Advice wanted from Happy Hackers

Y

Yardbird

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 February 2015
Messages
368
Visit site
What is it you actually do to get your horse to walk out calmly with his or her head down along the trails. I see you out riding on a loose rein in a relaxed manner on happy, relaxed horses so please will you share your secret and tell me how you acheived this, Thank you.
 
Ha, this is kind of a How Long Is A Piece of String question, as in there are many answers.

Some horses are more steady away characters than others.

What you feed horses, and how they are kept also has a great effect. For instance, many happy hackers live out 24/7 and only require hay in winter, along with perhaps a handful of chop if it needs any supplements.

Horses do tend to be quieter if ridden steadily for many hours a day, they learn not to burn off too much energy, as "the day may be long." Many horses are quiet if ridden for a shorter period, or even if only ridden sporadically if all other physical/mental conditions are met.

Horses are more likely to be quiet of they are comfortable, with physical comfort of no lamenesses, well fitting tack, proper hoof care and a balanced rider.

Finally, the big one, the horse needs to understand what is required, usually achieved by consistent training. Horses do need to (by enlarge) be well trained to suceed as "happy hackers." They need to understand to move away from the leg, and to relax and yeild to the bit/ bridle.

They need to be correctly introduced to traffic and any other hazard on the road. You can't show them everything, so they need to know as a generalisation that you will help them rather than attack them if they are unsure. The consistency also relates to that when you have requested something you keep working at it until the task is achieved, but that you pick your tasks to be within reach of that horse.

I guess the second part could be termed mental comfort.

So, 1. appropriate management. 2. Physical comfort. 3. Training leading to mental comfort.
 
Last edited:
Thank you very much for your reply,things to think about, How much difference does the out 24/7 make? I currently keep my horse, whi=o has a steady nature and is a go doer cob, in at night to keep him off the grass . Not fed hard feed for same reason, just a tiny bt of sugar beet to put a general mineral supplement in.
 
Yardbird said:
Thank you very much for your reply,things to think about, How much difference does the out 24/7 make? I currently keep my horse, whi=o has a steady nature and is a go doer cob, in at night to keep him off the grass . Not fed hard feed for same reason, just a tiny bt of sugar beet to put a general mineral supplement in.
Click to expand...

If you want him off the grass for his weight I'd have him out at night and in during the day.
 
OK so a Happy Horse with a nice relaxed attitude and chilled out, means a Rider with a nice relaxed attitude and chilled out.

There are of course, times when it is most deffo NOT appropriate to slop along on a loose rein...... other times when even though it might seem initially prudent to do so, it might be that you have to change tack and deliberately ride differently for a particular situation.

I used to have a friend who rode out regularly with me happy hacking, she'd ridden for one of the top names in eventing, and she said once that happy hacking, successfully and stress-free, is actually a huge challenge - and a great preparation for not only fitness but for stuff that youngsters might see out and about.

The main thing, for me, is to be the herd leader my horse would wish me to be. That's about learning to relax, and show my horse that there is no need to be afraid of that rubbish cart that is bumbling towards us - and if I tense up, my breathing will then change and my horse will sense that; my heartrate will increase and my body-tension will be picked up on by my horse. So I need to relax, and breathe........ slowly, slowly, and then I will relax and my horse will be able to sense that there is genuinely no need to fear.

Have a look at Michael Peace's books and website - I've found his "Think Equus" philosophy really helpful in my riding. Also look at Jon Pitts' "Fit to Ride" website as he's worked with top event riders like William FP and Mary King, and shares a lot of knowledge about bio-mechanics which is absolutely fascinating and very helpful.

The "secret" to happy hacking?? I think it has to be about TRUST between both horse and rider; and about being able to RELAX. Also, in time, there develops a true bond where you know without any shadow of doubt that your horse will look after you, and will give over his/her trust to you for whatever situation you encounter out hacking. That takes time, and you can start with groundwork, building trust in small things. Build up a little TREC spook-busting course at home, i.e. plastic bags, balloons, streamers etc etc so that its not so scarey when the horse encounters it out hacking - and (important) keep changing it! So the horse doesn't see the same thing all the time.

Dunno where you are OP but if in Devon, you're very welcome to pop along to my yard and see how we do it - can't promise we get it right all the time, but we try. We have to cross road bridges, ride literally within spitting distance beside a busy main road, and our fields are in the flight path to a regional airport. The ONLY way to ride around her is to relax into it!!
 
Thank you for your reply. lots of help here, but just how can you make yourself relax? Am too far to visit but really appreciate the offer. But am lucky with my hacking routes as plenty off road places to ride here . Sometimes I feel that my horse and I go along the path like the Pink Panther theme tune, like whats this, whats that dedum dedum dedum.......
 
Last edited:
Yardbird said:
Thank you very much for your reply,things to think about, How much difference does the out 24/7 make? I currently keep my horse, whi=o has a steady nature and is a go doer cob, in at night to keep him off the grass . Not fed hard feed for same reason, just a tiny bt of sugar beet to put a general mineral supplement in.
Click to expand...

It will help to ride him after he's been out for the day then. If you want to zip them up ride direct from the stable to make the most of any pent up energy, if you want to calm them down ride after they've had a chance to run around and kick up their heels in the field. Also if he's on restricted rations he could be hungry by morning and calmer after he's been out eating for a while. I wouldn't change his routine round, if he goes out at night he'll be out for longer overall which might mean he doesn't lose any weight.

The way to have a calm hacker is mainly to just keep hacking, be prepared to take things slowly in terms of mental stress for the horse, but ultimately expect them to get on with the job you've asked them to do. Good hackers are made with plenty of practice and patience. A little schooling is good too. You want a horse who can as a minimum: go up and down a pace when asked and without a fight, walk/trot/canter circles and around corners with good balance.
 
Yardbird said:
Thank you for your reply. lots of help here, but just how can you make yourself relax? Am too far to visit but really appreciate the offer. But am lucky with my hacking routes as plenty off road places to ride here . Sometimes I feel that my horse and I go along the path like the Pink Panther theme tune, like whats this, whats that dedum dedum dedum.......
Click to expand...

:biggrin3: it's not necessarily relaxed as in totally chilled out and letting your guard down, it's confidence. Confidence that you can handle the situation. And if you're not feeling confident it's definitely a "fake it until you make it" situation, if you have any nerves just don't let the horse know. So learn how to control your body so you can choose to relax any muscle at any time, regardless of how nervous you might be feeling inside. Learn to control your breathing so you can always keep it slow, steady and even. Get used to checking your position since a good riding position means you're less likely to fall off if the horse spooks. Some horses are better being worked properly "on the bit" (or as close to that as they're able to get) and kept thinking with transitions, leg yielding etc, because if they're allowed more rein and more thinking time all they'll use their freedom for is to stick their head up like a giraffe and search for something to spook at. With those types you let them have a long rein when you've carefully assessed the circumstances as being minimal risk of anything bad happening and you're always ready to gather your reins up again quickly should the need arise. Gradually the horse can be allowed more and more relaxation breaks as he gets used to the world around him and becomes less spooky, until one day you find yourself hacking out on a loose rein for the whole ride like you've been doing it all your lives.
 
Last edited:
Personally mine just needs a proper good ride, I have hacked out with some people who like to plod about for 5mins around the block have one mad dash then plod 5mins back home, once a week. That kind of ride just winds mine up and is not enough for her she would be dancing around back to the yard like a mad thing lol I like to go out for at least 2hours with lots of trotting and some good canters/gallop and explore so she doesnt always know which way to go. She is chilled as anything then great to hack and explore, hack out as much as you can and your horse will get over itself
 
To help relax, singing can work, after doing some 'shoulder shrugging' exercises when you 1st get on.
Try grinning, and singing songs like the smurf song..... :D (lah lah lah la-la-la etc) Nellie the elephant often relaxes people when I ask them to sing it too, as its a good trot song - once they get over feeling daft of course....

You don't 'pick up' the reins when YOU perceive something spooky in the distance, instead just keep the contact & call out: Hello mr plastic bag, or 'morning you yellow flowers'.
Perception of something often stems from rider apprehension. Talk to those birds or cows in the field you are passing....

You CAN make it happen :)
 
Well... I sometimes struggle with this, I am an anxious person and I have lost confidence in my riding abilities through no fault of my horse who has done nothing wrong. It is a wider issue in fact, but it effects my horse. I get tense, horse gets tense, it's all very tense :) He's jogging, it kills my (largely non-existant) abs, he's looking for stuff to spook at (which can sometimes be amusing but not good!) My daughter however can ride the same horse and he is a plod.

She tells me the trick is to be relaxed through your body, keep a light contact and a light leg (for our horse) and not to anticipate trouble (oh no a tractor!) and don't anticipate a change in pace or gallop/canter in the same place. At the moment I am tackling hacking alone, I actually find it easier because I can choose time/routes/pace to suit us and I can get more in tune with him. Though I do enjoy riding with others too. I sometimes sing or hum or do breathing exercises to keep myself relaxed, if I bring no tension with me, I generally have a nice ride but this is of course easier said than done :)
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
To help relax, singing can work, after doing some 'shoulder shrugging' exercises when you 1st get on.
Try grinning, and singing songs like the smurf song..... :D (lah lah lah la-la-la etc) Nellie the elephant often relaxes people when I ask them to sing it too, as its a good trot song - once they get over feeling daft of course....

You don't 'pick up' the reins when YOU perceive something spooky in the distance, instead just keep the contact & call out: Hello mr plastic bag, or 'morning you yellow flowers'.
Perception of something often stems from rider apprehension. Talk to those birds or cows in the field you are passing....

You CAN make it happen :)
Click to expand...

I like the calling out to "scary" stuff! That's a great idea!
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
To help relax, singing can work, after doing some 'shoulder shrugging' exercises when you 1st get on.
Try grinning, and singing songs like the smurf song..... :D (lah lah lah la-la-la etc) Nellie the elephant often relaxes people when I ask them to sing it too, as its a good trot song - once they get over feeling daft of course....

You don't 'pick up' the reins when YOU perceive something spooky in the distance, instead just keep the contact & call out: Hello mr plastic bag, or 'morning you yellow flowers'.
Perception of something often stems from rider apprehension. Talk to those birds or cows in the field you are passing....

You CAN make it happen :)
Click to expand...

I like the calling out to "scary" stuff! That's a great idea!
 
Firstly I loathe the term "happy hacker" it's just so condescending. My chosen discipline is hacking and damned good at it. [breathe]

I am a confident rider in open spaces and ride almost entirely from my seat. My horse is a hot fast mare with a hair trigger so needs me to transmit confident calm vibes to her all the time. Yes, I often ride buckle end and one handed but I've been doing it for 50 years and my horse and I are confident in each other. To be able to maintain the casual bimbling I have to do frequent speed work with her and miles of trotting. I know how to work her so we can have fun virtually all the time.

In essence I think what I'm saying is hacking is proper riding and you need to be confident in yourself and your horse to get the most out of it.
 
The Fuzzy Furry said:
You don't 'pick up' the reins when YOU perceive something spooky in the distance, instead just keep the contact & call out: Hello mr plastic bag, or 'morning you yellow flowers'.
Perception of something often stems from rider apprehension. Talk to those birds or cows in the field you are passing....

You CAN make it happen :)
Click to expand...

This is very true! I used to have to go through this overgrown narrow bit and everytime we got there my horse would dash through it and Id have to pull her up the other side. Everytime we approached I felt her speed up so I shortened my reins ready to stop her. No matter how subtly I did it she would dash through as soon as I moved. I just thought she will run through whatever so the rein shortening was me thinking I had more control but it actually didn't stop her doing it at all. In the end I just left them alone even though I could feel her speeding up. She just walked through quicker no dashing lol 100% my fault all along
 
Please dont be offended, I meant Happy Hackers as those that are hacking out with joy and confidence, as opposed to nervous hackers.
pansymouse said:
Firstly I loathe the term "happy hacker" it's just so condescending. My chosen discipline is hacking and damned good at it. [breathe]

I am a confident rider in open spaces and ride almost entirely from my seat. My horse is a hot fast mare with a hair trigger so needs me to transmit confident calm vibes to her all the time. Yes, I often ride buckle end and one handed but I've been doing it for 50 years and my horse and I are confident in each other. To be able to maintain the casual bimbling I have to do frequent speed work with her and miles of trotting. I know how to work her so we can have fun virtually all the time.

In essence I think what I'm saying is hacking is proper riding and you need to be confident in yourself and your horse to get the most out of it.
Click to expand...
 
Just ride the arse off you and the horse, don't let them get bored, push the boundaries a bit, happy hacker is a bit of a weird term, proper hacking use's an awful lot of riding disciplines.
 
My two are happy hackers, although they too can be up and down, having some relaxed days and some not. For the first 5 mins one of them can be a bit on her toes, so we cannot ride on a loose rein. She gets rewarded when she is calm. So relaxed behaviour means loose rein and more freedom to move her head around. On her toes means shorter rein and more work for her until she calms down. But generally they are both happy to dawdle along. For me it is important that they enjoy being out too. So that means they can sniff the ground, look around, even stop for a wee munch of grass if and when the rider allows. I also find that they settle down once they have burnt off excess energy, so the odd hill helps.
Today however we went out and it was very windy, very dusty, and the wind was whipping through the trees and disturbing the dust on the trails into little mini dustnadoes. My mare who can be spooky, on her toes and sharp was almost feral today, lol. So I just had to accept that she needed lots of reassurance and more work to keep her mind focused. A bit of a canter and trotting uphill helped and she was puffed out by the time we neared home and pretty much on a loose rein.
They are both out 24/7 on a track system, barefoot and bitless and currently on adlib hay and hoof supplements only.
 
Enjoying all your replies, cant wait to tack up tomorrow.If you see a rather mad looking, elderly woman singing funny songs and talking to the flowers give us a wave.
 
You just described me there Yardbird :) I am a happy hacker and the poster above who said that it needs a lot of skill is darned right. I have a highland pony and we love long leisurely hacks, but he can be a plonker sometimes and I do need to have my wits about me for lions, tigers, crocodiles and drain monsters, all out to get him!! Trying to stop him spooking whilst trying to make sure he doesnt run over small children who come to close, kick out at dogs who get right up his bum and trot off after cyclists is quite entertaining. Of 7 owners at our yard, only 2 of us ever venture out in public, the others just dont feel safe to do so. Practise makes almost perfect. Where abouts are you based?
 
Yardbird said:
What is it you actually do to get your horse to walk out calmly with his or her head down along the trails. I see you out riding on a loose rein in a relaxed manner on happy, relaxed horses so please will you share your secret and tell me how you acheived this, Thank you.
Click to expand...

Well you clearly aren't referring to us 😀
Hacking full time is now what we do due to injury. Sometimes I actually find it harder than when we were competing!
I think acceptance has had a lot to do with it for us. I have had to just accept that whilst my horse is good to hack, he isn't always the nicest of hacks... There is a difference!!
I do often think wouldn't it be nice just to have a mooch or a steady wander but that just ain't ever going to happen! We often cross lots of lovely countryside sideways, snorting, rocking horse style..... Not the most relaxing or pleasant!!
But since I have accepted it, I have started to enjoy it more and see the plus points!!
My horse is always better once we have had a good trot or canter and I actually quite enjoy how he is... I get worried there is something wrong with him if I come back relaxed!!!!
 
scats said:
Depends on conditions with mine- a relaxed weather day, no wind, nothing scary going on and my mare trundles along on a long rein... other days we spend most of our time going sideways!
Click to expand...

That sounds very familiar. Rode mine on Saturday and he was so chilled I couldn't believe it, even when friend's horse was shying at things she normally wouldn't take a look it he calmly walked passed. Usually another horse being a bit silly would really upset him. He is the first horse I have had that I haven't been able to just ride on a long rein as he has had a tendency to take off if something upsets him but this week I have felt ok to do it. Considering I have only ridden him three times since Christmas I can't complain.
 
I may have mentioned before but I have a new horse.........

I am currently working my way back to happy hacking status, I think hacking is the hardest disapline of all, because you are out and about and have little control over the environment and what is thrown at you. It's an uncontrolled environment. Starting out with a new horse you have to build your confidence and your horses confidence so that you trust each other. Once that trust is built you can face just about everything. I build my confidence slowly so that I never set myself up. I started with a foot soldier ( you might not need that but I was on my new horse) then I went out with a friend on my other horse. I have established two routes that I am totally happy with. The next step was to ride them on my own. I am now totally relaxed on those two routes on my own and happy going just about anywhere with another horse. If feeling brave a throw in a new bit on one of my established routes.
In six months I feel I have come a long way with my slightly green Clydesdale , I feel that it won't be long before I'm as happy and confident on him as I am on my other lad who I have hacked for years.

That doesn't mean I don't have some moments when I think....eeeek!

The true method is just keep on at it!!!!!
 
Yardbird said:
What is it you actually do to get your horse to walk out calmly with his or her head down along the trails. I see you out riding on a loose rein in a relaxed manner on happy, relaxed horses so please will you share your secret and tell me how you acheived this, Thank you.
Click to expand...

Practice. Start off slowly. Short routes. Repeat , repeat. Then extend routes. I have great days, and good days.:)
 
I had no time to reply earlier, but all day long I have had the Pink Panther theme tune going round in my head! :D I have a horse like that too. It is such a good description! After two years she is 1000 times better. It really is all about practice. All I did was exposure to all kinds of scary things one at a time whenever they occurred in our day. There was no pressure except I would not let her run away. I encouraged her to take the odd step forward until eventually she was close enough to sniff it which made the fear go out of it for her. At first I thought she might never hack but she is fine solo now unrecognizable from how she was.
 
Really interesting question.

I love hacking and we do endurance amongst the many things we do. i started riding late and the people who 'taught' me to hack were naturally confident and whenever we had an 'incident' we just laughed about it. I think I was probably blissfully ignorant about what could really go wrong so I never worried too much when I fell off as my horse generally just stopped to eat.

Now I am a very confident hacker, either when out on my 18 year old cob or my youngster. Things that have helped me, and some of the people I help with their hacking are similar to the replies above. Including:

Doing plenty of despooking at home. It gives your horse confidence in dealing with the weird and wonderful things you might find hacking. I use balloons, kites, streamers, balls, noisy kids toys, skateboards, bin bags full of stuff, and whatever I can find in the pound shop.

Practicing situations that you might face. Eg, get good at gates, go over logs, under low branches, narrow spaces, go through strange obstacle courses, teach your horse to stand to be mounted at things like tractor tyres, gates, tree stumps etc so you can get on and off easily, make sure horse is easily led from ground. I think if you are confident in these kinds of situations at home, then you are more confident that you can handle difficult situations out and about. If you are worrying about gates, your horse is not going to be relaxed going into gates for example.

Don't just hack the same old routes. Get them out and about so they see as much as possible. Box them out to the beach, different hacking environments, fun rides, endurance rides. The more they see, the more you do together, the better bond you will have and the more you will trust each other out hacking. Go out hacking with lots of different hacking buddies.

Talk to scary things. I must sound like a complete numpty the way I chat to my horses, particularly when on my own. 'Oh look, there are some cows in that field. Aren't they lovely cows. Cows won't eat you so you don't need to worry about them. Blah blah blah!'

Wear your horse out. I don't think most horses get enough exercise. Make sure they are properly worked and tired sometimes. And make them go forward. Give them plenty of opportunities to have a good canter. I find once they are cantering regularly, it is much less exciting.

Relax and have fun.

Do it lots, do it with confident friends, laugh when you find yourself in a pickle, and just enjoy your horse.

Look at every hack as an adventure with your horse. I always go out with a 'I wonder what fun we will find today' attitude and usually talk about our upcoming adventure when tacking up. I know that we can cope with whatever we find and whatever happens, we will learn something and have fun.
 
I wrote this little poem about a hack I had with my youngster a few weeks ago. I think to have a happy hacker horse you have to have a few situations that test you and your horse, that build your trust in each other.

The precipice.

Hacking on a youngster,
Is sometimes rather fraught.
You find yourself wondering,
What on earth you’ve bought.

One minute your giant, lanky baby,
Can’t control his legs.
The next he’s spinning faster,
Than a Quarter horse on drugs.

Oh Lord, there’s a herd of cows,
They’re galloping down the hill,
We’re suddenly surrounded,
He thinks they’re on the kill.

I can feel his heartbeat racing,
Pounding beneath my knee.
His every instinct screaming,
To run, to go, to flee.

But I have a tiny window,
To reach inside his head,
To override his nature,
And his fear of being dead.

We stand upon the precipice,
Does he trust or does he flee?
He listens, he snorts, he bounces,
And then he chooses me.

We trot across the field,
Flouncing all the way.
Leaving the steers behind us,
Cavorting as they play.

But when next we face the terror,
Of cows or a strange leaf upon the floor,
He will worry just a little less,
And trust a little more.

By Anne Gartside
25th July 2016
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top