Hacking Issues

[MontysKeeper]

Hi All,

Looking for some advise! My horse has always been good to hack out in company or alone. He has been a very good nanny aswell.

I now seem to be having issues with him stopping and refusing to move forward! This is mostly in company and will wait for another horse to go round him, which is very frustrating! He walks out very well and I often have to make him wait for the others to catch up, so I do wonder if I have now created this problem?

Doesn’t really do it on his own but does seem to back off from cantering on his own, unless he is in a field he knows.

Any tips to get over this would be great.

 

[Flicker]

I suppose my first question would be whether the behaviour is linked to anything and if it started suddenly or gradually? Also, if there is potential for an underlying physical cause?

Or, as you say, he is building a pattern of negative behaviour from being asked to stop and wait. I had a horse who used to get really fed up on hacks if he was always having to wait for another horse and I must admit I got quite picky about who I hacked him with for this reason.

 

[MontysKeeper]

Thanks for the reply!

I don’t think it’s a physical issue, as he is definitely better on his own, just seems to lack confidence cantering on his own.

It seems to have started from hacking out with others whose horses would stop and run backwards. My boy would just stand and wait for the other horse to sort themselves out and then carry on. Now it seems if we go out in a group. They will all just stop and not move forward, until one them gets bored ?

I can kick on, tap with the whip, put him in an uncomfortable position to make him move but nothing .... And they will all do this! Talking 4 horses when they are together.

 

[Caol Ila]

Sounds like you need better hacking buddies, and none of the horses in your group are confident in their riders or the situation. I would take him out with horses that move obediently forward (hopefully there is someone useful at your yard), so he starts learning some good habits. Once he's established and confident in you and himself, you can take him out with the delinquent crowd, as a good example.

 

[Sir barnaby]

I have had that issue many times with the other people I hack out with Barney walks Extremely well and strides out not many can match him, he doesn’t mind waiting I certainly won’t slow his walk to accommodate the others, and it hasn’t changed his mindset, but I was getting annoyed so I have said that if the others want me to hack out with them, then they have to be prepared to trot up to keep up.

 

[black and brown]

It sounds like he has picked up on the lack of confidence of the other horses and creating situations which didn't exist before. Maybe hack on your own to rebuild his confidence and then choose your hacking buddies carefully!

 

[ycbm]

I would check his eyesight just in case, because I think that kind of change from a leader to a "you go first" horse is unusual.
.

 

[MontysKeeper]

Thanks All.

Definitely going to be hacking him more on his own. On quite a small yard, so limited to who I can go out with. Think I have just tried to help others out and not really thinking about the effects it could have on my horse.

Will consider getting his eyes checked aswell, if we still have issues.

Thanks All!

 

[Widgeon]

It seems to have started from hacking out with others whose horses would stop and run backwards. .

I'm having this problem too. One friend's horse will go into a rapid reverse at the drop of a hat, and the other is so slow we're constantly having to stop and wait for him. Both combined mean that my usually nice sensible horse turns into a spooky, backward mess and doesn't want to go forward, particularly not in front. I'm starting to think perhaps I should stop hacking out with them. So I would also say this could be your problem (although checking eyesight seems like a sensible plan anyway). We're also on a small yard, so it would be quite awkward, both socially and logistically. Good luck.

 

[MontysKeeper]

I'm having this problem too. One friend's horse will go into a rapid reverse at the drop of a hat, and the other is so slow we're constantly having to stop and wait for him. Both combined mean that my usually nice sensible horse turns into a spooky, backward mess and doesn't want to go forward, particularly not in front. I'm starting to think perhaps I should stop hacking out with them. So I would also say this could be your problem (although checking eyesight seems like a sensible plan anyway). We're also on a small yard, so it would be quite awkward, both socially and logistically. Good luck.

Yeah, think people appreciate me going out with them, as my horse is so good but I think I’m going to have to be a little selfish for now and go back to getting him confident as he has been. Your situation sounds SO similar to mine! Hope you can sort your horse out too

 

[scats]

Hacking buddies can really impact on a horses behaviour.
Diva was pretty much unflappable out hacking. I’m pretty sure you could have landed a 747 next to her and she would have merely glanced in its direction. One day a friend came out with us on a young horse and when a lorry went past us, friend’s horse ended up reversing up a bank in a panic. Diva turned to see what was going on and I could almost feel her processing everything and getting uneasy.
The next few times we went out (not with this other horse), if a lorry went past her, I could feel her hold her breath and then she’d have a little panic dance. She’d never behaved that way over lorries before. It took a good few weeks before she chilled out about lorries. I never went hacking with that horse again, to be honest. Diva was only young herself and I didn’t want her losing her bottle like that again. She far preferred to go out just me and her.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

We had this sort of problem with my mare. She used to happily hack out with her elder brother and when my sister sold him we assumed she would be a good companion to her younger brother. Unfortunately we hadn't realised she took her confidence from her brother and once paired with a horse that needed a lead she proved sadly lacking. We never did get it sorted and I eventually stopped riding her. Her default was to rear and without much warning. It was such a shame as it more or less stopped us riding.

 

[MontysKeeper]

It’s a shame really, as we do have a good laugh along the way but a 45 minute hack can turn in to 2 hours from the constant stops and back up with the horses. I always do the gates for everyone aswell but I think they are just going to have to learn to do it with there’s, whilst I sort my boy out. He hasn’t done it too often, so hopefully I can sort it sooner rather than later

 

[Jasper151]

I had the same with an old horse, sold to me as a complete schoolmaster but started napping quite badly. His previous owner was at a complete loss as he hadn't done it before. I admit it took longer than it should have done for me to realise that my hacking buddies weren't keeping up and he didn't like it. He was brave but a bit of an over thinker so having time to think rather than just carry on was what seemed to be his downfall. On his own he was absolutely fine, at any pace I asked him. It was one particular person too which was a bit tricky as she was a friend, but I ended up having to have that frank conversation with her. Luckily she took it ok and we got sorted and the napping stopped.