Horse with fear of head-on traffic

[aascvt]

I have a horse (8 yr old jumper) with a long-standing fear of head-on traffic in the ring. She is a very hot, spooky type, who seems to be claustrophobic in other ways. She has no history of a collision, unless it occurred prior to my ownership and in the paddock as a youngster. She is better in a bigger outdoor ring and better passing a horse when she is on the inside. When she is pinned against the rail she seems to feel trapped and seems to think that there is not enough room for that horse to pass her without running her over. This is not a naughty behavior. This horse genuinely panics and when in a bad spot or really nervous about a particular horse coming at her, she tenses her entire body, halts and wants to go back or spins her hind end sideways (but has never tried to kick out in the ring). When you correct her and force her forward, she accelerates to pass the other horse and holds her breath. (As if the other horse is going to shoot laser beams at her as she passes). : (

I’m polling this forum because although I have owner her and always dealt with this for almost 7 yrs, it has suddenly become a much bigger crisis. Normally I can manage it, ride her through it and eventually (usually) convince her that whatever horse scared her is not going to eat her alive. All of a sudden and seemingly out of nowhere, I can’t seem to talk her off the ledge.

We have checked her eyes (boarded, excellent ophtho.) and she has no abnormalities that would cause this. We discussed how certain horses have difficulty with depth perception which could be a factor, but there isn’t a whole lot that can be done to manage that. She had ulcers as a young horse but has been re-scoped several times and clean.

I have certainly met others that have had horses with this issue, but I’m just looking for any suggestions in ways to help her. I have tried quite a few things but am always open to new ideas. Thanks.

[Scribbler]

Have you ever done a staged, confidence-building, progression with her? Just as you would with any other scary object?

Start in hand, have people ride past you at a distance she will tolerate. Work up to closer. Do over in saddle. Stay inside the edge of her comfort zone, don’t push her into panic, basic tips from the ground-work people.

That said, I find my mare will be very reactive to other horses in the ring if she is being resistant generally. Once I get her warmed up and do what I call “getting to yes,” she couldn’t care less about other horses. So one piece of the puzzle is getting the horse to genuinely agree that you are the leader, and that she doesn’t have to worry about managing her social relationships when you are in the saddle. A bit like a teacher getting a little girl to listen in class, and stop passing notes and whispering about boys to her friends

Once my mare invents a resistance, or a place in the ring that she associates with resistance, she will work herself up even more by remembering that we always have a fight in that spot, and so she re-inforces the behavior by getting anxious and angry about my response, in advance of my response.

[Hawks_Nest]

A few things to consider and perhaps work on:
How is she off your leg? (and to the aids in general) and have you changed how you react in anticipation of her nerves?

I’ve schooled a few horses that were nervous of head on traffic. The first would only do it at home schooling, he would rear and spin if a horse was going remotely in his direction head on (in a wide open ring mind you) but at shows was an angel. For him, they key was just having him forward and hot off the leg. At home he was very very lazy so it was very easy for him to duck behind the leg. At shows he was more electric so it was much easier to keep him forward and engaged with the job at hand.

The other type are the ones that just get so electric at shows that it is difficult to keep their head between their ears in the first place. (the one I specifically schooled had been run into at the beginning of the season and was generally a very sensitive guy). The answer is the same though, keep them in front of the leg and working. Make sure that leg means go and the reins mean whoa and when they start to get nervous apply leg and ask them to do something else (some shoulder in perhaps) to keep their mind on you and not on what they are nervous about. The key to that is to make sure that you catch it before they drop behind your leg. You absolutely do not want to make them more scared by disciplining them.

In your case, you may have to start with general reactions to the aids and then, taking it slow, introduce the oncoming horse. Perhaps first have her standing (or come to a halt, of your own choice) and let horses pass and then start asking for her to work through it on your terms. Make it much more about doing what you want her to do rather than not doing something else.

[BroncoMo]

I have a gelding who is also claustrophobic and panics with oncoming traffic. I honestly haven’t found much that helps him. At the Congress last fall, he eventually mellowed a little but it was more of him being tired than anything; between all the work, the stress, late/weird riding schedules. But I gave him a few months off, first show of the season and we are right back where we started (in regards to traffic). I have tried pushing him through it in a way; try to keep him focused and moving forward, but it wasn’t much help. The way I look at it is this: he won’t ever have to deal with that kind of traffic when in a class, why subject him to it in the warm up if it really bothers him that badly? Personally, I just work him during quiet times. Yes this often means in the middle of the night. I just see no point in making any of it a bad experience for him when he clearly doesn’t seem to be getting any more used to it. It may be a totally different situation for you though, if finding a different time to school doesn’t work for you. Mine just doesn’t seem to want to get over it, and I’m ok with that. I’d rather keep showing and schooling at shows a good experience for him, and not get him any more rattled than he already gets himself.

[Peggy]

I had one. It was always there to some extent, at first with larger horses, but it progressed. Worse when he was high. Worse when he was Between the other horse and the rail. I could finesse it a bit by trying to avoid head-on situations and by bending him away from the oncoming horse. In other words, bend him right if we were going to pass left-to-left.

I could sometimes feel it coming as it would feel like his neck was shortening or tensing. FWIW this horse did turn out to have neck arthritis and I’ve wondered if he’d feel a twinge when he tensed his neck. Probably totally unrelated.

[aascvt]

To answer a few of you at once… This horse is extremely responsive to the leg. She is a naturally forward horse that is very sensitive to the aids. She can be tough on the ground (just on cross ties and in the stall) and I think that is again, when she feels trapped or confined in a small space. She is a sweetheart in the paddock and is generally well mannered. (Great for the vet, farrier, clipping etc). She is actually at her best when I’m on her back. As soon as she is under saddle she is always listening and eager to please. This is really THE only time in which I lose control momentarily.
I was kind of wondering if working with her on the ground with horses passing might help at all. I’ll see.

[Go_Fish]

@aascvt;8509421

She had ulcers as a young horse but has been re-scoped several times and clean.

I’d treat her anyway. Ask your vet about generic Omeprazole in a powder or paste form…he/she can compound it themselves or I think they can order it through Precision Pharmacy.

My mare was scoped several times with no evidence of ulcers but she was exhibiting behavior that indicated she had something going on, including getting aggressive towards horses that got too close to her in the warm up. My vet put her on 21 days of the generic Omeprazole, then we went to twice a week. It’s been over a year and she’s been great.

It’s worth a shot…it’s not very expensive, either.

[silverdog]

My horse has progressively gotten worse over time. First it was noise (PA systems, sudden noise (horses clattering hooves on concrete, loud diesels, water truck) but he was fine in the ring in groups. There is one facility he will not tolerate because of the PA. I have tried a variety of different things but he just won’t have any part of it. He was off for about a year after having Kissing Spine surgery and I was so hopeful that he would be better now that he is pain free. Every other aspect of his performance has improved 100%. But alas, he is worse. Now there is no way to show or school him him in an indoor, enclosed ring - he just panics. He is still OK in a large ring as long as everyone is going the same way. I have noticed it too when schooling in large, unrestricted areas outside as well if he thinks the situation is chaotic (horses galloping around especially if they get near him). It is unnerving and frankly annoying when he acts explosive (has never acted on these threats) and very difficult to get an attentive, relaxed horse (he does horse trials as well as the jumpers). I used to do the hunters on him but he is impossible in the hacks so I gave up on that. This is his first year back to a busy show schedule so am using it to try and work out the bugs and find ways to manage him that are acceptable. He is a lovely horse and I can work around his issues at most venues and avoid the venues that are unacceptable to him. He has been treated for ulcers and I always treat him prior to, during and after shows. Good luck!!

[GaMare]

I have one of these too. The best result I’ve had is with adding a lot of lateral work to our warm ups. I spend a lot of time leg yielding from the quarter line to a track just inside the true rail track. Also a lot of change of bend. This makes it feel like a natural part of the warm up for me to counter bend a leg yield over onto the true rail track when a horse is coming toward us. After they’ve passed, I’ll ask for the return to the inside bend and slightly off the rail track. It doesn’t 100% eliminate his reaction (gray ponies are terrifying!) but helps enough that it doesn’t derail the work.

You might try schooling this at home using pasture buddies first. Start at a walk & with a more extreme change of track/bend. Gradually add subtlety, pace & other horses.

[Foxglove6]

Lots of horses have trouble passing head on traffic, especially next to them. I’ve seen this a lot and dealt with it in the jousting that I do. We mostly deal with the training of this in the way that Scribbler describes. First gently walking the horses next to each other and moving in the same direction. Then in a loop through our tilt lanes, just at a walk, so they pass each other at various points in the line. We do that until the newer horse is relaxed and blowing and loose in the reins. Then we move to passing at a trot, and then canter. Some horses pick it up quickly, and others always have trouble. But I think having a few sessions of working on this with a buddy would be really beneficial.