Hacking alone

[Caol Ila]

Well, we did it. We went down to the South carpark of Mugdock, then went back. He had a few minor spooks, but overall was relaxed and happy. I'm so pleased with him.

He's an ex-feral, and when he was backed, he missed the lesson in following the rider rather than the horse or human in front of his nose. I know SOP for fixing this is ground driving, but given his background, that wasn't a great option. It reminds him of being chased and rounded up, and then he's too freaked out to learn.

I've been in contact with a couple lovely ladies who were involved with the Auchness ponies. They have a couple themselves and still have eyes on the herd. One of them has offered fantastic training advice. When you're pottering along the trail behind other people, give him little jobs. Step over a log. Leg yield across the trail. Weave around rocks or potholes. Slow down, speed up. Just anything that makes him think about the rider rather than the horse/person in front. I've also been making him do little circuits of the yard after returning from a hack. Very calm, very undramatic.

No one was hacking today, so I thought, f*ck it, I'll give it a go. Last time I tried -- a couple months ago -- he was so anxious and spooky that I only went to the end of the drive. I parked the solo hacking for a little while. He plainly wasn't ready. Today, I figured if he got really sticky, I could get off and lead. But he was great! I only had to get off for the yard gate faff, because we don't do gates quite yet.

 

[PapaverFollis]

That's brilliant! And I'm storing away that training advice too.

 

[splashgirl45]

great news , the first time is the worst for us so you should feel more relaxed next time and he will feel that from you , he looks like such a nice type and i love his colour..will hope for good news next time

 

[chaps89]

Brilliant news

 

[[59668]]

This is so awesome well done! Huge milestone.

 

[Ratface]

What a lovely update! Well done, both.

 

[Zuzan]

Great update .. excellent work

 

[pistolpete]

Fab. Highlands can be very insecure. The freeze behaviour that is often called planting or napping is fear. Mine never did it but was very anxious hacking solo. I did same. Lots of transitions within the pace and leg yield etc. getting off for a bit the back on or just halting and allowing him a moment to process helped too. He was doing so well before he went lame. I did long rein him as well. He’d been virtually unhandled until he was six too. Forglen stud.

 

[Nasicus]

Well done to you both! Clever idea to get him concentrating on you like that, I'm stowing that away!

 

[scats]

Excellent news!
Getting them solo hacking is such a good feeling and gives much more freedom doesn’t it?
I’ve managed to get Millie from a dangerous, rearing idiot who would freeze, plant and stand up if you put any leg on, to one who actively tries to take me up the drive every day because she wants to go out on the roads. I did entertain the neighbours over the last six months with our antics, mind. A trick that works with Millie, who is still prone to freezing when she sees something, is to bum wiggle in the saddle rather than use any leg.

 

[Alibear]

Wonderful news, really well done.

 

[Baywonder]

Brilliant news! Well done to both of you!

 

[Birker2020]

Well, we did it. We went down to the South carpark of Mugdock, then went back. He had a few minor spooks, but overall was relaxed and happy. I'm so pleased with him.

He's an ex-feral, and when he was backed, he missed the lesson in following the rider rather than the horse or human in front of his nose. I know SOP for fixing this is ground driving, but given his background, that wasn't a great option. It reminds him of being chased and rounded up, and then he's too freaked out to learn.

I've been in contact with a couple lovely ladies who were involved with the Auchness ponies. They have a couple themselves and still have eyes on the herd. One of them has offered fantastic training advice. When you're pottering along the trail behind other people, give him little jobs. Step over a log. Leg yield across the trail. Weave around rocks or potholes. Slow down, speed up. Just anything that makes him think about the rider rather than the horse/person in front. I've also been making him do little circuits of the yard after returning from a hack. Very calm, very undramatic.

No one was hacking today, so I thought, f*ck it, I'll give it a go. Last time I tried -- a couple months ago -- he was so anxious and spooky that I only went to the end of the drive. I parked the solo hacking for a little while. He plainly wasn't ready. Today, I figured if he got really sticky, I could get off and lead. But he was great! I only had to get off for the yard gate faff, because we don't do gates quite yet.

great news well done.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Well done

 

[Caol Ila]

Take 2. Same route as before. He was a bit tense to start so I was prepared to turn back early if things went too wrong, but he settled as we continued on.



We made it into the park, turned a little circle near the gate, then trundled home. He was quite relaxed on the home stretch.

 

[ycbm]

Great milestone CI, well done.
.

 

[Caol Ila]

He also hacked out brilliantly on Sunday with me riding and OH on foot as 'lead pony.' No other horses. There were a lot of questions, including children on little pedal cars that went flying past, kids throwing footballs, people kneeling down suspiciously behind bushes (taking artsy photos of swans), and the best one, a herd of 10-15 people -- adults, teens, younger kids -- who were milling around in the meadow beside the trail, and then just as we were bimbling past, they suddenly shouted and then scattered like spooked sheep, running flat-out in every direction. I think it was a game where someone counted down to something and everyone had to run as far as they could. A few months ago, my pony would have also been trying to run as far as he could, but this past Sunday, he looked at them askance, as baffled as we were, but he didn't get scared or tank off. I was super proud of him.

 

[eahotson]

Well done to both.

 

[View]

What a fantastic update. Well done both of you.

 

[Caol Ila]

Yesterday, he did the whole 45 minute "Bridge Loop" on his own. You go down one road, cross into the park, over a wee wooden bridge, then home on a different road.

He only had one minor meltdown where he went into freeze-plant mode. We'd come out of the south gate of the park, and a couple thought they were being helpful by leaving their dog in the car until we passed. The dog was going nuts, howling and whining, and from Foinavon's perspective, it seemed as if a Skoda was making distressed noises, which was pretty weird. Got him past after a minute or two. He was a bit anxious, initially, but soon settled and strolled back to the barn, cool as any old schoolmaster.

When he freezes, the first thing I do is give him a firm but light leg aid, then give him a moment to think about it. If he decides it's not that scary, off you go. If he stays in his freeze-plant, I vibrate my legs and sometimes tap my boot with whip. Sometimes the noise snaps him out of it. I never hit him or boot him, because I think causing pain would lead to a bigger mess. If I have company, another horse or OH, I give up on the lead and stick them in front, which immediately fixes it. If I'm alone, and he's still stuck, I try to shift his feet, either backwards or sideways. That worked yesterday. The last resort is get off and lead, which always works because he will allow himself to be lead past almost anything. It's obviously far, far better than it was, because you can hack him alone or ride him in the school, whereas previously, you couldn't.

Still, I would love a pet Mark Rashid to come out with us. He might have interesting insights and tools to help the pony realize that he does not need to freeze and plant when worried. But they don't sell them at Pets at Home.

But overall, I'm so pleased with how well he's coming on.

 

[ArklePig]

What a handsome and clever boy. Well done.

 

[pistolpete]

He’s beautiful and doing really well. I think as soon as it computes that they are not giving you a hard time they are having a hard time empathy works! Absolutely he needs to move his feet. A pet Mark Rashid would be jolly handy indeed!!

 

[Caol Ila]

Not alone today. We had OH for company, but no one else wanted to go into the park in the sudden snow squalls. Wusses. But we've done enough winter mountaineering, and the pony was feral in Aberdeenshire, so we're all pretty accepting of weather. I only draw the line when the wind is strong enough to blow trees down in the park.

Foinavon trundled onwards when we got hit by a squall. He might not be a sporthorse, but unlike Gypsum, he doesn't freak out and cry out in despair, "Woe is me! I can't possibly go on in this weather!" He just gets on with it.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Well done! Your making so much progress

Out of curiosity, does the noseband on the bridle do anything (like a high graceless would) or is it just a cool aesthetic feature?

 

[Caol Ila]

The black rope noseband on the Myler Combination bit works like the noseband on a rope halter or hackamore. The red straps on the bridle that cross over his forehead do nothing other than look awesome and dismay people who say, "Hmmm....Your pony would look so good in an elegant plain cavesson." Yes, I'm sure he would, but that isn't the point is it? Ostentatious bling is a way of life and it looks pretty good when he's in a castle.

 

[MuddyMonster]

The black rope noseband on the Myler Combination bit works like the noseband on a rope halter or hackamore. The red straps on the bridle that cross over his forehead do nothing other than look awesome and dismay people who say, "Hmmm....Your pony would look so good in an elegant plain cavesson." Yes, I'm sure he would, but that isn't the point is it? Ostentatious blink is a way of life and it looks pretty good when he's in a castle.



View attachment 86992

Sorry, I meant the red bridle! I love it - but then, my pony too is in a brightly coloured biothane bridle partly because I do hack hours in all weathers and I love just sticking the hose on it but also just because it makes me smile & life's too short to not smile

 

[Caol Ila]

Sorry, I meant the red bridle! I love it - but then, my pony too is in a brightly coloured biothane bridle partly because I do hack hours in all weathers and I love just sticking the hose on it but also just because it makes me smile & life's too short to not smile

Mine is leather, so sadly I have to clean it like a real person, not just blast it with a hose. I bought him the Myler bit, which I thought would solve a problem (it did), but that bit is not BD legal, so my brain went, "If I don't have a BD legal bit, why have a BD legal anything? Who cares?? Live the dream." Then I went on an internet hunt for medieval/fantasy bridles. Most have delightfully blingy cavessons, which unfortunately cannot be used with that bit due to the noseband thing. This bridle was one of the few that I thought was suitably garish, but didn't have a cavesson. It was an Etsy special. Came from Quebec. I really like it.

 

[Berpisc]

I love your bridle, you look suitably epic riding in suitable epic countryside. He is coming on so well with you.

 

[View]

Looking great, I remember those snow squally days. Loved it, because it meant we had Cathkin Braes to ourselves.

I could never understand the it's too wet to ride people. Just adjust your route to suit the conditions and get your horse out of the stable and moving (I acknowledge that there are some situation where that is unsafe, so at least turn them out in the school for a leg stretch).

 

[tristar]

love your pics, he looks a happy boy, you always look so comfortable the way you sit on your horses