hacking problems

SEL

SEL

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Any tips on a horse whose nap is reversing backwards? We're just off a main road so leading or long-reining her are not options (she's actually very good in traffic, its the bridle path 15 mins away where she throws a strop).

Going to try leading her off the other horse that comes with us tomorrow, but just wondering how other people have dealt with a horse that neatly and persistently goes backwards down an entire track...... even when the horse babysitting her has carried on.

I don't think its fear, but I do think she's saying she's had enough and wants to go home. She coming back into work so pain is a possibility, but given how wonderfully she strode out heading home I don't think it can be that bad.

ETA: Should have done a search on here first. Excellent old thread!
http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...apping-backwards-sounds-easy-but!-Help!/page6
 
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I haven't read the thread you linked but the new one is a reverser (I think, we've only had 2 incidents!). The first time I ended up getting off as he went full pelt into a ditch and I didn't much fancy sticking around to see what happened next as we were by ourselves and it was week 2 of owning him. He's tried it once more since (with another horse) and I spun him on the spot so he couldn't move backwards. I was already riding out with shorter reins than I usually would which helped but shortened them to the point where I was practically holding his bit and spun him in the opposite direction than he wanted to reverse and backed it up with my schooling whip (by backed up I mean he got a few good cracks behind my leg to make sure he was moving his back end and not just twisting around his front). I stopped and asked for walk and he tried to back up so we repeated. It only took two lots of spinning to move forward and then he threatened it a couple more times so just made him trot until I felt he was in front of my leg.

Newbie hasn't done much hacking out so I am told, I very much doubt he has ever hacked on his own or certainly hasn't for a long time so a combination of new owner, new discipline, new place and me not being strong enough the first couple of times he hinted he was going to do something meant that I can't really blame him but wanted to make sure it is nipped in the bud. I have since found that riding very confidently from the moment of getting on seems to have helped a bit, no more lolling along on a loose rein let him weave all over the track. Short reins, leg on and lots of short bursts of trotting at the start to get him thinking forward and to show him I am calling the shots!

Hope you get it sorted, I despise napping with a passion, it is the most frustrating thing to get sorted!
 
Get off and lead and remount when he is moving forwards nicely.

My mare tried everything when I first got her, she started by planting, I got her through that, then bucking, I got her through that too. Then reversing at speed, I tried many different things but getting off and leading was the most successful and eventually she just gave up trying and the napping completely ceased.
 
I had a Welsh who had a perfect reverse - if he started I swung him round 180 degrees and made him go backwards - figure if he wanted to go backwards, backwards we would go- but my way. He cottoned (sp) on very quickly! There would usually be a point at which I could feel him stop objecting, or we would get to a junction etc which made it suitable to turn around and go forwards.
 
Our first Appaloosa mare was a horror for reversing until the time when she managed to reverse herself into a hawthorn bush, backed up with barbed wire!

OP, if she behaves on the road, could you not dismount when you get to the bridle path and lead along it? Although if you think she is saying she has had enough, perhaps you need to build her up more slowly.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
Our first Appaloosa mare was a horror for reversing until the time when she managed to reverse herself into a hawthorn bush, backed up with barbed wire!

OP, if she behaves on the road, could you not dismount when you get to the bridle path and lead along it? Although if you think she is saying she has had enough, perhaps you need to build her up more slowly.
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I normally would lead but I'm paranoid about her getting away from me and onto the road. It's supposed to be a 30 limit but the driving is shocking.

She used to do this from my old yard when I first backed her. Solid walls, cars, ditches...& I cured it by getting off and leading her then. It's odd that she's fine through heavy traffic and then has her wobbly on the nice green bit.

Emfen - turning her on the spot is hard because she starts to rear when she's wound up. Using the whip guarantees she will go up.

I'll keep you posted...
 
chaps89 said:
I had a Welsh who had a perfect reverse - if he started I swung him round 180 degrees and made him go backwards - figure if he wanted to go backwards, backwards we would go- but my way. He cottoned (sp) on very quickly! There would usually be a point at which I could feel him stop objecting, or we would get to a junction etc which made it suitable to turn around and go forwards.
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My daughter did this with her lovely young connie who was a bit challenging for a while and it cured him.
 
Polly did this when she arrived, really badly when I took her out hacking. One time I had to leap off as she reversed into the birkett which borders one side of our farm, it’s about an 8ft drop down a steep bank and her hind foot went over the edge.

She’s would reverse at some considerable pace and the more leg you put on, she’d start bucking and doing mini-rears and turning around. It took a lot of patience and a bit of trial and error. I found applying one leg rather than two was better and there were several occasions that once she had stopped reversing, I just sat it out for ten or fifteen minutes until she was thoroughly bored and then asked again. If I got the same response, I sat it out again. To be honest though, the most effective thing was to raise my voice and go a bit fish-wife on her. She doesn’t like being shouted at.
I would never have taken her on the roads on her own though, she was just too unpredictable and quick when she decided she wasn’t going forwards. I’m lucky in that we have private land to ride around.
 
My mare did this when she was younger would start running backwards at certain points on the ride no amount of tactical manoeuvres would sort it she just started rearing and bucking. In the end I started dismounting and leading whereupon she would go past as though nothing had happened. In the end she stopped napping altogether and I think it was a sudden loss of confidence plus a bit of naughtiness. I know OP you don't want to risk the horse getting away from you but maybe he won't even try may just need someone on the ground for confidence .
 
Well the good thing is they are doing it in the bridleway, gives you easy options to sort it rather than needing to dodge traffic.

My Welsh x went through a brief boundary testing stage about 3 months after backing. We had the full repatoire, one of which was the rapid reversing trick.

2 sessions reversing him in the direction I wanted to go fixed that one :D
 
SEL said:
I normally would lead but I'm paranoid about her getting away from me and onto the road. It's supposed to be a 30 limit but the driving is shocking.

She used to do this from my old yard when I first backed her. Solid walls, cars, ditches...& I cured it by getting off and leading her then. It's odd that she's fine through heavy traffic and then has her wobbly on the nice green bit.

Emfen - turning her on the spot is hard because she starts to rear when she's wound up. Using the whip guarantees she will go up.

I'll keep you posted...
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We found with ours who was a right pain unless there was someone on the ground as well, hacking or schooling, that simply turning a circle didn't work - it just gave her something else to object to! But staying very alert and bringing her nose round to your boot immediately she faltered, using the outside leg to keep her moving, did work. Once you let her stop circling she would go forward (until next time). She did give up eventually:D
 
I would check for pain, turning on a bridle way could be for her an indication you are going further or faster and making more pain. Do your checks, saddle, back, teeth and eyes and see what is what. After that you can deal with it as a behavioral issue. My horse started planting, I rode through it so he stopped telling me he hurt and shouted he hurt, which was not nice and I got hurt. She might be being over dramatic buts that is horses.
once you have checked you could then get someone to walk with you to lead her forward, while you stay on.
 
With mine, I got him to stand still and put his nose on my left foot, the way I wanted to go, held it there until he gave in, his bum swung, pony club kick and growl and went the way I wanted, he soon worked out it was uncomfortable, he was new to me, so I didn't want a huge confrontation with him as unsure what his next trick would be !
 
My boy did this when he first came to me (he was quite nappy). He also did it the other day after not doing it for about 2 years (coming back into work after 2 months off so not feeling all that confident hacking!). I would tackle it in a few ways depending on what he was doing. Normally it would start with plant, then I'd ask to move forward and he'd reverse. I'd wait for him to stop and then ask him to move forward again, if he reversed again, I'd ask again, if he took one foot forward he got a big pat and a 'good boy!' and usually would need another nudge to keep him going!

If he was still pratting about I'd either get off and lead or I'd spin him round and make him reverse the way I wanted to go.
 
Thanks everyone. Felt like I was riding a different horse today so wondering if she's just been a bit off colour. Strode ahead with her ears pricked, had a bit of a wobble at the cows - went past with one pony club kick - and then led up the hill that she a meltdown about for the past 2 days.

Our only problem was horse flies and persuading her that having a bronc might dislodge the flies but was also going to put me on the floor - but at least she was moving forwards!!!

Wondering if she's about to come into season....
 
Our old very sensible, bombproof gelding used to do this sometimes, it was always something he wasn't really bothered about e.g. pigs but was an excuse to mess about! Or when he thought it was time to come home!! Once he'd started it was difficult to get him going forward but I found the best way was just to stand still and wait until it was bored out of him! Obviously only if it was safe to do so. Usually after less than 5 mins he would have given in and no battle required!
 
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