Going alone issues!

Breena

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17 June 2013
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I have a lovely youngster, he's been a joy to back and hacks out beautifully with others (is even better behaved at times!)
However we're struggling to get over the hurdle of hacking out alone.
We're currently doing a mix of in hand walks up our long driveway if I'm alone, or I'll ride him up if my husband is around to help when he plants.
Its always the same spots:

1. leaving the yard, though 1st few steps!

2. Through our first gate onto the main driveway

3. When the driveway opens out with a large grass area to one side.

Once we're past all f those he's off and away! He does this in hand and ridden, and for all the treats in the world, buckets of food and gentle encouragement he wont budge without being dragged then given heaps of praise for going on.

We've spent time in these places doing nice things, with pockets of treats, fuss and attention, but its making little difference.

We're now also getting into a problem where he decided its home time in these spots (but never once he's past them!!!) and has an amazing talent for making his neck disappear, so I'l have a good contact one second and the next my reins are washing lines and he spun and taken full advantage! He also likes to walk backwards if we're trying to push him on wards in hand or ridden (back, saddle, etc checked obviously).

Before this creates any more habits/problems does anyone have some more tips to get him through these problem spots?

My husband suggested walking him up the drive and getting on at the road.....defeats the object hun! LOL
 

Arzada

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My husband suggested walking him up the drive and getting on at the road.....defeats the object hun! LOL

I agree with your husband. This will give you a few trips out without any issues. Then you can get on at stopping place no 3, getting going from there without issues, then same at stopping place no 2 etc. Good luck
 

oldie48

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I agree with your husband. This will give you a few trips out without any issues. Then you can get on at stopping place no 3, getting going from there without issues, then same at stopping place no 2 etc. Good luck

|Mmm, i have a friend who walked her horse out and got on later, two years on, she's still doing that but now the mare won't stand for her to get on, so she's now got two problems to solve.
We had a 14.2 pony that started doing this, he'd happily go backward but not forward, so my daughter used to back him past the spots until he got totally fed up and decided it was easier to go forwards. Another young horse started to get nappy and he could get a bit difficult if you really took him on, so if he stopped she would let him stand, didn't ask him to go forward or backward, just stood there quietly, wouldn't let him turn to left or right, he also decided that it was easier to go forward and when he did she gave loads of praise, but my daughter was prepared to sit there for as long as it took and for the first few times it took a long time. Different things work with different horses, you just need to try to work out a solution without putting yourself in danger. Good luck with this, it's really frustrating but it's usually about lack of confidence and both these horses were fine in company but needed to know that they could cope on their own.
 

Tilda

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Oldie48's advice is great. I have had 2 nappy horses in my life. The first would rear if you put pressure on him so I did as oldies daughter did with the second horse just sat there didn't let him turn, go backwards until he went forward. The first time took 35 minutes waiting but he never did it again until I had a potential sharer who let him turn round in that spot! But only took 15 mins the second time. My other horse would just walk backwards if you made her go forward with her I used to turn her a few times in a very tight circle and again she realised it was much easier to just go forward!
 
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