Hacking

AmiRobertson

AmiRobertson

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I really don't know what to do in this situation. My 4yr old dizzy needs to be hacking, we have been schooling in walk for the past 2 weeks and she is being fantastic however even with better weather we have no one to hack with :( everyone on my yard has older horses and they all want to go on faster hacks and seeing as we haven't even started to work on canter it would be unfair of me to take her on these hacks. Unfortunately despite being bombproof with other horses she is a nappy tense nightmare on her own. Otherwise I would love for us to hack on her own in fact I would probably enjoy it more. I am worried though that by not hacking this is just going to get worse and she needs to build her fitness. Plus she needs to be brave or we will never get round a cross country course!
I am really at a loss of how to do this as the road we have to go on to get to the bridle paths is really busy and she has no issues with spinning into on coming traffic to try and get home. We have tried walking out in hand but I am reluctant to do this with out someone with me as sometimes she is good as gold while other times we have rearing. All checks are up to date and she is only on hay and chaff.
Shall I just brave it and walk her out after schooling when the edge is off but have someone on foot with me? Grr I love hacking and this is really starting to get me down. Oh and I won't part with her we will get through this just need to find the best way.
 
having someone on foot is good, as company and safer encase she misbehaves. but they will learn to be at least a bit braver, as with a human, not another horse. but provides some security for her- my girl used to hack out with my bf walking or running, and now she is better on her own. when you start going faster they can even go on a bike.
but are you sure there is no one at your yard who can sometimes go with you just for a walking hack, as they might sometimes want a gentle hack, not cantering. worth asking and explaining your situation to one of them
 
We have often found in the past when we have encountered obstacles out hacking that someone on foot really does seem to give the horse confidence, it will not take long to get over this stage, but it is worth sorting so you can enjoy your hacks!

I agree just explain your problem to people on yard or YO and ask if anyone would be willing to accompany you for training purposes, you could offer a service in return - a muck out, clean tack or similar !
 
If she won't walk out in hand with you she doesn't trust/know you well enough.
You need to teach her that being with you is as a good a substitute as other horses.

Lots and lots of groundwork and make it fun/rewarding for her to be with you.
The next step is as people say, long reining, or at least walking in front of you calmly with you at her shoulder.
But you need to get to the stage where she is confident and listening to voice commands and that will only happen if you spend a lot of time teaching her to trust you.
 
could you ask someone to go for a short plod with you once they've finished their fast hack?

my friend and I backed her mare last summer and my mare is too naughty to ride out with others, so we took turns taking her out alone, one of us on foot or a bike and the other riding! its helped her to not have to rely on another horse to lead and to make her a bit braver, though a lot of stuff is still really scary! hehe
 
We do more groundwork than schooling purely because I don't want to over face her with to much to soon. We currently free school once and lunge twice and then school twice and replace those with hacking when we do have someone to go with. I spent 2 months just doing ground work with her over Xmas as she had a back problem (which has been solved) and wanted her to build up some strength before riding again. However hacking is where she will build up her strength and fitness and once a week if we are lucky is not enough. She does trust me as when we have gone to new places and she has been stressing she does her absolute best to listen to me it's just first 200yards to the bridle paths which is a busy road. She doesn't plant herself and she will go forward after the initial big spook but they are big spinny spooks and she is 16.2 and it is a very busy road!
 
Thank you for all of the replies though. I think I just need to get on and do it. I know she would never bolt with me and she has never tried to get me off and if that road wasn't there I would be braver!
 
I've never had anyone to ride with so have always had to go out alone with Malaga even in his Mad Malaga days and straight after he was started,Sounds as if your horse needs more confidence on the ground before its ready for ridden work :) When its walking out confidently and trusting you completely when you are walking in the riding zone or even behind then it will be much better when you are on top.There's nothing to stop you getting off if she looses confidence and ask her to walk on from the ground.
Personally I feel much better riding Malaga on the roads where we can be seen than alone on the bridleways but that's MY confidence issue and I'm working on it :D
 
But we do do more groundwork than ridden she responds to voice and when I do school her she waits for my aids and commands there is nothing I can fault her with there same with manners. And when hacked with other horses she is bombproof. Lorries bus's roadworks anything she doesn't even look but with no other horse she will find anything to spook at but she will ride through eventually I think it's just knocking my confidence :(
 
The groundwork you have described ie lunging/ free schooling is different to the groundwork people are referring to (you probably know this so tell me to shut up!). They mean things like teaching her to respect your space, being able to touch her all over, some despooking in the school things like walking over tarp etc.. things to test her trust in you.

I guess the other alternative is to move to a yard with better/safer hacking straight off the yard or with more hacking partners.
 
Haha yeh that's what we do with free schooling and we do it once a week. We had our first 4 months together with no ridden work at all because of problems with her back and an abscess. I spend a lot of time with her not riding. I often do my editing (I am a photographer) in her stable some evenings and always after riding untack in the school and give her a good rub all over and let her have a roll. We have managed to get over some grooming problems (she is quite a touchy mare) and she never barges and always walks calmly beside me on the yard. Everything we do I try to make it as fun as possible for her. And she loves hacking when we do manage to go and I really want us to get over this so we can enjoy them together especially because I really don't want her to get sour about the school
 
I'd ask someone on the yard if they could escort you. It s fun to ride the nanny horse and good for their manners and confidence too. My mare and I often nanny and we enjoy it.
 
I have tried that elsbells and we do get to hack occasionally but my yard is very young and everyone tends to do the longer faster hacks. And my close friend is trying to get her horse competition fit so we sometimes manage once a week together but she also prefers the longer faster ones plus we have conflicting work patterns. I really want her hacking at 3 times a week (not long ones) and spending less time in the school but we can't. So going to school her lightly tomorrow and then take her out for 20mins on her own with my boyfriend on foot. It's so annoying because everyone else is going on a really fun hack and we are left out again. I never wanted a baby btw when I bought her I was told she was nearly 6 when it actually turned out she was 3 :( (confirmed by dentist) however I love her and we have got over so many obstacles just need to get over this one!
 
AmiRobertson said:
But we do do more groundwork than ridden she responds to voice and when I do school her she waits for my aids and commands there is nothing I can fault her with there same with manners. And when hacked with other horses she is bombproof. Lorries bus's roadworks anything she doesn't even look but with no other horse she will find anything to spook at but she will ride through eventually I think it's just knocking my confidence :(
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AmiRobertson said:
Haha yeh that's what we do with free schooling and we do it once a week. We had our first 4 months together with no ridden work at all because of problems with her back and an abscess. I spend a lot of time with her not riding. I often do my editing (I am a photographer) in her stable some evenings and always after riding untack in the school and give her a good rub all over and let her have a roll. We have managed to get over some grooming problems (she is quite a touchy mare) and she never barges and always walks calmly beside me on the yard. Everything we do I try to make it as fun as possible for her. And she loves hacking when we do manage to go and I really want us to get over this so we can enjoy them together especially because I really don't want her to get sour about the school
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Sounds like you are doing everything right and I apologise for my earlier post.

But maybe you've got the answer when you look at these two posts?
Where are the nerves coming from?

Can you possibly try hacking when the bad road is very quiet at least for a time?
So that you have the confidence to ride her through it which you say you can do.

Also, how tense are you getting on the stretch of road because in your head you know it's got to be got over?
Whereas if it was all roads you would just have to keep going so you force yourself to relax because it isn't going to be "got over/past".
 
Can you go out early in the morning, especially at the weekend, so that the road is less busy? But I would still ask someone on foot to go with you, spinning in the road is far too dangerous to risk.
 
Actually reading what I am writing down is making me realise that the problem is probably me! She is very sensitive and I do tense over that road because the people who drive on it can be mental. She always picks up on my moods and we always work well together in the school because I am confident there so she is quite possibly mirroring my behaviour. Ok so tomorrow I am going to school lightly and make sure that I am relaxed on her before we leave and knowing my boyfriend can manage the traffic will also ease my nerves. I really don't want to ruin my horse so we need to crack this!
 
We did a lot of hacking with a walker or cyclist. It helped us build up to hacking alone and opens up a few more opportunities to ride.

Might be worth asking whether some of the others would be willing to do a slower hack once in a while. I'm always happy to accompany people who want a sensible companion, it is good for my girl to do different things.
 
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