Does anyone have a youngster who panics behind out hacking?

[Charla]

I generally only hack with one or two other people at a time on calm sensible horses. My mare is very bold, forward and confident at the front of the ride and is generally relaxed. As soon as she goes behind, even in a walk pace, she starts panicking. She goes tense, her walk shortens, her back goes up and then every so often her bum tucks underneath her and she shoots off from walk to fast canter in sheer panic. She also become extremely spooky and can sometimes leap forwards and buck. Only ever when behind!
I’ve Only ever experienced issues with youngsters being brave enough to go infront in the past!
What would people suggest? At the moment, I tend to allow her to go infront until she relaxes, then try her behind for periods, but her whole demeanour changes immediately!

 

[mavandkaz]

I'm sure someone more experienced will be along soon, but just thought I would say that my boy is similar, but not quite as reactive.
If we are behind he gets tight in the back, his head comes up, his ears are constantly focussed behind him, and he can get jiggy with the occasional buck. He is absolutely fine Infront, and fine on his own.
It seems to be with him that he is worst if we go single file through narrow tracks. I think that where he can't see forwards he focuses on what is going behind and then worries about what might be in his blind spot. I haven't found a solution other then to ride him alongside the other horse, but further back, so he gets used to be being behind but can still see Infront. If we have to go single file I mix it up so he is sometimes in front and sometimes behind. I think he will just have to do more and get used to it.
Are you sure your mare isn't panicking about being left behind? Either way I think it is just time and patience and always setting them up to succeed.

 

[paddi22]

Are you positive its panic? I have a very dominant mare who does this, and it's just sheer annoyance at not being in front. She literally throws a strop and gets very highly strung. When shes in front or on her own she's an angel!

 

[scats]

I had a pony who used to turn into a raving lunatic if she went behind. She actually leapt on the back of another horse once in her hysterics and put the rider in hospital. Behind another horse she would rear, jog sideways, do flying leaps and generally be an idiot. I was a teen at the time and solved the problem by making sure I remained in front. My friends were rather happy to have me there so they didn’t have to witness her explosive behaviour as she would regularly scatter horses with her exploits!

 

[lauracwd2]

What is she like in the middle if there are three of you hacking? It might help identify whether it is an issue about behind or an issue about not being in front.

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

How is she in an arena with others? I've found sometimes that blagging sensible friends to come and work with and then around me can help.
Hacking I try to ride off set so am behind but beside so full visibility for horse.

That said, current mount is so forwards going that its virtually impossible to ride behind my 2 usual chums as we out walk them completely!

 

[Dusty M Yeti]

Are you positive its panic? I have a very dominant mare who does this, and it's just sheer annoyance at not being in front. She literally throws a strop and gets very highly strung. When shes in front or on her own she's an angel!

^^ This. I too have a alpha mare, boss of all horses, who just hates being behind others, I presume she sees it as an enforced demotion through the pecking order!

 

[Hallo2012]

my pony stallion seems to be ok following ponies of a similar size and will settle fine,but asked to follow a much larger horse his small man syndrome comes to the fore! he's never stalliony, he just jogs, bounces, flings his mane around, snorts, does half rears, pings along like a nutter.

patience and small amounts of time behind i think are the key? dont force it for the entire ride, wait until she is settled and do 5min bursts.

 

[paddi22]

I presume she sees it as an enforced demotion through the pecking order!

oh i never thought of it that way! that makes sense. My mare is just highly insulted to be kept behind anyone, it drives her demented, we had to work so hard on getting her manners to behave behind.

 

[Boots*McGruber]

My 4 year old gelding is the same. He thinks that he is the business and seems to prefer to lead.

patience and small amounts of time behind i think are the key? dont force it for the entire ride, wait until she is settled and do 5min bursts.

Think I will give this advice ^^ a try though. I would prefer it if he would go behind or in front.

 

[Charla]

How is she in an arena with others? I've found sometimes that blagging sensible friends to come and work with and then around me can help.
Hacking I try to ride off set so am behind but beside so full visibility for horse.

That said, current mount is so forwards going that its virtually impossible to ride behind my 2 usual chums as we out walk them completely!

In the arena she was always fine. Then had a break from work (few months off) and came back really silly about any horse coming up behind her, especially if they were cantering. She would do a drastic leap with all four off the ground and then shoot with her bum underneath her. She is improving with this and I tend to ride with respectable people who are aware, and don’t come flying up behind us unannounced. She’s fine passing horses head on.

Out hacking she’s better if in the middle than at the back, but still a little tense at times.

I don’t understand where this silly reaction has come from as she never used to be like it when she was first broken. Nothing bad has occurred as no one else rides her.

 

[paddi22]

probably not relevant, but did you ever get her eyes checked? A friends horse does this as well, but he has vision problems

 

[Gusbear]

Mine is a bum sniffer at a walk. Likes to pootle along behind everyone else with his nose in their tails. The minute we all trot he needs to be near the the lead or have another horse next to him or else he panics and launches himself forwards with mini rears and plunges. Canter, well forget that unless he is way out in front of everyone. He’s off on his own but as soon as we come back to walk he’s looking for his buddies to lead him. It’s a nightmare as we literally need to pre plan when we are going to trot/canter on our hacks so I can position him to be in place to prevent him exploding. I’ve tried this with experienced riders on board him and they all get a little nervous when he acts up. He’s fine in the indoor with horses entering and leaving no trouble, it’s just on hacks he turns into a monster and unverves me or any other riders aboard him.

 

[Goldenstar]

Not a young horse , G my horse does like being behind he’s a forward going bold horse but I bet he was a naughty monkey when young because he does have an advanced sense of humour and is on the alert for a young Irishman coming up behind him with a whip he’s also been ‘helped forward ‘ by a dressage whip from another horse he’s always completely aware of where a whip being carried by a rider on another horse is .
I had one nervous of quads then I found out by chance that as very nappy young horse he was pushed out the yard with a door tied to the front of a quad .

 

[webble]

Yes mine used to up until about 5, he would panic and charge to the front regardless of traffic etc, once at the front he was perfectly happy and chilled. We used to gradually swap places on a hack, just for a few mins at a time and put him at the front towards the end or going up hill so when he had less energy. He eventually grew out of it but does still prefer the front and worry about being left behind now and then

 

[Jellymoon]

I have one who is considerably more tense at the back, he gets very very strong and actually seems worried rather than simply trying to race. It’s crossed my mind that in the wild the one at the back might be the first to be eaten, so maybe that’s what it is!
I just stay at the front most of the time with him, where he’s happiest. If that’s not possible, I just have to put up with it and not fight with him as that makes it worse. Cantering, I usually ask if I can go in front, and he’s pretty much ok. He’s fairly new to me, and I feel he’s getting better, so perhaps just persevere without getting to tense yourself and she might get over it in time. See if your friends mind you going in front .

 

[MikB]

Are you positive its panic? I have a very dominant mare who does this, and it's just sheer annoyance at not being in front. She literally throws a strop and gets very highly strung. When shes in front or on her own she's an angel!

My mare does exactly this - she is the lead mare in the field and wants to stay in front when out hacking! With work tho, she can go behind but needs steady hands & consistency in the aids. I deffo think it’s a dominance thing!