nerves overflowing while hacking

[Loopslou]

Amber was a bit uptight shall we say today when hacking. Flash hasn't been well so she really didn't want to leave the yard but my sister in law rode her out and I walked beside her. She was fine until there was one of those really big trampolines turned up on its end in a garden (at the top of a narrow hill, of course!). She wasn't too keen in going past so we let her stand and have a good look at it and pushed her on. I got on her to ride her back and the people had put out their wheely bin with about 3 black bin bags piled on top, again, I let her stop and have a good look, she went to turn away but I blocked her. Pushed her on up the hill and just as I was about to get her past the trampoline the man who owns the house started up his bloomin cement mixer and she spun on the road and start to back up down the hill. I got stuck because Laura as usual rode Matilda right up Amber's bum and then Matilda started dancing and napping on the road too. Amber was backing right up into the hedge when eventually with some help from my sister in law on the ground, I got her forward and past the trampoline and away from the noise. I have to say that I felt very calm but I had to get my sister in law to give me an extra hold on the reins a couple of times because Amber just felt like a coiled spring underneath me. It was if it was all just too much and she couldn't cope with all the different spooky things.

Was I right in getting Wendy to help me from the ground? I was determined not to get off, and just kept my leg on the whole time. She is going into season as well and is more on her toes than usual. I was thinking of walking her out in hand a few times this week and settle her down and let her see around her a bit, does this sound like a good idea?

 

[Kris R]

Goodness me you certainly have encountered a fair share of 'monsters' in one outing. Don't worry you both kept calm which is important. One way to habituate Amber to all of these things is to take her out in hand. In this way you can both check out all of the hazzards and you are there to re-assure her and to give her a good scratch below her withers. I did this with my young mare, I took her out and let her have a look a everything. I also took some carrots and let her have one when she was calm and standing still. She jumped at a few things but as I was calm and relaxed she then also came to realise these monsters were not going to launch an attack. It took a few weeks but she became aclimatised.

At the yard I also had a terrible habit of flapping empty plastic bags and umbrellas about when she was nearby - yes my mare leapt up into the air initially. There was a lot of snorting and panic in he eyes. But I perservered gently and she got used to it. When horses realise they are not being chased they will calm down.

One important thing is not to hang onto the reins when Amber becomes tense. If you hang onto the reins you will cause her more pain, I assume you are using a bit. She then has an extra monster to cope with. She will associate the pain in her mouth with the monster and then you get to the situation where she only has to see the hazzard and she will anticipate pain and discomfort and start to fret. Horses are reactive animals.

Use a headcollar when leading her in hand and if she does become frisky let her circle around you. Eventually she will realise she isn't going anywhere and as soon as she is calmer you walk on.

Don't worry she will improve but you must be calm and patient. In the end you will be hoping your neighbour starts up his noisy smelly lawnmower because you know Amber won't over react.

If you are not confident to take her out to start with set up a selection of monsters in your schooling area. give her time to check them out.

Good luck

 

[virtuallyhorses]

Two things to remember when hacking - to keep yourself calm and to not pay too much attention to 'monsters. It's really tempting to go 'show' something to a horse - but often this increases the horse's anxiety because you are paying so much attention to it but also because you tend to face the horse toward the scary thing and then it feels trapped. Its often much better to 'shoulder-in' past an object, ie point the horse's head slightly away from the object but continue walking past. This let's the horse see that there is a way past - an escape route and will often calm the fear that this scary thing is blocking his\her path. By not paying too much attention yourself you reassure the horse.

It's really hard but try NOT to look at the thing - look at the path you want to take and ask the horse to look there too. Whistling, singing and smiling are all things that will help you to relax physically (which you horse can feel) and mentally). Of course, there's no hard and fast rules and it sounds like you did a good job of dealing with all these obstacles!

 

[Loopslou]

I walked her out in hand on Tuesday night and she didn't even look at the trampoline which was still upturned and the man who owns the house was on his ride on lawnmower and she didn't flinch once. The turkey's at the turkey farm up the road were making a racket and she walked straight past the famr entrance and didn't curve out once. She was fine until we got the a great dane puppy who has discovered how to jump on top of a high hedge. He jumped just after she passed but she spun in the air and faced him off, tail in the air and the top lip upturned (sign of being in season I think). She never looked at him when we walked past again. I lunged her on Wednesday night to take some steam off and the of course the torrential rain started last night so I haven't had any more work done with her but shall school her tomorrow and walk her out in hand on Sunday and then I think hack her out.

I think she is calmer when out of season. I put a thread in the general section of this forum asking why horses act so differently between being ridden and being lead in hand. The main replies seemed to be that they think if you are at their head that the monster will get you first.

It is certainly a good point because if I am walking beside her when my sister in law is riding her she spooks at very little but seems to panic when I hack her out even if Wendy is at her head. I think she may trust me as "mum" a little too much! She is very much my horse!