# Terrible fear of large vehicles?



## SarahRicoh (Jun 23, 2010)

i dont blame you for being scared its a horrible problem. when i have a horse thats scared of big vehicles i get one-eg a digger- put it in the paddock and let him sniff it,see it etc. if hes okay with that turn it on, wait until hes calm then rev it, wait until hes calm start to move it. this may take a few hours,few days,few weeks depnding on horse.

someone also told me to get a big vehicle abd start to drive it and get the horse to follow it so hes chasing the 'scary' vehicle. also when hacking if i hear a big vehicle coming and my horse was scared id choose a suitable place to stop and turn the horse to face it. if the horse is okay let it pass. uf not ask it to stop and try and get the horse past. he needs to realise it wont hurt him. hope this helps 
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## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

Is there any way to just stay away from them for awhile? Do you have to ride on roads? It kinda sounds like people in your area are jerks where horses and safety are concerned. While I'm all for desensitizing horses to things, large truck with obnoxious drivers it a lot to ask for a horse to get used to.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I would try leading him up to and around the equipment that scares him, if you have some available to do it with. First with the motors off, once he's comfortable with that then when they are idling. Then, if possible, while they are actually moving. 

With you leading he should take his cues from you that they are not the big scary monsters he thinks they are.


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## QOS (Dec 8, 2008)

First off, I am so sorry you were scared and your horse terrorized. Second, some of the people :shock: in your yard are fricktards. Good grief, you could have been seriously injured or killed. I will wish bad s&x on them. :twisted:

I agree with the others. If you can put one of these machines in his paddock and then turn him out in it he will soon see it is not there to eat him. It is simply a desensitizing issue and it may take some time. After he sees it isn't going to eat him, hold him steady and have someone else turn the machine on while you are at a safe distance. Leave it running so he can see, hear and smell it. My former horse Red didn't even look at machinery. He was a former race horse and was used to huge machinery, loud trucks, tractors. LOL Hubby and I were riding out at Tyrrell Park one day and they had a huge earth moving machine out there. Hubby's horse moved in a huge arc around it - giving it the stink eye...Red just kept plodding by it. Thank God Biscuit is pretty much the same way...he doesn't get in a flap. 

Just keep working with him and please be careful...slow and steady will win him over. (and the pox on your yardmates while I am at it.)


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## Cruising (Jul 27, 2011)

thanks everyone! unfortunately it is not possible to put him in a paddock with the machinery, but today I lunged him while they were going up and down the hill in the small paddock beside the hill. he freaked himself out the first few times, and slowly his freak outs got smaller and less noticeable, so this is always an improvement! I'm going to keep trying to get him near them at every opportunity, fingers crossed my baby returns to his bombproof self!


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