Hacking alone
- Thread starter KT C
- Start date
yes, when my mare was first backed she wouldn't go more than 25m down the road alone without stopping, turning round, napping if asked to go forwards. i jut spent lots of times only going that far and just gradually made her go for longer and longer. she is 9 now and we rarely have issues that can't be overcome with a few circles and plenty inside leg.
Yes I own a huge cob beastie who turns into a complete baby if he is hacked out alone. He is great with any traffic but if he sees something small such as a cat or rubbish bin, he is terrible. Does funny half rear bunny hop and then runs backwards at high speed. He has dragged me through countless hedges and backwards into many a ditch. I have found the only way to cope is to instantly take my legs off and just try to get him to stand still. Once I have his attention I pat him and talk to him and then I can get him past. It can take up to 6 or more attempts but I have never yet been beaten. Would love to know if there is anything else I could do. He is fine in company. I have to make allowances that he is only 5 and I have only owned him about 6 months. I'm hopeful that as he gains more trust in me as his 'leader' then this instances will decrease.
Do you have problems then KT C ?
Do you have problems then KT C ?
Erm... Yeah!
I have a 17-hander, an ex riding school chunky chap, who's 10. I knew that he'd have some problems with coming from a riding school, but I've had him for a couple of years now! I tried for a while when I first got him, and then got fed up of being dumped on the track at the yard I was at, so gave up for a while, and have been mostly hacking out in company or schooling.
He's had a long break recently, and I've just started riding in the school again. He's been so nice and sensible that I've been thinking (big sigh!!) that it's time for "round 2"!!
He's great in every other way - although he can be a bit spooky, he'll go past really scary things, even leading the way if he has to, but even in company has always been reluctant to take the lead. Out on his own, he'll go so far, but once he gets past his "comfort zone" he gets completely hysterical, and it's impossible to reason with him. I am hoping though that if I just persevere, like Lucy (thanks - I'll keep trying!), eventually we'll be able to get a little further each time we're out.
I was just wondering how many of you out there have had similar problems, and whether you've been able to work through them?
I have a 17-hander, an ex riding school chunky chap, who's 10. I knew that he'd have some problems with coming from a riding school, but I've had him for a couple of years now! I tried for a while when I first got him, and then got fed up of being dumped on the track at the yard I was at, so gave up for a while, and have been mostly hacking out in company or schooling.
He's had a long break recently, and I've just started riding in the school again. He's been so nice and sensible that I've been thinking (big sigh!!) that it's time for "round 2"!!
He's great in every other way - although he can be a bit spooky, he'll go past really scary things, even leading the way if he has to, but even in company has always been reluctant to take the lead. Out on his own, he'll go so far, but once he gets past his "comfort zone" he gets completely hysterical, and it's impossible to reason with him. I am hoping though that if I just persevere, like Lucy (thanks - I'll keep trying!), eventually we'll be able to get a little further each time we're out.
I was just wondering how many of you out there have had similar problems, and whether you've been able to work through them?
Our welshie was nappy when hacking out alone. Our tactics were;
lots of Kelly Marks' groundwork to teach him respect and to behave generally
(he was quite bolshy & bargy initially)
taking him out in-hand so familiar with route / part of
circling him when napping, until accepted going forward
with quiet patient attitude = "you can protest all you like, and I'll wait all day, but you're going THIS way"
another person on foot as "leader" (we had no-one to hack out with)
gradually increasing hacks; from very short, lots of rewards, to longer & longer
hacking regularly - more often we went, better he was
exploiting hot summer weather when he was too hot to argue! (joking)
I think they're usually a lot better hacking in company, obviously.
lots of Kelly Marks' groundwork to teach him respect and to behave generally
(he was quite bolshy & bargy initially)
taking him out in-hand so familiar with route / part of
circling him when napping, until accepted going forward
with quiet patient attitude = "you can protest all you like, and I'll wait all day, but you're going THIS way"
another person on foot as "leader" (we had no-one to hack out with)
gradually increasing hacks; from very short, lots of rewards, to longer & longer
hacking regularly - more often we went, better he was
exploiting hot summer weather when he was too hot to argue! (joking)
I think they're usually a lot better hacking in company, obviously.
i think that it depends on teh horse as to whether you can ever reach the stage where you have a happy hacker, i think with most horses, if you persevere you can improve their confidence out hacking
some take to it really well and are virtually bomb proof from day one, others just keep on getting stressed out about the whole thing
i've only come across one horse that really didn't improve though, she just had a miserable time and so did i, so i gave up hacking her anywhere new, she is ok round the quiet forest lanes.
some take to it really well and are virtually bomb proof from day one, others just keep on getting stressed out about the whole thing
i've only come across one horse that really didn't improve though, she just had a miserable time and so did i, so i gave up hacking her anywhere new, she is ok round the quiet forest lanes.
Short-term, train the horse [and rider] using the Cloverleaf Pattern. Lucy J has described a variation in her post above. The following thread describes it in detail:
http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=39701&highlight=cloverleaf
Long-term, to develop a "happy hacker," follow the training advice in post number seven in this thread:
http://www.newrider.com/forum/showthread.php?t=67557&highlight=cloverleaf
Best regards,
Harry
Ditto what everyone else has said about extending his comfort zone little by little. You could also try giving him a calmer - for example NAF Magic - as this can take the edge off their adrenaline without changing their personality.
Yes, this is pretty much my current action plan (!), though I was wondering whether there are people who have had this approach work, or whether I was barking up the wrong tree. He's not a confident type (although is fine on the ground), and there ia a (tiny!) part of me that wonders if he'll ever be a hacker... but I'm not willing to give up yet!!
I have tried a couple of calmers, but not found one that works particularly, and I'm not really sure if that's the solution for him, so have given up on that front for the time being, and am trying to get back to basics.
The Cloverleaf pattern as it such wouldn't really work for me, as there's only really one way to ride to/from the yard, but I'll stick with the variation, trying to get a liittle further each time... will keep you posted!!
With regard to the thread on developing a happy hacker, he has been schooled on grass, exposed to different stimuli, ridden varied routes over different terrain, etc and is fine with this in company, however, on his own it's another story.
This will definitely be a long-term project...
I have tried a couple of calmers, but not found one that works particularly, and I'm not really sure if that's the solution for him, so have given up on that front for the time being, and am trying to get back to basics.
The Cloverleaf pattern as it such wouldn't really work for me, as there's only really one way to ride to/from the yard, but I'll stick with the variation, trying to get a liittle further each time... will keep you posted!!
With regard to the thread on developing a happy hacker, he has been schooled on grass, exposed to different stimuli, ridden varied routes over different terrain, etc and is fine with this in company, however, on his own it's another story.
This will definitely be a long-term project...
Yep, Storm is difficult - nay, impossible to hack on her own - so, I took the easy option - and I don't hack her alone!!! Mind you, I wouldn't want to go hacking without OH and Joe anyways. I guess it wouldn't be impossible to teach her to hack alone, but quite frankly I can't be bothered - I get sick of struggling (sorry to sound defeatest - just feeling that way a bit at the mo).
Yes, I had kind of given up for a while, and we only hacked out in company, but since moving yards, that's rarely an option now unfortunately, so, as it's a new year and all that (!), I have decided to have another stab at it... haven't gotten very far so far, but you never know I guess...
I have a nappy horse and like yours he is reluctant to lead and does not enjoy going out on his own, so when I am out in company I make sure I am in the lead so he has no choice but to get used to it and I also leave the yard first on my own and meet my friend down the lane (she gives me a 10 mins start due to the paddies he throws) but he is only 5 and I am hoping with time and plenty of practice he will get better and grow out of it.
Good luck
Good luck
the share pony I had before I bought my own was a nightmare to hack out alone. He was great in company, didnt bat an eye lid at anything... but on his own he was a totally diffrent pony. He was traffic shy (and we had to do road work to get anywhere) dog shy, wheelie bin shy, child sitting on pavement shy!! I started by just taking him out for about 10 mins, just along a quiet road and back. And then built up to eventually getting to the grassy field and woods. But he was a one step forward 10 steps back kinda pony, I ended up having to lead him along the road to the fields, mount up there and ride round, then get off and lead him home.
On the odd occasion I could get someone to come out on foot with me I'd ride the whole way, but one day he totally freaked out when some workmen turned on a piece of machinery after we had past them, he shot up the road and I managed to stop him before it opened on the the main road but we were in the middle of a cross roads with a car behind us and one coming to the left of us and him dancing in the middle of the road, me terrified and my friend running back to the work men to get them to turn the thing off!! The poor car driver behind us thought it was his fault and turned off his engine, everyone one looked really concerned and I was white as a sheet! I swear I saw my life flash in front of my eyes!! My friend lead me home!
After that I didnt ride him out again, I just rode him in one of the fields where he was kept and about a month later I gave him up as I was really too scared to ride him. He totally shattered my confidence.
I think had I been able to get a bond with him things would have been diffrent but he was really warey of people, and I could never catch him unless I lured him into the field shelter with a bucket of feed! He was really head shy and nervy when I groomed him and I just found it really hard to really really like him!
thankfully the pony I bought has given me back my confidence and then some!
probably not helpful to you at all!! But thats my experience of a pony who wouldnt hack out alone!
On the odd occasion I could get someone to come out on foot with me I'd ride the whole way, but one day he totally freaked out when some workmen turned on a piece of machinery after we had past them, he shot up the road and I managed to stop him before it opened on the the main road but we were in the middle of a cross roads with a car behind us and one coming to the left of us and him dancing in the middle of the road, me terrified and my friend running back to the work men to get them to turn the thing off!! The poor car driver behind us thought it was his fault and turned off his engine, everyone one looked really concerned and I was white as a sheet! I swear I saw my life flash in front of my eyes!! My friend lead me home!
After that I didnt ride him out again, I just rode him in one of the fields where he was kept and about a month later I gave him up as I was really too scared to ride him. He totally shattered my confidence.
I think had I been able to get a bond with him things would have been diffrent but he was really warey of people, and I could never catch him unless I lured him into the field shelter with a bucket of feed! He was really head shy and nervy when I groomed him and I just found it really hard to really really like him!
thankfully the pony I bought has given me back my confidence and then some!
probably not helpful to you at all!! But thats my experience of a pony who wouldnt hack out alone!
Well, some good news on the hacking front at last!!
For some reason, my horse seems to have had a bit of a personality transplant or something!!
We started a few weeks ago by just going down the road a little way, as far as I knew he'd be fine with, and then I asked him a little further... sat out the strop that he had, then once we'd gone a little further up the road, went down a lane, let him have some grass and then came home. (This perhaps sounds a little easier than it should! It did take about 40 mins to do a journey that should have taken less than 10!!)
The next time, we went a little further, had another big strop (which this time included running backwards in a surprisingly small circle, backing into hedges, and when that didn't work, standing stock-still, then pawing the ground!!), but made it out and back in one piece! I should probably add here that although this had to happen on roads, they are very quiet, and I made sure these outings were during the day when most folk are at work and there is next to no traffic in the area... also, although he doesn't like going out alone, he is very good in traffic, so if anything does come past, he's pretty good, it's the being asked to go forward he's objecting to.
So after a couple of minor successes, someone pointed out to me that the route I had taken was one that a few other horses tend to find "spooky" anyway! Hmmm...I hadn't actually thought of that!! So yesterday, went out along the road, then turned off in the other direction; yes, he thought about turning around - I certainly felt him wanting to, but we didn't have any MAJOR strops, and managed a "proper" hack!!!
So at the tender age of 13, has my boy finally grown up??!? Probably not, but I think we might be getting there!
For some reason, my horse seems to have had a bit of a personality transplant or something!!
We started a few weeks ago by just going down the road a little way, as far as I knew he'd be fine with, and then I asked him a little further... sat out the strop that he had, then once we'd gone a little further up the road, went down a lane, let him have some grass and then came home. (This perhaps sounds a little easier than it should! It did take about 40 mins to do a journey that should have taken less than 10!!)
The next time, we went a little further, had another big strop (which this time included running backwards in a surprisingly small circle, backing into hedges, and when that didn't work, standing stock-still, then pawing the ground!!), but made it out and back in one piece! I should probably add here that although this had to happen on roads, they are very quiet, and I made sure these outings were during the day when most folk are at work and there is next to no traffic in the area... also, although he doesn't like going out alone, he is very good in traffic, so if anything does come past, he's pretty good, it's the being asked to go forward he's objecting to.
So after a couple of minor successes, someone pointed out to me that the route I had taken was one that a few other horses tend to find "spooky" anyway! Hmmm...I hadn't actually thought of that!! So yesterday, went out along the road, then turned off in the other direction; yes, he thought about turning around - I certainly felt him wanting to, but we didn't have any MAJOR strops, and managed a "proper" hack!!!
So at the tender age of 13, has my boy finally grown up??!? Probably not, but I think we might be getting there!
Good news..... I have a cob that is less confident on his own so had to only go out for mini hacks and then lengthen the time we are out. Must keep it up weekly though so that the horse doesnt go back into its old ways..
I have a cob that is less confident on his own so had to only go out for mini hacks and then lengthen the time we are out. Must keep it up weekly though so that the horse doesnt go back into its old ways..
EnduranceAli
Active Member
Yes, Frayne, can be nappy to hack out alone, and now it is made worse because she has bonded very strongly with my 2nd pony. I have been taking her out in hand every morning whilst Mitzy stays in the stable. I do Parelli, so I combine it with some groundwork and gradually it has become less of a struggle. Sometimes I put her saddle on and try to ride her forwards, but usually I end up leading her down the lane (very stop/start!) and then riding back. Hopefully this will help gradually and we can progress to proper hacks and also going to use our neighbour's sandschool. Going out in company without Mitzy makes no difference, so I do give in occasionally and take Mitzy out with us Anyone want to have some free riding in Pembrokeshire? Once Mitzy has put on some weight I will be riding her and Frayne will be available to anyone who is a quiet/confident rider. Ali xx
Anyone want to have some free riding in Pembrokeshire? Once Mitzy has put on some weight I will be riding her and Frayne will be available to anyone who is a quiet/confident rider. Ali xx
G
Guest 2
Guest
Hi.
My share horse xena was terrible at one point!
Last year when her owner got her nearly all of the time she was hacked in company.
Then she was off work for a while due to no rider.
Then since January i have brought her back into work. First of all when i hacked her out alone she was a pain.
She shied at alot of things and wouldnt go past. For example a yellow rubbish skip.
But what i did was reassure her and speak to her and relax my reins, stroke her neck and kick her on.
I would rather her gallop past something than have to turn around and go the other way.
She was awful though (were only talking about 2 weeks ago btw). She would nap, buck and back up. Then when i turned her around she would back up and then try and turn around and gallop off.
With xena she can be a stubborn mare! One time i just had enough and whiped her until she went forward past this deer slaughter house and this worked well and she hasnt played up there for two weeks.
I do not result to get off and lead her as she will learn nothing from this. Unless we are on a busy road.
She usually plays up on the bridleway bit though.
Anyway with xena, first of all i am nice and reassuring to her. But when she takes the **** i just whip her.
I think it depends on what kind of day it is aswell. As she will play up before a storm .....
Anyway good luck x
My share horse xena was terrible at one point!
Last year when her owner got her nearly all of the time she was hacked in company.
Then she was off work for a while due to no rider.
Then since January i have brought her back into work. First of all when i hacked her out alone she was a pain.
She shied at alot of things and wouldnt go past. For example a yellow rubbish skip.
But what i did was reassure her and speak to her and relax my reins, stroke her neck and kick her on.
I would rather her gallop past something than have to turn around and go the other way.
She was awful though (were only talking about 2 weeks ago btw). She would nap, buck and back up. Then when i turned her around she would back up and then try and turn around and gallop off.
With xena she can be a stubborn mare! One time i just had enough and whiped her until she went forward past this deer slaughter house and this worked well and she hasnt played up there for two weeks
.I do not result to get off and lead her as she will learn nothing from this. Unless we are on a busy road.
She usually plays up on the bridleway bit though.
Anyway with xena, first of all i am nice and reassuring to her. But when she takes the **** i just whip her.
I think it depends on what kind of day it is aswell. As she will play up before a storm .....
Anyway good luck x
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