advice- getting youngster hacking out alone

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Fox07

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I have a just broken in youngster, long reined (very confident on the long reins), sat on, ridden at walk around arena and I think its time to start hacking out with me on board. My last horse was an absolute nightmare to hack out alone (like this before I got them) and I dont want my new horse to be the same.
What advice would you give so I end up with a horse with no issues about hacking out alone?? I worry about going out with other horses in case this causes my horse to not want to hack out alone.
 
If he is confident on long reins this should carry on when ridden, I like going out in company but taking the lead as well as going behind or next to the other horse, this gives the young horse support when required but they also have to go in front whenever possible. I also get them to go first on leaving the yard down the drive, they never need to learn about napping if you start correctly and continue building confidence, taking a step back if anything goes wrong will also help.
 
get him used to a certain route with company ( I used to ride and lead as on my own) then go it alone along the same route - by which point it will be familiar so no excuses for playing up.
 
Fox07 said:
I have a just broken in youngster, long reined (very confident on the long reins), sat on, ridden at walk around arena and I think its time to start hacking out with me on board. My last horse was an absolute nightmare to hack out alone (like this before I got them) and I dont want my new horse to be the same.
What advice would you give so I end up with a horse with no issues about hacking out alone?? I worry about going out with other horses in case this causes my horse to not want to hack out alone.
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You need to hack out with a good equine babysitter initially - and this will probably be for some weeks.

You can then start venturing out on small excursions on your own (once the horse is confident in traffic in company), building it up to hacking out generally on your own.

The hard work will pay off - and by the start of summer you should have a perfectly hackable horse happy to go off on its own.

The important thing is the babysitter, and consistency.
 
If you are talking about road work then my advice is to take him out very early in the Spring and Summer mornings (once it has got light) when there is very little traffic about. Start with a very short circular rider and repeat this route 6 times in daily succession and then gradually do more and more. You need to try to do this each and every day so that you get a good routine going and your horse becomes established in this routine.
Always ensure that you are wearing long sleeved hi-viz jacket so thatother road users can see your hand signals and that your horse is wearing Hi-Viz as well.
Do not go out when the sun is low and bright as this can dazzle other road users vision.
Also put knee pads on your horse and wear a back protector.
Good luck.
 
A confident youngster can soon get unconfident if something happens to give him a good fright and all that long reining work could be wrecked.

I would set baby off half length in front of 100% patent safe baby sitter and gradually let baby lead by more distance using routes that do not have baby horrors initially. When that is easy for him I would do the same hack alone probably later the same day. If the solo hack went well I would not use a baby sitter on that route again.

I would then choose a more challenging route, same routine as above with baby leading past the horrors with the understanding that the baby sitter could come up alongside if necessary.

I feel it all depends on where you hack and what has to be negotiated. My babies have to face huge farm machinery that fill the lane and I found if the baby sitter's head was level with my outside boot the young horse found the courage to keep walking most of the time and if the 'ask' was too much and the baby really went behind my leg the baby sitter would come fully alongside or a neck in front to enable the walk to keep going forwards. It is crucial the rider on the baby sitter is aware of the young horse and not day dreaming.

Its such an important phase of a young horses life taking the time to get it totally right is always worth it and in the meantime I will dream of living where traffic has not been invented.
 
I would set baby off half length in front of 100% patent safe baby sitter and gradually let baby lead by more distance using routes that do not have baby horrors initially.
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We always, always, always ride babies on the inside of the babysitter - riding two abreast. It's so important that the youngster becomes confident in traffic, and offering the protection of another horse in the first few weeks will pay dividends in the end.

Send the youngster off in front eventually yes - but initially, always ride on the inside of a babysitter.
 
I have just started hacking my 4 ear old out on her own like you we did lots of Long reining out i used my older very very safe horse for first few outings round fields gradually building up to roads. I agree with keeping them in front though as if they become too reliant on another horse you will have napping issues. By having the youngster just slightly in front your teaching them to gain there confidence from you and not the horse. If at any point you need the back up of the babysitter there right behind you..

I hacked my girl out first few times on my own with a foot sitter who used to walk behind me.. just for safety mainly as by this point she already understood that i was the one who gave her confidence and if i said was okay to go forward she goes.. I would also say once at this stage be very firm its easy for babies to have jitters.. often when they might spin or totally stop and not want to go forward be firm and insist is okay ultimately they are looking for reassurance and confidence from you..

I had a few sticky moments with mine planting but i stayed very firm and made sure she went forward even if was just an extra couple of meters.. the ride ends when you say not the horse.. good luck trust me is worth the hard work 2 months on mine is a saint to hack and is even now helping other spooky horses out.
 
We found that a useful step in between going out with another horse for company and going out alone was going out with someone riding a bike. Gave some back up and a lead for scary stuff when necessary but the horse didn't have the opportunity to get clingy to the other horses. A bike is good because you have more speed variation than walking so the cyclist can drop back and then catch up or go off ahead for a while so that baby horse has some experience of being alone.

Mine hacks out happily alone (she's rising 5 now) and she gives a lead to other horses all the time. A big part of it is having the confidence yourself and not making a big deal of it. Most importantly DO NOT LOOK AT SPOOKY OBJECTS or even acknowledge the spooky object, in fact if you meet something scary make a point of looking somewhere else all together.
 
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