A loud hacking problem

Toffee44

Toffee44

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 November 2009
Messages
6,157
Location
West Sussex almost Hants
Visit site
Me and Samba are now hacking on our own, no massive problems, have to admit shes very bombproof.


However, she neighs every 5 minutes or so.

Will this just eventually go away?? Im very warey of hacking in quiet villages at 8am on a sunday with her like this :p

If she starts neighing I do a leg yield to take her mind off it.

Shes doesnt really jog, maybe if we are doing a turn around hack (there is only two we have to do this) she might but as soon as I ask her too, she walks again.

Doesnt matter where we go, she still neighs.

Any idea? At least people with dogs ont he bridle way know im coming :D
 
Mmmm, obviously she still has some anxieties about being away from the rest of the "herd" .... your aim will be to get her to the place where she regards YOU as the herd leader and that she can trust you 100%.

That will take a little time perhaps; in the meantime I think its good that you're obviously seeking to be the leader by doing little exercises like leg yield etc. You could also do some serpentines if where you're hacking is quiet, plus some school work like 20m circles etc etc. All of which will occupy her mind PLUS will help her understand that you as herd leader control where she's putting her feet.

You could also do some trust exercises on the ground like walking through obstacles etc like at a TREC competition (or even, as you say she's "bombproof" then hey why not have a go at TREC???) - this would build up both your confidence as TREC is brilliant for team-building. Or Horse Agility - if not actually competing you could use some of their obstacles.

I think you're obviously seeking to be an emphathetic rider and herd leader and that you and your mare are going to have some super times solo hacking; its just initially you're having these confidence issues with her. I've always had geldings - got my last one solo-hacking from scratch after everyone at the yard said forget it you'll never do it (but yay, we got there!); now I've got a lovely little mare on loan and so need to work on the same issues again!!! But I think mares maybe have got a more pronounced sense of the herd dynamic and are more sensitive to it??? Therefore if they're separated from the herd they're more likely to have confidence issues? Perhaps other contributors will have thoughts about this ......

But I think you're on the right general lines; good luck anyway.
 
aww i had one i bought and broke myself and when she first started hacking out she use to do it . its just because shes away from home and on her own i just use to speek to her and give her a pat shel grow out of it beleive me i owned her all her life
 
I have such a up and down relationship with Samba, but because she is sooo bloody honest about everything I darent get rid of her, I will probably never find such a genuine little horse that I can read so easily again.

If she isnt neighing I tend to talk to her, let her reins go (well slack :p) and just bimble along, if she starts neighing I just leg yield her (difficult to do circles on most of my hacks, but we do loads in the school to get her listening) as soon as her head lowers, reins slack and a pat. I will try some tight surpintines next time.


I dunno if its where shes been used as a broodmare in the past?
I just hope with practice it will go.

I want to try TREC just need to sort out gates first, something that we have in abundance here on the south downs and never tried we before we moved. :)

I did a lot of long lining out when I first got her so I think she really just feels on her own out there with no one on the ground?
 
My boy has recently starting doing this.
He is dreadful to hack alone as has never been away from the herd before, he has improved a lot as would flat out refuse to leave the yard a few months ago.
Now when we get out he spooks at everything and constantly does the LOUDEST neighs ever and they tend to be quite high pitched too. He puts so much effort it to them I can feel his body shaking as he does it lol I put it down to him letting the others know where he is/warning them of the scary things over here!!
Hopefully with a bit of time he will grow out of it as it doesn't make for the most peaceful hack and I get a lot of odd looks from passerbys!

I like your idea of leg yielding to get her mind off it, might try that one! I also talk constantly to mine as he is very much a voice-orientated horse and it does seem to relax him a bit.
 
basil used to do this ALL the time when i got him last year. he still does it occasionally (usually if he has seen another horse & is now going away from it) but a lot less than he used to. its not much of a problem though as he isnt naughty with it.

i once rode a horse who set a car alarm off neighing to his friend though!
 
My mare used to do this ALL the time - usually accompanied by jogging and general nerviness....but it does stop. In fact you'll go out one day and then get back and realise she hasn't done it at all. It will reduce slowly and you probably won't notice the reduction. Good luck!
 
She is probably waiting for someone to answer back bless her! Creatures of habit agree if you can occupy her. But just keep going and enjoy. Dont worry about the noise at all, its nice to hear even early in the morning!

Is she kept with others that call as they can hear a long way off things we dont hear!?!

I was always amazed that when mine was a bit strange fidgety under saddle about 10mins later we might ie meet another horse/cyclist etc & I would realise thats why they had heard/felt rumbles on the ground??? but there was always a reason! Initially I would think something was in the hedgerow but it would be someone up ahead ages later.
 
My old mare used to do this when we went somewhere new on our own or if we hacked past Keysoe on our own (Sooooo embarassing!). She stopped once she was used to a route, but never past Keysoe.
But on the point of TREC - you don't need to get the hang of gates first. If you don't think you can do an obstacle you can miss it out.
 
this is not the same but i have a shire x and she is really heavy on her feet and my local postman who i see when i am out in the morning said i knew you were out i could hear her 3 roads away but going back to your mare it really just sounds like a seperation problem and she will get over it she just needs to learn that you are her peer when its you and her out on your own also on TREC i have helped a few times on our local TREC and it really is light hearted and if you cant do something you just move on to the next obstical
 
Last edited:
My old mare used to this a lot at first, most embarassing I agree. It gradually stopped, I think the beginning of the end was when a donkey answered her, the shock on her face was a picture LOL.
 
Sounds daft, but as she is young and new to going out on her own, try singing or chatting to her. Just to remind her that she isn't on her own. And see if you can spot what she does immediately before she neighs, for example does she lift her head? Try to get a leg yield in at that point rather than after she has done it. If it's any consolation we have two doing it atm, although the older is growing out of it.
 
My cob used to do it when he was three but for a big horse his call is more like a girl scream very embarassing. people used to come out their houses he did grow out of it though
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top