train them. For one, you can have your horse graze in meadows that are close to roads with traffic so they will become accustomed to them. Or, you can walk your horse through traffic yourself. Of course, you will need many horse treats to reward them for their bravery and confidence – just like when you teach your dog a trick. Carrots will do the trick! I would suggest that you walk your horse through a street with less traffic before moving onto somewhere with heavier traffic gradually. Repeat many times until you believe your horse does not find cars and other traffic as something new and frightening.
2. Remember to put into consideration what spooks your horse, and identify the objects. For different horses, different moving objects will spook them. For some of them, a bicycle can easily trigger their fear while for others a large truck will do the job. Identify what spooks them, and slowly help them relax. Let them understand that the scary object will move away, and won’t cause any ham to them at all.
3. Horses work in herds; thus, bring an elder, more experienced horse along with the adventure will help. Have the experience horse or horses as the barrier between the young horse and the traffic. As they learn that the other horses are not frightened, and are relaxed, they will start to relax and be accustomed as well.
