Cracking Hacking Fear....

[Ambers Echo]

I still hate hacking. But I know I need to do it so every so often I put on my brave pants and take Amber out into the Big Wide World. But I only ever walk and trot on a hack unless I have boxed somewhere like a farm ride. I just feel so out of control in public spaces.

There is a meadow near our yard. Large, flattish. Perfect for schooling on grass, canter intervals etc etc. Only I have never done anything on there apart from walk across it to get to the bridleway on the far side of it. And even then I am nervous!

Well yesterday I (drum roll....) CANTERED. Woop woop. I am a long way off canter intervals on the side of a mountain but a short, flat canter on a grassy meadow is a start.....

 

[sportsmansB]

Just don't do it too often or you'll be in canter as soon as your hooves hit the grass every time!!

 

[Midlifecrisis]

That’s really great...my daughter really struggles to hack and I haven’t found a way to help her....but she ll bomb about a pheasant free field.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Well done!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Just don't do it too often or you'll be in canter as soon as your hooves hit the grass every time!!

Haha no chance of that! I spent literally 40 minutes going between walk, trot, halt and back-up before I cantered! And my first canter was all of 4 strides on a circle then back to halt. This will be my 'rideability' playground

 

[milliepops]

it's a good start playground is a good way of looking at it cos then you can just experiment and play with stuff until you find things that work.

 

[Teajack]

Well done - I bet you feel great!

 

[SpringArising]

Would it help if you took your girls with you, so you have to put on a brave face?

If you don't want to canter on a hack then don't - there's nothing to say you need to! All I can say is that the more you do it the easier it will get.

 

[Ambers Echo]

If you don't want to canter on a hack then don't - there's nothing to say you need to! All I can say is that the more you do it the easier it will get.

I would happily just pootle. Or in fact never hack at all! But if I really want to keep progressing in eventing I have to get Amber fit enough for longer, faster canters. Plus a lot of the XC course can be hilly. So I need to get more confident riding her at pace on undulating ground. I could keep taking her out on farm rides but that gets expensive!

The meadow is flat but I can do longer canter intervals on it for fitness and confidence then eventually venture further afield.

Going with the girls is a good idea. x

 

[Jenni_]

Well done! I know the feeling.

I had hacking issues resulting from nappy horse...

... hunting and common riding cured me and the horse mostly!

 

[splashgirl45]

well done, i confess i used to ride mine in a martingale so i could hook my fingers under the neck strap with one hand when i cantered, especially in the winter when she was extra looney, it really gave me confidence so may be worth trying , it worked for me

 

[Muddywellies]

You don’t need to canter. I don’t. I just go for a 30-40 min pootle as a break from schooling.

 

[EllenJay]

Well done you.

Although I am confused about why you are confident to go round an XC course, but not confident to go out for a gentle, non-demanding hack. This isn't a criticism - there is no way on this earth that I will hurtle around a 80cm XC course. But, you obviously can ride well, you obviously have control of your horse and you obviously can jump daunting fences (that most sane people wouldn't go near!! 😀). So I think you need to understand what scares you about hacking. I think once you break down what it is that actually worries you, then you can start resolving the issues.

 

[Ambers Echo]

Well done you.

Although I am confused about why you are confident to go round an XC course, but not confident to go out for a gentle, non-demanding hack. This isn't a criticism - there is no way on this earth that I will hurtle around a 80cm XC course. But, you obviously can ride well, you obviously have control of your horse and you obviously can jump daunting fences (that most sane people wouldn't go near!! 😀). So I think you need to understand what scares you about hacking. I think once you break down what it is that actually worries you, then you can start resolving the issues.

I know it's ridiculous isn't it. Fear is a funny thing! I got bolted with out hacking when a dog spooked my pony. A proper, blind panic bolt. Have hated hacking ever since! I am on high alert the minute I leave the yard even though I try to breathe (sing), focus on where I am going instead of scanning the environment for danger etc. But my brain sees it all even if I trying not to pay attention.... So yesterday's 'hazards' included: a man coming out of his house, a man on a roof, a garage door opening, kids on BMX bikes, a few dogs, a car on the lane....

On a XC course all you have are the jumps and a nice wide empty track to follow!

 

[Meredith]

. yesterday's 'hazards' included: a man coming out of his house, a man on a roof, a garage door opening, kids on BMX bikes, a few dogs, a car on the lane....

On a XC course all you have are the jumps and a nice wide empty track to follow!

If you exchange a few words with all of the above ( someone had to be opening the garage door). You say Good morning or pass comment on the weather or Good dogs or They’re great bikes. They don’t have to respond and it helps you relax. It doesn’t matter if they think you’re a crazy lady on a horse for talking to people she doesn’t know.
Try it, it just might work.

 

[milliepops]

I totally get it AE, bad experiences really do have a huge knock on effect and the whole thing about hacking is that you are not in control of your environment, whereas even going XC you are, largely.

Kira can be an absolute arse to hack, she just hates it, she gets frightened and unresponsive easily and when she is scared she rears. at our last place the roads were extremely slippery and she fell over a few times when having a paddy about something. I don't push the hacking thing with her because I don't *have* to, but have started getting her out again and the memory of her falling over is quite strong we have much better tracks and roads here so it's unlikely to happen again but I have to have a little word with myself every time she has a spook attack because I'm expecting her to go down again.

Millie was just the best hack so I do have good memories to fall back on but I know I have to work on this one for whatever my next horse is

You can do it. You already have

 

[scats]

I totally understand about looking out for potential hazards AE. Millie is very spooky out hacking and can get stupidly tense. This causes her to headshake, which then makes her more tense. She is really not good with birds in hedges, pheasants, ducks... basically anything that appears suddenly and flaps... and she can disappear from underneath you with no warning, which isn’t much fun. After having the Diva, who I trusted 110% out hacking, Millie is far less fun in that respect and I do wish she wasn’t quite as ridiculous as she is. I wouldn’t take her out on roads on her own, because we’d end up on a bonnet, although I do ride her down the private lane to the Farm that has limited traffic flow.

It’s so hard to not be on the look out for potential hazards, and we have a lot around our farmland (we have a birkett that you have to ride on the bank next to at one point and there’s an extremely unhelpful heron and family of ducks in there!). We currently have 3 pheasants who have all tried to kill me at various points.

I take her out around the Farm tracks a few times a week, but often just in walk as I’ve got more chance of surviving a major spook that way. Now give me a field where I can get into the middle or at least away from the hedge or edge, I’m as happy as Larry at any speed.

 

[catembi]

Totally understand! I was dumped out hacking once or twice by my last horse who was super spooky hacking & used to do a huge spook-spin, sometimes at *nothing*, with no warning. So only one or two falls, but lots of very near misses. My new horse is about as non spooky as a horse can get, but I have become a spooky rider! I particularly hate going past hedges in case they are full of pheasants. Things that help me in no particular order: hacking companion on an equally non spooky horse, o/h walking with me, very secure saddle (hopefully an even more secure one will be arriving tomorrow), i.e. big knee rolls & equisuede so with faux suede knee patches on breeches I'm pretty much velro'd in, RS-tor emergency grab handle. The RS-Tor is a funny thing - if I hold it tight enough to feel like a grab handle, it feels that my hand motion is restricted; if I hold it further up the strap, it's too long to do anything, BUT I hacked out alone this week for the first time ever, & I did feel more confident holding my RS-tor and we did have a canter or two. But if you want to walk - walk!

 

[EllenJay]

I know it's ridiculous isn't it. Fear is a funny thing! I got bolted with out hacking when a dog spooked my pony. A proper, blind panic bolt. Have hated hacking ever since! I am on high alert the minute I leave the yard even though I try to breathe (sing), focus on where I am going instead of scanning the environment for danger etc. But my brain sees it all even if I trying not to pay attention.... So yesterday's 'hazards' included: a man coming out of his house, a man on a roof, a garage door opening, kids on BMX bikes, a few dogs, a car on the lane....

On a XC course all you have are the jumps and a nice wide empty track to follow!

Completely agree - fear is a funny thing. I also agree with Meridith that the things you saw today, acknowledge the people - it distracts you and "normalises" the situations. Also, remember, that you passed all these hazards and nothing happened - "go you" 😃.
It's so difficult - the more you do the easier it gets, but getting the courage to do that is difficult.
Try to aim to do lots of little hacking - even a 10 min route after a schooling session, and the next time a 15 min hack after schooling. You will get there xx

 

[Ambers Echo]

I totally get it AE, bad experiences really do have a huge knock on effect and the whole thing about hacking is that you are not in control of your environment....

You can do it. You already have

Yes exactly!!! And thanks for the encouragement x

 

[Ambers Echo]

Scats I HATE pheasants! Scary, flappy horrors!

 

[oldie48]

I know it's ridiculous isn't it. Fear is a funny thing! I got bolted with out hacking when a dog spooked my pony. A proper, blind panic bolt. Have hated hacking ever since! I am on high alert the minute I leave the yard even though I try to breathe (sing), focus on where I am going instead of scanning the environment for danger etc. But my brain sees it all even if I trying not to pay attention.... So yesterday's 'hazards' included: a man coming out of his house, a man on a roof, a garage door opening, kids on BMX bikes, a few dogs, a car on the lane....

On a XC course all you have are the jumps and a nice wide empty track to follow!

Are you my twin?

 

[Ambers Echo]

Glad I'm not the only one!

 

[Ambers Echo]

Try to aim to do lots of little hacking - even a 10 min route after a schooling session, and the next time a 15 min hack after schooling. You will get there xx

The meadow is right by the yard so I could do that. I've only been on it on my own twice in over 2 years of having Amber! But now I've done it I need to make myself keep going.

 

[zaminda]

Does anyone at the yard hack a lot? Sometimes going out with someone who it is second nature for is great for confidence, and yes I have taken many nervous people out hacking in the past!! My preference is for speed, but always tone it down in company. I would also say look at stirrup length. So many people who feel out of control are riding far too long, and that is why!
Another thing is trying things like rescue remedy, which can be very helpful, for both you and the horse!

 

[Ambers Echo]

I am lucky in that the yard I am on has a huge variety of really active riders: from Western enthusiasts, to hard core hackers, to eventers, to showjumpers, to NH adherents. So there is always someone to go out with. But the hacking lot tend to go for hours/ all day rides and I just don't have time really. There are 2 long rides a week going out from the yard but always midweek. I need to plan my work diary and join a few of those. It would really help. They keep posting awesome pictures of long gallops eg round the Chatsworth estate and it looks amazing.

 

[zaminda]

Shame you aren't near me, I used to do a short one with a friend on her youngster, and then go back out to do more!!

 

[Ambers Echo]

That would be perfect! I know I have lots of opportunities to hack but can't quite face a long one with super confident hackers!

 

[Lammy]

I looooove hacking! ...in company. I need to up my game when it comes to hacking solo. With the young lad I’m constantly thinking that everything new he sees could potentially be something that spooks him and, if I let it, could really affect my riding which in turn would make him spook! So I really have to try hard at faking confidence which in turn makes me relax.

I also talk/hum/sing quite a lot, sometimes get strange looks from passers by but if it keeps me relaxed then so be it.

 

[Nicnac]

On a XC course all you have are the jumps and a nice wide empty track to follow!

And fence judges, cars, spectators, people walking the course looking at their phones, dogs etc. etc.

I honestly think if you can gallop around a XC course with all the crazy stuff going on around you, you are far more confident than you give yourself credit for.