Can 'bad to hack' become 'good to hack'?

[Flicker]

Can I have stories please, of how your snorting, spinning, napping, plunging, bolting maniacs became 'end of the buckle' mooching Trekkers and what you did to get them this way?

It is not imperative for the horse in question to hack alone, just to get from A to B safely within a village environment. Currently the default reaction is spook and spin - which is a problem on the road... We have some access to off road tracks but they don't actually go anywhere so only really useful for training purposes.

Thanks as always

 

[Lanky Loll]

Wouldn't say that she was ever a maniac but my TB as a youngster was prone to spin and peg it if she didn't like anything. She was always turned back and made to go forward with a crack on the bum if required and then rewarded once she'd gone past the horse eating monster. Now she hacks out in the worst of traffic (bike night with c100 motorbikes turning up at the local anyone??), she does the odd bounce on the spot if a leaf is facing the wrong way but that's all.

 

[Sukistokes2]

my little lad Moses
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

was a nightmare to hack for a while, snorting, spinning, shying, bugging off and just frustrating to ride. Some of it was the "Kevins" but some of it turned out to be pain. Once we realised he had a stifle problem and that meant he was in pain, we did the appropriate muscle building work and since then he has been a star out hacking. Still sharp and forward going but sane and sensible. As a larger lady he felt my weight more due to his issue, I used a light weight pro, to do the work on him. It helped that she could calmly sit through all of the silliness, even when he reversed at speed into a tractor! I'm afraid he dented my confidence big time but his rider Helen had his measure. All the work and treatment was supervised by a vet , who was also in contact with the professional rider. I have since rehomed him (loan) to a lady who rides several times a week and is doing well on him. So far he has not put a foot wrong and she loves him.
Although I do think pain was one reason for his behavior I do think lack of work is another. Some horses need to do more otherwise they invent their own entertainment.

 

[luckyoldme]

my old boy was a very bad hack, i did nt really have anyone to help me with him and i would say a lot of our problems were down to my own lack of confidence with me. He would plant and then throw me out the side door. These days he is a fantastic hack, i just took him right back to basics, did loads of groundwork and bonded with him.

 

[leflynn]

When mine came back into work he was a pain in the bum! One day it took me an hour and a half to actually get off the yard and down the drive... Then when he did finally go he was total banana about things, he do a dead stop if he was in front (from canter, others piling into him and him still not moving), he got fizzy and bucked with excitement behind or in the middle, some days it was like riding a washing machine that wouldn't shift forwards. He ran backwards, he span, if you smacked him he bucked, kicking even of the pony club variety was ignored.

After a lot of perservence, firm schooling, de-spooking, smacking with reins, setting off in trot and ignoring the dead stops he will go first, last, piggy in the middle and hacks on his own, even hunts. He can still spook for england (I went 6 ft sideways in the air at a tent on the yard last week) if he takes a fancy to it buts normally to check if you are awake/or if he has dozed off and is in a dream world rather than actually being scared. I can canter turn round and canter back and he never diddles off, he is now on nanny duty for other silly sausages when needed

 

[Flicker]

Oh wow there is hope then!! You guys sound amazing - huge respect!
Did you start off with small hacks or long ones initially? I'm torn between a short off road hack to build confidence or a long one to reinforce that there's nothing to worry about and it is actually quite fun.

 

[smja]

Old pony was fun when he arrived, we used to pinball down the road as he spooked and teleported sideways
He's been the hacking babysitter for years for our other horses and half the yard.

Lots of small hacks with another (confident) horse, treat it like it's no big deal. If he's a spinner, take care not to turn back on yourself - find circular routes if possible, or create lollipop shaped ones.

Build it up to longer ones. It's quite mentally tiring when they first start hacking, and none of us learn well when we're tired.

 

[wills_91]

My old tb x connie was a nightmare to hack at first. He was 18 and just used to hammering around 100mph he had been an eventer & in not sure he got much hacking done, first time I hacked out his owner (I had him on loan) cycled beside us an insisted we trotted the whole time, she was waving cars passed us - on a single track road! -, he jumped over white lines and stop signs as well. When we got home I got off and burst into tears. Didn't hack for 6 months. I spent more time on the ground building a bond did lots of schooling and ground work. Once confidence was up I started hacking out with someone on foot as company seemed to wind him up. The villagers must have thought I was mad marching through the village singing songs (so i remembered to breathe) I would say it took me a good six months before he began to settle. When I started going in company I only went with a trusted friend and her saintly cob at first. I am pleased to report I did manage to get hacking out in groups and solo with the reins at the buckle I think time & trust are the biggest things.

 

[Micropony]

My current horse is dreamy, I am the only person who's ever hacked him and he's been pretty much perfect since his first ever hack shortly after his 4th birthday, and our hacking is pretty unforgiving busy suburban roads on the outskirts of London.

Last horse was a different story though. I got him at rising 9 and I don't know much about his history but don't think he had done much, if any, hacking before I got him. He was a thundering great German warmblood with huge paces and a spicy spook on him. In the early days he could be nappy, and he also bucked me off out hacking a few times in the first couple of years. He was never nasty and didn't dump you deliberately (well only once or twice) but didn't especially try to keep you on either, if you know what I mean? Because of his huge movement, it was perfectly possible for him to just trot people off if their stirrups were too long or they weren't paying attention, and I don't just mean novices. I had him for just less than 6 years before he was PTS, and for the last couple of those he was pretty much bomb proof on walk hacks on the road. After a bad experience early on I lost my bottle for hacking alone. I didn't trot him on hard ground or roads as he had navicular, and our hacking doesn't really permit regular canter work so we just tended to have sedate relaxing road hacks really. I wouldn't have been confident about taking him on a fast hack in an open space, unless I was with people who were 110% in control of their own horses and my horse was already tired. If it was something we could have made a regular part of our work, we'd have cracked it, but that wasn't an option.

But for a quiet road hack in company once or twice a week he became absolutely awesome and very safe. He would give other horses a lead past scary things, and would usually stay calm and attentive to me even if other horses were playing silly beggars.

I was lucky in the early days to have very patient hacking companions on very well behaved older horses. I am also quite skilled in sitting like a sack of potatoes. I think it was just persistence and repetition really. But don't lose hope!

 

[tallyho!]

I think it can with some patience... and unless there was something drastic going on mentally or physically, it usually boils down to confidence and strength.

My youngster was pretty bad after I brought her back into work last spring but by the end it was buckle end mooching in the suburbs and out on the bridleways. I think her problem was as above, being a young horse. Stopping and going in reverse in the middle of the road (between and bus and a van!) was as bad as it got. I would only ever urge her on with the leg and whip, but never more than once, as I think that it would only ever make a nervous horse worse and frightened. I would get off and lead her through it with praise and lots of patting. Then get on again once we were calm again. Then carry on. No problem continuing.

Had same problem this spring (clearly a forgetful soul) but not for as long.

 

[Umbongo]

Agree it can with the right rider and patience.

I rode a very nappy and opinionated arab x mare one day at a riding school I worked at. She would not hack by herself and was very anxious and spooky in company.
One day I attempted to take her out by herself and it took me 2 hours just to get her off the yard and 100 yards down the road. She used to stop, spin, mini rears etc. Once out she would constantly stop and spook. She was used to riders who would shout, growl, kick and whip. I was very gentle and praised her for the tiniest bit of good behaviour. I only carried a whip to help me with gates. I would always try to ride a loop and never go a certain distance then turn around, as this would set her progress back.

I had her for 6 weeks loan over the summer and she turned into the most amazing hacker. She would storm off the yard before my bum had even touched the saddle. She was happy and confident and we used to go out for hours at a time, even managed to get her out to the beach a few times. I could ride her on the buckle and day dream away with barely any spooking. Have spontaneous canters along the grass verges with no arguments and had so much fun with her. I got to ride her on and off for a couple of years afterwards and she was still a dream to hack for me.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

A bolter I'd put a bullet in, end of.

Everything else however, providing no medical/pain issues I believe can be turned around and I have done for a few horses over the years.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

My boy had been in a trekking centre when I had him and was used to following the bum ahead.

He would nap, plant, spin, back into a hedge/ditch/car/anything, and then threaten to rear up if you tried to make him go forward. I spent a very memorable ride on some common land where he was liveried at the time with his backside backed up into a gorse bush because he simply refused to move forward! We stayed there about half and hour and the dog walkers had seen us on the way out, and again on the way back, in the same position!!

It took a professional to come alongside and sort us out. She worked on the ground first, concentrating on me moving his feet where I wanted them to go instead of the other way around. We then progressed to leading out on the road, in hand, and also doing stuff like TREC obstacles at home and trailer walk-through.

We then tacked him up and led him out on a circular route (ALWAYS a circular route, important!) and I hopped on top and rode him home. Then the day came where I was able to mount up in the yard and ride him out just around the block.

It was important to work on ME as rider as well, to get me to become the herd leader that the horse needed, and that he could trust.

Yesterday morning we encountered some mega roadworks in the village, cones, blokes working, traffic light system, the whole shaboodle. My lovely boy just walked through the lot of it, totally unphased, and didn't bat an eyelid.

So yes, it CAN be done, but you might need to get the right professional alongside to help you. I don't think I could have done it without this help TBH.

 

[ponies4ever]

My last cob mare used to spin and bomb when scared. And for those of you that have cobs know that once they have set off generally there isn't much stopping them. After being petrified when she once spun at the top of a hill (road) causing my saddle to slip round her side and then bombing full pelt down the lane for a good 800+ with me desperately hanging on the side (i managed to wriggle onto my side ways saddle to then get back to trot and readjust thankfully) I then took a break from hacking alone. She was fine in company and after a while i braved it with a gag, martingale, grackle and whip (had to stop the spinning but also needed the forward movement) and after only a couple hacks of being persuaded she couldn't just spin she became a delight to hack.

Current horse had a whole new set of problems. She used to nap and then rear violently however never bombed and isn't really spooky. Got physio out and she had tightness in her back but treating this didn't entirely stop it as she had learnt the behaviour. She was put on full livery with pro rider for two weeks as it happened in the school as well and on the lunge she looked like a three year old with a first saddle on and most of it has gone. She continued to rear for a bit but i can now anticipate it and avoid it. When the napping restarted a few weeks ago she then just stopped and would kick out reverse etc (thankfully no more rearing!) and i have learned to just ride positively right from leaving the yard and trot the whole first half of hacks (always a loop) and walk back and we don't get anymore issues. It also helps to get her out and about as she gets bored easily as is only 7 and a late starter so still slightly green. Don't give up be stubborn instead and get off if you need to I found that if i really couldn't move i would trot her up and down the offensive area and then get back on from where i got off as she has to move forward and it has always worked so far.

 

[Flicker]

Thanks everyone for your advice and somewhat hair raising stories!! I note what many of you say in relation to pain and interestingly the horse in question has some lameness issues on and off and has a full lameness work up booked in the near future.
On the whole, I am reassured to hear that it is generally something that can be improved to the point where even if the horse isn't perfect, it is at least safe.
Happy hacking everyone!!

 

[Batgirl]

Don't be afraid to get help! It is a 'schooling' issue like any other - people thought I was weird for paying my instructor to hack my horse, then paying for my instructor to hack with me and teach me what he had done. Worked wonders, went from dragon to 'novice' ride

 

[ponies4ever]

With regards to my horse mentioned above went hacking today and had one "sticky moment" when I halted early on but other than that she was perfect and I was even jokingly riding her a the end of the reins walk and trot with no issues. We even went through the torntial Storm, thunder and lightning with barely a flinch as she was happy to then move forward and try for me. Things do get better with time

 

[MuddyMonster]

I wouldn't quite say mine is a 'hack on the end of the buckle whilst you have a fag and make a phone call with your feet out of your stirrups' type of hack just yet. But he has gone from napping and refusing to leave the yard, spinning on his own terms and heading back for home sharply or running off to hacking on his own and in small groups (large groups are still a bit too exciting ...!) for up to a few hours in walk, trot and canter.

It's just been patience, quiet persistence and setting things up to succeed - I took him right back to basics. I still have to ride him mainly into a contact rather than letting him slop along any old how (and he is in a stronger bit for those 'jolly' moments) but on the whole he is now good fun to hack.

ETA: I too had professional help & used NLP to help overcome my apprehension that had arisen from hacking.

You'll get there I'm sure