Horse freezes out hacking?

[canteron]

So what do you do. My horse sometimes just freezes out hacking, and nothing I can do will get his attention - not pony club kicks or sharp 'hellos' with the rein.

As I don't want the horse to turn around ( he would like to turn around and gallop home) I put all my focus into keeping him straight, sitting properly and breathing. But I never feel as if I am that effective.

Any suggestions from any braver riders?

 

[skydancer]

Hi, whatever you do dont get into a fight with him - if pushed too hard he may rear. My horse plants sometimes like this and if they plant themselves properly nothing you do will make him go forward they can rear so be very careful! The best thing to do is sit quietly talk to him and stroke him, tell him he is a good boy but be prepared for him to attempt to spin ( if he is that type) and eventually he will come out of his "trance". I know it can test the nerves but be strong and positive

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

When our youngster used to plant we tried alsorts of tricks

1) tight turns, and I mean his nose on my knee then when hes disorientated walk on past or reverse past (effective but I got dizzy)

2) sitting quietly for an hour ( not effective)

3) jumping off and leading past object ( very effective)

4) smack on the bum ( pointless makes things worse)

5) whip whopping him with the reins like a cowboy ( very effective broke him out of the trance)

Rule is whatever you try always make sure you win and if you start something be prepared for a long battle, we had one awful ride where he was leaping up banks rather than go past gave him a week off and next time he was fine on that ride, so I would say not everything has to be a battle, they do have off days.

I found getting off and leading fast and effective and now he doesn't plant at all.

You can help greatly with preventing plants by riding your horse in your hands and heels, don't be letting him eyeball over the hedges etc riding him on the buckle, make sure he is only listening to you and marching forward in a very active walk, a horse who is allowed to daydream and look about will spook!

 

[canteron]

Thanks for your very useful replies. I think you are right next time I will probably just get off and get past - the longer he plants the more tense he becomes despite my best efforts to be happy and calm, so that is probably the best solution!!

 

[loisb501]

A yard i used to work on had a tb that hated donkeys, and couldn't stand to walk past the field of donkeys on the way to the field and used to plant, rear, spin whenever you tried to force him past. In the end getting off and leading was the safest option until he got used to the donkeys! getting back on was normally a pain

 

[Tammytoo]

Getting off and leading is the safest and most effective option. Don't even start to try and force him, just get off, lead him past the "scary" thing and get back on. By doing this you also establish yourself as the leader.

It's also a lot less stressful for you!

 

[starryeyed]

Is he freezing because he's spooked by something he doesn't want to walk past or is he freezing because he just doesn't want to continue with the ride & wants to go home?
If he's freezing because he's spooked, is he young and genuinely worried or is he taking the p*ss?!

I have one that constantly used to plant on rides, purely cos he was a horrible thing who thought he'd "done enough". Nothing would move him, we were once stuck for 2 hours in the middle of a road because he wouldn't shift! Just stood there with his head in the air, foot rested with a mule-like expression on his face - "make me"! He doesn't do it anywhere near as much as he used to now, but I've found the most effective thing is to do VERY tight circles - his nose to your toe, holding the inside rein with both hands if you have to, turn, turn, turn and then suddenly kick on in a straight line so that he's a bit disorientated and is more likely to go forward as he's so fed up of going in circles. If he plants again, repeat. Was the only thing that got mine moving, and even then it took a while. Once he understood what was happening though (circles until he stepped forward), he did give in sooner. I realise you said you don't want to turn him incase he spins & heads back, but remember that he has to follow his nose in order to bomb off, and if his neck is bent with his nose on your foot he can't do that. Hope my explanation made some vague sense!
I wouldn't try and push him forwards if you have any doubts about what he might do - if he's really not wanting to go, he may do as mine did and buck/rear if you put any pressure on him to step forwards - squeezing or tapping with the whip. So circling is always best. If you really need to get out of a situation (on a road with cars coming for example), you can get off and lead him past whatever he doesnt like if you know he'll follow, but I wouldn't rely on this every time because he needs to learn to go past things without you dismounting and helping him past, or he will expect it every time. And it doesn't necessarily always work - when I got off mine to get him out of the way of oncoming traffic, it made absolutely no difference when i got off him, he'd just stand where he was before, and i think that unless you know your horse well, you're safer onboard just incase it bolts for home. But they're obviously not all the same, I dismount from our other horse if something's really spooked him because I've known him my whole life and know that if i get off he won't spin and run for home!
Does he do it when he's out with other horses or just when he's alone? Could just be that he's insecure and hacking out with another could help him with his phobias?

 

[Nari]

I sit & talk & scratch his withers until he's comes to, but then mine is always due to fear not naughtiness. As others have said trying to push him forward or snap him out of it just makes matters a hundred times worse as he'll panic - standing his ground is a sign he's trying to fathom it out & is a huge improvement on past reactions! Personally I don't get off this horse & lead for two reasons 1) he's too nig for me to get back on & 2) I feel I have more control on board than on the ground.

 

[Snowysadude]

No help but this is quite useful as mine has just started planting, hes never really been spooky so its just pure rudeness and I have had him 2 years now with plenty of hacking - been having to get a lead off of another horse or any passing walkers to get him going again . Unfortunately being the incredibly dominant one in the field anything I am hacking with seems to copy him and some horses I have known for years and they never did anything like this!

We were wondering if its got something to do with having more energy and so pushing boundaries as all the horses that copy are on some new haylage which was described by the farmer as "like rocket fuel".....