Horses that won't hack - WB trait?

You couldn't enjoy hacking either of my two GS. It's not bubbly excitement, that's my hunter. There is no channelling a forward walk. It's rush-footdrag-rush-footdrag the whole time. And when something upset Jazz it was lethal spin-on-the-spot-from-extended-trot, rear-and-walk-backwards-through-a-fence, wait-50-minutes-cos-I-refuse-to-get-off-to-pass-a-daffodil stuff. You would have to be seriously masochistic to enjoy that kind of performance.

Now my horse I hunt is just what you would like. Forward is his middle name. His default pace is canter on the road and gallop on grass, and you have to ask him to go slower :D

I fear I am masochistic I have the battered body to prove it .
 
My horse is a TB X Hanoverian and she is fine to hack alone and in company, she is new to her yard as haven't had her long and was at her previous yard/with previous owner for 7 years, I do have to lead her up to the end of the lane when going out on a hack as she will not be ridden there (only alone, fine in company), but as soon as I have got to a certain point I can jump on and continue with the ride no problem.
 
I'm coming to the conclusion that the "highly bred athlete" theory may be the right one. Presumably most of the happy hackers in Germany are average horses like most of the happy hackers here. Both my warmbloodswere by Grand Prix sires and were bred to compete at high level. Maybe once you breed for performance like that you get a super-cautious brain too?

Interesting thought, as most of my happy hacking friends and their friends do own a WB of "less fancy breeding" meaning not sired to be the future star for high level competing.
 
Interesting thought, as most of my happy hacking friends and their friends do own a WB of "less fancy breeding" meaning not sired to be the future star for high level competing.

The showjumpers are certainly being bred to be wary of touching a pole, since they altered the rules to use mugh lighter poles a number of years ago. I can see exactly why that would translate into self preservation so strong that it would cause the hacking problems.

My really awful one was KWPN SJ breeding. The one who will hack easily if I tell him to, but just doesn't like it, is dressage bred 3/4Hanoverian/1/4Wesfalian
 
Haa haa I have it all removed except one pin entombed with in my knee and my trusty replacement hip. But scars we could compare scars .

7 inches down the right forearm.
Big lump on the shoulder blade from mended facture.
Lump on mended rib fracture.
Missing lump of muscle from right thigh.
Numerous bent fingers.

Now, you're not allowed to count the hip unless it needed doing because of a horse accident, and to be fair two of mine I wasn't on the horse at the time, but I'll bet you can beat me :mad:
 
I think it largely has a lot to do with their upbringing so far as my WB mare hacks beautifully, she came over at 6months and was hacking from the day she was broken in and is just normal life to her. Not to say breeding doesn't play a part I know some hotheads which do have the 'fiestier' lines but i don't know where they came from initially. My girl is well bred but of Rubenstein lines which I know tend to be calm and have a high level of rideability
 
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