Confidence! (horse not me)

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SarahRicoh

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Well my horse is very sensitive & nervy in the saddle. Brill on the ground though!
I do hack but hes quite spooky & although good in.traffic because hes nervous he gets worried sometimes.
Taking him out in company hes better but then over excitable & v strong!

Sat i took him out for a hack with his field buddy & although he was excitable was really nice to ride & didnt hardly spook. He also went past a ride on lawnmower that was literally next to him. Normally hed shoot past this & potentially bolt but all he did was a few quick steps and some snorting!
Got me thinking its all about confidence soo...

Im going to try and get my bf & mum to walk out with me a bit more but all the hacks are up a very steep hill & he walks very fast so when.he has to wait he gets wound up so thats not ideal...
Il be getting him out in company more but thats not always possible so any ideas to build confidence?

I thought about long lining but with me knowing he could bolt i dont think its safe... What do you guys think? Any ideas? :)
 
What about longlining at home round some bombproofing stuff? That way he'll get used to his reassurance coming from you behind him as it would ridden? It was essential daughters pony was bombproof before being ridden so we spent ages doing stuff like walking over tarpaulins, lunging with a kite flying near by, past plastic bags tied to jumps etc.
Could someone ride a bike with you so they can keep up? And when you hack in company, go in front past anything he gets looky at so he gets used to you, not his field mate being reassuring. And don't be too hard on yourself, plenty of four year olds won't even hack alone so you must be doing something right.
 
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