Taffy Spooked Yesterday

[Audrey]

Just the other day I posted how Taffy, my Percheron pony, is driving great. WELL....yesterday afternoon - she spooked. I still can't figure out what exactly happened as it happened so incredibly fast. I drove her round my 2 acre field 3 times to warm her up before I would use her to haul hay from my drive, then up a small slope, down a lane and finally to the barn. Everything went fine until I told her to "Haw around" at the drive. That's when she bolted and spooked. I don't know if the cars scared her, if the woodpile scared her, or if the sound of the runners on the dirt drive scared her. But she bolted. Before it registered in my brain to let go of the lines I was rolled off the stoneboat and was dragged all the way across our dirt drive and halfway up the slope. The line felt like fire as it whipped through my hand. Taffy meanwhile was galloping furiously up the hill, crashed into the fence line, made a u-turn and came full tilt down the hill; and the stoneboat is still hooked into her traces. By the time she slowed down for dad to grab her halter, she had twisted the lines and traces so bad that her tongue was going blue! Thankfully I'm alright - I hate to think what MIGHT have happened. I'm battered and bruised pretty bad, skinned my elbow and thigh, blistered my fingers and have many sore muscles but no broken bones. Thank God!

The only thing I can think of that caused her to spook like that is she remembers the day she was unloaded on the drive, and the day we first drove her, which was on the drive as well. Because she drives fine in my field, and even in the lane and through the gates. that's no problem. So how can I fix this? If I don't nip it now I'm never gonna win this battle.

After thinking over events yesterday I wonder if it was maybe stupid to drive her down the slope to the drive without taking it in stages. Especially to sit on the stoneboat instead of walking behind, but I thought it'd be ok as she does fine in the field. After I doctored myself up I went back out and had my sister help me lead her, showing her that this is ok and this is what we want her to do. And all Taffy wanted was to get away from that hill and go back to her pen. She kept turning circles, refusing to go where I said, which was just down the slope and turning around on the drive and going back up the slope. We kept with her though until she complied once; I was ok with that. Didn't want to push it more right then.

So what should I do now? I'll admit that I'm scared after what happened yesterday.

~Audrey

[stoneoakfarm]

Could the sound of the stone boat on the gravel driveway have spooked her? Could the front of the stone boat have clipped her as she walked down the incline?

[corrae]

You are very lucky--and you are right to have quit with one compliant effort from Taffy. First and foremost, please please please always wear gloves when working with a horse--I'm sure you realize this now. Next, I would take things back a notch and go back to baby steps. One thing I've done when training a horse to drive is to have a helper walk with me behind the horse while I'm ground driving. This person has a wheelbarrow (preferably a clanky metal one) and occasionally bumps the horse's haunches while we're walking. Next, I add rocks/pebbles to the wheelbarrow, having the person bounce it around to make as much noise as possible.... This accustoms the horse to unexpected noise, bumping, etc. Try to think of any and all potentially scary things--white plastic bags, tarps, tires, etc, that you can use to desensitize Taffy--You may want her to drag tires down the gravel drive as well--my feeling when I start a horse, whether to drive or to ride, is that I find as many weird things as possible and use them to school the horse--so that when I'm finally riding or driving, anything that happens is going to be a "Ho-hum, I've been through worse than THAT" moment for the animal. Best of luck and you're on the right track!

[mulegrl910]

When we have a standardbred with problems like that, what we usually do is tack them up but don't drive them, walk them to the spot where they are spooking, then untack and let them put their head down and graze/eat a little grain/eat hay/handful of treats that is already there when they arrive. It works to help them understand that the spot where they are spooking can be a spot of 'good memories'. I know it sounds weird, but I guess their mind only has room for so much memory, and by creating a new memory associated with food, it creates a new permanent memory.

I had a horse that had day blindness, and when he crossed the finish line first, the camera flash would scare the bejeezus out of him and would make a sharp left hand turn and end up in the infield. An old timer at the track told me about tacking them up and taking them to the spot where they are having issues and letting them relax. I was skeptical, but it worked out really well. That horse stopped freaking out at the flash of the camera.

...Of course when we got that horse's sister, we figured out that he olny had 1/2 a brain and she had the other 1/2... ;D

[missevelyn]

You've been given good ideas, do them and here's another tool for you:

if the horse spooks and you know you can't hold them with both lines. Use one. let go of the one away from you and use both gloved hands on the one line to wind them around you. Choose the line that will flip the equipment out and away from you.

Practice this in your mind! This is so your reflexes will be fast enough to hang on when the poop hits the fan again.

Audrey, I've missed the cue like you did that the horse was unhappy and I wasn't ready either. I didn't have a run away, but so darn close it wasn't funny. My girl would've ended up in the street in front of our house. I pulled up that single line like monkey going up a tree.

It's pretty likely that having gotten away once, she'll try it again. Practice lots of stops and starts and more stops till it doesn't take the lines to freeze her feet to the ground, just your voice quietly saying whoa. AND most important, keep you attention on her body language, drafts are inclined to be very soft spoken in their body language. You're the leader, make it go your way.

Don't give up, okay? This is more than likely very fixable.

Regina

[jerseyrose]

I know you haven't had her that long and I have to confess I have only driven a horse a few times. But, I would just follow the good advice you got here and go a few steps back to when she was doing well and rebuild her confidence and yours. You are still getting to know each other and building a relationship, just take it slow and easy and I bet you will do fine.

[Audrey]

Thanks for all the advice. I truly appreciate it. But after discussing things with my mentor and a horse-savvy friend we have been advised to sell Taffy. With us being new to driving Taffy isn't the right pony for us, for our needs, for our situation. And I wish my mentor had told me that before I got her, instead of letting me go my own way. After all, that's why I was going to him for lessons. So I have put Taffy up for sale in the auction barn. And I know she'll make an excellant working pony for someone who has more experience with horses than myself - she'll be happier too.

And I must admit that I'm more of a cow-person. If I were to ever go this route again, I'd pursue an ox. They won't spook on you and they certainly aren't as finicky as horses.

~Audrey