Hacking alone

laurac2896

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Hi there,

I have owned my new horse now for around 3 months, we didn't get off to a good start and to cut a long story short he had to be sent to a horse behaviourist to be re trained as we found out he was an ex racer, even though he was sold as never raced!

Anyway, he's probably been home now around 5 or 6 weeks and has been fab! I hacked him out in company the first time down our local bridle paths and mains roads and he was really good, he obviously looked around but he felt calm and I was pleased with how good he was.

This weekend I wanted to see how he'd be on his own, on the busy main roads he was fine, but he was a lot more spooky down the bridle paths and at one point we have to go through a tunnel, he would not go through, after a lot of trying I realised he wouldn't budge to dismounted and walking him through. He still didn't want to go through but I didn't give him an option, then once through I found a fence post and managed to mount him again and off we went. He was rather unsure the whole hack and I could tell he was edgey. On the way home he would have jogged the whole way if I'd let him! But I made him walk, and when we got to this tunnel again, he knew he had to go through it and he stopped looked and was also looming around to see if he could go any other way haha. I said "come on, walk on Frank" he let out a massive sigh and slowly chalked through it. 😊

I'm sorry this is as long as it is but... How long did you horse take to settle out on hacks in new surroundings? I felt pleased that he went through it kn the way home and felt like we'll achieved something... Rather pathetic I know but its another milestone on our journey 😃😃
 
Nothing pathetic about your post! Imo it takes 3 to 6 mths for a new horse to settle. Would be great to take him out with a buddy good few times to help build his confidence
 
Thank you! I thought next time I will take him with a friend until he gets used to the surroundings and knows there's nothing to be afraid of, and the try him again on his own and see if he's got any better! Xxx
 
As others have said it does take time - and racehorses are used to routine and usually being ridden out in company - I had one who was fine to ride out on his own - until he got to roads with hedges.....then he paniced a bit....
 
He'll get better every time you do the route...sounds like you handled it perfectly. One of mine is spooky in new places even now, and I've had him 4 years and he's about 14...but once he's been by a time or two, he's generally OK. He'll remember spooky places though...we have a couple of places we pass loads, and he still snorts and gives them a wide berth, even though the original whatever it was is long gone:rolleyes:
 
Hi there,

I have owned my new horse now for around 3 months, we didn't get off to a good start and to cut a long story short he had to be sent to a horse behaviourist to be re trained as we found out he was an ex racer, even though he was sold as never raced!

Anyway, he's probably been home now around 5 or 6 weeks and has been fab! I hacked him out in company the first time down our local bridle paths and mains roads and he was really good, he obviously looked around but he felt calm and I was pleased with how good he was.

This weekend I wanted to see how he'd be on his own, on the busy main roads he was fine, but he was a lot more spooky down the bridle paths and at one point we have to go through a tunnel, he would not go through, after a lot of trying I realised he wouldn't budge to dismounted and walking him through. He still didn't want to go through but I didn't give him an option, then once through I found a fence post and managed to mount him again and off we went. He was rather unsure the whole hack and I could tell he was edgey. On the way home he would have jogged the whole way if I'd let him! But I made him walk, and when we got to this tunnel again, he knew he had to go through it and he stopped looked and was also looming around to see if he could go any other way haha. I said "come on, walk on Frank" he let out a massive sigh and slowly chalked through it. 😊

I'm sorry this is as long as it is but... How long did you horse take to settle out on hacks in new surroundings? I felt pleased that he went through it kn the way home and felt like we'll achieved something... Rather pathetic I know but its another milestone on our journey 😃😃

From day one of backing Ben was hacked alone, he does go out in company but for me it's about once a month the rest is alone time, I enjoy it and I believe it will benefit him in the long run. He is a baby and he gets wary of new places, he will listen to me but he does stop, tense and question in much the same way as yours. My tactic would be to do the same route over and over until your boy is confident with the sights and sounds of it. Judge him and his behaviour, be firm and consistent but do remember he is probably slightly bricking it:p, I generally let Ben stop, I keep my leg on his side and scratch his neck, as I feel him relax I ask him to go forward until he stops again, then we do exactly the same... It is rare that he just won't go forward, but in such cases for example the other day we encountered a jd tractor with a flipping huge trailer laden with big bales... That was too much:eek:, he just planted so I turned him around and popped him in a gateway so the chap could drive past, later in the hack he went past a red tractor with a trailer on the back. Just be consistent, repetition is the key, be gentle and understanding but firm too, remember it IS scary and as long as his behaviour isn't dangerous, give him time to digest scenarios and lots of praise as he relaxes. I find Ben is significantly better the second time he does a hack route alone and near as damn it perfect the third time, the only thing he will react to after that is something new... Like the fact that there are now cows in a. Field that didn't have cows in before! But then two hacks in and they were just 'normal' to him.
 
Sounds like you handled it pretty well really, I just try and do short routes that*I have already done in company and build up from there. My mare is a right old napper though so I do have to get off and lead sometimes but we're getting there!
 
Thank you for all of your advice, I did actually feel a bit guilty afterwards as I was getting frustrated with him at one point and then afterwards I thought, I bet he was just really scared and not taking the p*ss but just genuinely worried! I will just take my time with him and let him ago out with others for a while until he starts to recognise the route etc! Xx
 
I've had my boy for 5 months and today was the first real break through I had with hacking alone. He still napped a bit to start with but with a bit of persuasion he kept going and then was fine for the rest of the hack!

It helps if you can do a circular route I think - the one I did today was just a 20 min circuit but I'm hoping it will help to build his confidence and then, hopefully, he'll be happy to go down our local bridle way - which is a bit of a there and back route! :)

Good luck! Sounds like you're doing all the right things!
 
Sounds really well handled op. I expect he was a little nervous - because you were.

As for tunnels - lots of horses don't like them.
 
I think your horsey did really well and tunnels are pretty scarey...totally unnatural for a horses instincts to go into a dark enclosed space. I have a ex racer who is a bomb proof hack...nothing fazes him at all but the odd time I have taken him out on his own he is nervous and up tight, especially with new routes.
 
I wouldn't worry, sounds like you did well and they often take a little time to settle. I've never known a horse NOT to be worried about tunnels and I did have a TB who just planted at the sight of one, especially with the noise from the main road above. A friend has to ride through a tunnel every day and her horses are still edgy about it.

Just for info, an ex racer may be sold as never raced even though they may have been trained. So you can still end up with an "ex-racer" even though it's never set foot on a competitive track. FWIW I love them. Great in traffic as you've found!
 
I think your first hack alone went incredibly well. My first solo hack was 50 yards out one gate and into the next!

I much prefer hacking alone, though it took a couple of years for my mare to trust that I would never walk her into a lion's den and we now go anywhere. Good luck for the future, I think you've got a sound equine partner there.
 
I think it sounds like you handled it well and your horse I am sure will come to trust you over time. I guess for ex racers/horses in training, they don't generally go out on their own so it can be a big transition for them, and as a lot of people say, tunnels can be pretty scary!

Hacking alone is something I would like to be able to do, and I do a bit of it, but never far. In my case it is that I don't trust myself to handle the horse if she decided to run for home or something like that.

My otherwise perfect saint of a horse sometimes tries it on a bit when we go somewhere alone. She does a bit of genteel napping in the form of reversing and planting, nothing scary really. My plan is to just keep it short, circular and close to home til she trusts that I am a worthy companion, but in her case, I think she sees me as that silly old lady that she must take care of :)

On the outward bound does the slowest walk ever undertaken by an equine until we are on the homeward journey and then suddenly she's an Olympic sprint-walk champion.

Generally, she is the most laid back unspooky horse ever but on her own she actively looks for stuff to spook at, it's quite funny... the other day she was looking this way and that, but couldn't find anything that took her fancy for a good old spook, then, in the distance, across a massive field, she saw a car driving down a farm track and you could feel her go "ah-ha, here I go" and she did a little leap sideways and a big snort, had a prance about about til she got bored with that.

She's as good and trustworthy a horse as ever there was, but she is very different on her own than she is in company, I think a more experienced rider would find her a walk in the park actually, and one day I too will get there with her.
 
Thanks! @nudibranch to be honest the lady I bought him off just plain lied! Haha. She said she'd had him two years and bought him for her daughter to show... Then I find out she's a dealer with loads of other horses for sale, and Frank raced once in May last year, before she'd even bought him so we think she'd only had him for a couple of months and then sold him onto me! As its worked out, he's my dream horse and he's come along way, I love him to bits and if I had any choice over any other horse, I'd pick him again! Haha. I have got people to hack out with, but sometimes its hard to arrange a time that suits you both, sometimes just tacking up and off you trot is alot easier to do on your own haha!

I will just keep doing little and often with him until he feels happy about it, thanks again!! 😃😃😃
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Do your home work before buying a horse!
Look at their records. Name etc.
especially a tb!
He may never have raced maybe just trained?

3 Months is not a long time especially if he has been sent away for training with in that time.

if you feel safe confident just do as you are.
Reasure him all the time.
If not hack him in company until he settles more. then someone could on foot with you a few times.
 
He is a real looker op :D I would try to have someone walk with you as others suggested. That's what I'm doing with my new mare as I don't want to break her of her confidence to hack alone which she did every day in her last home. She is a Haffie so walks for Britain in any case :D but at a certain point coming home she will yoddle and try a power jog but if I relax my legs and say waaaalllk gently she walks again. I think any horse would find the tunnel spooky - we used to have a small wooden footbridge to cross years ago and some horses were unsure until the expert (my lad) had crossed.

Good luck and enjoy him you are making the best of having been misold - shame on the vendor and well done you:)
 
OP I think you're doing marvellously considering that you've had the nasty surprise of realising yours was an ex-racer - and thankfully you did the right thing and consulted a behaviourist instead of battling on and making the whole thing worse.

It sounds like you're well in control of the situation; and maybe - IF you can find someone who's got a really steady horse, it might be good (as others have suggested) to just hack alongside them occasionally as a confidence-giving exercise, particularly if you need to meet traffic, go through tunnels etc. Its a pity you're not in my area, coz my boy is particularly good at being a Nanny, bless him. Also Mare (when she's in the right mood :)).

But sounds like you're doing fab, especially considering the length of time you've had together. Well done I'd say!
 
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