Is it wrong to get off a scared horse?

[MTrewhella1]

Pretty much what the title says, i have always been told never to get off a horse whilst on a hack, but i feel like that’s sometimes easier said than done.

We are currently breaking in our 4 year old and he is a little gem. Because of lockdown we haven’t had anyone to ride out with so have been doing it ourselves with another person on the ground to help if needed.

The roads honestly seem to be so much busier in lockdown and today we came across 2 huge tractors and a petrol lawnmower (both of which my youngster has never really seen before). I could feel him tense up when we came across them, and he felt like he was going to run. Before he could i jumped off so i could calm him down on the ground and lead him past the very scary tractors and petrol mower - he was scared but trusted me and we got past in the end.

Was I wrong to get off and lead him past? My friend has said I should have stayed on but I feel like i was right to lead him past. What’s the point of forcing a visually scared youngster past something they have never seen before - i much prefer to get off so i know we’re both safe and let him look and investigate knowing i’m there on the ground with him.

Thoughts are much appreciated !

 

[Meowy Catkin]

It's fine to get off a horse that is sensible to lead past scary things and stands nicely to be remounted.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

Absolutely did the right thing. There is nothing wrong with getting off and walking past something, it will give your horse confidence and keep you safe.

Set yourselves up to succeed, not to fail. I often hop off my mare when she's worried ans the hop back on when we are past, helps keep her calm.

 

[MTrewhella1]

It's fine to get off a horse that is sensible to lead past scary things and stands nicely to be remounted.

Thankyou! I think it may just be a very traditional view to stay on at all times but i just don’t think it’s worth compromising safety or trust for the sake of not getting off!

 

[MTrewhella1]

Absolutely did the right thing. There is nothing wrong with getting off and walking past something, it will give your horse confidence and keep you safe.

Set yourselves up to succeed, not to fail. I often hop off my mare when she's worried ans the hop back on when we are past, helps keep her calm.

Thankyou, that’s my thoughts to. I am in no rush to fully break him and want to do it correctly as i plan for him to stay with us forever.

I was just made to feel like such an failure for getting off him! He’s usually good as gold so I know it was fear.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Keeping you and your horse safe is the right answer. I usually feel its easier to keep control from the saddle, but there are situations where you need to put your immediate safety before the horse and jump off.
If you and your youngster ended the ride without any trauma or injury, then you did great.

 

[MTrewhella1]

pm

Keeping you and your horse safe is the right answer. I usually feel its easier to keep control from the saddle, but there are situations where you need to put your immediate safety before the horse and jump off.
If you and your youngster ended the ride without any trauma or injury, then you did great.

Thanks so much for your kind words! I think sometimes we’re far too hard on ourselves and need to remember how far we have came in the first place.

I can’t begin to tell you how much your comment means to me, especially as someone who is constantly doubting themselves!

 

[SpeedyPony]

Absolutely not wrong to get off, I do it myself when necessary. If you are more confident on the ground it is better by far to give the horse a calm, confident lead past whatever is scaring them, than get tense in the saddle and make them even more nervous.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

You did what felt right at the time, you were the one who was there and I agree that you should always set your horse up to succeed.

 

[Equi]

Depends entirely on the situation and the horse, but there is no "rule" you as the rider/handler have to make the decision at the time. I basically happy hacked all my life and it was practically illegal to get off but after a nasty fall on a hack i was very scared of hacking. I took my new boy to a large gathering and he was fine until the road close to home then he started going bonkers and finally i hopped off cause i was going to end up squishing a child in front of me. I beat myself up for it for a year and didnt really hack, finally got a lesson with someone who asked what my fear was and i explained...the way she said it back to me was "ok so your horse took offence to something, you on his back felt afraid and tensed up and tried to hold him back, which made things worse, so you got off and he calmed down and you both got home safely? Why is that wrong?" and from then something really clicked. I have never needed to get off again as i can handle his silliness now but that simple conversation turned my view on it all.

 

[Mrs. Jingle]

I think you made the right call for safety and for the future confidence of your youngster. Never start a battle with a youngster that you might lose.

In this case you felt his fear and lack of confidence and immediately got off and reassured him and leading him past something that was probably very scary will set him up nicely for next time. . By trying to force the issue it could all have gone completely pear shaped and it would be a big hiccup in your training to overcome, this way it was just a minor little blip. And more importantly you are both safe to face another day.

Now if it was an older established horse that was frankly being a tit that would be different altogether - but that's for another day

 

[Goldenstar]

If your gut tell you to get off get off .

 

[nikkimariet]

It’s really hard giving a green horse the experience on the roads when you’re by yourself. I’m in the same situation. I don’t hesitate to get off Rooni if he is genuinely unsure of something, as he is a gem to lead and then stands for me to get back on.

I always clip a rope onto him when I’m hacking just so I’ve got something if I have to get off.

 

[ycbm]

Twenty years ago I would have said it was wrong. I know better these days ?

You did fine.

.

 

[lar]

I once saw it explained as if you stay on when your horse is scared you're basically saying to him "you're going to have to go past this scary thing first" whereas if you get off and lead you're saying " it's ok, I've got this. I'm not scared to go past it so you don't need to be scared either"

 

[DabDab]

No, I do it all the time when hacking out youngsters.

 

[J&S]

Just use these situations as training. If at all possible, lead past and then do it again and then, if possible do it mounted. Obviously this is NOT for passing tractors and causing a hazard on the road but many "scary" objects are stationary and can be useful desensitisation.

 

[Dusty 123]

No you’re not wrong you’re safely comes first nothing is worse than having a horse bolt with you on the road

 

[Pinkvboots]

I was always getting off when my horse was very young he hacked alone as a 4 year old, if he was worried about something I got off never did him any harm.

 

[Micky]

Nope I think you did the right thing..I still get off my 22 yr old if he’s being a complete plonker...he despises tractors esp with buckets, anything tall basically...in fact I did the other day when he freaked at a digger on the back of a trailer, we nearly ended up over the (granted a small) wall so I jumped off, lead past quietly and jumped back on..rather that than land on the tarmac..only time I strongly recommended a friend not to get off was coming back from a hack going down a rather steep sandy bank ..mine slid down and jumped at the bottom, friend decided her younger more agile horse couldnt, so got off to lead, and yes said horse nearly landed on top of her as he did the same as my horse..she agreed she won’t do that again..giving your horse confidence at early learning stages is more important than listening to old school riders sometimes..

 

[Green Bean]

My horse is absolutely terrified of big trucks and tractors (she is 12). If they are 30m away or more, that isn't such an issue, but encountered on the road she becomes a danger to herself and me. A terrified horse is a dangerous one as they don't have logical thought - mine goes sideways at speed without any thought of what the ground is doing - so absolutely get off until your horse is settled with bigger vehicles. Some horses, like mine, will never get used to them and you just have to take that into consideration when you hack out. For me, the only time I wouldn't get off, was if the horse was being naughty (like napping or bolting for no reason)

 

[CJoe]

it is totally your call, no right or wrong, personally I have more control in the saddle as mine is a big boy, but you do what you feel is best in the situation, no one elses business

 

[Boulty]

Depends on the horse. If you judge that they will be happier with you there on the ground to protect them from the monster & if you feel you yourself can be happier & more confident there then go ahead & jump off. If you feel you'll be in danger of getting squished / the horse trying to bulldoze over you & leg it then you'll be safer onboard.

Smarts the pony I had as a teenager I jumped off precisely once in 8 yrs (BBQ dumped at a bridleway entrance & he was trying to go backwards onto a busy road... he nearly knocked me off a wall when I was getting back on as he was awful for not standing still when out & about). In 99% of situations I was safer staying on him & he was a PITA to get back on. I even used to do really awful gates off his back that anyone else would have dismounted for. The orange one on the other hand was MUCH happier with a human shield between him & the scary thing & when I first started trying to hack him alone I spent about 70% of my time on the floor & about 30% actually in the saddle. He was a hell of a lot easier to hop on & off as he actually would stand mostly still & learnt to align himself with banks, gates & fences or occasionally I'd hop on from the floor. As time went on I hopped off less & less until it was a pretty rare occurrence (although he wasn't as good at gates so used to hop off to do those more frequently) but it was still my "go to" with him when he was scared

 

[Lois Lame]

I once saw it explained as if you stay on when your horse is scared you're basically saying to him "you're going to have to go past this scary thing first" whereas if you get off and lead you're saying " it's ok, I've got this. I'm not scared to go past it so you don't need to be scared either"

My husband's theory is that the horse figures that he will be able to run away faster than his rider, so it's the rider who'll get eaten if it comes to the crunch.

OP, I agree with the others (that I've read so far): you did the right thing.

 

[Muddywellies]

I sometimes get off when the going gets tough. It's by far the safest thing to do. But I have a good friend who's very old school and she really puts me down for doing it, almost implying that it's defeatist. You can imagine how it makes me feel. But I stand by my opinion that it is often the safest option.

 

[mini_b]

You know your horse and can make the decision that is best to keep you both safe. Whichever one that is, that’s the right one!

I personally wouldn’t have done that but that’s only because I wouldn’t have felt safe. Mines huge and I would have 100% got trodden on if he panicked and he would have left me in the dust!
now another horse, I probably would have got off!
it all depends on the horse/day/which way the wind is blowing.

Glad you are safe and it sounds like you made the decision right for you both and turned it into a positive learning experience instead! You never know he might be very brave next time

 

[tristar]

absolutely the right thing, well done, your horse will love for it, being there on the ground to show him the way and learn confidence

 

[Maryann]

Another one who would much rather walk for a bit than have a falling out!

 

[NinjaPony]

If you both got home safely, without confidence being shredded on either side, then it's the right thing to do.

I am very happy to get off if there is a problem. Years of flying a welsh kite have left me pretty confident on the ground, and my pony is great to clamber back on board.

I would so much rather get off, diffuse the situation and live to fight another day, than have an unnecessary confrontation.

It's funny how hard it is to tell yourself that this is fine, after so many years of people telling you to never ever get off. Then you end up feeling like a failure, or that the horse has 'won'.

Horses just don't think like that at all! From their perspective, their trusted human has come to see off the threat, and make it safe again.

My hacking confidence is fragile, so I try to never put myself in a position where my nerve fails me. So I will get off as and when I need to, to preserve my own confidence.

 

[Bob notacob]

I think there is no one answer to this. . Some horses in some circumstances are better controlled from the ground. Some are not and as recently happened here, get away from the rider (the horse in question caused a traffic accident and was killed). Which brings me to the crux of the matter. When I was a kid of 14 working in a racing yard the head lad gave me a stern lecture. He said that even though we had some of the most valuable horses in the country ,there wasnt one of them that was worth a mans life.I think this was just after a rather stupid vet threw open the stable door and spooked the horse i was tying up for him. Head lad was treated to the sight of a young kid hanging on for grim death to a racing fit thoroughbred s headcollar . I cant run as fast as a racehorse but since at no time did my feet actually touch the ground it all seemed ok to me. Eventually my charge had to admit that I was a determined little cuss and stopped. . Lead him back and then absolutely tore a strip off the vet.. But head lad was right , I could have been killed .