As most know, I am keeping a team for Dennis S for the winter. Hate to say it (like this team) but I think they are going to develop just fine while Dennis is in Arizona for the winter.

Have been trying several times to get the young mare to get used to going on tar on the highway. Maybe not letting her look at the black stuff long enough. But after several times, the sound of her hoofs on the tar just freaks her out. Otherwise, fine.

All I can do so far is turn around on the tar. Than head back down the driveway.

How do I get her to not be bothered by black, hard, noisey tar roads?

Maybe never?? Advise please.

Any chance you can snub her up to a saddle horn and pony her?
I assume you are trying to drive her across. Might work best if she is following another horse,may have to tug her across for a few times. That might be hard if she is big

It toook me several years to get a mule to cross the yellow lines on the road way

The only way you're going to get her used to the pavement is by having her on the pavement. Try leading her until she gets used to it, then hook her. Are you sure it's the pavement and not just her way of showing some barn sourness?

jwaller,

You're doing it perfectly, short exposures, repeated often. She'll get used to pavement the same way you get used to sticking your foot in a cold lake; little by little, inch by inch. Eventually she'll find out it's not so bad.

Dave

You know the answer to this...she's got to get on down that paved road. BUT, I've used this tip a bunch of times and it works pretty well to get horses to step where they don't want to go. Get a rider, or more, to go in front of her. If she's second or more in line, she should be more inclined to go willingly and far enough along to get used to it.

jwaller, This was a John Lyons thing that he used from the saddle, but it works equally well ground driving.

She needs to know a go-forward cue, tapping on the top of the rump continuously until she moves a foot.

Go to where she's scared. Make her look at the scary thing (maybe you can start with a tarp instead of the road...this teaches a method, not a specific task). You pick a spot on the other side where you want her to come out the other side, and you keep your eyes focused on that spot. Now ground drive her up to the edge of her comfort zone. Don't let her look away. When she stops, tap tap tap until she moves. She may move backwards. That's okay, just keep her looking at that scary thing, don't let her turn around to leave. If she stops 20 feet farther away, that's the edge of her new comfort zone. This is where you re-start. Line her up, keep your eyes on your spot, tap tap tap, until she moves her feet. Quit tapping the instant she moves - you may have to be satisfied with just a weight shift at first. If you keep this up, eventually you will work her to the edge of the scary thing. Let her rest there if you want. No punishment. She may take you back 20 feet again. But eventually, if you are patient, she will put her foot on the scary thing. At some point she will walk onto it, then across it. Make every effort not to let her turn and leave, but don't punish her if she needs to back away, just keep up that relentless tap tap tap. You can stop the daily lesson anytime you've gotten a forward step out of her. Just remember to stop the tapping when she's gone (or thought about going) forward. Works for river crossing, trailer loading, etc.

Barb

Might want to get a longer whip whence you commence the tapping. I have tried that with some mules and the relentless tapping was rewarded by relentless (grin) kicking

Pretty sure it's not barn sourness cuz we walk back to the yard and go past the barn into another area (alfalfa stubble) without a problem.

She does step onto the tar without trouble (yes, I'm driving her with an older horse) but as soon as 'clop' sound starts she freaks.

p.s.-yesterday she even 'danced' a hind leg over the pole for a couple steps.

Waller,I raised my mule from birth so i got to experience all of the things they are afraid of,it sounds like you are rushing the horse i would lead her to the road and give her time to look at it and just try and get one step on to the road and take her off and walk a circle and one more step,it really does not take that long if you keep your cool.The ride between two horses will work also if you have someone with the horses,i was always by myself and had to work it out myself but it worked for me. Rob

You will find it's easier to do if she's being ground driven a few times. I always take my young out without anything hooked to them a few times to introduce them to the road and pavement. It's not as scary when they're not walking all over your wagon and equipment. When single I leave a line out of the hame so she can't wrap the lines around the hames and pull them out of my hands. I've had them get upset and ended up backing them out on the road.Just let them stand there after they quit dancing. It'll come to them.

have had riding horses that would not cross the solid line on the highway, Had some that would not even step on the oil highway took lot of work when your going to cross 2 or4 times today. Got one mule that will not cross a cement bridge will stop 20 feet before the cement went 4 miles down the oil highway dident bother her. Next time I'm just crossing the river.

How much time you have to do this?

How does she back? Back her onto the pavement. Back, back, back, turn about a point & go.

Or, just do it the cowboy way. Hook her to the back of the truck & drive...slowly. She is only going to skid on her hinds a few yds before she quits that nonsense.

Talk to Dennis S; they are still his horses. He can tell you how he would handle it. Do it his way; unless you are totaly committed to buying them. Just my thoughts.

Will give Dennis a jingle. He has no tar anywhere very close to his place. He would have to go into town. That's not too far, either, though.

Again, it's not the tar itself that seems to bother her, it's the sound.

One thing that I thought of is if it is the sound would working on a wooden stall floor work? The clop on the alley of the barn if the floor is made out of a stone surface or a wooden deck then the sound will be a constant in this mare's life. Just some thoughts from a young guy in New England.

I agree with Joel Harmon. When a horse stops and balks at something with me, I will often punish them by backing them a short ways and ask them to move forward again. With the blacktop I would back her on to it and let her stand and relax and then repeat the proscess, if no one gets too excited they generally calm down relax and except the situation and we move on. When driving it helps to follow other horses or wagons, keeping real close until they relax. Then back off.

Just me but I like to have one single. Walk down the lane leading the horse then a little pile of bait on the tar. Then give it a minute to figure it out. I have one that would jump the lines on the pavement. Not a little hop either but a clear the horse eating monster in the line leap. Looked like one of those coon jumping mules. Not a pretty picture. Then the manholes and mail boxes. She is now the favorite drive of the kids. It is all about time and patience. KM

Don't know how many times I took a run at something that a horse didn't want to cross. Just didn't give them time to stop. About 3 times and they didn't worry about again.

Visited with Dennis S on the cell phone while going to work today. He doesn't actually remember if he had gone on the tar with this young mare. He has only had her since spring.

His thought was similar to Dale's-just keep going at it. Have gone three times on the tar. Will keep you all posted or have someone post the obit.

JWaller I hitch mine to the back of my truck and lead them on Blacktop rds. Even put a blue tarp down and lead across it , creeks and small ditches . I always pull them off side of road . All young teams seen to be a little spooky of pulling off side of road for a car to pass . I drive mine out to hyw. and stop beside the road and get the truckers to blow their air horns , grandkids do all the arm motion for me and they love it . I never rush anything on them , always pays off .

This is sort of strange, but I have driven this team alongside the highway on the edge of the field. No problem with traffic a few yards away-trucks and all. This fall they crossed standing water (had lots of it here) without a problem.

Again, the mare walks right out on the tar. But it seems it's the sound of walking on the tar. Or, as Fritz suggested, it might be the sound of the bobsled hitting the tar?? Or sudden change in 'pull' as the bobsled hits the tar??

Is the tar shiny? They may think it's ice. I had one in a Holiday Parade. We were great until we tried to go across a parking lot that had been "sealed" in October. Instant panic and sweat, carefully backed into the street and were fine again. There was just a trace of snow blowing across the parking lot and when a cars lights hit the tar it looked like ice. We've been in that parking lot dozens of times. This was new for both of us.

It is the sudden change of the pull combined with sound of the runners on the tar. My bay team crossed the tar at a dead run just as soon as the runners touched it. With a wagon, it was nothing to them.

Going up the driveway, they were slipping and sliding the whole way. Very icey.

I think Fritz and Dale are on the right track. Sight of the tar doesn't bother at all. Just after getting on the tar.

Luckily, I turn the back up the driveway and then hit the deep snow on the edge or in the ditch to slow them up. 3 feet of snow will do that.

Have to admit, the whole thing is sort of fun, but I might be too old for that sort of thing.

If you aren't on wheels, I'm betting it is the sound of the runners, as I've had that happen before, too.