SMIS
Well-Known Member
I have had my TB just over a year. He is my first horse. He is 8 and is seriously lazy/laid back in the school. He enjoys SJ in the school or anywhere he is familiar with - he puts in the least effort required to jump a fence - no sillyness no rushing he is perfect in the school for a beginner or someone getting back into riding like me.
Sadly the calmness ebbs away when it comes to hacking. We spent the first 4 months whinnying on hacks alone and jogging but then he relaxed once he learnt the routes and we could trot and do a short quiet canter on the way out. Some days we would ride out with others and he would feel most comfortable following and once a week we would hack alone where he would ride out slowly then rush home.
4 weeks ago we moved to a new yard and no-one hacks out. So we have been hacking alone twice a week and once a week with my boyfriend on his bike and my horse follows him. We don't go far on our own, no more than 30 mins, and mostly walk as he is looking at everything and quite spooky.
The problem for me is that there is a cycle path which we have to cross and sometimes a speed cyclist will shoot across infront of us as we are approaching to cross. There are bushes on either side so I cannot see the cyclist coming and they cannot see me approaching to cross. There is no other way onto the bridlepaths - you have to cross the cycle path. When a cyclist suprises him he spooks and turns to run home. I have been able to stop him by circling him each time it happens but have been so so close to coming off and have only just recovered from breaking my wrist falling off so am nervous of falling. The more times a cyclist suprises us (prob 4 out of 10 crossings) the more nervous we are getting. I try to stay calm but am not calm in my head and he stops now about 6 foot away and trys to walk backwards, he snorts like a dragon and shakes - he is scared of the crossing now.
I want to make things better and not loose my confidence but do not know how. In the past anything seemingly scary has been conquered by quiet repetition i.e. crossing over a stream 10 times and nothing bad happening so he realises it is fine. But when I try do repetitions with the cycle path it endorses that it is scary as we are getting speed cyclists flying past so often! I guess that is why no-one else hacks out! Should I just avoid the route or should I tackle it? If so HOW?! Please help.
Sadly the calmness ebbs away when it comes to hacking. We spent the first 4 months whinnying on hacks alone and jogging but then he relaxed once he learnt the routes and we could trot and do a short quiet canter on the way out. Some days we would ride out with others and he would feel most comfortable following and once a week we would hack alone where he would ride out slowly then rush home.
4 weeks ago we moved to a new yard and no-one hacks out. So we have been hacking alone twice a week and once a week with my boyfriend on his bike and my horse follows him. We don't go far on our own, no more than 30 mins, and mostly walk as he is looking at everything and quite spooky.
The problem for me is that there is a cycle path which we have to cross and sometimes a speed cyclist will shoot across infront of us as we are approaching to cross. There are bushes on either side so I cannot see the cyclist coming and they cannot see me approaching to cross. There is no other way onto the bridlepaths - you have to cross the cycle path. When a cyclist suprises him he spooks and turns to run home. I have been able to stop him by circling him each time it happens but have been so so close to coming off and have only just recovered from breaking my wrist falling off so am nervous of falling. The more times a cyclist suprises us (prob 4 out of 10 crossings) the more nervous we are getting. I try to stay calm but am not calm in my head and he stops now about 6 foot away and trys to walk backwards, he snorts like a dragon and shakes - he is scared of the crossing now.
I want to make things better and not loose my confidence but do not know how. In the past anything seemingly scary has been conquered by quiet repetition i.e. crossing over a stream 10 times and nothing bad happening so he realises it is fine. But when I try do repetitions with the cycle path it endorses that it is scary as we are getting speed cyclists flying past so often! I guess that is why no-one else hacks out! Should I just avoid the route or should I tackle it? If so HOW?! Please help.