I Need To Grow Some!!

Lydz13

Lydz13

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First hack alone.. Idiot horse reverses into ditch because a tractor (she came from a farm and lives on a farm) tried to eat her. Same tractor on way back - clearly not a horse eater because she stood still but trying to make her walk past the lane it went down resulted in 100 mile an hour reverse up the hill, despite using my leg.

Grrr.

Cue me - panicking damn thing is going to buck/rear/bolt (in actual fact she didn't attempt any of those) when what I should have done is sat up, growled and used my whip.

My friend said I did very well to stay on, and not end up on her neck... Must grow some cajones and sort her out! And she is bl**dy green. Grass green.
 
Idiot horse reverses into ditch because a tractor (she came from a farm and lives on a farm) tried to eat her
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LOL.
Sorry, I shouldn't laugh, but you put it so amusingly! :D ;)

My mare once had a paddy because she saw a cow trotting about (it may have even cantered a few strides) three fields away. She snorted at it, huffing, puffing, tail up and everything... and yes, you guessed it she lived at a farm with lots of cows. :p
 
LOL I can laugh! It's my fault, and her fault. She's green & I'm rusty!

She's in season, the wind is blowing, there was a TERRIFYING, ENORMOUS, MONSTROUS crisp packet blowing around and idiot horse reversed with a uuuuuuuuuh, yeah, me no likey stuff you Mum!!
 
:D

Horses are so brave and yet really wimpy at the same time.

I may have mentioned before (*coughs* lots of times *coughs*) that my mare doesn't like Alpacas. She did once on the same ride have a paddy at the Alpacas and then walk calmly past a very noisy tractor and hedge cutter with the cuttings flying about!
 
How strange!! I must admit I've never had a reverser before, quite uncomfortable! I turned her round so she could see it, relaxed and sat with as little contact as possible, started humming to myself, but no, we went backwards (she was sold to me as a stop type LOL)

The second reverse, after the tractor had been past, was ridiculous! She stood there, I wouldn't say calm but she did stand still and then as I asked her forwards, we went backwards!! Erm then I panicked a little. What does yours do?
 
Sympathise! We went out today and Monty was mostly a star - played nanny-horse to our mates to walk past some terrifying horse-eating white bales... Monty didn't even flinch at them. They both walked straight past a tractor with harvester attachment which was working in the field beside the track and driving towards them noisily. We then passed a JCB which was working alongside a cement-mixer. Not a bother at all - huge big clunky noisy moving machines can't hurt our brave horses.

But then we got to the calves. Now, Monty's over 17 hands of drafty ISH but these calves could definitely have had him in a fight. They LOOK all cute and cuddly and sweet and tiny, but they were definitely up to something and had secret superpowers to fell my big boy with one glance. And yes, he also sees calves every day at the moment in the field opposite his :rolleyes: Fortunately they were towards the end of the hack and we'd done a lot of trotting up hills and cantering along beautiful tracks, so the most he could be bothered to do was goggle at them and stop a couple of times. But they WERE evil, honest!
 
Ah yes. Darco is hyped because I'm starting to bring her back into work after a fracture. Unfortunately, I can't lunge her as a result. I'm wondering if I ought to hack out in company for a while but this won't deal with the issue and we will need to hack out on our own at least 50% of the time.

I don't know how much of it to put down to new surroundings/green/in season and being stupid?
 
My mare has got alot better, but her problem really is a lack of confidence. She is a nervous horse and even if you just watch the herd grazing in the field, she will spend alot more of her time on 'look out' and spooking at stuff (eg. 'Eeek! A pheasant.' Other horses, 'nom, nom, nom' :rolleyes: )

In her time she's thrown alot at me. Napping with spinning, rearing, backing up and bucking thrown in. Also rushing past things and a weird creeping walk (think of how a cat lowers itself to try to creep past something scary). She's also pretty good at the sideways leap and has even leapt up steep banks sideways in a single, sudden bound and has a sliding stop that would make a western horse envious. Luckily I adore her and I've not ever been scared to ride her, she amuses me and I probably sound like a loon, 'come on, the flowers wont eat you' as she frantically trots past some cowslips. :p

I honestly think that my youngster will be a calmer ride.
 
I hate reversers!!!!
Ah whoever mentioned the dreaded horse-eating cows....:rolleyes:

Picture this; riding out one day lovely hack. Me on Kelly, my mum - who hadn't ridden for 20 odd years and decided to take on a stubborn 5 y/o piebald - and Kelly's owner on her (then) very green youngster.
Casually meandering past a field of young Friesian cows....the black and white ones. They stopped eating, looked up, clocked the piebald and all came flying over cue the youngster having a "stand-and-stare-in-terror" moment, Kelly doing her best fire-breathing dragon impression and Sam (piebald), the mistaken cow, reversing in terror!

Another time, I was riding out said youngster from above (some years later, now 10) and just leaving the yard as a lone cow came trotting past us - now bearing in mind she lives on the yard, with the cows, this was mind-blowing for her. Well and truly petrifying. She jumped, trembled, snorted, danced, threw her head about, went backwards, sideways and eventually calmed down...
So you can only imagine as the rest of the herd followed it moments later...:eek:

I need to grow some when it comes to cows as I seem to have terribly bad luck with them!!
Mind you, we've come across some sights on hacks; a helicopter just landing next to us in a field literally a hedge away, a lone man with a shotgun hiding from us and following every time we weren't looking and a new favourite, Dyson insulation vans, with their huge pipes going into house windows and making loud Noo-Noo style noises!!:o

Our horses should be bomb proof...
K x
 
Ted used to do that when he saw random scary things.

I even got off once and led him passed a bit further up the road u thought.... Do u know what I am not getting off again... Gave him 3 quick smacks with the whip and he was fine! Im honestly surprised he didn't do anything back. So now when he starts he just gets told off and we have no problems. You'll get there in the end.

I used to have a reverser, so annoying. Went all the way up a track once... Think he wanted to turnaround but I wouldn't let him! Haha!

:)
 
I'm grateful for the replies! Is reversing more likely to lend to other issues such as bucking etc? I'm actually more concerned about bolting!! I thought, at the time, to use my whip, but because Idiot is recovering from a fracture, I do NOT want her running off! However, obv she cannot continue reversing whenever she panics! I do not want to be sat in a ditch every time we go out! Once she's reversed up to something and can't go further, she'll then take the time to look and calms herself. Grrr big stumbling block, otherwise she's lovely. As for the plastic bags, have tied them to all her fences lol in the hope she might view them as a bit more benign..
 
KellysHeroes said:
Mind you, we've come across some sights on hacks; a helicopter just landing next to us in a field literally a hedge away, a lone man with a shotgun hiding from us and following every time we weren't looking and a new favourite, Dyson insulation vans, with their huge pipes going into house windows and making loud Noo-Noo style noises!!:o

Our horses should be bomb proof...
K x
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WTF was the man and shotgun about???? I'd have dismounted, chased him right into the hedge whilst screaming "pervert!" and battered him with my whip.. I might be tiny but I have been informed I'm very scary when yelling!!

Uh oh... Maybe Darco and I are more suited than I was beginning to think... She reverses, I bolt!!! LMAO
 
Lydz13 said:
WTF was the man and shotgun about???? I'd have dismounted, chased him right into the hedge whilst screaming "pervert!" and battered him with my whip.. I might be tiny but I have been informed I'm very scary when yelling!!
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Lmao!! Well we were riding on the grass trail around a large field belonging to the farmer with a tiny patch of woodland in the middle - it was just going dusk, we were about 40 mins from home (normal in those days to be riding out so late!).
We spotted a LandRover backed into a small gap in the hedge covered with branches ??? :rolleyes: cue us thinking hmmmm...
Next thing one of the horses spooked, and the other just wouldn't settle so as we're trying to figure out what the hell she's seen, we see this guy in full camo gear with a shotgun, dipping and diving between trees in this little woody area, watching us and hiding every time we turned...
needless to say we cantered the rest of the path back onto the road!!
K x
 
Try riding with two schooling whips (test in an enclosed area first). One in each hand and rotate your wrists to flap them up and down like wings. If you need to, you can touch the horse's shoulders on the downwards stroke but I find that flapping them fast (so they make a noise) and not touching the horse works better for my mare. It sends her smartly forwards. :) I also make sure that I release the pressure on her mouth by giving slightly on the reins when she reverses. It might be worth putting a neckstrap (if you don't have a martingale) on her, so that you don't ever 'catch' her mouth when she does move forwards. :)
 
Lydz13 said:
Um who was a naughty boy then?? At least it was a shotgun rather than traps.. I hope he knew where his safety catch was!! :D
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Haha that is true.
What he thought he was upto I have no idea and I don't think I want to know!!
K x
ETA as for reversing - the reverser I ride, does NOT stop when she reaches ditches/fences/etc! I tend to find sitting straight and steady, and sending her on gently with my legs and minimum fuss is my best bet - but all horses are different - my p/l mare when she naps, needs to be stopped as quickly and quietly as possible, stood still for a moment and then start from scratch whereas others as horse above need to be urged on!
 
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Thanks Faracat, I said as soon as I got back to the yard that I should have put a neck strap on so yes very sensible. I tensed and pulled back on reins as she reversed.. Nothing like giving a horse mixed signals eh?? My friend immediately launched into the stronger bit theme but she's perfectly sensitive to my hands, and when reversing will respond to direction control, also don't have a problem slowing her down so I don't think that'll go anywhere towards solving anything! Tbf she also disagreed about putting the flash on her but Darco walks around doing the village idiot impression with her head twisted sideways if she can open her mouth and fiddle!

We also spent much of the (very short) hack with her head straining towards the hedgerows, so she is waiting for the spooky thing to happen already! I did wonder if blinkers would help but I have no experience with them??
 
Lydz13 said:
My friend immediately launched into the stronger bit theme but she's perfectly sensitive to my hands, and when reversing will respond to direction control, also don't have a problem slowing her down so I don't think that'll go anywhere towards solving anything!

We also spent much of the (very short) hack with her head straining towards the hedgerows, so she is waiting for the spooky thing to happen already! I did wonder if blinkers would help but I have no experience with them??
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I agree with you, a stronger bit would not help.

I've never known anyone (except for jockeys) ride horses with blinkers. Maybe she was eyeing up the tasty hedge? Cow parsley is growing along all the verges and hedgerows at the moment and the horses do find it particually tasty! ;)
 
Faracat said:
I agree with you, a stronger bit would not help.

I've never known anyone (except for jockeys) ride horses with blinkers. Maybe she was eyeing up the tasty hedge? Cow parsley is growing along all the verges and hedgerows at the moment and the horses do find it particually tasty! ;)
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Ha!! I ha not thought of that and horse is a total pig. Maybe. I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew..... I wonder if a more relaxed (as oppose to correct) seat and singing with a neck strap and a few whips lol would do it. I think she's quite nervy generally. She can be spooky going in and out of field in hand, and she tried to squash the farrier yesterday.. Naughty!

My friend is well meaning but can be a little over bearing and she's a fan of the horse is taking the p**s brigade, come down on it very hard, harder than I would.. I don't know if to listen to her or shake her LOL

I don't know much about horse's past, but the farrier within about 2 seconds had identified that she has been really badly neglected at some point (her hooves looked almost normal to me!!) I know she came over from Ireland in November and he said that corresponds with something he's spotted on the hooves (then mumbled in an unintelligible fashion) the only thing I can say is when my smalls help me poo pick, she loves them, adores them even! She will potter round after them, nudge them in their backs, snuffle in their hair and make eyes at them. So, I know she is a sweet horse, and I certainly don't think she's an ass, but my friend thinks she is..... Grrr. Too many cooks!
 
I'm hoping I haven't bitten off more than I can chew
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I'm sure that you'll get there. :) Just remember to stay safe, there's always another day to work on problems as long as you both come home in one piece. I've dismounted and led the mare past scary things as it works for us (she's happier if the scary thing will eat me first ;) ) and we'll often be able to ride past it the next time.
 
I wouldn't start to anticipate more problems - rearing, bolting, her being too much. Just work with what is apparent at the moment.

My horse is spooky and does try about turns at a very fast speed every so often, but he has only been with me for a few weeks and I just sit down hard and use my legs and talk to him in a firm voice, and keep going. And this works. I appreciate that he is a fairly easy silly horse - but the same sort of confident approach does work well with more difficult horses.

I mainly hack alone, he is a different horse in company.

Perhaps instead of imagining the problems getting worse, believe that they will get better - your horse will settle, you will gain in confidence.

I would think a really helpful thing to do would be get a nice instructor - if you don't know, perhaps email or the people on the BHS website in your area. And ask them about their experience and take it from there. I have found a wonderful teacher who has really focused on both of us - horse and rider and I have gained so much even in just one session with her.

It is very easy - reading sites like this - to take away fear as well as advice: when you read about very difficult horses you can become convinced that yours is on a downhill slope but this probably isn't the case - she is probably very unsettled and needs some calm handling and a confident rider - which you can be very easily!
 
Lenny nearly had a heart attack when he saw a field with a couple of cows (his field is opposite a field full of cows) on a hack the other day, and spooks at them every time we go past :rolleyes:

This is the same horse that didn't even flick an ear when a steam train went over the bridge we were walking past, billowing smoke and making a god awful racket and then ambled past the massive hedge trimming-tractor thingy on the other side of the hedge from us whilst it munched said hedge.

Just don't show him a headcollar or anything that clicks and he's bombproof ;)

J&C
 
I'm not scared yet thanks bluewhippet, just a little unsure. I'm actually more concerned I might exacerbate the problem, but as she has shown no other signs, I will work with what I've got! I've sorted an instructor :)

I caught the other girl at the yard HITTING her yesterday!!!! I've only had her 9 days!!!! Needless to say, I am horrified, and have a meeting tomorrow with a manager of another yard, closer to me, who specialise in retraining horses (and owners)

I am gutted. Gutted for her and gutted for me. This other girl is supposed to be my 'friend' yet her excuser is that because little lady came from Ireland and they apparently only ship out their rubbish (??????) Darco is taking the pee and deserves a whack. Sorry!!!!!! Not my style!!!!!

I kind of ignored it out of shock I think, but this morning my NON horsey (as in terrified of them) OH went mad and shouted @ me. He said we've worked bl**dy hard for Darco (and she has been my goal for the last 10 years) why the hell does someone think they can lay a hand on her? He's totally right. he made me sit down and ring lots of other yards today and we are looking at moving her ASAP..

Ugh. This girl has been riding 2 1/2 years. She went straight into owning her own horses.. She's 19! I've been riding/keeping/working with them for 18 years. I might lack confidence, but I DO know what I am talking about, and I know all that treatment will do is make any confidence issues my little mare has, much much worse. Am trying not to cry.... Be proactive OH said! I am so glad I have him! xx
 
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