Issues with hacking (rider, not the horse!)

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I.Camilla

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I rarely take my 5yo out, I love hacking and I really am desperate to take him out more often as I am trying to get him fit and it's just another thing to alternate his routine...

I've managed to hack him out for 10-15 minutes about once a month but I want to be hacking at least once a week and to gradually increase the time. But as I keep the horses by myself, I have no one to hack with and don't really know any routes. I know one off road but it's full of stones and he is not shod.

My Arab I share with my mum is kept at home, but before I kept the horses closer to university, I used to hack the Arab out for hours by myself. Unfortunately we had an incident once when a bus shot round the corner and nearly hit us, she freaked and it took me a while to get her confidence back but I was so persistent on not letting it ruin her hacking, I didn’t think into it too much. It wasn’t till she was fab at hacking again that I realised how dangerous she’d become on the roads and the hard work I had to put in hacking everyday with people on the ground to help.

I’ve noticed it’s knocked my confidence with hacking my 5yo though, I worry about the same thing happening so I get very tense and all though he is a star, I can tell he picks up on my nerves.

The roads are single and I think I'd die if I saw a tractor coming our way, which is just asking for trouble as my horse looks to me for confidence being so young. How do I get a grip about the traffic? If it's a small car passing wide and slow we're fine (just about) and we've been lucky to only have that so far, but it's more the larger vehicles that get me and I don’t want to risk going on the busier roads yet.
 
I'm no expert but share your nerves about hacking out! Sounds like you need a safe and sane hacking partner. Could you advertise in local saddleries etc? Or do you have a horsey website for your local area (we have one here in Cheshire)? Failing that is there a confident rider who could hack him out for you for a bit just so he finds his feet a bit?

I just think an inexperienced, young horse and a nervous rider out on the roads alone are probably asking to get into a bit of a pickle and both your confidence could be ruined. Get some help to get a good grounding and go from strength to strength from there :). Good luck!
 
Try a local map to find various circular routes, then try them out on a bike or in a car. You will find that different routes have different busy times ie when the bus will come, how busy farms are on that route, school run etc. When you know the routes & what to expect you may feel better. On single track roads I get to know where field gate ways are to pull into, some gates are not locked & if you are really worried you can open the gate & stand the other side. Most tractor drivers will stop for you if you hold your hand up, palm facing them & allow you to go by. Try all this it may work. Get to know if other riders use those routes aswell, maybe you can team up.:)
 
Plus look for hacking friends. Could you put an ad up offering free hacking on whatever your 5yr old lives with for an experienced rider? Or go round local yards & see if anyone wants to meet up? Failing that friend/partner on a bike or who goes running?
 
Firstly you are not alone with this! hacking can be very nerve wracking.

Secondly, how are you on the ground? if you are confident I would suggest leading out in hand. You can always ride and then say if a tractor did come up the other way and your unsure how your Horse will react, dismount and either stand him or continue leading him past. Remount when you can. I realise that this method will not be recomended by everyone on here, but aslong as you are a confident handler and your Horse repsonds well to you on the ground I really don't see an issue with it. Helped me and my mare loads, as it felt like the pressure was taken off me. I would get into a panic and think "Oh my god, what if she sees something she doesn't like" but now I think "its no biggy, if we struggle with something, I will get off and lead" helped my confidence no end and actually seeing how she deals with stuff on the ground gives me more trust in her cause I think if she can go past it on the ground calmly she can certainly let me ride her past.
 
littlelegs said:
Plus look for hacking friends. Could you put an ad up offering free hacking on whatever your 5yr old lives with for an experienced rider? Or go round local yards & see if anyone wants to meet up? Failing that friend/partner on a bike or who goes running?
Click to expand...

I put a short and simple ad up on preloved but received no replies. My 5yo lives with a 2yo so she can't play part in helping really. I do know someone who I would trust to hack, so could be worth asking her to take him out a few times so I can reassure myself about it all. Such a shame though as I feel fab on him anywhere as long as it's not the roads :/
 
I dont know if you use Facebook, but if you do there are loads of horsey groups on there, it may well be worth you advertising for someone to hack with on there, you never know your perfect hacking partner could be living just round the corner :)
 
Tinsel Trouble said:
www.streetmap.co.uk

This website has all the OS maps on it and will show you the Bridleways and Byways in your area. Just put your postcode into it.

Where do you live? Can any of us come with you?
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Barley, Royston, Hertfordshire.

I'm hoping to move home next year so will have lots of hacking then, but I want to start now with him. Thanks for the link also, I'll have a look.
 
I love hacking and my mare is a great baby sitter of nervous horses, we can do fast and slow and are happy to pimp ourselves out as a hacking escort service out to people who can come to us in South Wiltshire- if you can give us a lift I can take you on Salisbury Plain - a hacking wet dream :)
 
I.Camilla said:
Barley, Royston, Hertfordshire.

I'm hoping to move home next year so will have lots of hacking then, but I want to start now with him. Thanks for the link also, I'll have a look.
Click to expand...

I used to live in Longstowe, just up the A1198! There is alot of hacking up that side of Royston!!
I am sure if you popped into the Barn Shop and had a word one of the girls would let you know if there was anyone in the village who could help you out. What about putting an advert on their noticeboard?

ETA- just looked on Streetmap and there are a fair few bridlepaths around. (The map key is a link at the bottom of the map on the left hand side in white letters!) Also, if you speak to your local farmers they may let you join up bridlepaths using their farm tracks.
 
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I do feel for you. The roads are just nervewracking. I have been just the same in recent years, but this summer I have invested in me with some lessons with a good instructor and the confidence that this has given has been wonderful. My older boy is far less troublesome with traffic because I am riding better and with more confidence, and I have managed to find a hacking buddy for my 5 year old for this winter.

I wish you well and think that notices in the feed store etc might bring some joy, or alternatively do you have a chum to go with you on a bike or something, just chatting to someone else has the effect of keeping you much calmer.

Tinsel Trouble, where do you hack, we don't live very far from you.
 
Any chance of finding a friendly local tractor owner to let you walk your horse past? Or someone to pootle a little one past the field? Then the fear of meeting one is controlled for all involved.

Also chat to local land owners, any estates nearby or farmers who you could approach to find more safe off road hacking?

Pan
 
I have just started leading my 5 year old out in hand - to build his confidence in going out without other horses to rely on and for my confidence too - I lead him bitted and with a roller and tight side reins on - he's a big lad and is prone to using it against me, and it is working wonders - this morning 2nd time out and he was rareing to go - marched out of the yard confidently, bounced up the road and very little phased him. I would highly reccomend this.

As for stony tracks and your horse being unshod - I wouldn't let this worry you! I use a 500m gravel road as part of our route to condition my boy's feet... If you find he is sore, either look into correcting his diet and or buy him some boots... it is important to condition their feet to the difference in surface though so build it up slowly :)
 
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