Help with hacking alone

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livingthedream

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Hi all,
Just looking for some tips really to help with hacking alone. My boy is used to going out in company but there is not always someone to ride with at my yard and sometimes I want just to go by myself or go to meet friends at other yards.

My lad gets a bit nappy and spooky on his own, I have had someone walk out with me and that's all good but I want to go it alone.

Any thoughts or advice on how I can overcome this most welcome.

:)
 
Start off little and increase over time. It's good you have someone to walk with you so maybe walk out with them a little bit and then go a little further on your own before coming back. Gradually build up the time/distance that you are on your own. I always try to do a circular route so that you are not just stopping and turning back at a specific spot. Hope that helps :)
 
If you can do a loop, I used to walk the first half, then jump on and ride home :) He was so busy thinking about going home (not in a naughty way) that he would be more or less ok!
Good luck, I know exactly how you feel as at one point I couldn't even get him onto the drive by himself!! Now we go for miles :D
 
Not sure if this is any help but I couldn't hack mine out on its own either, used to get about 10 yards from the yard then spin reverse nap prop etc etc, have recently moved yards to one where there is better hacking and so have been out a lot more, always starting the hack the same way down the same roads and gradually doing more of the leading the way. Horse has been getting braver and braver, i have also been going out with a person on foot.
Last week I was away and a friend was riding horse for me.. got a daily update via fb about behaviour etc - got one on sunday saying 'lovely hack, good as gold some lovely canters and not too strong .. was fine once we got over the fact she didnt want to leave the yard :)'

Turns out ignorance is bliss - she had no idea my horse didnt hack on its own, so when it was nappy just booted it on and it was fine!! whereas having had so many problems i think i am more wary/worried about it so less insistent maybe?

I am sure you are a fab rider, and i have been riding for over 30 years, so its not a criticism, but had you ever thought about getting someone else to try it once? like i say ignorance is bliss, i have never let anyone else try before as i felt if i couldn't do it no-one can (arrogant!! :)) and i know her better than anyone etc having had her for over 6 years - but turns out i should have done it weeks ago!

Can't wait to try myself this weekend :) Good luck!
 
take your mobile with you and write down where you are going. I always do this when hacking any distance on my own.

Also wear lots of flourescent so you are seen, and don't give him to much praise. Saying "goodboy" and patting him every few seconds will make him anxious as he will think there is something to be scared of.

If he does play up, try not to get upset and personally I would NEVER get off my horse unless it was so dangerous that it was absolutely essential. I think by getting off and leading home you have given the horse a pass to misbehave in the future. But that's just my personal opinion and I don't hold it against anyone that does.

If the horse plants and refuses to walk on, make him walk backwards past the 'scary' object. Its suprising how much this little trick actually works.
 
Switchthehorse said:
Not sure if this is any help but I couldn't hack mine out on its own either, used to get about 10 yards from the yard then spin reverse nap prop etc etc, have recently moved yards to one where there is better hacking and so have been out a lot more, always starting the hack the same way down the same roads and gradually doing more of the leading the way. Horse has been getting braver and braver, i have also been going out with a person on foot.
Last week I was away and a friend was riding horse for me.. got a daily update via fb about behaviour etc - got one on sunday saying 'lovely hack, good as gold some lovely canters and not too strong .. was fine once we got over the fact she didnt want to leave the yard :)'

Turns out ignorance is bliss - she had no idea my horse didnt hack on its own, so when it was nappy just booted it on and it was fine!! whereas having had so many problems i think i am more wary/worried about it so less insistent maybe?

I am sure you are a fab rider, and i have been riding for over 30 years, so its not a criticism, but had you ever thought about getting someone else to try it once? like i say ignorance is bliss, i have never let anyone else try before as i felt if i couldn't do it no-one can (arrogant!! :)) and i know her better than anyone etc having had her for over 6 years - but turns out i should have done it weeks ago!

Can't wait to try myself this weekend :) Good luck!
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I completely agree with this. I don't hack mine alone, he has terrible separation anxiety and so calls the whole way which puts me on edge which in turn makes him nervous and jumpy so we end up in a vicious cycle of jumpy and nervous. Our yard is on a bridle path and I will ride him alone to the end of the path with a lot of calling but I haven't yet found the courage to cross the road to go further, he can sometimes be a bit thoughtless and silly and I worry that he will do something stupid and hurt him or myself. Also winter and him not getting as much work makes him quite spooky even in company so I dread to think what he would be like alone.

HOWEVER a lady from my yard who always hacks her horse alone took him out alone one day. They made it over the road and through the woods which is a journey I often do in company and apparently he was great, called a little bit but no silly spooky moments, he stopped when he saw some walkers on the other side of the hedge but after a moment and a little encouragement he carried on for home. I am certain because I ride him more and am more aware of how he can sometimes behave I wait for him to be naughty and I am hesitant which he can obviously sense which in turn makes him worse.

Getting to the end of the bridle path for us is however a massive improvement from what we used to do so for now that'll do and I do plan to become more brave at some point. Singing and talking to him helped me, someone suggested it on here, its distracting and forces you to breath properly which stopped me from being quite so tense.
 
When they nap I like to just sit and let them look for a minute to digest what's going on. Ride v. quietly but confidently. I let them calm down and if nec wait until they are bored and want to do something. If after a bit they show no interest in moving forward I use forward aids (leg and clicking) v. gradually increasing them. I praise them (verbally) the second they move forward - even if only half a step. If they stop I let them stop. I don't let them turn and if they try to go backwards they get a smack. I then start the whole process again patiently. The timing and clarity of the aids is key. Keep the horse as calm as you can. If they get stressed somewhere at something they can remember that and associate that place with stress/fear for years! After a few times the horse learns that you are calm and persistent and that its just easier and less boring to get on with it. Calm, calm, calm though - did I stress that enough?!!!
If you can get back on them fine and they're not going to pull away from you then I am not against getting off and leading if the situ calls for it. Better to do that and get past the scary thing calmly and quietly.
Good luck :)
 
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When I started hacking my TB out alone it was eeeerm entertaining. I long reined him first along the routes, then took a walker on foot with me - once he had decided that leaving the yard was acceptable..

To finally go fully solo I found that the only way was to trot once we were down the hill from the yard and not walk first otherwise he was too busy looking at all the monsters and thinking he was on his own and he'd end up planting or reversing, not ideal for some but it was the only way! I also try and give him plenty to think about if we're on our own - leg yield/shoulder in/half halts/changes of pace/shallow loops. I do talk a lot to him too and we did best when I was most relaxed and calm :D
 
Thanks for all your excellent advice, there are a lot of points which make complete sense that I hadn’t thought about.
I wouldn’t say my lad has separation anxiety as he is great in the field on his own and when in the stable with no-one else is in or they’re all out before him. I have a feeling he doesn’t have the confidence in me as I’m not the bravest rider, so, I’m going to put biggest bravest pants on and go.
Calm, calm, calm I like this, I’ll sing it I think!
 
Nice! Singing is all good.
The lateral is v. good at also engaging your brain. I had a v. exciting hack in the wind on a youngster the other day involving stampeding young sprightly steers, hounds and a bonfire (hounds and bonfire weren't stampeding!). I am quite preggers now and it frightened me tbh. I used lateral which I thought would get his head in gear and in so doing it also got my hormonal head in gear too and worked a treat. Its great to have something a bit dull to focus on now and then! We are not amazing at lateral by any means but the conversation between us keeps our focus. That is the end of my preggers hacks on the young one - he can winter in the field. Point is - use whatever works to keep both of you on planet earth. Soon you'll be enjoying it!
 
After a couple of scary incidents my boy started napping and being stressy when out alone. I don't have anyone else to ride out with, so I started leading him out in hand with my shetland. Once he calmed down I started alternating walks so he was on his own for one, with shetland the other etc, gradually increasing the walks on his own.

He is doing well, and once I have the time to ride (I'm a single mum to a three year old, very difficult to find someone to watch him while I ride!) I will be walking half of the route and riding back the last bit, then gradually increasing the amount of time I'm riding him until we are riding out the gate :)
 
livingthedream said:
Thanks for all your excellent advice, there are a lot of points which make complete sense that I hadn’t thought about.
I wouldn’t say my lad has separation anxiety as he is great in the field on his own and when in the stable with no-one else is in or they’re all out before him. I have a feeling he doesn’t have the confidence in me as I’m not the bravest rider, so, I’m going to put biggest bravest pants on and go.
Calm, calm, calm I this, I’ll sing it I think!
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I'm not very brave and would much prefer to be in company but I've forced myself to go it alone and it has got easier, I'm even starting to enjoy it! I also sing if I'm getting nervous, it makes me breathe and helps to calm me. Good luck, I'm sure you'll be fine, just do it in small steps.
 
Hi....how old is your horse? Is he 1oo% in company? How long have you owned him?

When you ride do you ride him on a contact up to the bridle? What does he do when he naps?

A lot of horses will whip around and to do that they need to come off the bridle on one side or the other. I currently have a four year old I've had for six weeks and he will come off the right hand and then whip to the right if allowed. His problem is lack of straightness through his body. Soooo......I ensure that he always has a contact with the right rein no matter where his head goes; I use strong left leg to push his shoulder over to straighten and when straight ride strongly forwards with both legs. On some horses in the past I have used a schooling stick in both hands. Also, don't underestimate the power of your voice: a deep Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr when you realise he is thinking about napping and a happy happy good boy when he goes forwards. Keeping him deep/overbent when you foresee an issue also helps.....ie you spot a scary plastic bag in the hedge before he does.

HTH

PS In the past I have used draw reins to maintain a lower head position and control when out hacking alone as an interim measure. If you are comfortable with double reins this may be an option.
 
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I'm hacking my newly broken girlie alone as there are no others here to ride with during the week at least. If your horse is spooking at things ask yourself 'am I scared of it?' chances are you're not so why should he be? Just ride as if there's nothing there and relax more, I'm sure you will find he does too when he's realised it's okay with you. I let my mare stop and look at things, she snorts a lot, googles things and then I try to make it her decision to go and investigate what ever it is, was a mini digger the other day, and temporary traffic lights yesterday, she's very bwave! (but then, their not scary are they?) Try taking an Ipod for music to distract him? Take it slowly and don't get off if you can help it, I swear you always have more control from the top!
 
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I sing.
For miles around you can hear the song of a girl who's stressing out about something her horse hasn't noticed yet or has and doesn't care.

Horsey, horsey dont you stop,
Just let your feet go clippety clop,
Your tail goes swish
And your wheels go round
Giddy up we're homeward bound!
 
William is 10 so he's no spring chicken, I think it's me from the sounds of it.
I think I think, oh no there's a wheelie bin, on no there's a cow etc and I must transfer it to him.

Loving the song choices, I can never think of one at the right time. Sang angels the other day and it was just wrong!
 
Chan said:
If you can do a loop, I used to walk the first half, then jump on and ride home :) He was so busy thinking about going home (not in a naughty way) that he would be more or less ok!
Good luck, I know exactly how you feel as at one point I couldn't even get him onto the drive by himself!! Now we go for miles :D
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Another one who eventually conquered the solo hacking issue! With mine, I had professional help as he'd plant, spin and then threaten to rear - so I needed someone with the right approach to stand back and look at the thing, and then work with me to achieve the goal, i.e. solo hacking.

We started with groundwork, getting a nice, polite, responsive horse on the ground first; then progressed to leading out with me walking beside him, then when the time was right....... did what this poster has done, and unobtrusively hopped on about half way round on a circular ride!

He was fine, and the next time I just got on at the yard mounting block............ and off we went. No problems.

A lot of people said, with mine, that I was wasting my time as "he'd never go out on his own". Well, we proved them wrong! The crux of the issue was when I as his "herd leader" realised that I needed to be just that, someone with whom he was able to feel confident. The rest, after that, was, as they say, easy.
 
Take all this wonderful advice, and stick with it. I couldn't leave the yard about a year ago - it was liek a phobia riding alone, and now we can go anywhere. I let my daughter ride her today, I wouldn't have dreamt of it a year ago. She's so good its almost dull! And remember to report back in a few months and encourage others.
 
Ummm, yes, and OP don't be afraid to ask for professional help either, i.e. someone that will look at both YOU and the horse and work out a solution. The sort of "help" you do NOT need are well-meaning "friends/helpers" who'll offer to come up behind you with a lunging whip......... NO NO NO!!! But you'd be surprised how many "knowledgeable" people who see this as a solution.

Ditto the singing thing..... it relaxes you the rider, and then the horse senses it, so relaxes. I've also tried to remember as many filthy jokes as it was possible to remember, and recite them to myself if His Lordship started to kick off; if you're laughing, you're not tense. Ditto yawning, if you think youself into a yawn (not hard!) then you WILL be relaxed....... :)
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Ummm, yes, and OP don't be afraid to ask for professional help either, i.e. someone that will look at both YOU and the horse and work out a solution. The sort of "help" you do NOT need are well-meaning "friends/helpers" who'll offer to come up behind you with a lunging whip......... NO NO NO!!! But you'd be surprised how many "knowledgeable" people who see this as a solution.

Ditto the singing thing..... it relaxes you the rider, and then the horse senses it, so relaxes. I've also tried to remember as many filthy jokes as it was possible to remember, and recite them to myself if His Lordship started to kick off; if you're laughing, you're not tense. Ditto yawning, if you think youself into a yawn (not hard!) then you WILL be relaxed....... :)
Click to expand...

OT sorry.... But you set me on a yawning marathon just reading about yawning lol!
 
livingthedream said:
Hi all,
Just looking for some tips really to help with hacking alone. My boy is used to going out in company but there is not always someone to ride with at my yard and sometimes I want just to go by myself or go to meet friends at other yards.

My lad gets a bit nappy and spooky on his own, I have had someone walk out with me and that's all good but I want to go it alone.


Any thoughts or advice on how I can overcome this most welcome.

:)
Click to expand...
I would hack up the road then turn round come back, gradually increase it. Have a pedestrian walk with you or a cyclist so he has someone on the ground beside him. Then when you get to have someone hack out 5 or ten minutes behind you in case of difficulties.


Some horses can be worst leaving the yard, could you box up 1/2hr hack away then ride back towards home? to start with.?
 
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