First time hack alone ...

C

Carolina24

Well-Known Member
Joined
24 August 2011
Messages
74
Visit site
Well it's been a week since I got my new boy Sharif and I have been having lessons on him down at my yard but to be honest I haven't plucked up the courage yet to ride on my own with no one else there!! Each time I have someone else on there horse with me and one person walking so the security is there but I do want to make sure I can get on and ride him out on my own. Everytime I think about it I get all jittery and I don't know why, he is good and not very spooky it's just the road is a 60 road for about 100 yards and sometimes has big farm traffic on there and I used to hack my old horse out no problem but he wasn't new to the area like this one is.

By the weekend I want to conquer this so I don't keep finding excuses to not ride on my own. Does anyone have any advice or assistance they can offer?

thanks a nervous Caroline
 
Hi Caroline. Well you could long line him first along the route you are thinking of taking. If you have someone else at his head then you can see the reaction he has to the heavy traffic.:)

As for being on board, I'm not the best person in the world to advise. I struggle to find the confidence to hack my girl out on her own, but when I do, I find singing a cheerful song not only amuses passers by, but keeps me breathing....:) :)

Good Luck.
 
You have only had him a week, so it would be normal to feel a bit jittery on a new horse. Personally I would continue riding in company until feeling 100% confident on him - don't put a time or date to go it alone, as it puts pressure on you. When you forget about being jittery on him and are enjoying him and forgetting about being nervous, then this is the time you may be happy to go alone. It took me several months on our TB, but I am not confident on horses I don't know, so took me a while to trust him and find out his quirks and what he spooks at etc, before I could go it alone. Good luck.
 
thanks Fiorano, I'm getting a lesson in how to lunge on Saturday and will probably think about long lining first - I just know that he's capable of doing it I just want to make sure I'm capable of keeping him going if he's having a flutter. it is hard doing it on your own but it's not always possible to have someone with you and I really want him to know I'm the leader and can give him the confidence to go anywhere. I hope I get the hang of all this!!
On my last horse I used to sing and it sounds daft but if I try and sing the same song it makes me upset now as my old boy passed away. I need to find a new song to sing on Sharif, tried Calamity Jane "windy city " the other night as it was blowing a gale but think I was out of tune lol
 
Laura1234 said:
You have only had him a week, so it would be normal to feel a bit jittery on a new horse. Personally I would continue riding in company until feeling 100% confident on him - don't put a time or date to go it alone, as it puts pressure on you. When you forget about being jittery on him and are enjoying him and forgetting about being nervous, then this is the time you may be happy to go alone. It took me several months on our TB, but I am not confident on horses I don't know, so took me a while to trust him and find out his quirks and what he spooks at etc, before I could go it alone. Good luck.
Click to expand...

thanks Laura, yes lots of people are telling me to stop pressuring myself, i think it's because I rode my last horse after just a week of having him last time but he was gifted to me at age 20 and knew the area better than me ! so that helped my confidence. My new boy is new to me and the area so I just feel a bit more nervous but I'll try and stop pressuring myself !
 
Hi Carolina,

Don't worry about hacking him out alone! It took me nigh on a year to hack my boy out by himself. I wanted to be absolutely sure that we could both trust each other... and I couldn't take any chances with a young 18hh TB!! :)

Get to know him in the school and out hacking in company. Allow him to trust you and for you to understand his quirks and what makes him tick.

I've had my horse out and about on the roads and last weekend, we finally went on a long hack including solo canter/gallops. It was worth the wait and we both really enjoyed it. I'd rather this than be tense and worried about traffic/scary carrier bag ect.

You've just bought him, you've got a long time to enjoy your time together so there is no need to rush.
 
For my first solo hack with my Horse, I took her on an inhand hack first. I'm a very confident handler but not a confident rider, So this method suited us better. I told people at the yard what route I was taking and when to expect me back by.

Once I had walked her around, I plucked up the courage to ride, my plan was, if I wasn't feeling confident get off and lead. However she really suprised me, and other then being much more forward she was pratically the same as she would be with company.

I have stuck to the same route though for now, til I get more confident. Hope this helps and good luck.

Ps I also find singing a great way to relax me and my mare.
 
TheEquineOak said:
Hi Carolina,

You've just bought him, you've got a long time to enjoy your time together so there is no need to rush.
Click to expand...



I think this is part of my issue - just to explain the background but my last horse was gifted to me age 20 and six weeks after taking him on he got colic and had to be put to sleep, because of this early tragic experience I have had I keep feeling I have to appreciate each day and make the most of it as anything could happen and I'm constantly worried about my new horse getting ill after 6 weeks or something happening to him and I think this may be why I'm piling on the pressure.
 
Carolina24 said:
I think this is part of my issue - just to explain the background but my last horse was gifted to me age 20 and six weeks after taking him on he got colic and had to be put to sleep, because of this early tragic experience I have had I keep feeling I have to appreciate each day and make the most of it as anything could happen and I'm constantly worried about my new horse getting ill after 6 weeks or something happening to him and I think this may be why I'm piling on the pressure.
Click to expand...

I'm really sorry to hear that :(

You are putting a lot of pressure on yourself. One morning you'll just wake up and say 'todays the day!' You don't need to force it.

Why don't you have a look at the traffic in your area and pick a time where there will be less traffic on the road? Sunday early mornings are usually best.
 
Yeah - take it easy! You've only had him a week! I've had my new boy nearly a month (he's very young and only just broken and being shown traffic) and I haven't got on him yet! I would say definitely don't hack alone for the first few weeks - there's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of if you feel jittery - going down a 60 road is scary. Do it when you feel ready and don't feel pressurised. If you ride out alone now and have a bad experience, you might not want to do it again!
 
thanks for all your advice. Like I said because I did it after a week with my first horse and due to the fact I lost him so tragically I am putting pressure on myself. As the weather is turning too I'm just getting all het up about how often I ride and where to go and how long for etc I'll try and relax and I'll keep you all posted on what we do and when I finally get there!! x
 
well at long last I did it!! it's been six weeks now since I got my new horse and we have been riding out with other people and an instructor but on Friday last week I had the day off work and bit the bullet so to speak. I went for a short hack on my own with no one else. No one walking with me or riding with me just me and my boy. Had a little spook at a dog barking because he couldn't see it but besides that was a perfect gent really pleased I did it it gave me a huge confidence boost and with winter drawing in I'm only getting about half an hour after work to ride so even a bit is better than nothing!!
 
Congratulations! and well done! I was going to say that I echoed all the other posts until I read today's from you! You did the right thing by taking your time and not rushing out until YOU were ready.

I haven't taken H out on his own yet (got him in December) - except for a little walk back to his field from the yard. I hope to do it over half term (coming up soon), so I totally understand how you were feeling. (I want to be able to get half an hour after work, too!)

I know you will be thrilled to bits now! Onwards and upwards! :D
 
Well done!

In response to your original post - I just got on & did it! My first hack was alone as I needed to know that I could do it. It was the first time I had ridden since I broke my back a few months before - I hadn't even tried the horse, my instructor tried her for me!
 
MrsHutt said:
Congratulations! and well done! I was going to say that I echoed all the other posts until I read today's from you! You did the right thing by taking your time and not rushing out until YOU were ready.

I haven't taken H out on his own yet (got him in December) - except for a little walk back to his field from the yard. I hope to do it over half term (coming up soon), so I totally understand how you were feeling. (I want to be able to get half an hour after work, too!)

I know you will be thrilled to bits now! Onwards and upwards! :D
Click to expand...

Thanks - yes I must admit as much as I'm enjoying having lessons on him and riding with other people it really does test your trust in each other that first time out and I just kept thinking - if anything happens I have to deal with it - funnily enough this kept me confident and made me firm with him so he didn't mis -behave. We did have a couple of huge HGV lorries come past so I did pull him to one side but as long as he didn't have to walk directly past them he didn't seem to fussed! - you'll get there with H I think it's one of those things you have to do in your own time. maybe try lunging a few days a week to build up that trust xx good luck !
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top