pistolpete
Well-Known Member
If a pony is ok on its own? Off to see gorgeous highland pony on Thursday BUT I really need him to be happy hacking alone. Any tips?
Hacking solo. How can you tell..
- Thread starter pistolpete
- Start date
Becca2403
Active Member
Ask them to take it up the road for you alone, if his owner is happy to take him, and the horse seems happy to leave the yard, then he should be fine. It is always a good way of knowing, by actually getting in your car, and passing the horse on it's route. You then get to see what it is like meeting cars. If the owner is not happy to try, its a sure fire way of knowing it doesn't hack alone. When I sold my last horse, I was happy to do anything they asked. I even let them get on my other horse and gallop off up the field while I kept him at a halt just to prove I wasn't lying about him.
gunnergundog
Well-Known Member
Take him out on his own. Ride him back and forth past the entrance to his yard and give him every opportunity to nap. Check him in traffic. If you can, take him to an area he is not familiar with and ride him there. Ride him out with another and then ask him to leave that horse and go in another direction.
Shooting Star
Well-Known Member
Ask the owner to ride it up the road a short distance outside the yard to see if it will walk away from the yard happily without any happiness and also get them to trot & canter the perimeter of one of their fields if you can.
If they haven't got the facilities to do this and you like the pony then see if you can arrange a second trial with the pony being boxed to somewhere suitable.
If they haven't got the facilities to do this and you like the pony then see if you can arrange a second trial with the pony being boxed to somewhere suitable.
Haz:)
Well-Known Member
^ agree with all the above.
However if the owner does have good reason not to allow you on the road, eg. Blind bend country lane, risky, don't completely turn off. Ask if they have videos hacking alone or any proof.
I took the sellers word for it with my TB. You could tell she was genuine, and she hasn't lied about him one bit. It was my gut to trust her. She said he was more "lit up" when hacking alone and he is, nothing dangerous though. I've bareback hacked (no saddle, and I want to keep hacking fresh to him) him in company of an mini Shetland two days running and he's been a dream. I think your gut instinct and common sense will be invaluable here.
Good luck, hope it goes well!
However if the owner does have good reason not to allow you on the road, eg. Blind bend country lane, risky, don't completely turn off. Ask if they have videos hacking alone or any proof.
I took the sellers word for it with my TB. You could tell she was genuine, and she hasn't lied about him one bit. It was my gut to trust her. She said he was more "lit up" when hacking alone and he is, nothing dangerous though. I've bareback hacked (no saddle, and I want to keep hacking fresh to him) him in company of an mini Shetland two days running and he's been a dream. I think your gut instinct and common sense will be invaluable here.
Good luck, hope it goes well!
criso
Coming over here & taking your jobs since 1900
Difficult to judge as a horse might be OK in his home environment, might not be so confident outside - like the idea of boxing them somewhere else.
I have 2 tbs who I have had to work at to get to hack on their own. Both passed those tests when I tried them.
However I was lucky with very open sellers. With one the seller was completely honest that he could have moments hacking on his own and (he was a professional) asked about my situation which at that time was a busy livery yard so lots of people to hack out with. That was the point I headed off up the lane on my own to see if I could get him to misbehave and see what I was dealing with, of course he didn't put a foot wrong. He's doesn't nap in the traditional sense of wanting to aim toward home but will sometimes get into his head he doesn't want to go in a certain direction which may even be the way home.
The other had only been working a month and had only hacked out a few times so she admitted he was an unknown quantity and as another ex racer with very little retraining, I suspected he would take a while to get used to solo hacking which he has.
Now they would be fine in the tests above but it would reappear if they moved yards so it would be very easy to deceive a buyer.
I have 2 tbs who I have had to work at to get to hack on their own. Both passed those tests when I tried them.
However I was lucky with very open sellers. With one the seller was completely honest that he could have moments hacking on his own and (he was a professional) asked about my situation which at that time was a busy livery yard so lots of people to hack out with. That was the point I headed off up the lane on my own to see if I could get him to misbehave and see what I was dealing with, of course he didn't put a foot wrong. He's doesn't nap in the traditional sense of wanting to aim toward home but will sometimes get into his head he doesn't want to go in a certain direction which may even be the way home.
The other had only been working a month and had only hacked out a few times so she admitted he was an unknown quantity and as another ex racer with very little retraining, I suspected he would take a while to get used to solo hacking which he has.
Now they would be fine in the tests above but it would reappear if they moved yards so it would be very easy to deceive a buyer.
PeterNatt
Well-Known Member
Ask to see him being ridden alone on a busy road and also across open fields.
Marmite Sandwich
Well-Known Member
Make sure you don't make the mistake of having someone walking with him whilst he demonstrates hacking alone, I knew someone once who tried a horse hacking alone and the friend she'd taken walked alongside. Sure enough when she tried riding him out at home with no human on the ground for comfort, he was a nightmare.
FfionWinnie
Well-Known Member
If you want to buy the horse take it out alone with no foot followers close to you. That is the only way you will know what it's like alone.
be positive
Well-Known Member
If they say they have nowhere suitable for you to go then I would doubt they ever hack alone from home so I would expect the pony to be inexperienced in going alone or unlikely to go if asked, boxing out will not be a good test as most nappy horses are less likely to nap away from their home ground, ride it yourself rather than watching the owner who will know it better than you so will find it far easier to cope or cover up any reluctance.
If possible go out round a short circular ride then ride past the end of the drive/ yard gate when you come back as if going out again, even the best may hesitate but should go when asked, I would then ride back into the yard and go back into the field/ school and do a few more circles to test the attitude, you can tell a lot by watching the ears in front of you when you set off doing something new or different, pricked and interested or back and switched off, the first usually suggests they are forward thinking and will enjoy learning hew things, the latter may be more challenging.
If possible go out round a short circular ride then ride past the end of the drive/ yard gate when you come back as if going out again, even the best may hesitate but should go when asked, I would then ride back into the yard and go back into the field/ school and do a few more circles to test the attitude, you can tell a lot by watching the ears in front of you when you set off doing something new or different, pricked and interested or back and switched off, the first usually suggests they are forward thinking and will enjoy learning hew things, the latter may be more challenging.
ameeyal
Well-Known Member
My friend had this as well, when she got the horse home, no way would she hack on her own, not even with a person following, shes had her now for 4 years and still she will not hack on her own.
Snuffles
Well-Known Member
I bought a horse to hack alone, took him up the road from his yard, absolutely fine. Got him home and after going out twice he decided he wasnt going anymore and planted his feet. Was a problem all the time I had him. Original home down a quiet lane fields on both sides. I had to ride through a small village and he couldnt cope with houses !
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite
Well-Known Member
I viewed a NF 6yo that had been "backed last autumn" and "hacked solo regularly". Had previously been to view it, had ridden it with one other horse, OK no problems, was getting ready to put a deposit down at second viewing where I'd asked if I could hack it solo.
What I didn't know was that the mare I'd ridden out with on the first viewing, was its pairbond. As soon as it was taken out the field, it got itself into a helluva muck-sweat and was bolshy in the stable, jumped around like a flea at the mounting block, and as soon as I got on board it started to manoeuvre me underneath the overhanging roof/lip of the stable block - then started going up on its hind legs. Had obviously done it before, but "oh no, he's never done that with anyone before" - which I later found out to be a load of pants because my source told me that it had.......
If viewing again, I'd want to see the owner (OR even better the most novice rider on the yard!) get up on it and take it up the road solo, and THEN watch what it does when its turned around and asked to go past the yard gate. I wouldn't even think of getting up on anything I hadn't seen ridden solo first, not ever, not now.
Also, I'd want to know where the horse normally goes if it IS ridden solo, i.e. does the yard/seller always take it the same way? So what happens if its taken somewhere else? Or meets something horrendous on the way. If you can, its a good idea to go to view on bins day!! That way you'll find out whether its spooky or not.
But really, riding solo is a trust issue and even though something can appear bold and confident hacking alone in familiar surroundings, it may take a while for that bond to develop when the new owner takes on - the horse has to see the rider as a safe herd leader to be with and that takes time, and often a lot of groundwork, before that relationship is fully established.
What I didn't know was that the mare I'd ridden out with on the first viewing, was its pairbond. As soon as it was taken out the field, it got itself into a helluva muck-sweat and was bolshy in the stable, jumped around like a flea at the mounting block, and as soon as I got on board it started to manoeuvre me underneath the overhanging roof/lip of the stable block - then started going up on its hind legs. Had obviously done it before, but "oh no, he's never done that with anyone before" - which I later found out to be a load of pants because my source told me that it had.......
If viewing again, I'd want to see the owner (OR even better the most novice rider on the yard!) get up on it and take it up the road solo, and THEN watch what it does when its turned around and asked to go past the yard gate. I wouldn't even think of getting up on anything I hadn't seen ridden solo first, not ever, not now.
Also, I'd want to know where the horse normally goes if it IS ridden solo, i.e. does the yard/seller always take it the same way? So what happens if its taken somewhere else? Or meets something horrendous on the way. If you can, its a good idea to go to view on bins day!! That way you'll find out whether its spooky or not.
But really, riding solo is a trust issue and even though something can appear bold and confident hacking alone in familiar surroundings, it may take a while for that bond to develop when the new owner takes on - the horse has to see the rider as a safe herd leader to be with and that takes time, and often a lot of groundwork, before that relationship is fully established.
frostyfingers
Well-Known Member
When I bought mine the seller was honest and said she'd never needed to hack out alone so she couldn't say for sure. He napped a little when I took him away on his own (stopped, reversed & a little half rear) but when he realised that I meant him to go on he was absolutely fine. The first few times at home going out on his own he was a bit "looky", unsure and spooky but after 6 months has settled enough to go out quite happily. He's always more relaxed in company but I don't worry about taking him out alone. Get to know him in an arena if you can before you embark on a solo trip, but try to avoid going with people and then going alone on the same route so he doesn't "expect" company when you first go alone.