FinkleyAlex
Well-Known Member
I have recently moved to a lovely yard with loads of hacking, including a bridle path that goes alongside a resevoir (which is raised I'm not hacking next to the water!) and over wide flat bridge (not really a bridge, more like where two ditches go under the path to meet) and then does a loop around a small forest. The land belongs to the yard itself so theres no way out other than going back to the yard along the path. At my old yard there was only one track which would go in a loop alongside our fields and the M25, I'd ride and my dad would walk around and my pony of 8 years was always sane and sensible. Previously at a yard before that we hacked around epping forest a little (short 20 mins hack) with dad and he was always fine.
So yesterday as it was such a lovely day and I'd finished schooling I figured I'd take the plunge and take him to the woods, well he was perfect, a lot more forward going than usual (which is a good thing!) and had his ears pricked, seemed to really enjoy it, wasn't strong at all. We did the short loop and then I went to go back onto the path back to the stables and he decided to start napping. The more I asked him to go forwards the more he would walk backwards, he seemed to want to go down any of the other paths but not the one towards the stables. It was only a brief arguement and I got him to go home within 2 minutes.
Today I thought I'd try again so went around the woods, again he was perfect although he did try to turn around down one of the paths and go the opposite direction, there did seem to be a horse noise and I think he wanted to go towards it, but we got over that, got back to the bridge and low and behold he wouldn't go over. My first thought was that he was genuinely scared of something (theres half a plastic bag on a gate - not bothered walking past it and a couple of big stones that might reflect light but thats it) and he nearly ended up backing into a ditch. Again he wanted to go down any path other than the one going home! I had to get off and walk him back down the path and he was fine, got back on halfway down and he started backing up so I had to get off and walk him a bit further and then got back on and he was fine. When he has his tantrum he really gets stressed and goes backwards if I ask him to go forwards, bares his teeth and makes faces whilst nodding his head up and down.
I don't really know anyone well enough here to ask to go in company and he tends to get quite strong with other horses. I don't really know what to do as I had so many hacking plans and its knocked my confidence a bit, I don't want to be miles away from home and for him to decide he doesn't want to go home. I know I'm humanising him a bit but is it possible he just likes hacking so much that he wants to keep exploring, or am I being really stupid
So yesterday as it was such a lovely day and I'd finished schooling I figured I'd take the plunge and take him to the woods, well he was perfect, a lot more forward going than usual (which is a good thing!) and had his ears pricked, seemed to really enjoy it, wasn't strong at all. We did the short loop and then I went to go back onto the path back to the stables and he decided to start napping. The more I asked him to go forwards the more he would walk backwards, he seemed to want to go down any of the other paths but not the one towards the stables. It was only a brief arguement and I got him to go home within 2 minutes.
Today I thought I'd try again so went around the woods, again he was perfect although he did try to turn around down one of the paths and go the opposite direction, there did seem to be a horse noise and I think he wanted to go towards it, but we got over that, got back to the bridge and low and behold he wouldn't go over. My first thought was that he was genuinely scared of something (theres half a plastic bag on a gate - not bothered walking past it and a couple of big stones that might reflect light but thats it) and he nearly ended up backing into a ditch. Again he wanted to go down any path other than the one going home! I had to get off and walk him back down the path and he was fine, got back on halfway down and he started backing up so I had to get off and walk him a bit further and then got back on and he was fine. When he has his tantrum he really gets stressed and goes backwards if I ask him to go forwards, bares his teeth and makes faces whilst nodding his head up and down.
I don't really know anyone well enough here to ask to go in company and he tends to get quite strong with other horses. I don't really know what to do as I had so many hacking plans and its knocked my confidence a bit, I don't want to be miles away from home and for him to decide he doesn't want to go home. I know I'm humanising him a bit but is it possible he just likes hacking so much that he wants to keep exploring, or am I being really stupid