Help! What to do?

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LizScott

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just got back from hacking my partners horse out - we had vet out a few weeks ago as he had problems with his hocks and she advised a steady fittening programme which I am trying to stick to. We're at the start of week 4 now and am trying to get him out on roads for about an hour with some trot and hill work. Trouble is he is a big pansy and nearly fell over today after getting his leg caught in wire after panicking about a horse-eating-monster-tractor
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He's like this all the time when I hack and I don't know what to do anymore as I need to ride him everyday but I'm putting it off more and more as I worry he'll do something really stupid. There's no one on my yard that hacks out regularly and I have considered riding and leading but I can't trust my mare 100% (although she is very, very good) to behave so don't think it would be a good idea
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It doesn't help that he's so damn big (18.1hh!) but he really is being silly and I just wondered if anyone had any hacking tips or suggestions - he's great in every other way and I want him to be fit so I can compete him but don't want to die in the process lol
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I want him to be fit so I can compete him but don't want to die in the process lol

[/ QUOTE ]

Why can't your partner ride him, and you accompany him on your horse?
 
Well the only thing i can think of is a hacking buddy, if you dont have a horsey one, what about a human one, on foot or bike?

Can no one ride your mare out with you?
 
mine is better if he sees what's coming up behind him - i stick him in the hedge and turn his head if necessary.
otherwise, i can only suggest persuading someone to come out with you, even if its a different person everyday!
 
Partner works full-time so isn't around in daylight hours but I guess we could go out in day-glo stuff before he goes out... Can't persuade anyone to ride their own horses round here let alone mine (who has a teeny-tiny, undeserved reputation
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) so not much chance of someone riding her with me! Do you think having someone with me is the only answer then? I'm a fairly capable rider but thought I must be doing something wrong if I can't get the big beastie to hack out sensibly
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horses are a herd animal so therefore seak comfort in each other so should you horse been genuinely scared then yes taking another horse out with him will help.

But if he's taking the Pi$$ its a different story altogether.

SS.
 
I think it's prob a bit of both - he is a wimp
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and scared of stuff that my mare wouldn't be but I think he then plays on it to his advantage and tries to put you in a dangerous situation
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(just found out that partner would get off and lead him past things in this situation but can't help feeling that this wouldn't help matters?)
 
TBH i would get a good book on bombproofing and start exposing him to really 'scary' stuff! I used to put things in our horses field, turn them out and leave them to deal with it. (Tarpaulin sheets, the little fans that you put on sandcastles at the beach, balloons, umbrellas, etc.) Curiosity always gets the better of them, they'll come over to investigate, s**t themselves a few times, realise it's actually quite boring, then ignore it!
Once they've gotten over being scared of one thing, when a new thing is introduced, they'll think back to the last time and be much quicker to realise it's not scary!
If you've got a ménage/arena, you could do it in there - might be a bit wet & muddy in the fields now.
You want an area big enough for him to get away, but not so big that he can get far away enough to not be able to see the scary things!
Put him in with a brave friend.

Good luck anyway!

Lou. x (winner of MANY a 'Handy Pony' class!!!)


http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bombproof-Your-Hor...1QQcmdZViewItem

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/BOMBPROOF-YOUR-HOR...1QQcmdZViewItem
 
Great idea
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! Thanks - I think we have one of those bombproofing books kicking around (from the days when partner used to hack beastie out I guess
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) so will give it a try!
 
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