Hacking confidence - or lack of!

[Hallage74]

So, had horse for about 10 months... He is a 7 year old (8 tomorrow) TB. Had a lovely summer last year plenty of hacking and fun, he got a fetlock injury so 10 weeks off. Now I can just about school him in the school - but have absolutely no confidence to hack out.... Me tense and worried / him naturally spooky and me making worse etc etc.... Suggestions / experiences ???....

 

[kinnygirl1]

How about hacking with a sensible friend on a sensible horse.? All the horses at our yard are a little bit on their toes with the weather/change of season etc. come summer I bet your boy will be back to lovely and calm again. I always find February and March a tricky time with mine. Hang in there....lots of singing to yourself when you feel the nerves bubbling up.

 

[AmieeT]

Why don't you try walking him out in-hand and getting used to the sort of things he spooks at? It'll help you predict his behaviour and you'll have bonding time AND you're still going out? And then as above, out with a friend.

Daft as it sounds I chat like crazy to Red as I've pretty much only ever hacked out alone (been riding 2 years) and it relaxes me. Also found that I'd tense up thinking he was about to spook, which he then did. Once I realised he was spooking because I was tensing it all became a lot easier!

Agree about the weather though. Cold wind up their backsides does no good whatsoever!

 

[showpony]

Hi OP - hope below can help a little!!! I've done one of a series of Hacking with Confidence sessions with a friend and my instructor - Zip confidence hacking out & managed a pleasant 1.5hr hack in the Wind & snow earlier in the week...

* Find a sensible hacking buddy and before hacking out tell them what your biggest worries/fears are
* Do a good ridden session before hacking out
* Hack out on a good loose rein but not too loose so you can take a contact if necessary - tension in the reins will make the horse be tense aswell
* Keep right up behind the lead horse, and couple of strides of trot to catch up if you fall behind so you are very close
* Keep legs off horses side
* Lots of flexing & lateral work if horse is spooky to keep mind busy
* Keep Nose to tail and flex to the outside when turning for home
* Talk to your horse or sing , this will make sure you are breathing lol...
* Only walk & trot until you are a million per cent confident hacking out at a slow pace before cantering etc
* The more you do of it the easier it gets!

Good luck

 

[Nutsaboutnags]

I totally agree with the great advice above and just wanted to add that once we've lost a bit of confidence we tend to be very hard on ourselves. In my recent experience of losing confidence, not from an accident but from a very spooky horse slowly eroding it (!), I have found that being open about feelings of fear or anxiety and taking things really slowly helped me get back on an even keel. I wish you a speedy return to confident hacking

It is the difficult horses that have the most to give you. -Lendon Gray

 

[Eboni]

I would say I have been through a similar type of situation, and agree with other suggestions here - starting on the ground in hand to build your confidence up - worked wonders for myself.
-Also, nice and refreshing to hear someone being upfront and honest about their confidence issues with horses, it is quite uncommon these days, usually work or lack of time is a convenient excuse

 

[asmp]

Agree with singing if you get a bit nervous and I also bought one of those straps that attach to the D rings of the saddle so that I had something to hang onto if I needed to grab something rather than the reins

 

[TrasaM]

Showpony.. Good advice there and well done on your epic trip out.
My confidence got dented after a fall last September so I hate riding on the road . It takes so little sometimes to affect us. I always used to respond to the horse tensing by letting the reins ease a little and really relaxing my body. I didn't realise until last week that I'd actually stopped doing this and instead was inclined to take a tighter hold of the reins. So I'm now back to..deep breath relax and sing if I'm worried lol. My horse was spooked by a heavy transport lorry going by without slowing last week and spun and mounted the kerb.. This was how my last fall happened ..shod horse slippy Tarmac! I got very angry and shouted a stream of curses after the lorry before realising that poor horse probably though I was shouting at her and it wasn't exactly the most soothing sound
Meanwhile nerves have taken over at our yard as YO had her horse bolt recently and took a tumble. So she doesn't want to ride on the bridle ways anymore. I hate riding on the roads and other friend is a nervous rider at the best of times and is inclined to shriek! All a recipe for a mishap I think

 

[showpony]

It's a funny time of year with less turnout etc lots full of beans. We managed a two hr hack out last wk and she wasn't half as well behaved and tried to tank off couple of times but we got back in one piece using all the techniques I listed above.

 

[happyclappy]

i have not ridden for many years and never was really a rider. i have just had my youngster trained to ride, she is nearly 4. hacking out unnerved me but the more i go the more confident i become.

 

[enchantedunicorn]

I am a little nervous hacking out - because my horse is spooky with stupid things! So I hacked him up a narrow 60mph road - all I did was stick a mare in front of him that he really liked He was very good , and I had someone holding him with a lead rope attached to his bit aswell.