For anyone with hacking issues

Trewsers

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Oct 13, 2004
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What is it that makes you worry about hacking? What aspect of you horses behaviour bothers you the most?
For me, it is the beginning. Madam sets off making snorty dragon noises and has a ridiculous coiled spring walk until we actually get going properly and have been out a while. By which time my nerves are generally getting the better of me if I am alone. I don't fare too badly with a foot soldier but that can't happen atm.
 
I don't really know what it is with me if I'm honest. I think I prefer to hack alone as when we are with others Belle gets silly forward and wants to be in front but even at the front she is very forward and feels like she's just ready to take off at any moment. When we are on our own she listens to me and will go at whatever speed I am for with no joggy silly looky head on. I suppose I just like to feel in control. If she's raring to go I find a good long trot settles her down but just dare not attempt it when we are in company.
 
For me its him ditching me and running. Hes a true bolter in the sense of is he panics he will go and he wont stop. If Im with him then im with him. If im not then tough luck.
 
Dannii, I teach my guys to stop when I get off, in the hopes if I ever parted company they would do the same. I can dismount from trot or canter and jess just stops before I make it to the ground, perhaps practising it might help you.
 
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My issue was (and I mean was because my NLP should have fixed it) a traumatic response to being seriously bolted with towards a main road. Everytime something reminded me of the accident (e.g. a car, noise of traffic, open field, other horses), the memory of how scared I was that day would return along with an uncontrollable urge to lean forward and cling on. I was basically scared all the time when hacking and I was terrified of absolutely everything. Nothing was rational and it didn't matter how many times someone told me sit back and relax, I just could not do it.

Aside from the above, I have always had a fear of falling onto concrete. It took me a full year to be able to stand Ben on the concrete on our yard. The first time I rode him down the lane after my NLP I fell off on the bloody concrete!

Sometimes I think that I should give up all hope of hacking, but for some reason I keep on trying to crack it. Maybe someday I will.
 
Hetja does snorty dragon and, along with her other issues she was scary. But all she does is snorty dragon and if she does shy all she does is snort, leap in the air and plant. No spinning and leaping sideways.

Now I am certain that's all she does I don't let it worry me, The cold backed thing she presented when she first arrived was a concern as it felt as though she was about to explode in a massive bucking fit. 2 years down the line and we almost, ALMOST have it cracked. Though, the only way to sort her issues was build up trust and a relationship, and the only way to do that was to get out and clock up some miles together.
 
ummm actually i don't think i have any worries anymore about hacking. Whatever Moet does i can deal with....

Though i am yet to go on stubble since last summer - when she threw my friend off and made her have a trip to hospital in an air ambulance :( ok perhaps i have 'reservations' now about stubble, though i still get excited at the thought of going on stubble!!!!
 
I am a firm believer in repetition. Whatever the issue, just keep going, scarey though it is for a while, I don't see there is much option, you just have to manage the problem the best you can, and after a while it really isn't a problem any more.

BUT, I am a firm believer in managing situations. For instance, if Tobes hasn't been galloping for a couple of weeks, and in company, I absolutely would not then take him off to do a fun ride. Equally, if he hadn't been ridden in ages, I wouldn't go on cantering tracks, I would do a long and fast road work ride, followed the next day by cantering.
 
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