Hacking Alone

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Piccy

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How did you get your horse to start doing this?
This is a genuine question as I want to make sure I get this right

Thank you
 
I just allowed myself LOADS of time and started of with short routes preferably in loops rather than having to turn round and come back the same way.

Av used to try it on by stopping dead, running backwards and refusing to go past a scary leaf/ bin/ road sign. Smacking her or telling her off never worked as she just did that stubborn mare thing of switching off. I never gave up or got off, every time she did it I would just sit there really still then ask again until she gave up. I now have no worries hacking and am confident that she will go pretty much where ever I ask her to.

Have fun! :D
 
When we first had my horse at 4 I would ride and my mum would a bike.

If there was something she was nervy of providing my mum would just walk past then horse would go past. She then got used to going past things "on her own" as there wasn't another horse present.

She's now as good as gold to hacking out alone or in company.
 
i started them off as i meant to go on and just hacked them out on their own for short 10 min strolls and gradually increased the length of the rides. Once they were confident on their own and listening to me i introduced hacking with other horses- back to front i know- but it worked for mine- if a horse was very qurky i would do it the other way round for safety's sake.
 
Start off riding in company until you and horse are confident with each other, it is not a race, it can take some people a few days, others months, then try the same routes when horse and you are confident alone.
I bought my horse for several reasons but one in that he could hack alone or in company, so already knew he could and would do this, BUT for probably a month or two after getting him, I only rode out in company, so that he got used to me, and I got used to him and his quirks and he got to know the routes, and that he knew he could trust me.
 
Thank you all for your advice it is much appriciated, I will be taking this away and working out what is best for us, I need to get this sorted out as i think we are better of not having to need anyone if that makes sense

thank you all again
 
Some horse are quite happy to go out on their own, you just have to make sure you go out on quiet roads and avoid incidents. I have broken four horses in last few years, did a tremendous amount of groundwork and this included long reining on the roads and tracks.
Only had one which was a problem, and he was a problem when I moved yards, up to that time he was usually OK, personally I do not ride on busy roads, as no horse [of mine] is completely bombproof and I cannot be sure traffic will be sympathetic.
It is best if you can go out with someone else, and if that means following a friend on a bike, that is fine, but you have to instil confidence and leadership into your horse as well.
If in doubt, lead him out for a mile then go back home, next day ride him out and so on.
When you are out with another horse make sure you can go past it, take the lead, and also trot along behind without trying to catch up.
It is nice to go out with someone, but if you are on your own, you can have a little chat to your boy, and a singalong as well!
 
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Piccy said:
Thank you all for your advice it is much appriciated, I will be taking this away and working out what is best for us, I need to get this sorted out as i think we are better off not having to need anyone if that makes sense
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All the horses I have helped start have been hacked out in company as their introduction to roadwork. The roads are simply to dangerous (imo) not to, and the horses too young and green to expect them to go it alone immediately.

This doesn't mean that you are building up a reliance on needing another horse to hack out with long term - you are just using another horse as a babysitter whilst yours gains experience.

It's just basic education. Get that right, and you'll have a horse that is bombproof in the heaviest of traffic - alone or in company.
 
I've backed four horses, the first couple were hacked out from the beginning on their own but the third one I started off in company. Unfortunately, he never got used to going out on his own and was a nervous wreck all his life.

I decided not to rely on other horses and with my latest one, she has been hacked out right from the beginning on her own. I can now hack out either on my own or in company.

This doesn't mean it has to be done this way but after the problems with Tom I decided to always start by working them on their own.
 
Mine had been backed and broken but never hacked out alone. I don't often have company to hack with so I started doing small circuits of the field next to my yard so he could still see my other horses...and gradually increased the distance and time he was out of sight of them. This field leads onto a quiet housing estate so I started riding around and around this small estate introducing him to traffic, wheelie bins- kids on bikes- dogs etc etc.

When I did have company I rode him on busier roads/in traffic.

Now he will hack out alone or in company- on and off road. When I hack out with friends we have to leave them at their yard and carry on alone back to my place and he is happy to do this. He will go first or last ( prefers first:cool:)

Its just takes time and you have to be the confident one ( even if you don't feel it):D
 
In one way we're lucky as I have access to some lovely quiet lanes so mine get long reined alone right from the start but they will have had enough done to them that they know to trust Mum when they meet different things. On the other hand, apart from farm type traffic, all we usually have are fast cars so mine probably don't get enough chances to see other things that yours would take for granted. I always prefer for them to go alone right from the start (partly because I'm always on my own) as I want them to listen to me not be watching where the other one is. I usually have more high jinks when I start them out in company because they're not used to it! Can never win, lol.
 
We have been going out in company for a while now, but I would like to go it alone i am lucky as plenty of off road places and a very quiet lane onto a very quiet road so can build up very slowly.

Thank you all again and I hope you wont mind if i come back and ask questions from time to time
 
The bicycle is a very good pony substitute and a good stepping stone from hacking in company to hacking completely solo. Help if you can have someone horsey ride the bike for the first couple of outings to.
 
K27 said:
i started them off as i meant to go on and just hacked them out on their own for short 10 min strolls and gradually increased the length of the rides. Once they were confident on their own and listening to me i introduced hacking with other horses- back to front i know- but it worked for mine- if a horse was very qurky i would do it the other way round for safety's sake.
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^^ This.

My mare hacks out alone and has done since first backed. She is more confident when alone, in company, she tends to feed off the other horses nervousness.
 
monkeybum13 said:
When we first had my horse at 4 I would ride and my mum would a bike.

If there was something she was nervy of providing my mum would just walk past then horse would go past. She then got used to going past things "on her own" as there wasn't another horse present.

She's now as good as gold to hacking out alone or in company.
Click to expand...

Agree with this. Taking things slowly and at your horses pace. Someone on foot or a bike is a great idea to start. Then let them go quite far ahead/behind etc. then small routes on your own and hopefully take it from there!
 
When i bought my 4yr old she had only been hacked in company. I hacked her in company behind our lead horse then made her lead which she didnt mind. Then we started hacking her alone but with someone on foot just incase something happened as she is a spooky little devil at times but loves her hacking :) And for the first time i took her out completely alone yesterday and she was as good as gold ... she loves it so that helps matters!
 
Depends on what age your on about? My youngsters used to go for in hand walks around the village and then used to long rein. First hacks ridden used to be in company and then out on our own. Luckily I never had any problems
 
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