How much hacking in company before you go it alone????

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jumpthemoon

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I've been battling with my horse to get out hacking - before Christmas I'd stopped hacking completely because even in company he would nap and spin and rear and generally be a pain in the bum. I moved yards before Christmas and then about 8 weeks ago decided to be brave and take him out with YO on her horse.

He's come on so well - we're going out at least once a week and he's been really good - not even thought about napping most of the time. He's getting braver in that if YO's youngster stops at something, he'll now walk past it (he used to slam on the brakes as soon as the other horse stopped).

Last time we went out I asked him to go out in front for a while and he was a bit hesitant, but he did it for a bit. Then he saw something in front that he didn't like and stopped, backed up, mini rears etc. I gave him a couple of good PC kicks and we carried on, so I know he still isn't 100% confident and we'll have issues on our own.

My dilemma is that I want to get him hacking alone. My OH is too busy at the moment to come out on his bike with me, so that's out of the question for a couple of months. Will continuing to go out in company keep building his confdence or is there only so much you can do in company? Is 6-8 weeks of hacking out 1/2 times a week a reasonable amount of time to expect a spooky/lacking confidence type horse to be braver? Should I carry on taking him out in company until OH can come on his bike?

I don't want to end up getting to next winter and not be able to hack out on my own. What do you think?
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Personally, I would carry on in company until he is happy and confident doing the entire ride in the lead.

I started mine off on her own by having the lead horse set off 10-15 mins before me, then I'd catch up so the rest of the ride would be easy for her.
My lead horse was slow, so I didn't have to ask her to wait, but if there's somewhere safe for your lead horse to wait for you, then that would be good!

Only do a very short ride on your own to begin with, and gradually build it up.

It took me 12 months of hacking 3 times a week, in company and alone, before my mare really became confident out hacking by herself.
 
I'd probably wait a little longer until he is a little more confident going in front and willing to take the lead for most of the hack with company, and then give it a try. Stick to just one or two familiar routes to start with. In some ways, the longer you hack out with someone the more he will get used to it, so you need eventually to strike out on your own, but your safety is most important, and nicer weather is on the way (so I am told) so there's no immediate rush.

With mine, when he spooks and plants, and threatens to go up, I have learnt just to sit quietly and wait it out. I don't try to force him past things as it just frightens him more. Once he has calmed down, I can usually encourage him forward in his own time. Works for mine!

Also have you considered long-reining him out for confidence? Only worth trying if you have nice quiet roads though and someone to help. I walked behind and had a friend to walk first in front, then along side, then eventually behind with me, and finally on my own.
 
Thanks Fairhill - I don't want to take him out if he's not going to be ready to deal with it and it's going to put him off. We'll be going out a lot more now the light nights are here so hopefully that will help
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I took my boy out for a hack alone last night. I've just got back riding after an enforced 8 month break and my horse hasn't hacked alone for nearly 2 years. It was a bit of a nightmare to be honest, with lots of napping and spooking. I also have to hack alone most of the time and we have no steady horse to go out with. He's ok in the school.

I've decided that I'm going to take it slowly and just go a little bit further each time I hack out until we do the whole hack. If you have sensible company I would keep hacking with them for a while longer, just until confidence levels increased. Don't rush it, just do what you feel comfortable with an what you can cope with.
 
llewelyn - thanks for the reply. I think you are probably right about getting him to go in front for most of the ride etc so I'll try that next time we go out.

With the rearing/napping, kicking him on is the best way to deal with him or he just starts to take the p. If you don't get him going forward he turns round and tries to clear off home - I've worked through it with an instructor and am confident I can handle it when it happens - I'd just rather it didn't!

It is a confidence thing so I'd like him to build that up rather than have to bully him round a hack, as he seems to be enjoying hacking. I wouldn't fancy long reining on the roads, as although I've done plenty of long reining before, I don't think I'd be able to nip the rearing/napping in the bud as quickly as I can when I'm riding and I think it would end up being dangerous.
 
Ryu was never brave and I usually hacked in company he was very insecure alone, he got more and more confident with the other horses so we started getting him out with OH on the bike and he was fine if a little bit attached to the bike (aw) so I started taking him little hacks round the farm on his own and down the road and schooling him in the field away from anything else and by the time he was sold he was a confident hack in both comany and alone, if I were you I would wait till your OH can get out on the bike its a great stepping stone then perhaps aim for being able to go it alone by the end of the summer.
 
what about trying to hack him out in company repeatedly on a safe short-ish route (in the lead). Build up his confidence on this route and then try that route on your own (when ready).
 
i hacked my chap out in company for about six months everyday with him sometimes taking the lead sometimes behind,then when he was confident doing that just up the road and back gradualy going further afield as his confidence grew.i also made a point of going out at the crack of dawn so i didnt have to much traffic to deal with,it only took about a month of this now his happy whatever we do!!!
 
Thanks everyone - it sounds promising anyway!
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Judging from what has been said I think he would be better off if I kept going in company for another couple of months and let him go in front more, to build up his confidence. I'll wait til OH can come on his bike (so he can scrape me up off the floor if necessary!
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) before I go on our own. I'm just impatient lol!
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My advice would be to hack him out in company at least once a day for at least a couple of hours a day for the next 3 months to make it part of his daily routine and get him chilled out about it. Then start taking him out on his own and where possible always make it a circular route.

When riding him out always wear Hi-Viz including a hat band. If you are going out on the roads take the BHS Road Safety Course and Exam as this will give you some valuable tools for when riding out.
 
Thanks Owlie185 - I can only really hack out in company as often as there is company to go out with - which unfortunately is only 1/2 times a week. Plus I do need to work him in the school etc as his 'job' is SJ - the hacking is something secondary to that. I'll be going out more in the summer I hope, though. I always wear hi-vis and I took my BHS exams at college.

I'll try and get him out more often - there may be some new people moving to our yard so I might be able to tag along with them
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