How do you create a solid hacking horse?

[Boulty]

Repetition & building things up in stages starting with leading from the ground if needed or off another sensible horse (although not everyone has access to this). Ideally facing new routes & new challenges with another horse for company at first until you feel confident to try new routes & go further on their own. Introducing lots of novel objects & situations in a safe space like an arena or field first if possible so the horse starts to learn how to deal with the unexpected / that new / weird doesn't have to mean scary.

Saying all this the temperament of the horse is probably going to dictate how totally reliable they become. If the horse is naturally spooky you might have to take coming back & listening after they've spooked as a win rather than expecting to get to the stage where they don't react. (By the end I felt reasonably happy taking the orange one anywhere that wasn't a field full of cows... Still teleported sideways if something caught him by surprise (bits of grass a few inches high waving in the wind could surprise him btw) but didn't follow through with sodding off afterwards at a million miles an hour. Would go through water, past roadworks, over bridges, through overgrown bits, over fallen logs etc but God forbid someone had left their rucksack on the floor!

 

[spotty_pony]

Just go out and expose them to everything you can think of. Start small and build confidence. Hack with another more experienced horse to start with and then on your own. The more the horse sees the better. Also try lots of different rides and go off exploring.

 

[ponynutz]

If you're slightly nervous might it be worth riding horse over some spooky things in the arena that might elicit a response that you're nervous about i.e rearing. Even better if someone else is on the ground. Means you can learn it's not that bad (horses very rarely go over backwards especially with a 'correct' rearing position) and learn how to deal with it/stop it. Then you can be calmer out hacking with horse.

Also if you could find a bit of a hacking schoolmaster to have a ride on if you're not used to hacking (not sure of your background sorry if this bit isn't helpful).

 

[Gingerwitch]

Rider confidence and a will do can do attitude. No aggression just a firm you will do it or sit snd wait it out, rein back, leg yield, jog past, quarters in/out get off and lead, go round again. Finally commitment and praise for every little win.

 

[AntiPuck]

If you're slightly nervous might it be worth riding horse over some spooky things in the arena that might elicit a response that you're nervous about i.e rearing. Even better if someone else is on the ground. Means you can learn it's not that bad (horses very rarely go over backwards especially with a 'correct' rearing position) and learn how to deal with it/stop it. Then you can be calmer out hacking with horse.

Also if you could find a bit of a hacking schoolmaster to have a ride on if you're not used to hacking (not sure of your background sorry if this bit isn't helpful).

Thank you - introducing her to some spooky things in the arena is a great idea.

I don't actually feel nervous riding her and I can deal with any rears ridden (which are more like bunny hops really when napping), it's on the ground that she occasionally rears properly - it's not the rears themselves that bother me, as I've seen them enough times now and can defuse the situation, I only worry that she might do a big one and I startle and accidentally let go of the rope and she gets loose, as our hacking area is reasonably open with one end being a cattle grid straight on to a road, that I wouldn't put it past her to launch herself over. ? She got away from me once in the arena like this, albeit with a short leadrope, and I'd only ever use a long one with her now.

So this is why I have been hesitant to do in-hand hacks, however, willing to try if it will help her, and it sounds like some in-hand de-spooking would help beforehand.

 

[tatty_v]

Our two boys are chalk and cheese hacking - my older boy is a legend, always has been. Nothing really phases him (unless it’s a genuine surprise), he’s a joy to hack alone and in company. Only thing we solved with him was getting over excited seeing horses in the distance. Ironically it was a fun ride that cured that - he rushed to catch up with the group in front then decided he didn’t like them after all ?

Our newer boy (13 year old IDx with limited life experience) is not so reliable. Traffic etc is fine but NATURE in its many forms can prompt dramatic spooks out of nowhere. We persevere, but tbh I saw him spook himself in the field the other day so I suspect he’ll always have a touch of the amateur dramatics about him ?

 

[rextherobber]

I take mine out in-hand in a bridle, hold the reins and use them individually, like you would onboard. I would avoid using reining back in anything which was inclined to rear, keep them going forward, or forward and sideways. If you walk them out in full tack, you can always hop on.

 

[scats]

Rider confidence in their ability to handle hacking issues is key. Then just lots of small circular routes to build up confidence and the time and patience to wait out any napping or silly behaviour.
A good nanny horse can be useful, but to be honest, I’ve always expected everything to go out alone from day one, whether that’s a youngster or something a bit older.
The confidence to not be phased by things is also key. Teaching horses to hack well can often include some difficult moments that you must do your best to navigate safely, without getting the horses adrenaline up any more than necessary. There have been many times over the years when I’ve really been tested by horses out hacking, but my outward persona has had to be chilled and completely unconcerned (even if my brain is thinking that I can’t wait to get this lunatic back home!)

 

[Jango]

I think rider confidence is key too, although I don't think you can stop a spooky horse from spooking, you can get to the point of spook and continue. All the horses I've ever regularly ridden hack alone, mostly very well behaved but one (of 6) was still spooky, but I didn't mind. With youngsters I do a lot of long reining around our yard/tracks to the field to give them confidence to go and good with voice commands, then once I'm on and they are walk/trot in the school, I do a very short circular hack with a friend once or twice, then the next day crack on and do it myself, they are mostly fine, but if not I repeat the same route until they have chilled about it. Then do a new route with a friend, same route alone. After that I just hack them different places alone and odd hacks in company too. I don't get off in difficultly as I'm only short and I feel a lot more in control on board. But I'm a confident rider and don't mind silly behaviour, I just ignore it and continue with my hack!

I'm on a huge livery yard and 99% of the issues hacking are weak/nervous riders who aren't insisting go means go, the horses don't have confidence in their rider and it gets worse from there. Endless hacking behind other horses doesn't build horse confidence in my opinion, it just creates horses who aren't listening to you and are just following their mates.

Both my current horses are brilliant to hack, but I've had them since youngsters and they don't know napping is an option!

 

[oldie48]

I totally agree with those of you have said rider confidence is key and would like to take it a bit further, it's also about being able to have the horse on the aids and listening to the rider. I'm happy for people to disagree with me but hacking is just another "job" that the horse does, albeit pleasurable for the rider and hopefully the horse too, but it's still a "job" and the training that the rider puts in place for going XC or doing a dressage test is just as relevant to taking a horse for a hack down the road or across the fields. Some horses are more laid back than others, some can be very reactive but they all benefit from getting out and about but you can't introduce them to everything that might "upset" them so you need to train them to listen to the rider rather than let the flight response kick in.

 

[TPO]

At the end of the day it's simple (not to be confused with easy!) because all that is basically required is walking in the direction that the rider asks.

Generally speaking we expect and accept too little from horses. Oh the halt was nearly square, he almost went where I wanted, it only took 6 strides to transition kinda thing... As riders we should be more black and white and only accepting correct from standing tied up to advanced riding.

Ambers Echo wrote a good post about it after she had been to a Buck Brannaman clinic.

You (generic) don't have to think to hard to think of horses doing things that seem impossible. For example there are trail horses riding up mountains and along very narrow mountain edge paths and over rope Bridges. Not for me ? but if those horses can't be trained to do thst surely ours (generic) can walk along a standard trail.

Obviously there are unknown issues like traffic, birds etc but if densensitising is done as part of the groundwork and then under saddle at home then it's possible to keep control of the horses legs, specifically hinds, should anything happen out hacking.

Also making sure that the horse is in front of the leg and understands (& responds accordingly) to aids in a safe environment before hitting the highway.

Then there's a lot to be said for going out and coming back with a wet saddle pad i.e. putting miles on a horse but seems a bit rash to do it o a horse that doesn't know the basics and/or doesn't respond as directed in a safe environment

 

[Polos Mum]

Trec clinics might be great for you - deliberately practicing scary things in a controlled way - you can do these in hand too - to start with.

I think in hand / voice control is key - if you're not happy leading her that lack of confidence will transfer when ridden.

Lead her in a bridle with a lunge line - hat and hi vis on and gloves and start doing the smallest loop you can 15 mins ideally - round and round if you have to so it becomes boring and you get confidence leading her.

I lead all mine out like dogs for months around housing estates, we go up to skips / dustbins / fly tipped rubbish etc etc. we stop and sniff and i give them a pony nut for touching "scary" stuff if we find a parked lorry or tractor all the better. I stop to talk to kids and barking dogs and cyclists
People in the housing estate think I am mad - but it really works.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Take a back pack for your long lines and Longline out get on then hack back. I’ve been doing this for Faran with and without company and now we are just heading out on our own now.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Thank you - introducing her to some spooky things in the arena is a great idea.

I don't actually feel nervous riding her and I can deal with any rears ridden (which are more like bunny hops really when napping), it's on the ground that she occasionally rears properly - it's not the rears themselves that bother me, as I've seen them enough times now and can defuse the situation, I only worry that she might do a big one and I startle and accidentally let go of the rope and she gets loose, as our hacking area is reasonably open with one end being a cattle grid straight on to a road, that I wouldn't put it past her to launch herself over. ? She got away from me once in the arena like this, albeit with a short leadrope, and I'd only ever use a long one with her now.

So this is why I have been hesitant to do in-hand hacks, however, willing to try if it will help her, and it sounds like some in-hand de-spooking would help beforehand.

If it's on the ground, I'd say take it back a few steps and work on that.

Maybe look at having a lesson or session with ground work trainers - there are lots about, all slightly different styles but all should be able to help you work on improving your relationship on the ground and confidence to deal with her moments (and hopefully how to avoid them at all).

This is where I found groundwork in the arena - it's really easy to assume that leading through poles, making a bridge or ditch out of tarpaulin or walking through a corridor of flags orvwhatever is a bit pointless l, but I found it really relatable to the 'really world. OK, so you might not ever have to walk through a pool of plastic bottles followed by a pool noodle squeeze and then back up between two poles in the 'really world but if you can both learn to calmly cope with change in footing, narrower spaces then having to get off to lead past dumped rubbish with a lorry parked opposite becomes less of a big deal. Or at least, it did to me.

I know what you mean about them getting away, my native used to (and occasionally still does (but not to the same degree) ?) manage to get away on the ground regularly.

Knowing I could get off and have control on the ground really helped. I'd go as far to say, I personally wouldn't want to hack my horse knowing I couldn't get him to back up in-hand, lead past scary stuff and basically know how to still work as a team even in a challenging situation when adrenaline is up. I know that's not for everyone, though.

It can feel a step backwards going back to basics on the ground - and we certainly had a few comments at the time but funnily enough now the comments I get are that I'm one of the 'lucky' ones with a great hacking horse ?

 

[Leandy]

Make sure they are started well and obedient to the aids. This means some time in the school even for a hacking horse although you can, and should, school on hacks too. Repetition, repetition, repetition - introduce new experiences all the time so it is not a surprise and insist on obedience. Using a "nanny" horse to set a good example to start, and periodically, but not for so long that going alone becomes a scary new thing. Get them going confidently with a nanny horse (especially in traffic) and then just expect the same whether they are on their own, in company etc etc. Also, and very importantly as others have said, A CONFIDENT RIDER WHO JUST GETS ON WITH IT AND DOESN'T LOOK FOR TROUBLE. I would also add, don't take too long over getting going, just get on with it and expect them to take it in their stride and they probably will. There is too much over cautious faffing with younger horses these days. Absolutely give them time to mature and understand ie don't cut corners in the preparation and training, but that doesn't mean spending years on "ground-work" and "de-sensitising" and other buzz words. Don't teach them to be cautious, teach them to be bold.

 

[Tarragon]

Don't teach them to be cautious, teach them to be bold.

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