Heading home issues...

Spoof

New Member
This has been creeping up, but not something I nipped (or know how to?) and should have...

Going out on a hack is great, no problems, got a happy horse. My problem is he doesn't want to come back. When we turn around and head back it's a drunken battle to keep him heading home and it is the slowest crawl imaginable. He's getting sneakier about the swinging as I usually block it. He'll just casually (and quickly) swing the other direction.

He's still light and responsive, he turns back fine, he's not changing speed, it's just like one long wobbly argument. This can go on for miles if we've done the track more than twice. There was so much traffic on one stretch last night I backed him a block to our street to avoid the wobbly in front of the cars. It's 55 mph (88.5km/h) and he wobbles with them whizzing by which is a bit scary.

As far as home goes, he eats when we get back, gets a good rub and massage which he loves. I did let him go once last year to see what he'd do; he walked to the nearest patch of grass and had at it. :rolleyes:

Any ideas?
 
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If that's all, then I think he just wants to stay out longer and I cannot blame him! Can you not ride when it is cooler, such as very early in the morning, and thus stay out longer?

Do you do 'out and back' rides, or circular/loop ones? Circular/loop ones are, I always think, both better from a horse training POV and more interesting for both of you, if they are possible.
 
I'm stuck with out and back. This morning my neighbor offered me their lawn to ride on which I'm excited about, it's 5 acres.

The mornings and evenings are the worst, the humidity is 100% and he stands out there sweating. It is 'cooler' temp wise but I worry about dehydration. Soon it will not get below 80 at night, days are getting close to 100.

During the day the heat rises enough that you don't stick to yourself and the horses dry off a bit. Some days are unrideable but the bulk of them he isn't too sweaty when I start.

In light of him just wanting to be out I'll come up with some brainwork on the way home this time. Hopefully making things more interesting will help.
 
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