Disaster Hack on Loan Horse!

[Spirit3106]

A bit of background - I've ridden in riding schools for years, however I've never been particularly confident and I always struggled with progressing in my riding. I was having a big confidence knock over the summer, and I saw a really good part loaning opportunity come up (in my area loans are basically non existent, let alone ones suitable for anyone who isn't super advanced). So I thought maybe doing a few months of just working on riding in my own time, and getting the hang of handling general horse care outside of riding, would be a nice change of pace to try.

So far it's been going really well. My part loan is an older guy and he's great in the arena, I've been riding him 2x a week and I've been getting really confident on him. I've had him on loan for about 2.5 months now, and I thought it was time to try hacking him out. I was really excited about it, and I tried him on a very short trip last week and he was fine, just a bit forward on the way home but still responsive.

This weekend, I took him out for a hack again. I did a few minutes in the arena first and he was fine, and he was ok going out, but then another rider passed us and he was napping a bit while they were behind. He was ok when we went up a different road to them, but then once we turned back it all went downhill (I know it's better to do a loop but I wasn't able to do a full loop today). He just got so strong, I tried giving and releasing but it wasn't having any effect. He started jogging which escalated into trotting. I would've dismounted but he was just moving too fast and I was afraid of losing my balance and losing him then.

Then he took off galloping all the way back home (at that point probably about 3-4 mins till we were back) downhill on the concrete road! It's just lucky that there were no oncoming cars. I wasn't going to do a one rein stop but I did a bit of the "pulley" method which helped a bit, and then he stopped at the yard gate. I don't know how I didn't fall off. I dismounted at the entrance but I checked he was ok, then got back on in the arena and did some walk/trot just to keep my confidence.

Now that I'm not in that immediate danger, I just feel so miserable about the whole thing. There's no way I can take him out hacking again, I'm just not strong enough as a rider and it's way too dangerous if he does that again. I was looking forward to having a horse to get to try solo hacking on (which he's capable of with his owner), but I totally blew my chance. It's not the first time something like this has happened either - for some reason, no matter where I go or what horse I ride, if there's any chance a horse will take off, it seems to happen with me. I was doing well at keeping calm up until he started trotting uncontrollably. It feels ridiculous that I couldn't even de-escalate it at that point too.

Now that it's all over and we're both safe again, I just feel embarrassed and disappointed in myself. I've been really doing well otherwise and thought I was finally making a breakthrough with my confidence, but now I just feel upset that I wasn't capable of handling the situation and keeping us both out of it getting that bad. Does this kind of thing still happen when you become advanced? What could I have done better? I just feel discouraged about the whole thing!

 

[OrangeAndLemon]

I think this is a confidence thing.

Sounds like your horse didn't feel he could trust you as his herd leader (hence the napping at another horse) then when he got tense (jogging) you got tense and it escalated.

Next time hack with a sensible calm companion horse with a rider you can trust.

Can you get some lessons on this horse? You need to get some confidence but also make sure you can establish yourself as the one in charge if you need to.

 

[Spirit3106]

I think this is a confidence thing.

Sounds like your horse didn't feel he could trust you as his herd leader (hence the napping at another horse) then when he got tense (jogging) you got tense and it escalated.

Next time hack with a sensible calm companion horse with a rider you can trust.

Can you get some lessons on this horse? You need to get some confidence but also make sure you can establish yourself as the one in charge if you need to.

Yeah I think it's a confidence thing definitely. In the arena we're fine and last time we tried a hack I was able to stay calm, but that's because he was calm as well - as soon as my confidence is challenged in any way I fall apart

It's tricky because it's on a livery yard, there's no instructors there or anything. As for hacking out with someone, I don't really know anyone else there very well and I feel like a bit of an outsider being just a part loaner when everyone else owns their own horse! I'd also worry about how we'd be in company as I'd be afraid of setting someone else's horse off too (from what I've seen none of the other liveries are particular steady eddies either!).

 

[maya2008]

He probably panicked when you did, to be honest.

All I can say is talk to his owner and get some lessons on him if you can.

Do experienced people get run off with? Yes, but they know what to do to control the situation. They’re also not afraid. Knowing what to do is something that if you could learn, would make a big difference to your confidence.

Examples: experienced vs novice.

My son’s been riding cheeky older/young and green ponies for 8 years now. So he’s totally not bothered if they shoot off. His pony decided to shoot off at random intervals throughout our hack on Friday. Each one lasted a few metres before he pulled her up - if he’d locked her down and put her in a frame between hand and leg she’d not have shot off at all, but he was finding it amusing so … he didn’t. We made it home at the speed I chose as the front of the ride with everyone doing just fine, because he caught her every time she went to run!
Vs
A friend of my children came to ride a few times last autumn - straight out of a riding school. I popped the friend on my kids’ safe as houses older pony - who I totally adore because once the child is on, I can just let her look after them and not worry. A pony who today, was unbelievably patient with an overstimulated child having a meltdown and kept them completely safe until they could think straight again…so a total saint basically!!! Visiting child was playing games, trotted faster than their balance could really take, started to panic, curled forwards and clutched the reins and saddle. Pony went faster because lean forwards = go…then realised her passenger was losing their balance, shifted her weight to catch them and gently slowed to a halt. At which point she turned to look at me as if to say, ‘Help please?’ She’d never been ‘out of control’ but it had felt like it to the child, as they had gripped with their legs and leant forwards…aids for ‘faster please’!

 

[misst]

Hacking alone is much harder than with a calm companion both for you and your horse. If you have company you will both be more relaxed. Stay in the school and get a few lessons on him then see if you can find a really nice person who will hack at your pace and give you both confidence. Don't give up, hiccups will happen but you got back on so doing ok

 

[JFTDWS]

Do experienced people get run off with? Yes, but they know what to do to control the situation. They’re also not afraid.

This isn't exactly true - most adults will experience some level of fear when a horse sods off. It's not normal (for most people) to feel no fear in a situation like that. It would be more accurate to say that most experienced riders will be able to intervene before the running off with takes place / escalates, because they have the ability to read the situation and the tools to do something about it. They also probably have some experience of being in the same situation previously, and having lived to tell the tale, they have more hope than someone experiencing it for the first time!

If you don't have a lot of confidence, it can seem like the more experienced people around you don't experience the same emotions - but that isn't usually the case. It's just that those emotions are hidden under layers of coping mechanisms (deliberate or otherwise) and experience / muscle memory which helps to conceal it from the horse and prevents it exacerbating a situation (like the kid maya describes).

The advantage of having someone with you is that, not only will their mount hopefully help to calm yours, their presence should also help you stay calm. They may be able to see if you're doing anything to make the situation worse, or suggest a way to help you keep control. They would, at least, be a distraction, which should help with the fear! If there's nobody willing to hack with you, you could take a partner / friend on foot or on a bike, or pay an instructor to help you. Lessons in the school are great, but they can happen on hacks too.

 

[Spirit3106]

This isn't exactly true - most adults will experience some level of fear when a horse sods off. It's not normal (for most people) to feel no fear in a situation like that. It would be more accurate to say that most experienced riders will be able to intervene before the running off with takes place / escalates, because they have the ability to read the situation and the tools to do something about it. They also probably have some experience of being in the same situation previously, and having lived to tell the tale, they have more hope than someone experiencing it for the first time!

If you don't have a lot of confidence, it can seem like the more experienced people around you don't experience the same emotions - but that isn't usually the case. It's just that those emotions are hidden under layers of coping mechanisms (deliberate or otherwise) and experience / muscle memory which helps to conceal it from the horse and prevents it exacerbating a situation (like the kid maya describes).

The advantage of having someone with you is that, not only will their mount hopefully help to calm yours, their presence should also help you stay calm. They may be able to see if you're doing anything to make the situation worse, or suggest a way to help you keep control. They would, at least, be a distraction, which should help with the fear! If there's nobody willing to hack with you, you could take a partner / friend on foot or on a bike, or pay an instructor to help you. Lessons in the school are great, but they can happen on hacks too.

I'm relieved to hear this - surely there's no way it's normal to NOT feel afraid galloping down a road when traffic could come at any time!

For me, in my experience I've rarely had bucking etc,. But bolting seems to be the thing that happens to me the most. In fact, it's how I had my first fall years ago, with a horse bolting on a hack. So I think it's definitely my worst fear while riding, and instead of being prepared for it (for all the times it's happened to me!), I completely shut down when it happens. And no instructor I've ever had has really given me helpful advice on coping or managing it, other than "don't let it happen".

Yeah the last few times I tried going out on a hack, my mother has come and walked alongside, which I think helped my horse have confidence, but she has an injury and just drove ahead and parked at certain checkpoints to supervise. Obviously my horse didn't know that though, so for him it probably felt like our first time hacking out completely solo.

 

[meleeka]

Can you/do you have lessons on your loan horse? It sounds like the problem could be that when you get tense you could be inadvertently giving the horse aids to go faster. Are you sure you don't grip with your lower leg for instance? My friend used to do this and had a similar problem with horses bogging off with her. It only took one lesson for her to rectify that and the problem didn't re-occur.

 

[ester]

Hacking out on your own when it's not something you've done a lot of and on a horse you don't know that well is quite a big ask, even more so if you are turning round so don't be too hard on yourself (I say that knowing I'd be really taking it out on myself but do as I say not as I do ) Hacking sounds easy but hacking safely actually takes quite a large skillset from horse and rider.

Have you spoken to the owner? They also probably know other people on the yard you could hack out with, its tricky when you've not been there that long. I'm only a sharer myself now but am always happy to do escort duties.

I also want to point out that this also the time of year most horses are a bit extra than they are much of the rest of the year. My share also has a teen rider, totally happy to take her cantering in the summer suggest she doesn't do more than walk hack him right now as he is inclined to bounce, and she then grabs, and then he bounces/rears a bit more and it sort of spirals (that tends to happen with horses). My sister is similar, she had a big bolt once which means she is inclined to curl up and panic a bit until she is settled, it's a normal response really.

Everyone was ok, you got back on in the arena (well done you) you just need a slightly different plan of action to be trialling new things.

I would also like to add that as I was telling someone earlier today I once had to get my mum to come and fetch me with a lunge line (I was in my 20s at this point ) on my 14.2 pony who I'd owned for years who had taken exception to a situation that I then didn't feel I could get back past to get home without any explosions and I was not in the right state of mind to be dealing with it. It happens

 

[Spirit3106]

Can you/do you have lessons on your loan horse? It sounds like the problem could be that when you get tense you could be inadvertently giving the horse aids to go faster. Are you sure you don't grip with your lower leg for instance? My friend used to do this and had a similar problem with horses bogging off with her. It only took one lesson for her to rectify that and the problem didn't re-occur.

Maybe! I remember when he was jogging off I was making sure to keep my heels off him as that's a problem I used to have. I always have had problems with curling up and leaning forward when I panic though! For the last few weeks in the arena I've been trying to work on better position during typical things like spooks and stumbles but it's hard to remember in a serious situation!

 

[Spirit3106]

Hacking out on your own when it's not something you've done a lot of and on a horse you don't know that well is quite a big ask, even more so if you are turning round so don't be too hard on yourself (I say that knowing I'd be really taking it out on myself but do as I say not as I do ) Hacking sounds easy but hacking safely actually takes quite a large skillset from horse and rider.

Have you spoken to the owner? They also probably know other people on the yard you could hack out with, its tricky when you've not been there that long. I'm only a sharer myself now but am always happy to do escort duties.

I also want to point out that this also the time of year most horses are a bit extra than they are much of the rest of the year. My share also has a teen rider, totally happy to take her cantering in the summer suggest she doesn't do more than walk hack him right now as he is inclined to bounce, and she then grabs, and then he bounces/rears a bit more and it sort of spirals (that tends to happen with horses). My sister is similar, she had a big bolt once which means she is inclined to curl up and panic a bit until she is settled, it's a normal response really.

Everyone was ok, you got back on in the arena (well done you) you just need a slightly different plan of action to be trialling new things.

I would also like to add that as I was telling someone earlier today I once had to get my mum to come and fetch me with a lunge line (I was in my 20s at this point ) on my 14.2 pony who I'd owned for years who had taken exception to a situation that I then didn't feel I could get back past to get home without any explosions and I was not in the right state of mind to be dealing with it. It happens

Thanks for the kind response I'd done lots of hacking at my old riding schools, trekking centres etc., I knew my loan horse does solo hacking so I thought with all our arena work together that I could just throw on a high vis and it would be ok! I don't think I'm going to try hacking again on this guy, he's quite old and at the end of the day he isn't mine, and for the sake of a few months I'm just too worried about hurting someone else's horse if I can't control him properly.

I definitely relate to your sister, it's like once I feel a horse start to spiral underneath me, I'm reliving my first bad fall and I can't do anything except just try and make myself small and hope it's going to be over quickly I wish I could've hopped off him before it escalated but he was jogging with no brakes!

 

[ester]

It's very different to RS/trekking even out with someone else, and if on your own it's all years to deal with no back up.

 

[maya2008]

I'm relieved to hear this - surely there's no way it's normal to NOT feel afraid galloping down a road when traffic could come at any time!

I should probably clarify with ‘not afraid’ and/because ‘they have the tools to deal with the situation’. OP’s horse wasn’t bolting, they were running home because they were feeling insecure. That, you can either prevent or pull up quickly if you have the tools, hence the lack of fear.

Probably depends on the level of experience too - we have always had lots of youngsters. At some point they all run off a time or few after a spook or because of over excitement - par for the course. Knowing how to stay on and pull up, reduces the fear. Understanding what is happening, reduces the fear.

 

[JFTDWS]

I've been riding for 25 years, backed and ridden many youngsters, including a few of my own. I still feel some level of fear in a moment like the OP describes. It might take the form of a momentary "oh balls*" as it kicks off, that subsides as I deal with the situation, but if the horse is really inclined to bog off, it might linger.

If I were on a horse that was galloping down a road and I couldn't stop it, I would be afraid. The difference is that the horse I can't stop is probably a lot more committed to that movement than the OP can't stop. It doesn't matter to me if William Fox Pitt could stop that horse, or could've prevented it - in that moment, I'm scared, because I'm on the horse, and I can't. What's important is that the fear isn't paralysing, and the muscle memory kicks in to prevent the lack of balance that you see with more novice riders.


*probably not the word I would use in that moment

 

[Peglo]

I'm relieved to hear this - surely there's no way it's normal to NOT feel afraid galloping down a road when traffic could come at any time!

For me, in my experience I've rarely had bucking etc,. But bolting seems to be the thing that happens to me the most. In fact, it's how I had my first fall years ago, with a horse bolting on a hack. So I think it's definitely my worst fear while riding, and instead of being prepared for it (for all the times it's happened to me!), I completely shut down when it happens. And no instructor I've ever had has really given me helpful advice on coping or managing it, other than "don't let it happen".

Yeah the last few times I tried going out on a hack, my mother has come and walked alongside, which I think helped my horse have confidence, but she has an injury and just drove ahead and parked at certain checkpoints to supervise. Obviously my horse didn't know that though, so for him it probably felt like our first time hacking out completely solo.

Just incase it makes you feel better.

A half miniature Shetland took off with me down a steep hill when I was a teenager breaking him in. I was clinging on for dear life hoping he didn’t put his head down or I was a goner. Well he’s a Shetland, of course he put his head down, I went right over his head and rolled. In his defence he jumped in the ditch to avoid running me over.

Another time I was hacking my ex racer TB with friends. We came to a track so we thought we’d go for a canter. Well wasn’t that a stupid idea…
We were first, she took off and I could not get her stopped. I didn’t have room for a one rein stop with fences either side of the track and so I sat there knowing she couldn’t take the turn at the end up the road as we were going too fast and so we would hopefully go over the fence into the field on front of us.
We got to the road, I felt her try to take the turn and right enough she jumped the fence into the field. Thankfully she cleared it. We did not canter in company again!

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Neither of you were hurt and you’re doing well in the school. If you want to hack out again even someone on foot might help but take company.

 

[Spirit3106]

Just incase it makes you feel better.

A half miniature Shetland took off with me down a steep hill when I was a teenager breaking him in. I was clinging on for dear life hoping he didn’t put his head down or I was a goner. Well he’s a Shetland, of course he put his head down, I went right over his head and rolled. In his defence he jumped in the ditch to avoid running me over.

Another time I was hacking my ex racer TB with friends. We came to a track so we thought we’d go for a canter. Well wasn’t that a stupid idea…
We were first, she took off and I could not get her stopped. I didn’t have room for a one rein stop with fences either side of the track and so I sat there knowing she couldn’t take the turn at the end up the road as we were going too fast and so we would hopefully go over the fence into the field on front of us.
We got to the road, I felt her try to take the turn and right enough she jumped the fence into the field. Thankfully she cleared it. We did not canter in company again!

Don’t be too hard on yourself. Neither of you were hurt and you’re doing well in the school. If you want to hack out again even someone on foot might help but take company.

It does actually help to know bolting happens to other people, even with experience! What happened today definitely feels like a combo of your stories lol. Thank you so much. I'll definitely take someone with me if I ever go and try it again

 

[Equi]

My 19yo solid as a rock boy sodded off on me a while back (the blasted electric car that comes down the road was suddenly behind us) and it was scary! I’ve been riding for over 30 years and hacking most of that so yes, it happens, yes it is scary! But with more confidence you learn how to deal with it and move on from it. I got him stopped, turned him and told him he was going to do the hack which he did (even though my heart was a bit in my mouth my stubbornness wouldn’t let me finish on a bad note lol)

Another story I have is I was somehow talked into taking my newish share horse to a Christmas ride where there would be about 80 other horses…sounds fun right? Well he was grand until the end when all hell broke loose and I basically sideways cantered on a raging bull for about a mile until I had enough and hit the ejector button and walked home. Thought I would never ride him again. 2 years later we did the same ride and by that stage he was my absolute soul horse and his antics pleased me but he was actually very good at the ride, I just had to let him get up front cause holding him back was causing him stress. He was about 21 then. Oh I miss that big dope!

So the positives I take from this is that you got home safe, you got back on and did some more work to finish on a good note, and you now know what you need to work on I.e building up to being more confident on a hack.

As for saying “but he can do that with someone else” that logic can be applied to every horse; I’m confident mine could quite easily go round a cross country course with another rider but I would never do that as I havent got the balls. I’m going to work on what i can do.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I had a freelancer who had a very similar issue with my horses. They listen beautifully for me but they didn’t see her as a figure of authority.

We talk a lot about confidence but it’s the consequence of confidence that is being read by the horse. Horses are picking up cues in your posture and the certainty in the way you move when you’re on the ground. They can tell if you’re being tentative or hesitant in your asks and reactions or if you’re responding evenly and in a calm and controlled manner. They read when you are secure and strong in your seat and lower leg, when you sitting up straight and breathing evenly. When someone is confident, they also communicate aids more clearly. Someone who is confident in their ask tends to ask clearly, once, and expect a response. Someone who is more tentative might try to ask gently or a few times, cautiously, and that can confuse a horse as well as subtly letting it know that the person is unsure.

If you think about it, horses rely on body language to communicate much much more than humans do. They can tell a dominant horse from the way it holds itself and the way it moves, and pick up nuanced herd politics purely from observation.

So whilst inner confidence might take you longer to work on, I would try modeling confident behaviors. I’d start by doing some ground work with the horse, and act with confidence, even if you’re second guessing yourself inside. Be bold and clear in asking for basic things you’re comfortable with - walk, halt, back up, for example. Then I’d start the same in the school, in the saddle. If I’m ever worried about my heart rate or breathing telling a horse I’m nervous, I sing which forces me to breath in a regular pattern.

The horse needs to recognise that you’ve got this, even if you’re nervous internally. It’s not about ‘showing a horse whose boss’ or being rough or strong to do so but rather proving to the horse that you have the capability to be a leader. The horse will generally opt in if it feels it can trust you to lead.

 

[[69117]]

Firstly, I'm so sorry to do this but I am that person and I can never let it go. This horse didn't bolt with you, he ran off. If he had bolted he wouldn't have stopped a the yard gate - a bolting horse runs blindly with no sense of self preservation. This is just a massive pet peeve of mine, sorry!

Secondly, as others have said, I would suggest only hacking with a nice sensible companion for now, and getting some lessons in. I would also recommend heading back to a riding school and having some lessons out hacking. I used to find it so difficult to see how many people I had come to learn to ride, get to a certain point of competent novice, and then disappear, only to reappear a year later with shattered confidence because they got a horse of their own or a loan, stopped having lessons, and realised that riding non riding school horses outside of that very controlled riding school environment is a whole different kettle of fish.

Don't be disheartened, you'll get through this, it's just going to be a case of building your confidence and skills to deal with this sort of thing in the future.

 

[gallopingby]

Firstly, I'm so sorry to do this but I am that person and I can never let it go. This horse didn't bolt with you, he ran off. If he had bolted he wouldn't have stopped a the yard gate - a bolting horse runs blindly with no sense of self preservation. This is just a massive pet peeve of mine, sorry!

Secondly, as others have said, I would suggest only hacking with a nice sensible companion for now, and getting some lessons in. I would also recommend heading back to a riding school and having some lessons out hacking. I used to find it so difficult to see how many people I had come to learn to ride, get to a certain point of competent novice, and then disappear, only to reappear a year later with shattered confidence because they got a horse of their own or a loan, stopped having lessons, and realised that riding non riding school horses outside of that very controlled riding school environment is a whole different kettle of fish.

Don't be disheartened, you'll get through this, it's just going to be a case of building your confidence and skills to deal with this sort of thing in the future.

I agree! It’s very common for novice / unconfident riders to think they’ve been ‘bolted’ with when the horse has “taken off” and much better to think about it in “take off” terms which means exactly that and can help put you back in control whereas a bolt equals blind panic - which it is.

 

[Red-1]

I agree it doesn't sound like a bolt.

I've taught loads of people to do extreme hacking and, at first, it is as much that people don't be strict enough t the start of something. For example, my boyfriend is learning on my own horse. Yesterday, the horse was fresher than normal and didn't stand at the mounting block well, then walked a circle as he was faffing with the girth once on board. I roared at him, as my horse knows manners and he simply wasn't enforcing them.

Things can quickly go wrong when things are not nipped in the bud!

Once things were out of control, I suspect you gave a tug but didn't really wrestle the horse to a halt. If there were no nostrils in the air, if there was no sore patch, if there was no blood, then you needed to yank, twist, haul, lean, brace, whatever - more! Before anyone decries this, I would rather have a split mouth and blood than a horse galloping uncontrollably down the hill on the road. OP doesn't have the skill to professionally stop, so stopping in this situation may have to look ugly. But, I would rather it nipped in the bud before it ever got to that. But, once there, it needs hauling to a halt.

Now it has happened, for both your sakes, I would not hack again until things are different. I would tell the owner and go from there.

Would you still enjoy the loan if you were just on the arena?

 

[Cloball]

Yeah I think it's a confidence thing definitely. In the arena we're fine and last time we tried a hack I was able to stay calm, but that's because he was calm as well - as soon as my confidence is challenged in any way I fall apart

It's tricky because it's on a livery yard, there's no instructors there or anything. As for hacking out with someone, I don't really know anyone else there very well and I feel like a bit of an outsider being just a part loaner when everyone else owns their own horse! I'd also worry about how we'd be in company as I'd be afraid of setting someone else's horse off too (from what I've seen none of the other liveries are particular steady eddies either!).

Just to add freelance instructors can come to you, have a look for recommendations on FB or if there's a local online equine noticeboard.

I've been riding for years and used to take out rides when I worked at a stables... And I don't feel happy hacking my pony out alone. I think part of it is age and general life anxiety pours over into my riding and partly we had a bit of a rocky start when she moved here. Also I think one person's definition of hacks alone and another's can be quite different. Hacking with my yard owner/instructor really helped as she could help me override my anxiety with real time instruction. My pony for example jogs and rushes more if you hold her you have to ride with seat and breathe before things escalate.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Thanks for the kind response I'd done lots of hacking at my old riding schools, trekking centres etc., I knew my loan horse does solo hacking so I thought with all our arena work together that I could just throw on a high vis and it would be ok! I don't think I'm going to try hacking again on this guy, he's quite old and at the end of the day he isn't mine, and for the sake of a few months I'm just too worried about hurting someone else's horse if I can't control him properly.

That sounds like your best plan. If I were the owner, I wouldn't want you to take him out solo again.
I must admit that I'm not sure why you didn't give yourself time to do a loop if you knew that turning round wasn't a good idea.
*Always* set your self and the horse up for the best chance of success, especially when trying something new. Never mind, lesson learned and you both got back safely.

 

[fidleyspromise]

Ask the owner if there's any rider/horse combos on the yard that would hack with you?
I own 3 and go out with anyone. I go at their pace so some I walk with and some I gallop with. You might meet new friends while building your confidence out.

 

[tatty_v]

If it’s any consolation, I took my 25 year old pony out on Sunday and he threw all his toys out of the pram because I wouldn’t let him go for a burn up the field as it’s too muddy. I came back and said to OH that it made me smile because I love to see him at that age still full of sass and nonsense, but we’ve been together a long time and I know him well. In the early days I definitely would not have found it amusing at all!

So I guess I’m saying it takes time to get to know each other, read the signals, stop things in the early stages before they escalate etc. I’d definitely say try and find a companion to hack with. We used to do a lot of escort duties when I was on the livery yard (believe it or not, he can be sensible!) and I never minded because I know how scary it can feel when you’re alone.

 

[Spirit3106]

I agree it doesn't sound like a bolt.

I've taught loads of people to do extreme hacking and, at first, it is as much that people don't be strict enough t the start of something. For example, my boyfriend is learning on my own horse. Yesterday, the horse was fresher than normal and didn't stand at the mounting block well, then walked a circle as he was faffing with the girth once on board. I roared at him, as my horse knows manners and he simply wasn't enforcing them.

Things can quickly go wrong when things are not nipped in the bud!

Once things were out of control, I suspect you gave a tug but didn't really wrestle the horse to a halt. If there were no nostrils in the air, if there was no sore patch, if there was no blood, then you needed to yank, twist, haul, lean, brace, whatever - more! Before anyone decries this, I would rather have a split mouth and blood than a horse galloping uncontrollably down the hill on the road. OP doesn't have the skill to professionally stop, so stopping in this situation may have to look ugly. But, I would rather it nipped in the bud before it ever got to that. But, once there, it needs hauling to a halt.

Now it has happened, for both your sakes, I would not hack again until things are different. I would tell the owner and go from there.

Would you still enjoy the loan if you were just on the arena?

Yeah no everybody I've ridden with in real life uses "bolt" as a general term for a horse taken off, that's why I used it!

Also I think one thing that upset him was that another rider from the yard started out hacking a few minutes after us (I didn't know) and my horse was napping when he heard them coming up behind. He was ok to walk on after they passed and to go down a different route to them, but I think he got anxious coming home then. I was being very hard on the reins, which I hate doing but it was a last resort when it was getting dangerous, but it was just making no difference, in fact he was just getting more riled up.

I told the owner that I won't be taking him hacking out again and she agreed. I'm happy with him in the arena and he's always great in there, it's just a shame to not have hacking as an option!

 

[Spirit3106]

That sounds like your best plan. If I were the owner, I wouldn't want you to take him out solo again.
I must admit that I'm not sure why you didn't give yourself time to do a loop if you knew that turning round wasn't a good idea.
*Always* set your self and the horse up for the best chance of success, especially when trying something new. Never mind, lesson learned and you both got back safely.

It wasn't so much that we didn't have time, it was that we went up a track and my mother was meant to be in the car at checkpoints to make sure we were ok, she couldn't follow us up the pathway and I had no idea where it would lead, to so I thought was best to keep to a route that we were certain of.

 

[JFTDWS]

It wasn't so much that we didn't have time, it was that we went up a track and my mother was meant to be in the car at checkpoints to make sure we were ok, she couldn't follow us up the pathway and I had no idea where it would lead, to so I thought was best to keep to a route that we were certain of.

Why don't you use some of the time while you're just doing arena stuff to get confident reading maps - OS maps, specifically, which show bridleways and byways. You can access them for free through bing maps. If you can read and understand an OS map, you can prepare a circular route more easily in advance, and you would have an idea where tracks are going to take you.

 

[Spirit3106]

Why don't you use some of the time while you're just doing arena stuff to get confident reading maps - OS maps, specifically, which show bridleways and byways. You can access them for free through bing maps. If you can read and understand an OS map, you can prepare a circular route more easily in advance, and you would have an idea where tracks are going to take you.

Thanks for the suggestion! I had a look to see what I could find. I'm in Ireland though and I'm not sure how well managed a lot of our maps are - I did a lot of mapping out potential routes on Google Maps but the aerial footage is a few years out of date and there's no Street View for the off-road areas. I checked out the OS maps and they look a bit outdated as well?

 

[Skib]

The love of my life was an oversize Connie who was known to run away with people including me. But in my case she was not the only one. One is told one has a hot seat. I got run away with even at a trecking centre.
An experienced RI told me that I had been taught to breathe deep and relax in a crisis or canter but the result was that my relaxed legs were brushing the sides of the horse at every stride and the horse understood that as a leg aid to keep on cantering.
The cure is to gently press both ones legs against the horse to restrict the swing of the body.

But I gained from this running horse. She taught me that I need not fall off. Even the safest horse may spook and run.

Google Maps but the aerial footage is a few years out of date and there's no Street View for the off-road areas.

We used a mapping ap in Russia some time ago. We used it in Moscow but also out in the country to follow the footpaths near Tolstoy's country house. I think it was Google maps, but it is true that if there is no data signal one needs to download the maps first.