Cantering on a hack!

[HairyCob]

OK, so I have yet to canter Dolly on a hack. I have a huge fear of high speed on horseback since my 'HC experiences' but I also have a huge urge to beat it!

Problem is this- Dolly is an ex SJ/XC pony, she is competitive like crazy and doesn't like anything 'beating' her.

We've worked really hard and overcome her need to jog in front of others at walk, she will now walk in the middle or at the back, even on the way home, without taking off for the front of the ride, we can trot under control in front and behind, though she still gets a bit 'racey' if behind.

So, what to do about cantering on a hack in company?!

Do I put her in front or behind or side by side?

Reason I can't decide is....

I think if she's in front with another horse carreering up her backside she might take off thinking they are catching up and are gonna beat her.

If she's behind, she'll try to catch up, get past and 'win'

and if she's side by side it could just turn into a full on 'neck and neck' race

I so want to have a good old canter out on a hack, and Amy's horse Jasper (my regular hacking buddies) is very controllable and she assures me she WILL be able to pull him up whatever happens.. but I'm wetting myself at the thought of doing it!


Any advice or sharing of similar experiences welcomed!:D

[Sammii]

I haven't got many wise words i'm afraid, because I'm yet to do it either :o
BUT, I'd say whenever you do do it, make it a spur of the moment thing because I know from past experience that the more you think about things the more it messes with your head and the doubts all come back!

[Yann]

So long as the other horse is reliable and won't try and overtake and get into a race with yours then from extensive personal experience I'd say you're better off in front:)

Side by side can encourage the racing instinct and being behind can make some horses switch off to the rider and bomb in an effort to catch up or overtake. None of which might actually be an issue with your horse, but you need to get your confidence up before you try and find out.

[NoviceNic]

You see now I would go with behind.:o That way Jasper can set the pace. Once Chicky D senses you have had enough she can slow Jasper down and Dolly will definately slow down with him.:)

You need to relax and make sure you have a plan about how you are going to slow her down. Definately no gripping with the knees in panic. :o I have this fear about galloping. I love to gallop and do it now and again. However Captain gets strong first and then thankfully too knackered to carry on the race.....:eek: :D

I am one of these people that worries so much about doing something. Then out of the blue I just say " Sod it" and do it. How about it Claire?? Throw caution to the wind and smile.....:cool:

[HairyCob]

How about it Claire?? Throw caution to the wind and smile.....:cool:

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f278/HairyCob/puke.gif..springs to mind with that suggestion Nic!:D

[Yann]

You see now I would go with behind.

Good point. I was thinking open fields etc, but if you're on a narrow bridleway with no chance of anyone overtaking then it would definitely be the best option :)

[NoviceNic]

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f278/HairyCob/puke.gif..springs to mind with that suggestion Nic!:D

Been there Claire. And still go there......:o Just DO IT. Agree with ChickyD 4 strides of canter and come back to trot. Go on......:D

[domane]

I think it will happen when you are ready for it to happen and not because you think that you should or must. I'm still shocked (and delighted) with you for hopping on bareback last Sat, with just the headcollar - yes, you said it was because you felt safe and you trust Dolly - however, I also remember witnessing you riding BB last summer in the school at your old yard and practically shaking like a leaf at the prospect. So just look how far you have come. :D I think the more you focus on this big "issue" of cantering on a hack, the more of a big problem it will become for you. I know you have cantered a little on your home "patch" AND your avie shows you jumping - both these things you have achieved in the last year so I think you are heading in the right direction.

Can you not ride round the 5AF first with Chicky and have a canter on territory you feel familiar with first, rather than doing it out on a hack? You are not "letting anyone down" - riding is about enjoyment and having fun. If you WANT to have a canter then it shows that you are progressing in the right direction and I am sure that it will happen for you this summer, in view of how far you have come already. If you feel that you SHOULD be cantering, then that's not quite the same and you shouldn't feel that you have anything to prove to anyone....

If and when you are ready, I would say go up front - that way Dolly is already in her favourite place and you can dictate the speed and distance. I am absolutely sure that you will be surprised at how well you can control Dolly - I think you severely underestimate the amount of respect she has for you when being ridden. I also think you will have a major adrenalin rush and have wibbly legs afterwards - but you will also be grinning like a cheshire cat!!!

Gosh - I've rambled on some there, soz :o

xxx

ETA - the other thing to remember is that cantering is bl**dy tiring for the rider who is not used to it (trust me, I KNOW this haha) so you probably won't be able to get that far - moohaha..... :)

[VickiGG]

I have the same fear - I hate it if we are behind because Garbo tries to catch up thinking he is being left behind...where as he won't venture far out on his own in front..... and I can control the speed quite easily. If he ever feels like he is going to take off I get my riding companion to go back to trot or slow the canter and Garbo slows down too... :D

[Showjumper]

Why not start off cantering to a friend...ie only one horse cantering at a time. This is what me and a friend started with and are gradually building up to cantering them together.

One person waits while the other one rides say 100m down the path and waits for the other one to canter and catch them up. Cantering person then rides 100m further on for the other one to catch up. Hey presto, you've both had a canter, ponies haven't raced, and your chances of braking are hugely improved as their friend's there to act as a bollard ;)

[Skib]

How a horse canters in company is part of the psycholgy of the individual horse. So you question does not have a correct answer.
I wouldnt start by hacking at all. I would perfect your downward transitions from canter, and slowing canter (both sitting and forward seat) in the school first.
When you can canter twenty steps, come down to trot, trot twenty and then return to canter, you have the sort of control you will need for happy hacking. I learned to do this last summer.
You also need to know how to slow down both canter and trot . And experiment in the school or on a hack in trot first. Every teacher has a different technique, but one I was shown yesterday is to tighten your abdominal (tummy) muscles, then soften your hands, then gradually relax the abdominal muscles. If the horse speends up again, you repeat.

Whenever you are out hacking you can take over more control of the horse by asking for more, or for less speed in any gait. Because you need to have the horse listening to you. So it isnt just whether one canters first or second that matters, it is how you have the horse trotting and listening to you in the trot or walk before you cue for (or allow) the canter?
My preference on a mare that rushes to the front is to ride first. To prevent her racing ahead faster and faster in order to keep the lead, you need to ask the rider coming behind to co-operate in the training, by holding their horse back, not coming too close up behind you, and slowing their horse right down. If you ask. Similarly riding first you need to be able to slow your horse, in order not to provoke the following horse into a chase?
This isnt really a problem that has a permanent answer. Every hack is different and the horse's behaviour on the day demands that you exercise more or less skill in handling them. And that too depends on how you are feeling that day, i.e. whether you feel like going fast.
I am one of the people on NR who doesnt achieve anything really - I just hack. And what you are asking is essential to happy hacking. One needs brakes - and a great repertoire of ways of stopping and slowing horses. It is not a question of being brave or hoping. You need to know all the simple aids. My confidence came from discovering how well they work even for a beginner. Whereas all the other disciplines teach you skills of making the horse go well - at which I am pretty useless.

[jenmac_85]

I would definately go with staying behind. I had my first canter ever out on a hack and soad behind the horse at the front. Tyler could not get past and was therefore limited to how fast and where he could go. Does depend on the horse in front though. Kia would not let Tyler past under any circumstances. Tyler isnt up to fitness now either so he wasnt exactly going to break any records. lol

I was really worried before doing it that I was going to fall off in a heap with Tylr disappearing off into the distance, loving his new found freedom. I doscivered however, that the more I relaxed and enjoyed it, the better I was able to control him and the more Tyler seemed to enjoy it.

I would say go for it as long as you trust and feel comfortable with the horses you are going out with.

Jenny and Tyler
x

[Bobbin]

Having had the same issues with Bry I would do the following.

Find a nice bridleway that has a good surface and is fairly narrow. I'd go behind to begin and CD can weave infront of you if it looks like Dolly is going to try and bypass. I have been 'babysat' a few times using this method and its really effective.

Normally I used to go infront as Bry would pull so much more behind and I would never go side by side for fear of the race. As I have got to know Bry I can now put her anywhere. I can put her behind on normal tracks now and just about keep her behind:eek:

I think the secret is to not hang onto their mouths, that way when you do do a half halt etc they actually know you want something, oh and another effectve thing is not getting out the saddle. If I don't get up out that saddle Bry knows we don't require 5th gear:D

Go on give it a girl, you'll soon be joining the speed demon club:cool:

[Bay Mare]

How a horse canters in company is part of the psycholgy of the individual horse. So you question does not have a correct answer.

I wouldnt start by hacking at all. I would perfect your downward transitions from canter, and slowing canter (both sitting and forward seat) in the school first.

When you can canter twenty steps, come down to trot, trot twenty and then return to canter, you have the sort of control you will need for happy hacking. I learned to do this last summer.


I'd agree with this completely (except for on Saff who behaves better cantering on a hack than she does in the school :rolleyes: ). I do agree, though, that to get your transitions off in the school will help you out on a hack.

Saff *has* to be first, she can be a real pain in the bee-hind if she's not in front so it's much easier to ride her up at the front as she just focuses on getting in front if she's at the back and switches off to the rider.

In your situation I'd want to make sure that I was with horses that weren't going to try and race or at least can be brought back if they do try. The last thing you want is to have them all at a flat out gallop trying to overtake each other. Maybe just go out with a 'nanny' horse to start with so that she can get used to cantering with another horse.

Good luck :)

[nelle]

I am one of these people that worries so much about doing something. Then out of the blue I just say " Sod it" and do it.

That is so me as well, I can spend hours working myself up only to end up chickening out - then I'll end up doing it on impulse.

I agree with Bobbin's idea of the narrow bridlepath - perhaps have a sing song along the way to get you breathing and help prevent tension.

[cazrider]

I'd say "just take a deep breath and go for it HC":D . I completely understand how your old horse has made you feel. My first horse was lovely, but he wouldn't canter behind, he'd put in a huge buck then race to get past. Nothing I did changed that, so we always had to canter in front. It took me a very long time to have a go at cantering behind with Sennie, as I was always concerned he'd do the same. Then one day I was out with a friend and I remember saying "go on then, we'll follow" and you know what, he did.:D He has no problem cantering behind.:rolleyes:

However, I think I'd go in front first time, especially if your friend is happy and able to stop. If Dolly gets over excited, then ask your friend to slow up. I'll bet you Dolly will suddenly become easier to slow if the one behind drops away. Most likely you won't have a problem in the first place if your friend stays behind.

As Mrs Doyle would say "G'wan, g'wan, g'wan....":p

[Dolly's mum]

From personal experience I always start my Dolly off at a trot when she has settled I then ask for a canter. This way I know she is listening to me. Saying that we haven't hacked out with anyone for a couple of years now so I would be anxious about cantering in company. But on her own she is an angel with occassional horns. :rolleyes:

[HairyCob]

Many thanks for all your replies folks... I appreciate every one of them;)

I think I need to start cantering 'at home' again and work on transitions (particularly downward ones!) as I'm a chicken about cantering anywhere, but particularly in a large field... which is sadly all I have to school in!

Last year we did get to the stage where I could 'map out' an arena size space in the field in my head, and not only stay in it but get her cantering the long sides and trotting the short ones- I'll get back to that and THEN think about cantering out on a hack!

However, I'm still determined to canter on a hack this summer:D

[NoviceNic]

However, I'm still determined to canter on a hack this summer:D

That is your goal and you will do it......Cant wait for the thread.:cool:

[Libbyo]

Good luck.

[chickyd444]

if you want to work on your cantering and gaits in the 2a, eventually we can practice some of the things listed above in the 5a together - as i said before i have not yet never been able to pull him up - key word steady i promise you now we would have a blast - and agree that dolly has a lot of respect for you and you will be plesantly surprised x x

[sancho]

Hi HC,

Theres some great suggestions in there for cantering and remaining safe.

Have you tried any NLP or similar for your fear as it can be really helpful in getting you over your nerves enough to start enjoying riding?!:)

As a fellow member of the 'nervous nellie' club I can recommend NLP ( I only needed one session) for actually getting me back on board and enjoying my hacks without being struck with fear from start to end. :o

[Lucy J]

to be honest, i would try it hacking out alone first up a reasonably steep hill. then you don't have to worry about in front or behind. I also practise canter to halt transitions and rein back for a few strides out hacking so she is always ready to listen to me.

I can't remember if you hack out alone or not, but i find that easier when seeing how they react at speed. My previous horse was an ex racer, so she was used to cantering behind another but if you got alongside she would race. Horse before that I always hacked out alone so can't comment!

[LindaAd]

I agree with the people who've said it doesn't matter if you're in front or behind to start with. I think the important thing is to keep the canters short at the beginning - five or six strides is enough, then back to trot; agree with your fellow rider in advance where you're going to start canter and where you're going stop.

And practising the transitions in the school first is a very good idea too.

Linda