Advice Please!!!

[sjp1]

Moved horse last Saturday. Have hacked out three times with new liveries. Am planning to hack out with friend who lives in village tomorrow and meet.

New yard is two fields up a track, with horses on either side. Mine rarely hacks alone and is a bit on the nappy side.

Do I

a) Get on in the stable yard and force the issue down the track (horses in paddocks on either side for both fields down the track )- may result in massive napping as I rarely hack alone or

b) Do I lead him down the track and get on at the bottom?

 

[sophiebailey]

B much more pleasant for you both and will stop you from worrying thus will stop pony from stressing xx

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

c) get friend to come & meet you this 1st time?

 

[NativePonyLover]

A. Seems massively unfair on the horse.

B. Would be better, but C is ideal. X

 

[twiggy2]

c)if you will be hacking with friend on a regular basis get her to meet you a bit further from the yard each time so you essentially go looking a little further away from the yard each time.

may break you solitary napping issue for good

 

[Ce'Nedra]

C) - after all your horse has only just moved, so don't give him/her more stress then you have to

 

[ladyt25]

Do you know (now this depends on level of napping I guess), I would just get on and go. Try not think about it - just think about meeting your friend and enjoying your hack. The weather's going to be nice so relax, get on, ride out with positive thoughts. If he/she starts to nap, try ride positively and calmly through it. IF that's not working then, rather than getting worked up or upset, just get off and lead horse calmly. Best thing to do is not make an issue of it or get worried beforehand.

 

[spotty_pony]

If possible, A. Make a fresh start as you're at a new yard and start as you mean to go on! Your horse might not be so nappy anyway as he is in a new home and might not consider this as 'home' yet.

 

[Love]

I'd vote A too, but that's going on if it was me with my horse. It's hard to judge when you don't know the horse if you see what I mean?

 

[sjp1]

Well I did B!!! And he was a bit planty down the track, but followed Mum after a bit of persuasion, waited for friend and planted him in long grass which he snatched at and whinnied for the two fat girls who border his paddock, friend trotted up and led him out of gates to get on off bank. Cue much whirling dervish and after third attempt managed to leap on board and suggested to friend we 'get on with it'

He whinnied for the first ten minutes periodically - and then we had a lovely ride, up tracks, had a canter and were out for a couple of hours - we left at about 6.15am as weather sooooo hot and flyie, and then friend left us at cross roads and we hacked back the last bit alone. In trot, we had some whinnies, but altogether he was a very good boy, we met a bus on the back lane just near the yard so stopped, bus stopped and we walked past it, and then casually strolled up track home!!!

Yes, maybe this will crack out solo hacking issues.

I think I will take him down to the bottom of the track to graze in hand a few times to help get over the stressiness. Am going to hack out with fellow livery tomorrow early am, so hopefully that will help!