Getting a horse comfortable with hacking alone?

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AmericanPiebald

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Hi

My horse and I are a relatively new partnership of five months. I bought her to use as a happy hacker and that is allegedly what she did in her previous home with her previous owner. She is ten years old and seems to have done a bit of everything.

We have been going out hacking with others, but we recently changed yards to one where we will need to go out alone. Fine with me, as that's what I like best.

I'm not sure how much solo hacking she did with her previous owner, so my cunning plan has been to go for short hacks every day, keeping things safe calm and fun and extend the length gradually. We also go out for longer hacks with someone on foot, bike or another horse and then the next day, my horse and I go the same route just her and I. This has been quite successful, as she seems to feel more confident with another person or horse there. When just she and I go she needs a lot of encouragement and legging on on the way out, but I can ride back towards the farm on the buckle. She is largely a sensible horse and is traffic proof, doesn't mind scary flapping tarpaulins and the like.

However, instead of getting more and more relaxed and confident, we seem to be getting more and more nappy and spooky!

Today I had a struggle to get her out of the farm gate. She was stopping and backing up, trying to turn round to go back to whip back to her stable (which she's managed with me once before I realised that was what she was planning). I did eventually get out of the gate and once we were on the road, she walked willingly forwards but was looking for things to shy at the whole ride. A tree stump we've been past at least a dozen times with no issues clearly posed a threat today and we danced snorting past it.

The thing that concerns me most is the stopping and not wanting to go out of the farm gate. I'm not sure if she is being naughty (she is a stubborn cob with a variety of work avoidance ideas :p) or if she is genuinely scared or a bit of both. I suppose if she and I go out and she spends the ride being scared then it's not going to be an enjoyable experience that she's going to want to repeat, but either way, how do I move things on without regressing further?

Thanks for reading and any help you may be able to suggest.
 
you can feel a pounding heart of a scared horse straight through the saddle.
I have a couple of sticky spots out hacking where my horse thinks the route home is a better option than the route I want to take, if I battle he will back me down a sheer drop. I let him start the way he thinks is a good idea then stick him in reverse and go my way backwards past his way, turn him around and carry on. Another way to do it is turn tight circles, then point him in the direction you want to go and ask again. Horses will always take the easy route which is forwards rather than circles.
 
to go for short hacks every day, keeping things safe calm and fun and extend the length gradually
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With these short hacks, were you turning on the spot and going home the same way?

Now you know that she has nappy tendencies, only ride circular or lolly-pop shaped routes. She needs to be reminded that forwards is the only option.
 
You could also take her inhand for short walks. This is what I have done the past with one that has issues at a particular spot and its helped as you are more confidant on the ground and it gives you a state of mind to think about when you are on board.
 
Sounds like you've been doing some good work as your post certainly seems to cover a lot of sensible things. It's tricky as I suspect different tactics work on different horses, so having someone on the ground or who can watch you might be helpful.

Agree with the riding firmly forwards, being quick to try and catch a stop or spin before it happens.

If she spins and it's too quick for you to catch it, keep her going all the way around until she's facing 'forwards' again but, if you can catch it quickly enough, I think it's best to try and turn her back the way she came, if that makes sense. If she backs up, try turning her and backing her the way you want to go.

Growling might help if she's being naughty?! But try not to lose your temper as that will just make things worse I suspect.

Long reining might also be good but I've never done it !

But always be safe, aware of traffic and let people know what you're doing. Do you wear a body protector and hig viz?
 
We go on circular routes and there and back routes too. Today, we did a there and back route. She was reluctant to go towards the farm gate on the way out but was walking forward once we got through it. She was still looking nervily round sides of houses we passed and we had the snorting past the tree stump incident, but then we went past a working JCB with no issues!

We got to our usual turning round point and I decided to ride on a bit further, which she did without batting an eyelid or needing any encouragement until we got to a tractor roller in a field which she had a bit of a spook at, but no big deal.

Thanks, yes, I'll have to stick with the ride like I mean it approach I think! lol
 
I think and i could wrong, maybe you need to development your partnership a bit more. Some horses need to see you take control and feel that you're there to look out for them. It's about the horse trusting that the things you're asking her to do are safe.
When she's out on her own, she's only got you for that reassurance.
 
Thanks very much for the replies everyone.

Yes we do wear high viz and a body protector ;)

It might be a good idea to do some groundwork to re-establish myself as leader, as we haven't done any for a while so I'll give that a stab over the weekend and I'll lead her out afterwards too. Thanks for the ideas :)
 
AmericanPiebald said:
Thanks very much for the replies everyone.

Yes we do wear high viz and a body protector ;)

It might be a good idea to do some groundwork to re-establish myself as leader, as we haven't done any for a while so I'll give that a stab over the weekend and I'll lead her out afterwards too. Thanks for the ideas :)
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To be honest, whilst ground work is all well and good - you just need to get on it and ride it. She will hack out alone, you know that - she just protests.
 
Haha love that, riding it like its stolen! I have similar napping issues with my mare, kicking, schooling whip etc is no good, she stops, I just squeeze quite lightly so the pressure is there and generally ride forwards, she stands a bit longer, waits for a few seconds, I say 'walk on then' cheerily, puts her ears back in protest, I keep squeezing, she'll move, I release, and on it goes til we get there. I tend to take a 'i don't care how long it takes' approach until we're in the road and there are cars behind when she'll get a boot, a whoosh of the schooling whip and 'GET ON' (most inelegant but is saved for critical times) She naps at things that do scare her slightly but she needs me to be confident enough to say 'dont be ridiculous, move your bum'.
 
Ah I have all this to look forward to! I can completely understand how you feel anyone who says happy hackers aren't as brave a eventers or show jumpers are completely wrong, for me as much as I love it its also the thing that scares me the most!
I have a youngster and our targets for this summer are to hack alone and load onto a trailer. My mare in company and with a horse to follow wont bat an eyelid at anything! Put her in front though and she will find any excuse to spin and she is very very fast at it and has spun into the other side of the rode with car coming towards us! Scary! Leaving the yard can also be an issue but I have never lost on her. When she comes back into work in may we are just going to be lunging and hacking and after every lunging session we are going to walk out in hand with no other horses and when we hack with others I am going to make her go in front.
 
Suggestion a bit out of left field but can't do any harm ...

My mare is generally ploddy unless rev'd up, but can sometimes be a spooky, snorty, nappy nightmare to hack - as I've had her five years now, I know that it's to do with her seasons and the amount of magnesium in her diet. So now she gets magnesium all year round and agnus castus in the summer and she's fine.

Has she been getting worse over a long period of time? Or just a couple of weeks? Might be worth keeping a diary of problems or giving her a trial of magnesium to see, as so many mares are affected by this.
 
True JGC, as soon as I put my mare on mag ox she was ten times better, she was often tense and spooky, and have since cut out alfalfa and added Agnus castus, now she doesn't seem to be that spooky at all really (well, for her!) I am a bit of a wuss about hacking alone so go in company at the mo as our roads are busy, but I feel after a couple more times alone I am going to be ready to go it alone again!
 
That's interesting about the magnesium oxide. She hasn't been in season yet this year, so I don't think it's that.

She seems to have got worse in the last week to ten days really, I suppose. This morning I took her out of the farm in hand and it was a struggle. She was still stopping and trying to reverse and when we did get out of the gate, she was reluctant to walk. Stopping, puffing and blowing and looking anxiously around her.

I wonder if it is a lack of magnesium? She's been at the new yard on new grazing for 5 weeks so if it is lacking in magnesium perhaps it is beginning to have an effect now? Then again, maybe she is just getting her feet under the table and has decided it's much more fun to spend time in the field or stable eating with her pals, rather than being out and about with me. :p She does seem genuinely anxious though.

I notice there seems to be a few threads about spooky horses at the moment. It seems we're all at it! :confused:
 
Whoever said on here that happy hackers are brave, you are so right! I am not that brave now am old(er) but hacking is what I do.
Set yourself up to succeed, so get her magnesium, it won't do any harm, I personally would also get agnus castus as she may be starting to cycle.
Then choose a short circular route and do it every day (or as often as you can) until you are both wanting to do more.
That was my strategy with my new boy and he is really good now.
 
I was scared to hack out alone so I really sympathise. Like you I started with small distances, my mare wouldn't try and nap back but would spin at all sorts of scary things and often felt quite backward - due to both our nerves I think. It really helped me to trot out and keep steady trotting as much of the way as I could. Trotting keeps both of you thinking forwards - and with a positive job in mind, less time to overthink and worry about things.
 
To be fair it is effing spooky out there. The napping is one thing but I expect anything to be more on its toes in high winds and cold and snow. It is just what happens when the wind blows and the snow comes sideways! Even my completely unspooky mare had two big spooks walking in hand today. Ordinarily she doesn't look at anything but the wind was right up her butt so hardly surprising!

ETS: Mine has definitely started cycling again (was poisonous the tail end of last week/start of this week) as well so could be hormone based.
 
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Jesstickle said:
To be fair it is effing spooky out there. The napping is one thing but I expect anything to be more on its toes in high winds and cold and snow. It is just what happens when the wind blows and the snow comes sideways! Even my completely unspooky mare had two big spooks walking in hand today. Ordinarily she doesn't look at anything but the wind was right up her butt so hardly surprising!

ETS: Mine has definitely started cycling again (was poisonous the tail end of last week/start of this week) as well so could be hormone based.
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Ah you say that, but my spooky, backward thinking highand has been saintly, unspookable and bounding forwards like a proper star - even in the snow flurries and high winds this afternoon :D And that's despite an unscheduled day off, too much time in and a sugar high!

Mind you, he doesn't have these daft girly problems to deal with :cool:
 
JFTD said:
Ah you say that, but my spooky, backward thinking highand has been saintly, unspookable and bounding forwards like a proper star - even in the snow flurries and high winds this afternoon :D And that's despite an unscheduled day off, too much time in and a sugar high!

Mind you, he doesn't have these daft girly problems to deal with :cool:
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Yours is Scottish and used to disgusting weather. Any self respecting Southerner knows the wind is scary!
 
Jesstickle said:
Yours is Scottish and used to disgusting weather. Any self respecting Southerner knows the wind is scary!
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Any self respecting Scot is more scared of that legendary orb in the sky, known to some as "the sun" than any wind, rain or snow :D
 
Thanks for all the tips. I do find it easier to keep her mind focused when we're going forward in trot so do use that if we seem to be in a silly mood whilst out and about.

I have an update tho. Yesterday morning when I took her out in hand, I turned left out the farm gate towards lanes and bridleways. Yesterday afternoon, I rode her out and again she was unwilling to go towards the farm gate, but once we got there she went to turn right. I turned her back to go left and she stopped. Didn't want to budge no way, no how.

So I didn't push it and turned her round and she happily went straight past the farm gate the other way, jogging along with ears turned behind her looking suspiciously back behind us. So there is some horse eating monster if we turn left out the farm gate down quiet lanes and bridlepaths, but turning right (towards the village which should really have more scary horse eating monsters) is OK. :confused:

We've been both ways countless times so I don't know why turning left has suddenly become an issue. Anyway, I've ordered some magnesium and will try and find a companion to go out that way with for a bit :o
 
This sounds exactly like my pony. When I first got her she wouldn't go off the yard and would rear, spin round, go backwards etc and it took a while. I waited until Spring when she was a bit less spooky and just started really slowly - basicallythe same as what you've been doing - going out with other horses then same route just with her (just a 10 minute route), going with someone on foot etc. It sounds like she's just testing how far she can push you rather than being actually scared - I know my pony is like this anyway haha. So just be really firm and clear with what you want, lots of leg and firm 'walk on's, a tap with a whip behind your leg and as soon as she takes a step forward lots of praise. Be confident and know exactly where you want to go and make her go - if she starts being reallybad and you feel it's dangerous you can always get off and lead past the gate. I know some people think this is giving the horse its own way but she will be more confident with you on the ground next to her (I actually took my horse on in hand walks before riding her round them alone and it worked) and at least it means you wont be falling off onto a concrete surface. Sounds like she's not that confident but is taking advantage so once she sees you as a firm authority figurewho she can trust she'll behave and go out of the gate no problem if you keep doing it often with consistent reinforcement :) hope this helps xx
 
I can completly relate to your situation. I've recently started hacking my mare out alone, and she can be very spooky and nappy. As strange as it may sound, I decided to have a conversation with her for about the whole 45 mins of the hack, and I can happily say she didn't nap or spook (we did have a bit of a disagreement at one stage as to which way we were going but that was soon resolved!) I could really feel her relax, and instead of her looking for things to spook at (which she quite often does!) she was putting all of her focus on me and my voice. May be worth a try! People must think I'm a nutter for just riding along the roads completly engrossed in conversation with my horse, but hey... it worked! :) As for riding out of the gate and napping whilst out, I found no amount of leg or crop was effective..she's a very stubborn mare and the more I asked the more she would get wound up and refuse. I then tried circling her every time she napped, and then as we turned round again I pushed her on with my legs and 'forwards thinking', and she carried on as if nothing had happened. Sorry for waffling, but hope something in this 'essay' may be of help to you! :D good luck!
 
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