Ideas for making a youngster braver hacking alone

[Tangaroo]

Ive had my boy about 5 months. He's 6 this time. Before i had him he had done virtually no hacking. Ive spent time hacking with a friend and he's brave, not overly spooky and perfect in all traffic. I often go and meet her half a mile up the road and then leave her again to come home at the end of the ride with no problems.
I have been hacking him alone and he goes out fairly willingly although is on high alert and can be quite spooky. He's not keen on being patient for gates when alone, although will stand for ages when in company.
Are there any things i can do to help him be less anxious and more settled when out on his own. I get the impression he just wants to get back home to be safe with his friends which is understandable.
If theres anything i can do to help him I'm willing to put the time in as he's such a lovely boy.

 

[ceva]

Sounds like your doing the right thing meeting and leaving friends, I found that when I am on my own I do a familiar route so horse knows where he is going and don't do really long hacks alone, keep the long hacks for when you have friends with you. I also used turn out first if horse in stable overnight then ride as much from the field as you can so horse has already used some energy up or quiet short lunging first so horse not too full of energy when you the ride. Practice makes perfect and I'm sure by the summer months you will be fine, and enjoying hacks alone with the sun on your back.

 

[Nudibranch]

How about some groundwork along the lines of bombproofing/agility...tarps, poles, cones, umbrellas etc. If you're proficient long reining I'd take him out long reining too as it gives them tons of confidence.

 

[Tangaroo]

Thanks. We do keep the rides short if we are on our own just so we hopefully dont have any issues. Long reining isnt really an option as the roads where we are are too busy. Its a good idea about turning him out first, i will try that as i do ride first thing normally. I dont have a school but i can rig up some bomproofing and agility type things in the orchard for him. I dont think he will be bothered with them at home but i will do it anyway as hopefully will make our bond stronger so he trusts me more

 

[Landcruiser]

Whatever he spooks at, make a point of letting him stand and look at it if it's safe, and if possible get him to go and sniff it. Patiently, without ever hitting or further scaring him. Ans at home, play around with brollies and tarps, challenge yourself to wrap him in a tarpaulin for instance. It's fun, and you end up with a seriously bomb proof horse. My lad was a total nelly when I first had him - he's a uraguy criollo and had never hacked out or seen drain covers, road markings, water troughs, blue flowers, big leaves, etc etc, and he used to spook BIG. Now he's a rock, and I can take him almost anywhere safely. Occasionally he'll still have a stop and a look, but we always end up having a little rest or even a munch right alongside the scarey thing.

Above all, be patient, and whipping/punishing is never the answer.

 

[Tangaroo]

Thanks Landcruiser, interesting that yours has transformed so much. I wouldnt dream of punishing him for reacting or spooking as i know hes anxious but im delighted that he does actually go out on his own without napping and having a complete melt down. I just want to make it a more pleasant experience for him

 

[Landcruiser]

He's a different horse. He used to lack confidence to the extent that he would self harm if asked to do something he didn't understand or didn't think he could do. He'd rip at his own chest and front legs. I had to be so kind and patient, only pushing him just out of his comfort zone when I wanted him to go forward, literally and figuratively. He wouldn't load, didn't know how to go backwards or sideways or go downhill, and would panic easily.

The only real issue we still have is fear of deep mud. I suspect he was stuck in mud in his previous life, because he really doesn't want to go through it, and if you get him in he panics and flounders through at speed. Oddly going through water isn't a problem. So like any horse he's still very much a work in progress, but we made the TREC Level 1 championships last summer and that's a million miles from where he's come from.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

I'm going through the same thing with mine at the moment, who's the same age and who I've had a similar amount of time as yours! What I've found for the standing and waiting thing is making him stand for just a moment before praising him and letting them walk on and then building it up to longer and longer. If you've got gates to do that's trickier but you can practice it anywhere and everywhere, just make a point of doing it quite a few times in different places whenever you go out.

As others have said, let him go up to things and look/sniff (as long as it's safe) and reward him whenever he takes a step towards it. The more weird/scary things you can get him used to seeing the better really! Mine is just a complete wuss, even at home (but weirdly is completely solid in most traffic, it's just things like bins and weird looking trees that might eat him ) so I'm working on bombproofing there too.

Good luck!

 

[Tangaroo]

Its always good to hear other people are sorting the same problems. My hubby is coming out with me on foot on sunday to help me with a couple of gates and we will arm him with a pocket of treats.

 

[KINDMARE]

ive thought about longlining mine to make her braver - she will not hack out alone! she is very good at longlining, which i have only ever done in the school/field. Do you think its safe to do it out 'hacking'? would it work in making her braver so that we could eventually hack out alone?

 

[be positive]

ive thought about longlining mine to make her braver - she will not hack out alone! she is very good at longlining, which i have only ever done in the school/field. Do you think its safe to do it out 'hacking'? would it work in making her braver so that we could eventually hack out alone?

I have sorted out nappy behaviour on long reins, if the roads are relatively quiet and the horse is good on the long reins usually it can really help, it is a good idea to have someone walking with you, keep them behind, the first time or two just in case, if they are nappy it usually is enough to get them off the yard, up the drive, in and out a few times each session and you should find it really helps when you next ride out but if they are really nervous out and about time and repetition is usually required until it becomes second nature.

 

[KINDMARE]

Thanks be positive - i think i will have a go at this - i love long reining as does she.

 

[ceva]

Good idea for hubby to go out with you, I used to get my daughter to come with me on her bike at weekends, and if I had problems she could then lead my horse past whatever she didn't like, but she was more nappy than spooky, eventually as she got older she was perfect to hack out, and nothing fazed her. I only used to turn out for about 20 minutes before I rode just while I did my jobs, then brought her in again, but obviously depends on the weather. She always seemed much calmer if she had a leg stretch first in a small paddock next to stable. as I had to go along a road first and didn't want her to be silly on the roads.

 

[pennyturner]

There is lots to be said for standing around talking to people on your hacks, especially in 'scary' places. If you can slip people a few polos to feed as you chat, so much the better.

Most of all, of course, it is the rider's confidence which transfers to the horse. If you find this tricky, singing is a great way to deepen your seat and your breathing.

 

[tallyho!]

Just loads of praise and fuss. Start short and increase and always a nice bucket of something after. I ignored the "never get off" rule... if it's a diificult bit, I get off, praise for walking with me, treat and get on. So far so good - we go miles alone and in fact better alone than in company sometimes.

 

[tallyho!]

There is lots to be said for standing around talking to people on your hacks, especially in 'scary' places. If you can slip people a few polos to feed as you chat, so much the better.

Most of all, of course, it is the rider's confidence which transfers to the horse. If you find this tricky, singing is a great way to deepen your seat and your breathing.

This backfired for me... we had to stop for almost EVERYONE at one stage and we're only just getting over the whole "are you sure they haven't got a treat for me?" and she still veers towards people just in case... although I sometimes enjoy the look of sheer terror as my horse stops dead during a trot and looks at them funny

 

[Vodkagirly]

You need to inspire confidence in your horse to trust you as leader. So you need to be confident and calm at all times. Let him look at objects but keep control over the pace and direction. Get out as much as much as possible, as many routes as possible. It's a case of practice makes perfect.

 

[Auslander]

This backfired for me... we had to stop for almost EVERYONE at one stage and we're only just getting over the whole "are you sure they haven't got a treat for me?" and she still veers towards people just in case... although I sometimes enjoy the look of sheer terror as my horse stops dead during a trot and looks at them funny

You're not alone! My horse is 20 and he regularly stops to frisk passers-by! He got a mint from a walker a few years ago and now he thinks everyone we pass might have something for him!

 

[throughtheforest]

I'm lucky that my current horse is extremely bold and has been since I've known him as a youngster. With all my others what I found worked to instil confidence was repetition and gradual exposure. Groundwork and experience works wonders. Long reining is excellent for any horse to learn self carriage, balance and rein contact.
With your bombproofing work at home, it might also be worth including umbrellas, balloons, walking over tarpaulins, dustbins, flashing lights, sirens and visits from dogs on and off the lead, if they're well behaved. I used to do this with my youngsters and they have been as close to 100% bombproof as a horse can be. One horse had a helicopter land right next to him and all would tolerate virtually any noise or crowd, even bird scarers and emergency vehicles (they usually turn off sirens though) nearby.

 

[william95]

Whatever he spooks at, make a point of letting him stand and look at it if it's safe, and if possible get him to go and sniff it. Patiently, without ever hitting or further scaring him. Ans at home, play around with brollies and tarps, challenge yourself to wrap him in a tarpaulin for instance. It's fun, and you end up with a seriously bomb proof horse. My lad was a total nelly when I first had him - he's a uraguy criollo and had never hacked out or seen drain covers, road markings, water troughs, blue flowers, big leaves, etc etc, and he used to spook BIG. Now he's a rock, and I can take him almost anywhere safely. Occasionally he'll still have a stop and a look, but we always end up having a little rest or even a munch right alongside the scarey thing.

Above all, be patient, and whipping/punishing is never the answer.

I absolutely agree with this. I've had the privilege of training my 2 horses since they were foals and this is exactly what I did with them. The more strange things that they can quietly, safely and carefully be introduced to the better. Gradually build up the scariness of whatever you are doing and make sure he is confident with one thing before going on to something more scary. Both of mine went on to be police horses so it does work! Patience and consistency is the key.

 

[D66]

Whatever he spooks at, make a point of letting him stand and look at it if it's safe, and if possible get him to go and sniff it. Patiently, without ever hitting or further scaring him. Ans at home, play around with brollies and tarps, challenge yourself to wrap him in a tarpaulin for instance. It's fun, and you end up with a seriously bomb proof horse. My lad was a total nelly when I first had him - he's a uraguy criollo and had never hacked out or seen drain covers, road markings, water troughs, blue flowers, big leaves, etc etc, and he used to spook BIG. Now he's a rock, and I can take him almost anywhere safely. Occasionally he'll still have a stop and a look, but we always end up having a little rest or even a munch right alongside the scarey thing.

Above all, be patient, and whipping/punishing is never the answer.

I did this with a youngster, inhand, trained her to touch ordinary stuff around the yard, gatepost, bucket, trailer wheel, JCB digger. when we started to go off the yard we did the same with things we came across, letterbox, wheelie bins, crisp packet on grass verge, fairground ride on low loader (yes really!).
Now she's properly traffic proof and best of all doesn't bog off if she is scared.

For nappiness I've always wondered if it would help to take the horse a short distance in a trailer and ride home to avoid the bad behaviour getting out the gate.

 

[Morgan123]

The above suggestions are what I used to do with my horse, but I used a clicker to make it fun, we called them monster walks and anything scary he;d go and touch and get rewarded for it {(to start with, rather than touching them he just had to go near them - but he was super spooky compared to yours by the sound of it). Once he got the game you could almost feel him going, ok, ok, I'm going to do it, I'm going to touch it! A friend had the same experience with her mare. Both ours were a nightmare to hack alone but it really helped.

If you're not into clickering then just lots of time and praise and it honestly will come eventually, hang in there! Hacking to another friend like you said is a really good idea.

 

[Tangaroo]

Yesterday i hacked and not realising someone had a dumpy bag in their driveway, we nearly ended up on someones car bonnet! After that he was quite good but this morning i went out and he was on high alert and spooking at everything. The problem is, hes fine with traffic but his spooking comes from nowhere and is very quick. I so wish i had off road hacking! Anyway, i took him home and i put a dumpy bag in the middle of the orchard. Armed with a pocketful of treats i walked him across to it. He stuck his head straight in it and threw it up in the air!!! So the spooking is very much to do with being out on hacks as he doesnt seem scared of anything at home

 

[Landcruiser]

That's why it's important to get him to touch or relax next to things out hacking. They will relax next to a wheelie bin in a driveway and spook at an identical one in the next driveway. So stand next to that one as well. You have to be persistent and patient, build in the time it needs. It's worth it. Do it in as many situations as you possibly can. I still (7 years on) get my horse to stand still on a drain cover, or walk along a roadmarking, or investigate an object wrapped in a tarp by the side of the road. There is always something new for them to spook at, but as time goes on they get more and more confident, the spooks get fewer and smaller (MUCH smaller in my lad's case, he was previously the master of disappearing out from under me sideways - now he rarely even sidesteps). I think it's a case of being in the horse's head, anticipate what he'll spook at, and relax and let him stop and check it out if he needs to.

 

[Tangaroo]

Thanks that makes sense

 

[ceva]

Thanks that makes sense

I agree with all that is said on here, discipline and confidence and patience is the key, however when out hacking it is the unforeseen incidents that can cause problems the horses natural instinct is to flee when scared, that is where the rider comes in and ensues that the horses is listening and trusts his rider. I go hacking along tracks where we never really see dog walkers but in an instant a dog walker comes into view he freezes and threatens to run I stand so he can focus on them reassuring him it is okay, then he realises that it is a dog walker or hiker in the distance he's fine he pays no attention to anything in the village or on roads. But even now if it is something unusual in a different area we have to be more diligence. Everything my horse encounters at the yard he's fine with. It's just something different in a different place that causes a problem sometimes. I believe hacking out especially alone theses days is a minefield. My horse bolted once when a young girl was on a pogo stick was playing who,d have thought he would have been scared of that!!!!!

 

[Boulty]

If he's basically good, just a bit spooky and nervous then he will probably come on with time and exposure (and keeping up the hacking in company with a sensible horse to keep giving confidence boosts in between). I'd also agree with challenging him with novel objects at home both ridden and on the ground and see what he makes on them and whether he seems to react best to things if introduced with you on board or on the floor. I have a very spooky Welshie that I do TREC with and I definitely found that starting doing that helped him in how he dealt with things he wasn't sure of. A lot of clubs run training / introductory obstacles sessions so that may be another thing to look into as a way to introduce to new things in a controlled way away from home?

 

[pippixox]

Time and practise are the only real options. My mare used to be very spooky alone as a 7 year old. At times I just had to sit and wait (she had a habit of planting) I would sometimes chat or even sing to keep myself relaxed too!