Hacking with difficult horse

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Eve_ja

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I have a 8 year old cob mare who just wont hack alone. When we first brought her, hacking was fine, she would still spook but not as bad before. I dont know what has happened as it seems to be quite a recent thing of her refusing to hack alone. She can be quite dangerous now when trying to hack, she will bolt at certain points but does stop, she will spook and spin when not happy, and sometimes refuses to walk on and will back up and buck when you keep pushing. She hacks better with others, still spooks etc but is so much happier. She does love hacking and going out, but once in fields or on road its very difficult to calm or get hre going nice. I dont want to have to pay and arm and a leg to have a professional come try help her, but do really need help. I dont know what to do and want some advice on what would get her confident out hacking again?
 
It could be for many reasons, but lack of confidence is an obvious one.
So some thoughts, do you have a small area near to home, you can go round say 3 or 4 times, rather than venturing further afield, so this becomes a ‘safe’ area, and expand this only when it feels calm.
Secondly, and I appreciate not everyone agrees, sometimes I let my horse have a little ‘snack’ on a tree or something tasty , I just think it gives the horse a reason for going out!
Good luck
 
Sounds like this is about either horse/ rider confidence, and probably the interaction between the two. Find a short, circular route you can lead round, once confident in hand, get on a short distance from ‘home’ i.e at the end of the drive and then progressively further back.

Then do the same with the route in reverse (will be a completely new hack for most horses! 🤣), then branching out a bit further on good days. Takes time, but worth it!

ETA: I used to drop a sturdy bucket off on my drive to the yard at my ‘get on place’ for that day with carrots inside.
 
canteron said:
It could be for many reasons, but lack of confidence is an obvious one.
So some thoughts, do you have a small area near to home, you can go round say 3 or 4 times, rather than venturing further afield, so this becomes a ‘safe’ area, and expand this only when it feels calm.
Secondly, and I appreciate not everyone agrees, sometimes I let my horse have a little ‘snack’ on a tree or something tasty , I just think it gives the horse a reason for going out!
Good luck
Click to expand...
Yeah, she enjoys going round half of a field at the start, easy and fine, but as soon we we go further she is completely on guard again.
 
Melody Grey said:
Sounds like this is about either horse/ rider confidence, and probably the interaction between the two. Find a short, circular route you can lead round, once confident in hand, get on a short distance from ‘home’ i.e at the end of the drive and then progressively further back.

Then do the same with the route in reverse (will be a completely new hack for most horses! 🤣), then branching out a bit further on good days. Takes time, but worth it!

ETA: I used to drop a sturdy bucket off on my drive to the yard at my ‘get on place’ for that day with carrots inside.
Click to expand...
She’s fine with going down a track and into the field, but then it’s completely different once in the fields or further along on the road
 
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