Thesnowbones
Active Member
What is the best way to approach hacking a nervous horse? She is 10 years old but she is spooky. Previous owners say she doesn't hack well alone
Hacking a nervous horse
- Thread starter Thesnowbones
- Start date
Pearlsasinger
Up in the clouds
Take her out in company, progress to having her take the lead, then to leaving her companion on a short detour etc,etc. T rider needs to be both comptent and confident and the work should be done where there is least danger from traffic
Dave's Mam
Well-Known Member
I also did work in hand. My old bird took confidence from me being at her head, then later on top. She's 24, but hadn't been out alone for a while when I took her on.
NZJenny
Well-Known Member
I always start my young horses out hacking the same way - I don't have anyone to ride with, so have found this works really well.
- ride out the gate and down the road for a few hundred metres, turn around and ride home.
- next time, go a bit further, before turning around.
- next time a bit further
- you get the picture ...
This way, the horse knows that when you ride out the gate she isn't leaving home forever. You know you are just going out for a ride, she has no idea what is going on and as far as she knows she could be leaving home forever. Once she learns that you will always come home again to where she feels safe, she will grow in confidence.
I never let the horse dictate when we turn around, but if things start to get hairy and I feel unsafe, I will dismount and lead the horse for a bit - but keep going in the direction I was going. I'm too old to bounce, so I have no problems leading the horse through the scary bits if needed. Have fun.
- ride out the gate and down the road for a few hundred metres, turn around and ride home.
- next time, go a bit further, before turning around.
- next time a bit further
- you get the picture ...
This way, the horse knows that when you ride out the gate she isn't leaving home forever. You know you are just going out for a ride, she has no idea what is going on and as far as she knows she could be leaving home forever. Once she learns that you will always come home again to where she feels safe, she will grow in confidence.
I never let the horse dictate when we turn around, but if things start to get hairy and I feel unsafe, I will dismount and lead the horse for a bit - but keep going in the direction I was going. I'm too old to bounce, so I have no problems leading the horse through the scary bits if needed. Have fun.
Dave's Mam
Well-Known Member
I don't bounce either, hence happy to walk if it's needed.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
At home, where I have no other horse to ride out with, I use OH, firstly on foot for just round the block (10 minutes) then on a bike for round the church (30 minutes) then in his car for the 1/2 mile of main road on a longer ride (45 minutes) round the village. That way the horse is having the work built up as his support gradually lessens.
In each case I ride the horse and OH keeps the working area safe, for instance there are 2 builders' 1 tonne sacks at the roadside, so OH will stop traffic while we tackle those so I don't have to take my attention off the importance of going forwards.
My new horse has done this for a month, and now hacks out on his own, even past the sacks with no issue.
We also have been working in the school on general schooling, including leg yeilding, and working round and over plastic, being groomed while I hold bin bags etc, and on the school in hand on passing through narrow gaps etc, and also being patient and standing still. He also had some time with OH present to make sure he will tuck in on soggy verges beside running water ditches, as that was astonishing to him at first. LOL. I would have first spent time at the end of the drive with traffic, but he seems OK with that anyway, even tractors, so that was a bonus!
I think the work ridden and on the ground at home are as important to build the relationship, and I don't necessarily mean that in a fluffy way, it is as much so I can suss him out as to what he will do if I say NO, or GO, and he knows I won't lose my head if scary stuff happens.
In each case I ride the horse and OH keeps the working area safe, for instance there are 2 builders' 1 tonne sacks at the roadside, so OH will stop traffic while we tackle those so I don't have to take my attention off the importance of going forwards.
My new horse has done this for a month, and now hacks out on his own, even past the sacks with no issue.
We also have been working in the school on general schooling, including leg yeilding, and working round and over plastic, being groomed while I hold bin bags etc, and on the school in hand on passing through narrow gaps etc, and also being patient and standing still. He also had some time with OH present to make sure he will tuck in on soggy verges beside running water ditches, as that was astonishing to him at first. LOL. I would have first spent time at the end of the drive with traffic, but he seems OK with that anyway, even tractors, so that was a bonus!
I think the work ridden and on the ground at home are as important to build the relationship, and I don't necessarily mean that in a fluffy way, it is as much so I can suss him out as to what he will do if I say NO, or GO, and he knows I won't lose my head if scary stuff happens.
Mince Pie
Well-Known Member
My little cob was a spooky wotsit for the whole 9 years I had him, he was long lined, hacked in company you name it but never really stopped being spooky. I used to make him work properly, keep my leg on (he needed his hand held really) and sang!