how many of your horses only hack in company?

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Walder

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At last ive been able to get on here after nearly throwing my computer through the window in frustration!!
Any way........... this weekend Dealer and I had our 1st 'blip' i thought id try to get him to the muck heap and back on his own but he had other ideas and refused to go! He kept going backwards and backing into the gate and going round and round - i thought he might lift his front legs up so eventually i got off led him sonrting like a dragon and jumping along the track then turned round and came back. Now he goes up that track quite a lot since ive had him with other horses and is perfectly fine and whilst i accept that is is early days and he is not used to hacking much i have a sneeky feeling he is not scared but trying it on! I think a lot of it was me not riding him forward strongly enough but i just wanted to ask - How many of your horses dont hack on their own - not because the owners want company - but because of napping ect they physcially wont/cant?
would be interesting to see how many?
(But i still think he is the most perfect lovely boy!!! Will have to enlist the help of my instuctor on this one!!!)
xxxx
 
Hmmm...mine doesn't hack at all!
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Not on the roads, anyway. He naps, even in company, so I'm working on sorting him out off-road at the moment.

I did manage to get him to go round the 20 acre field next to the yard on his own the other day and I as sooo pleased with myself - I think I just need to persevere and figure out how to handle it. I've tried smacking, shouting, spurs, turning in circles, but all of that makes him worse. The best course of action I have found is to be quiet, but firm - not put too much pressure on him, but not let him back away from the situation, either. You ever know, one day we might manage to hack safely!

I'm sure you'll sort him out - he's probably sizing you up to see what he can get away with
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Do you ride him with a stick?

As you say, it's early days, I'm sure you'll get there. My pony can try it on but I just have to be firm (although I don't like hacking alone anyway!).
 
When I first got Whisky he napped like crazy if I hacked him on his own. Little half rears backing into hedges and ditches going sideways...you name it he did it. He was also very spooky and would shoot sideways into the road for no apparent reason. Very scary to ride oput alone but much better in company. I am as stubborn as him and persevered with him until now he is fine in company or alone. Keep at it you'll get there eventually!!!
 
horse i bought a few months ago saying he wont go out on his own - he is 7, and mainly just done hunting, so used to being in a pack.

Will school on his own, and travel on his own, quite happily. Will also lead a ride, but being a bit spooky, not to bad tho.

Slowly getting used to him going out on his own. First time, just out the drive then back again - no probs. Second time, same, third, was aiming for accross the road, round a field, then back again. Had a few paddys, rearing in the road, running off home, but turned him back everytime,

Eventually got him in the field, and walked him round. He was as good as gold, and didnt spook at anything.

will be a long way of getting him confident out on his own, but its a start.
 
Mine does - not as confident on his own as he is in company and is def more spooky alone but he will do it
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He never used to!! I don't know if you read my post "before andAfter" but he used to spin, buck rear....etc so he didn't have to hack on his own
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But he will now and is perfectly fine to do so! He doesn't spook doesn't buck, rear...etc I can actaully enjoy myself now! Although i don't have the choice not to hack on my own!
 
Mine hacks alone when I take him out (which isnt often) but is a lot spookier than when in company. Although on the rare occasions I do hack with someone else he strides out in front and pulls horrible faces if they try to overtake, so I may as well be riding alone !
I found that finding a short ride and repeating it until it became predictable worked, then gradually going further afield. Good luck, Im sure you will get it sorted.

PS. For genuinely nervous horses I have found that Nupafeed seems to work really well and just take that edge off them
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I've just started riding blade on his own, i tried a couple of months ago but he wasnt ready. If he isnt overly spooky I'd just take my time and when you feel ready attempt to go on your own. If it doesnt happen dont push yourself too hard or you'll make more problems. The first time i took blade on his own he was a pig to be honest but i knew when we got down the lane he wasnt ready so just brought him back. You'll know the difference between scared and messing!
 
As soon as I got my mare I insisted she was to hack out on her own. She is also great in company, I think because I have kept on top of her from the start she has been good. If she ever started feeling like she wanted to stop etc she was sent forward etc. It is lovely to have a horse that is good to hack out on their own. I took mine for a lovely 3 hour ride yesterday a place she has never been with others, let alone on her own but we had a fab ride
 
I ride alone most of the time, and have no issues.

Our new loan boy, who had been napping with his owner after a few months off, has been out alone this week too, as we felt it best to ensure he understood what was expected of him early in our relationship! He was good as gold!
 
All of mine hack alone, as I have no one else to ride with!

However have had a few fights with the babies, as especially one, definitely didn't want to leave the farm (although fine in our own fields)

You just need determination and for the horse to accept its normal.
 
Is there not a small block you could go round by yourself because I would of said ideally going up the track and back is not ideal because he is expecting to be able to turn round to come back at some point and he is going to chose sooner rather than later to turn back becoming a nap. At least if you go round a block he always has to go forward to get to the destination! Make sure you persevere, I would only go out by yourself for the time being so he thinks that this is the only option and that he doesn't have to go everywhere with his friends. And how every many hours it takes be persistant and he will give in eventually- he has probably begun to get to testing time and this will set the boundaries for your future relationship.
 
Baron naps on his own. I can take him out at a push, I have to take him backwards off the yard then talk to him the whole way, he can still nap but I am confident enough to work through it now. I sometimes have to get off and lead him for a bit if he naps on the road, but I rather that than take him home.

It has taken a lot of heartache and stress to get him out of his napping, I nearly sold him it was that bad. Im really proud of him now, and although he is likely to always nap, hes not half as bad now and I can cope with it.

He is perfect in company if he is behind.

On the way home he is fine on his own and will lead in company.
 
I am very lucky, my boy will go out alone and in company, and is really no different either way.
He will go anywhere, anytime
Bless his cotton socks. I had a mare who would not leave the yard alone, so know how frustrating it can be!!
I never take for granted what i have now
 
Couldnt get mine out of the yard when I first got him as a 5 year old, but after LOTS of hard work at determination we can now go out for hours no problems. Hes also fine in company and will happily go first or last
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poppy is a cow by her self, i do manage to get her to go eventually but a normal hour ride will take 3! i don't give up tho once its in my head she is goin lol!! its very frustrating tho
 
i couldnt imagine anything worse personally, i love riding on my own, all my lot are good with or without company
 
My horse will go out on his own if it is a route he knows and doesn't involve going on the road. But I try and avoid it if I want to go to a new place as even in company he is bright in new suroundings.
Find it very frustratating as my old horse was a gem on his own and I could go any where I wanted and he never ever turned a hair, infact he was better on his own as he raced when with others.
 
My horse mainly hacks with company, but he is gradually getting braver, have managed to take him out on his own if my dad walks along side not sure I would risk it though without someone else walking!
 
My horse Jerry is always a bit nappy for about the first mile when he is on his own but after that he settles down and will go anywhere - new places, open fields etc. He was very nappy when I first had him in July but I think that was a bit of insecurity. With some perseverence and NOT turning him back - always go round a 'block' and never let him turn a circle - just being very patient and keep encouraging him formward, you will overcome this problem I am sure. It worked for Jerry - I always took a stick but only used it as a last resort when I knew he was messing about, not genuinely frightened.
 
My two hack alone/in company anywhere you want both 100% on the roads as we took them out hacking on the roads pretty much everyday from the age of 3 1/2yo to 4 1/2yo - we didn't have an arena then!
 
None. All of my horses hack out alone or in company perfectly. I couldn't be bothered and wouldn't tolerate with a horse who won't go out alone.
 
All of mine hack out on their own - with our set-up it is essential they do so and I wouldn't consider taking on any horse that didn't.
 
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