I so nearly gave up on him today.

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LauraWheeler

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I now have to hack Herbie out on my own as i no longer have anyone to ride out with:(. So today the sun was shining and i don't have to go to work this afternoon so i desided to give it a go.
It all went horrably rong from the start. I got on him in the driveway like i always do and he just stood there and refused to move. It didn't help Lucy was calling to me as she heard me talking to Herbie and she came over to see what i was up to. So we stood there for a while (about 20mins). He was just routed to the spot. I got off and led him up the road. He walked on streight away but was a little nappy due to Lucy looking over the fence talking to me (prob wondering why i wasn't riding her :(:(:() I led him through the next village when my OH phoned. He asked what i was doing and i have to admit i burst into tears. I had a moan down the phone to him about how i wish i could have Lucy back and how much i hate Herbie and i don't know how much more i can take. I carried on up the road and turned up the little lane that leads up to the downs. It is a very quiet road so i led him a short way up and desided to try getting back on. He just stood there again refusing to move. A very kind lady came up the road in her car and got out to try to lead him for me. He took afew steps but then just stood there again. She asked if i had any help with him when i said no she said i needed some. I burst into tears again and said the only help i get is offers to take him to the sale or nackerman! I explained that i am his last chance and nomatter how upset i was i am not going to give up on him. I told her about how far we've come and how much he has improved in other things like lunging, loading and not trying to kick and bite me when i groom him. She had to go and walk her dogs and i think she was getting worried as Herbie was starting to get stressed and run backwards like he does just before his rearing, bucking, leaping fit. So i calmed him down got off and guess what he walked streight on. I led him up to the downs. It's so nice up there so i desided to get back on and if we stood there all day so what (also if he had a fit it was a softer landing than the road) But to my shock :eek: he walked on without a fuss. We walked up the track till we came to some sheep where he napped again but after a few kicks he walked on. We even managed to have a little trot and a few strides of canter :eek::eek::eek::cool:. I didn't turn for home down the normal bridleway i turned up the hill and made the hack abit longer and he was as good as gold. The ride from hell turned into quite a nice one in the end. Tomorrow i'm gonna do it all over again. :o
Anyway sorry this has turned out to be a bit of an epic. I don't realy know why i'm posting this realy. Have something nice on me if you got to the end a big box of choc maybe :p .
 
well done for sticking with it! We all get days like this. I did on Sunday, its easy to compare newer horses to the old favourite.x
 
Oh, hun I was so worried reading most of your thread, but then...well done you!!!!! What an achievement! Fingers crossed you have finally gotten through to him and things will get better and better from now on!
 
It sounds to me that when you got on the downs you were more relaxed and therefore so was he.

It sounds like he is picking up on you feeling stressed/worried whilst leaving the yard and doing the roadwork and therefore thinks there is something to be scared of.

If you can find someone to ride out with you it really helps build the confidence for both of you if that isn't possible then maybe try walking him as you did today but each time get on him that little bit earlier.

Remember to breathe and relax and try singing.....it does help, it seems though the only song I can ever think of is 10 green bottles.

keep up with it you will get there.
 
Well done you!

I've been there - for four hours once (stood stock still) so I know exactly how you feel.

Do it all over again tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after etc. etc. etc.
 
Well done, you are so good for sticking with him. I hope he goes a little better tomorrow, and you don't have to walk so far on foot :)

I had some issues like this with a 17.1 shire and did the same thing. He got better in the end. Plus, i made him REALLY walk on (i was almost running) when i had to get off, so it was easier for him to just plod on when i was on him. Also getting back on a 17.1 off the floor when i'm 5'1 was interesting to say the least :p

Keep at it, you'l get there.
 
Stick with him, as you say, you've come so far that you can't give up now. If you know he naps at certain places maybe lead him off the yard and then get on up on the downs where he seems happy. It seems like you could do with a few hacks where you don't have to get off because of napping so that he doesn't learn that him napping means you get off. I do feel your pain though, Daisy wouldn't hack on her own when I first got her and now I've got another one that has a major tantrum when asked to. The important thing is to stick with it and be really consistent.
 
Well done!

My friend's horse can be like that on his own. Sometimes they are not being naughty or stubborn but have such low self confidence that they just route themselves to the spot and that is that, but when you get off and lead it's like hey, no probs Mum's on the ground she will protect me. Try and think of it like building his confidence and not that he is being naughty. Praise him everytime he goes forward make loads of fuss and gradually he will get more confident and hopefully you will get loads of nice hacking. My friend is getting there....slowly.

Good luck - it will be worth it in the end :)
 
Well done you. A tip I would suggest is that if your horse refuses to walk forward, turn him around and make him walk backwards. After a few steps turn him in the correct forwards direction and if he stops again repeat the process. He will soon get fed up of walking backwards and want to walk forwards, trust me this really does work. You must make sure you don't hold him back with your hands when you use his legs as it is easy to do this without realising you are actually doing it, - this can cause them to start rearing. You might like to ask your vet if he/she would be willing to let you buy some sachets of bute off him and consent to a week to ten days bute trial just to rule out pain as being a source of napping. Even if you have ruled out saddle/back/teeth it might be worth a shot. My horse has started napping after some very nice behaviour, I am with the feeling that it is a behavioural issue (I've had him 5 years so I a pretty sure and I buted him last night before I rode and it made no real difference).

I think you've done brilliant hun, don't beat yourself up if it doesn't all go to plan tonight, but try the rein back tip and see how that goes xxxx
 
Oh laura, poor you it must be so frustrating to have him stand there and just not move.
Dont give up, reading all of your posts it sounds like you have come so far with him, and if anyone can succeed with him and get him hacking out nicely its you. And when you have succeeded i have a cheeky 14.2hh coloured pony that i can lend you if you get bored with having a well behaved herbie ;-) he he!

Thats great to hear though that despite the pants start to the ride little herbie decided that he was going to be good in the end and you had a nice end to your hack.

Keep going, you will get there in the end.....and you are my inspiration to perservere with Paddy! ( i know he is not anywhere near as bad as Herbie) but hearing about your progress and when you overcome another hurdle it makes me say to myself....if laura doesnt give up when herbie is being naughty....then i wont either when paddy decided he wont go down the road!

Fingers crossed he is good for you tomorrow hun :-)
 
Well done you!
I imagine at that point where you thought 'what the heck we can sit here all day I'm not bothered', your body relaxed & he then thought it wasnt such a big deal & got on with it.
Things like this are very often 2 steps forward one step back but it really sounds like you are on the right tracks :)
 
Well done, for sticking with him!! You'll get there I'd put money on it!!!:D

I used to look after an ex-race horse, that had been mentaly done over by the previous owner. He went from stand to flat out, so the put a standing martingale on him and a bit that I've never heard of before. It was explained as a spiral bit, v.v.very harsh aparrently. So when tacked up he would just stand and not move, no matter where he was. So when I got on him I just sat there like you did and low and behold after what felt a life time he walked!!!!

It's the start, things will get better.
 
Thanks everyone. I know he'll get there in the end. It's so frustraiting when we have days like this. It's probably a bit soon to be hacking him out on my own but i realy have no choice. He is starting to be a very sweet pony. I realy think he wants to please but he just doesn't know how. The poor lad hasn't had the best of starts in life bless him and i think everyone else has just given up on him. I need him to lurn that i won't. I'm just as stubborn as he is if not more LOL. I also need to lurn what works for him. If i have lurned one thing with all the problem ponies i have delt with is every horse is different. I need to find a whole new way to deal with this little monster and i'm gonna find it soon.

Somethingorother I feel sorry for you having to get back on a 17.1hh Herbies only 12.3hh thank god so easy to get on and off on the floor. But it's even more important i carry on with him as i am his last chance who else would persavire with a 12.3hh who will never make a kids pony. :(
 
My mare only does this when she is in company. She is a real sweetie when on her own. I have used the backing up approach and it does work. Gradually insisting now that she move forwards with out backing up. We are getting there. I have to remind myself not to lose my rag or despair - she is a horse and doesn't understand why she can' always plod along behind and take the easy route. Very irritating as she doesn't spook at all or look at anything when on her own - wierd bless her.
 
Horses are strange creachers realy. Herbie is the same alone or in company. Infront or behind. He just desides not to move and there is very little you can do about it. He rears up sometimes which is why i don't use the backing up trick. I have used it before though on a 4yr old hackney i had once we used to hack round the whole village backwards. Everyone thought i was mad but he was heading away from the yard and i didn't care which way he was faceing.
I'm Glad your mare is improving.
 
Yeah, well done! I really do sympathise with you, been theer got the t-shirt, etc. As others have said stick with it. There will be days when it feels like 1 step forwards, 10 back, but slowly you'll get there and the sense of pride in what you have achieved will make all the tears of frustration worth while.

Could your OH come out with you on a bike. It's amazing how much security they get from following someone on a bike. I have to tell my OH off when he starts weaving from side to side on the lanes, as my boy follows him!

Well done again! x
 
First of all lol at the thought of you going backwards round the village :D. Dizz has gone past a number of things backwards (and usually at high speed!).

As to Herbie. Hang on in there hun. Just about all of us have days when we really do not want to play any more, it's all too much :( For some reason though we just keep on persevering :)

Hugs and hot choccies :)
 
Well done! It sounded do scary but you made it into a good day, hats off to you! I wouldn't have had the confidence to do that.
 
Laura you are doing just the best thing with him. He sounds JUST like a pony we had a few years ago, another forester. One minute he would be a lovely ride, the next for no apparent reason he would either plant himself or do a lovely back end front end up routine. Back, teeth, saddle etc all checked. Sat and waited for him to decide to go forward for over an hour one day, when bingo off he went as if no time had passed, was just congratulating myself in my marvellous horsemanship ha ha then half a mile later had a manic bronco on my hands. Stubborn little gits aren't they?
 
Thanks guys. We'll get there one day. Just very slowly with lots of stops and starts LOL.

MrsM Itwas a funny sight us hacking backwards round the village. It realy makes me laugh now but at the time i was so deturmined to get the horse to hack out i didn't even think about it:p. The hugs and hot choc is apreaciated as usual. :D

Wobblywibble his name wasn't Herbie by any chance was it?:p:o:D
 
LauraWheeler said:
Wobblywibble his name wasn't Herbie by any chance was it?:p:o:D
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I was just about to say, the only useful thing I can add on top of what has already been said would be to change his name! I have known 3 Herbies and all three have been little sh!ts!! :eek: (am I allowed to use the word spelt like that? Or should I * it out? :confused:)

Hope the tips/support given on here help. Sometimes it helps just to talk about it. I don't know the story behind it but hats off to you for giving a pony a last chance :)
 
Thankyou.

Queenbee87 the support from everyone on this forum has been great. I just got so down today. I have no intention of giving up on him but today was the closest i've come to considering it. Being called Herbie means i call him Horrid Herbie so maybe it's in the name LOL.

Monkeymad. He wouldn't be safe to long rein. He kicks. I have only just got him safe on the lunge (another epic battle but we got there in the end). Thanks for the tip though with another horse i would give it a go.
 
LauraWheeler said:
Thankyou.

Queenbee87 the support from everyone on this forum has been great. I just got so down today. I have no intention of giving up on him but today was the closest i've come to considering it. Being called Herbie means i call him Horrid Herbie so maybe it's in the name LOL.
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At least it's not TOO far to fall.... ;) You wouldn't be a normal horse owner if you didn't have days where you wanted to give him away (or even pay someone to take him :p). The good thing about horses, and even more so ponies, is they have the ability to make you forget you were ever annoyed/disheartened a few days later! The tricky ones tend to be the most rewarding :D
 
Queenbee87 said:
At least it's not TOO far to fall.... ;) You wouldn't be a normal horse owner if you didn't have days where you wanted to give him away (or even pay someone to take him :p). The good thing about horses, and even more so ponies, is they have the ability to make you forget you were ever annoyed/disheartened a few days later! The tricky ones tend to be the most rewarding :D
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And he's not to big for getting back on, no need to find a gate or bank 20 times on one hack :p I think i would have to pay someone alot to take him away or they'd bring him streight back :p He made my heart melt tonight when he saw me coming out to his field and came over to the gate to see me. It had nothing to do with the fact that i had his dinner in my hand LOL. He's got such a cute face i wasn't mad at him for long. I was so happy when he trotted for me all was forgiven :p;):D:D
 
Sounds identical to my big wuss of a 17.1hh KWPN! It is horrible, I can completely empathise and although everyone has said "keep at it he will get better", well maybe he will and maybe he won't...maybe he will always be difficult out alone, and you know what, that is OK. I have had mine for a year and it is no easier to get up the road now than it was a year ago LOL! Once at the school (the reason I hack up there alone) he is fine, but getting up there is a battle every single time. If he drops behind your leg you have lost him and plant he does and does well :o I have to trot, I get on and boot him and trot, it is the only way...one hand on neck, pushing on, also to ensure I don't pitch forward if he slams the brakes on but can boot immediately, and I do it with a schooling whip too.

Hope it gets better sooner for you tho!
 
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