Hacking - gates Question

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Fools Motto

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I am new to hacking with bridleways (moved yards = now finding it a brilliant experience, road work was getting to become a total pain in the wotsit!), but when I come across gates, I am not sure if I should stay on (safer maybe?) to do them or have to get off to do them (easier perhaps?) and then faff around getting back on again! (not the greatest at this!) I am VERY lucky that I have permission from a local farmer to ride around his huge acreage, which isn't technically bridleways. Therefore his gates are not exactly 'horsey'. Mostly are the double gated variety.
So, the question is, when YOU come across a gate, do you make it habit to stay on/get off and do you find re-mounting easy/hard?
I should be ok really, I have a 15hh! Easy on paper, not so easy in the open spaces of 'excitable country'!!
 
If I can do the gate safely while on without tipping off the side, then I will. If not, I will jump off, do the gate and then stand my 16.2 slightly downhill and haul myself back on. Or use the recently shut gate as a mounting block if it's solid.
 
Worth spending some time working on yielding, backing up and stepping forwards off vocal commands ... then every gate becomes a pleasant experience, including non-rider friendly ones ... as you hang onto the gates with both hands insisting "Step back ... one step. Step up (forwards), Good girl/boy, left LEFT LEFT! goooood boy/girl" ... If I know them to be stiff, difficult or hard to pass safely, I do get off.
 
Just do them while mounted - way easier! My mare hadn't done gates before so the first few experiences took rather longer than needed, but they get used to it really quickly and they'll be no bother!
 
Not very useful here, but my preference is to get someone on a pony to do them for me! ;)

But to answer the question - if I got off I'd never get back on again, so I stay on!
 
Stay on to do it if at all possible (occasionally have to get off if the gate's off its hinges/got 8 knots in the binder-twine holding it shut etc and luckily, I can get on from the ground with no problem.)

But I'd always rather be on board than on the ground plus it's a good way to train your horse to be 'placed' exactly where you want them - mine wasn't at all good with gates when I got him, but we went back to basics with the easiest, widest gate on the farm and now when we're through a gate, he'll turn himself around as he knows it has to be closed behind him :D

Have fun at your new yard :)
 
5 yr old used to paw impatiently whilst we tried to faff to open gates whilst I was on board, and eventually the inevitable happened and he got his whole hoof through the gate, had a panic, pulled back, skinned his leg, struggled for what seemed like 5 mins and freed it, then got off for a few mths and did gates on foot lol.... every single time he pawed impatiently he would get a tap on his shoulder and growled NO!

Now we are back to opening gates, he has it sussed and never paws.... so yes stay on, if its doable from up top! XX
 
Teach pony to help-my naughty sec D loves doing little tricks and over the years he s perfected the art of pushing gates shut with his nose,or if they re the "wrong" way he puts his head over and sort of pulls em back with his chin-then waits for a pat with a smug expression on his face-like "Mum im such a good boy" x
 
leskaneen said:
Teach pony to help-my naughty sec D loves doing little tricks and over the years he s perfected the art of pushing gates shut with his nose,or if they re the "wrong" way he puts his head over and sort of pulls em back with his chin-then waits for a pat with a smug expression on his face-like "Mum im such a good boy" x
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Perhaps that is what ours was trying to do with his foot through the gate?? lol
 
I manage almost all gates without getting off my horse, I find it easier and it's good practice for Trec competitions. I always assumed I must be really good at gates as we always score 10/10 at events; found out recently it's my horse that's really good and I'm totally useless on anything that's not him!
 
The horse I ride is hopeless at gates. So either I go with someone on something smaller than me [generally not hard as he's 16.2] or take someone on foot! But if I can't manage that then I'll either attempt the gate from up to, find myself going in circles because the horse won't stand still, find when I eventually open the gate he either rushes backwards and it shuts again or rushes through it and scares himself and me as I have a phobia of hitting my legs on things whilst on a horse!

If I'm feeling patient I'll slowly get him to walk up to the gate so I can unlatch it but at this point he usually runs backwards. Unfortunately basically the only gate I have to do it a small size on with a very stiff latch. If I get off I have to attempt to get back on whilst horse wanders in circles getting increasingly annoyed as I cling to his side.

So yes, I try to stay on, stay patient and teach him, because getting back on is a nightmare!
 
I stay on, taught my horse to move sideways, backwards, forwards, shuffle a bit etc etc until I can do it. I even used to come across one gate that I use to have to hang off the side to open as the latch was about a foot of the floor but I must admit most of time I got off for this one!! The only ones I get off for are the ones that cant be swung open and shut easily/fallen off their hinges!
 
Nocturnal said:
Not very useful here, but my preference is to get someone on a pony to do them for me! ;)

But to answer the question - if I got off I'd never get back on again, so I stay on!
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ROFL. When we go out together I open the gate, hold it open for hubby and the big fella then close it behind them. Little share fella is so much better at gates than our big lad - although big lad is getting better - and if needed I can hop off and on again cos he's only 15 hh.
 
Me and my boy have become very good at opening and shutting gates over the years so I usually stay on as we can manage to open most types of gate but if it is a very awkward one then I do get off.
 
I'm not great at getting on from the ground so I'd rather have a go staying on and if I really have to then I'd get off do the gate and then walk until I can find something to stand on and then Nadia will do her thing where she keeps moving her bum out and then I'll get mad but keep trying and then eventually she'll give in, let me get on and we'll have a lovely ride.
 
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