ann-jen
Well-Known Member
Bless Jenny's she's never really done any hacking. She was bred and broken in at a pro SJ yard that never hacked out and so when I got her she'd never been out at all. I have to admit I don't venture on the roads much because my last horse was hit by a car when we were out hacking 7 years ago and that horse was bomb-proof and Jenny is not!
Anyway the few times we have ventured out we have always been in company but there's very few people on my yard that either want to hack out or ride at the same time as me. As Jenny is having a break from jumping I don't feel she can go in the school and do flatwork all the time and there's only so many times I can hack round the farm without becoming totally bored.
So I decided to hack to the spa today because its literally only just up the road and so I thought I'd test the water and see what she was like.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. She was 100% with the traffic even when some nob flew past us at 100mph and it was quite busy. The only time she was a bit scared was when we had to go over a bridge that crosses the A1 - she stopped and wouldn't move forward and seemed totally confused by the fact that the cars were going underneath her! Anyway I decided to get off and lead her across the bridge which she did willingly and then got back on and continued incident free on our journey. In fact the only thing she spooked at was another horse when we got to the spa!
This probably all sounds very mundane to most of you who hack out all the time but it was a huge step for Jenny who I always feel missed a really important part of her early education by not hacking out as a youngster.
So the plan is to hack to and from the spa so she gets a bit more used to it and I've managed to find a hacking partner for a longer hack on Sunday.
I've left Jenny at the spa today as its her first session - they wanted to take it very easy with her on her first session - to lead her in and out the unit firstly. A little break and then another session. Then this afternoon try adding the water in for a short time and then the proper session late this afternoon.
I was very impressed that they would take such good care to make sure the experience is a good one for Jenny and that she doesn't get frightened by it. I guess they don't want their expensive equipment trashing either!
I've now got to decide whether to hack Jenny home or to go and pick her up in the lorry tonight. I tend to think she might of had enough new experiences today and maybe to load her up and drive her back this time.
Next time she goes she won't need to stay the day so I can hack her over and then straight back after the session and hopefully she'll of had a lovely hack on Sunday too and be feeling better about tackling the motorway bridge.
Sorry for very boring post - but it was still a little achievement for Jenny and I and I am very pleased with her.
Anyway the few times we have ventured out we have always been in company but there's very few people on my yard that either want to hack out or ride at the same time as me. As Jenny is having a break from jumping I don't feel she can go in the school and do flatwork all the time and there's only so many times I can hack round the farm without becoming totally bored.
So I decided to hack to the spa today because its literally only just up the road and so I thought I'd test the water and see what she was like.
I have to say I was pleasantly surprised. She was 100% with the traffic even when some nob flew past us at 100mph and it was quite busy. The only time she was a bit scared was when we had to go over a bridge that crosses the A1 - she stopped and wouldn't move forward and seemed totally confused by the fact that the cars were going underneath her! Anyway I decided to get off and lead her across the bridge which she did willingly and then got back on and continued incident free on our journey. In fact the only thing she spooked at was another horse when we got to the spa!
This probably all sounds very mundane to most of you who hack out all the time but it was a huge step for Jenny who I always feel missed a really important part of her early education by not hacking out as a youngster.
So the plan is to hack to and from the spa so she gets a bit more used to it and I've managed to find a hacking partner for a longer hack on Sunday.
I've left Jenny at the spa today as its her first session - they wanted to take it very easy with her on her first session - to lead her in and out the unit firstly. A little break and then another session. Then this afternoon try adding the water in for a short time and then the proper session late this afternoon.
I was very impressed that they would take such good care to make sure the experience is a good one for Jenny and that she doesn't get frightened by it. I guess they don't want their expensive equipment trashing either!
I've now got to decide whether to hack Jenny home or to go and pick her up in the lorry tonight. I tend to think she might of had enough new experiences today and maybe to load her up and drive her back this time.
Next time she goes she won't need to stay the day so I can hack her over and then straight back after the session and hopefully she'll of had a lovely hack on Sunday too and be feeling better about tackling the motorway bridge.
Sorry for very boring post - but it was still a little achievement for Jenny and I and I am very pleased with her.
