Please don't let me whimp out of this.... HACK!!! [Archive]

Imp

18th Apr 2006, 12:20 PM

... I've booked a hack out with the calmest horse at the yard...

:eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Now all I've got to do is turn up, tack up, gulp... and go!!!

Friday afternoon's the time and my daughter has been told she can ride the other horse, I get to ride Megan (oh goody :rolleyes: ).

Please, don't let me whimp out! You're all my inspiration, Caz, W'jit, Domane, LD!!!

I promise to take a camera - may ask very nice livery who's coming in hand to take the pics though :D

NuttyMare

18th Apr 2006, 12:26 PM

Oh adrenaline and nerves - my best friend :eek:

I'm sure you'll be fine, just keep breathing! Sounds stupid, but I got so wound up once I stopped breathing and because I went all faint I fell off since I had stopped riding the horse :rolleyes:

domane

18th Apr 2006, 12:31 PM

Think positive! Don't be nervous because Megan will pick up on your nerves and will be all "Uh-oh! She's nervous... is there something I should be nervous about???" and will start questioning everything.... Smile, sing, talk to her in a sing-song voice... about anything at all.

Most of all.... ENJOY IT!!! :D

Sarah-B

18th Apr 2006, 12:37 PM

Apply some lavender essential oil to your pulse points. I've bought some of that Pax Aromatic Calming Fluid which you also apply to pulse points but have been told that lavender does the trick too!!

It calms you and masks the smell of adrenaline so that Megan won't be able to sense it....

Good Luck!!

chapsi

18th Apr 2006, 12:39 PM

Start taking Rescue Remedy the day before. It helps, I promise!

Skib

18th Apr 2006, 12:51 PM

Imp. When I first came across horses - and had to think out how to handle them on the ground etc, I adopted my "Mummy" role. Which they seemed automaticly to understand meant that things were OK but I meant business. I guess I'll do the same if I ever get a horse of my own.
Out on the track alone riding a horse, I am transformed to Mummy again, because I am guiding the horse and the horse has only me to look to. So I'd take Megan for her first walk, just as if she were your toddler you had by the hand.
The emphasis being on your reassuring her it is OK. Not all of us reassuring you.

Wings

18th Apr 2006, 12:56 PM

That sounds great, Imp! Remember that this is the reason you bought Megan (isn't it?); so you could go on nice hacks together. This is the thing that you are meant to enjoy doing!

I am sure it will all go well. You will have the steady neddy there, your daughter, the other livery, yourself and your lovely Megan. That looks like a recipe for a great hack!

Whatanejit

18th Apr 2006, 01:19 PM

Yabadabadoo!!!!:D

Fantastic.

All the advice has been great so far but one more thing to prepare yourself coming from a fellow newbie.....

Don't expect to enjoy the experience while you are doing it:eek:

Sorry, don't shout at me everyone. But it is true. If you keep your bravery up but expectations low you will be fine.

Your daughter will be safe so you don't have to worry about her.

Think about you and Megan.
Talk to her the whole time. If you see something that worries you just talk about it.

'Oh that is a horrible yellow flapping flag on the golf course but we are much bigger than that, aren't we big boy'' etc etc.

If you see, feel something that makes you apprehensive get the tensness out of your body via your mouth and say it.

'We don't care about that herd of cows they have started grazing down here do we Coops?'

(no wonder I have trouble with hacking partners:rolleyes: )

etc, etc.

When you get back home, it is all reasonably uneventful and you are proud of all the girls you will then realise that you have had a fab time.;)

I'm still begging to go on more hacks but they are not the leisurely ones I had at my riding school. They are education hacks for Cooper and building up my nerve.

Nothing wrong with that - we will relax and enjoy them one day!

Just get on and do it:D

Big positive vibes from us!

xx

Dee

Imp

18th Apr 2006, 02:10 PM

Thanks for all the good advice. I'm DETERMINED not to cop out before Friday and yes, I did buy her for hacking on.

Lavendar Essential Oil obtained by OH today at lunchtime

OH also looked at bikes so he can come along for weekend hacks with us (I think she's ok with bicycles?). I think he's worried about me, worrying about Megan :rolleyes:

This will sound silly but I think better out than in. Since I know she has a hole in her heart I worry about her when she gets stressed. Her breathing is sometimes quite rapid and loud when she is stressy or excited. For example, when we arrived late at the yard the other evening, at around 7pm, one of the other liveries was just bringing her in from the field, she said Megs sounded wheezy and asked if she was ok, we reassured her that she did that en route to the stable and out to the field but was always ok immediately after. The woman didn't look convinced though. Do other people's horses get like this?

I have to go back to work next week and it was looming so large in my mind it was making me more anxious. I thought 'let's put something BIG between then and now' and this hack is that much needed hurdle for both me, my daughter and Megan. :D :D

RustyMary

18th Apr 2006, 04:21 PM

Start taking Rescue Remedy too Imp, and good luck for Friday!

Sparklie

18th Apr 2006, 05:11 PM

just try and stay relaxed (yeah...easier said than done i know). it's exactly the same as riding in the school but more enjoyable :) plus if you have someone on the ground they'll be there to give you a hand.

hope you have a nice time!

Supercali

18th Apr 2006, 05:16 PM

I really get all knotted up inside when I think about going on a hack and sometimes talk myself out of it but as soon as I am up and out of my gate then I am fine!

Try to think of what a nice spring day it is and listen to the birds and lookat the fields and flowers. Take deep breaths and even sigh as this helps to calm the horse as well :) . Don't attempt too much in one go and gradually lengthen the time you are out.

Good luck and enjoy yerself ;)

stormandsummer

18th Apr 2006, 05:18 PM

Just keep thinking in your head about what you will post on here when you get back, try and make it as funny as possible, this will take your mind of it and relax and remember riding is for fun, you will be fine, if i can hack out alone for the first time in my life and i am 36 this year and risk my health by riding more so alone, then anyone can do it, Bach and lavender are both good suggestions and i will look out for your tale of your wonderful relaxing hack :D

You will be fine :D If you didn't get nervous before then it would be no fun and no sense of achievement so nerves are normal :D

domane

18th Apr 2006, 06:01 PM

I know I've already posted but I just wanted to add that I personally reckon this will be the making of you Imp. I think Megan will be so relieved to be out with her favouritist (new word :D ) person in the whole wide world that she will look after you beautifully and behave impeccably.... I'm sure she will somehow give you the message in her horsey way.... "At last! Thank goodness no more of that bloomin' school!!!"

And yes, Cherry gets breathless and snorty, whether excited about something or from exertion. Did Megan wheeze at her vetting? If so, this may just be something that she does and it won't necessarily be related to her heart. The lovely boy I borrowed to ride on Sunday with Dom has asthma!! He has an inhaler twice a week (via a massive equine-spacer, fascinating to see) but this doesn't stop him from keeping up with the big boys on the fun rides and he is a regular competitor in the team-chasing. I regularly ride out with a friend and his cob and she gets very noisy after a good canter/gallop but this is just her...

Think of those butterflies as excitement rather than fear.... :)

HairyCob

18th Apr 2006, 08:04 PM

Go for it Girl! I'm with Domane, I recon she'll be so happy to be out there doing what she loves, that you won't have any problems at all!

Get the rescue remedy going in, don't forget the lavender oil, and make sure you are feeling as safe as possible (for me that means having full seat johds on, my hat on and done up, my body protector on, short boots and chaps and gloves... if any of them are missing, I'm a wreck!)

Express your worst fears to the person you are hacking out with... let them know that you are nervous and don't want to do anything other than walk slowly... you can always change your mind and have a little trot once you get out there, but if you say you're only going to walk, it takes away the worry about 'what if they want to go faster than me'.

Oh, and don't forget to post on Friday night and tell us all how wonderful it is, how much you love her, how happy you are and how much you're looking forward to doing it again!:D

coverblown

18th Apr 2006, 08:16 PM

I love the "being the mummy" advice from Whatanejit, thats exactly it, take the reins.

And when I was out last week I was told just to ignore all the scary things (flappy plastic mostly) because if I look at it then T did too...

That was a new one on me, but I was out for 2 hours, and it did seem to work.

Imp, you are being fantastically braven and I hope you have the most fantastic experience on Friday, chalk it up as yet another milestone along the journey which you have come already a long long way.

Very best wishes and look forward to hearing from you Friday.

xx Anne xx

neen

18th Apr 2006, 09:12 PM

Best of luck, Imp, and of course you won't wimp out!

NoviceNic

18th Apr 2006, 11:02 PM

IMP you will be fine. Megan will look after you. Just breath whilst you are riding. Breath out more than in and then that will give Megan the impression that you are riding deeper and happier. Smile and worry about your daughter. I find if you worry about something else it takes your mind of your riding worries. Our flags will be out and the bottle of champagne waiting in anticipation of your news on Friday evening. Go for it enjoy it and remember to get to Boots to buy some Rescue Remedy for you and Megan. Do be careful not to overdose on the stuff and go galloping up the road shouting "Yee Haa look at me" :D

domane

19th Apr 2006, 06:55 AM

Just breath whilst you are riding. Breath out more than in and then that will give Megan the impression that you are riding deeper and happier.

Oh that's just reminded me.... I tried this deep-breathing when I was out with Cherry the other day... really to see if I breath deeply or shallow when riding. It was v quiet so Cherry could obviously hear me... her ears were flicking backwards and forwards as if to say "What the HELL is she doing back there???" :D (Can't say I felt any different other than a bit faint from too much oxygen!!! :o )

Whatanejit

19th Apr 2006, 07:15 AM

I love the "being the mummy" advice from Whatanejit, thats exactly it, take the reins

Cheers AAH but it was actually SKIB who wrote about the mummy advice - v. sensible too:D

I was the one being the looney talking about anything:D

I'm sure if Imp puts all of this advice together - especially adding in the heavy breathing (wheezing) Domane suggests - Megan will think that her new Mum is just the best of fun and will be desperate to go out again:p

xx

Little Dolphins

19th Apr 2006, 07:28 AM

You will be fine. ha ha listen to me! Really, though, I've been edging towards bravery and am nearly there; it can be done. We have a big farm here, luckliy no off- road to worry about, but a stretch of track which goes along the motorway, and plenty of spooky stuff. I've been round twice BY MYSELF . I did several practice runs with company (one other), and HQ was on her toes. My sensible and calm companions gave me simple instructions when I needed it(when Harley started dancing, or whizzing round ...)eg Sit tall, breathe, shorten the rein, leg on, etc etc and loads of "GOOD GIRL!!". HQ soon got the message! Now I am prepared, and you know what? Now she seems to be so much happier- ears pricked, mind, as we go along. I do loads of singing, keep her head turned away from any poss. nasties as we pass, leg on, keep her confident. We are both scaredy cats and it hasn't helped.

I have found that tiny triumphs have gradually helped me to enjoy everything again, like years ago. So far I've been a bags of nerves, like you.
Find something that goes well on your hack, and focus on that. You need to gradually glue the good bits together and gradually you'll find yourself in a happier frame of mind. Rootin' for ya, Imp!!!!:) :) :)

Peace

20th Apr 2006, 09:37 PM

Oh that's just reminded me.... I tried this deep-breathing when I was out with Cherry the other day... really to see if I breath deeply or shallow when riding. It was v quiet so Cherry could obviously hear me... her ears were flicking backwards and forwards as if to say "What the HELL is she doing back there???" :D (Can't say I felt any different other than a bit faint from too much oxygen!!! :o )

Whenever I try the deep-breathing thing - it's always when I'm on Quanah, can't imagine why that is:rolleyes: - my hateful pony starts doing it, too, a beat behind me.:o We must sound like a double bellows. We certainly can't sneak up on anybody!:D

Imp - I'm looking forward to hearing how wonderful your hack was on Friday.:) My best advice: focus on what actually *is* happening, not on what might.

Learned from personal experience, you may be sure - I used to be afraid to get out of the 30' round pen, let alone into the big wide world.:eek: But now I absolutely love it - I haven't ridden Bram in an enclosed space in over a year!:D Quanah, OTOH - when the day comes for us to hack out, I'll be posting my own thread asking for encouragement. :D

cazrider

21st Apr 2006, 07:04 AM

Oh Imp... so sorry I've missed this. As I said on your other thread I've been away for a couple of days. You will be fine.:D :D

Don't forget to sing!! and breathe... sounds mad, but easy to forget. And don't worry about Megan. What was she doing when you bought her? hacking as I remember..... Have fun. I'm absolutely sure you will, and am waiting with my breath all bated for your return.;) :D :D

ANN H

21st Apr 2006, 07:24 AM

Have a lovely time this p.m. Imp. As Domane said, it'll probably be the making of you. I used to feel physically sick at the thought of hacking but forced myself to start solo last year. It DOES get easier. I even managed a 10 mile fun ride round the Cheshire Hunt course last Friday, including galloping accross open fields, and I still haven't come down!! Just try and relax and enjoy it and tell us all about it when you get back. Rescue Remedy is fantastic by the way. Good luck. Hope the weather holds up.