Lack of confidence hacking

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Gorgeous George

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George seems to have some confidence issues when we're out hacking alone and I'm not sure how best to help him. He is an absolute saint in traffic and is happy to hack out on his own, but sometimes we come across something and he just freezes, head up, muscles tense - on weds it was a horse eating tree stump and today some horse and traps in the woods and a goat
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I try not to get hold of him and just gently encourage him with my legs and voice, and then pat him after he has tip toed past! The trouble is as soon as he tenses I start to fret which can't help, and I find myself worrying before we go out what we might meet
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Any ideas of what else I can do? We do hack out with company when we can, but sometimes I want to go out on my own.

Thanks
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If you are being tentative then he will be tentative. Ride him forward confidently in a "I'm not frightened so neither should you be!" sort of way!
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If you are being tentative then he will be tentative. Ride him forward confidently in a "I'm not frightened so neither should you be!" sort of way!
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Agree with Dozziesmummy. If you are tentative on anything you see George will feel it and also be wary. Ride him forward positively.
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I find singing usually helps. My mare is a complete spaz to hack, but when I feel her tensing I sing 10 green bottles. Because in order to sing you have to breathe properly, it helps you relax and this in turn helps your horse.
Bring neck strap too. I find I hardly use it but it is like a confidence thing to know its there, plus if he tenses you can just wrap your fingers around if instead of tensing up on the reins.
Hope this helps!
Izzi xx
 
I'm on the other side of the fence I always prefer to hack alone. My mare doesn't give a toss what is happening if there is something not right she goes into meltdown. However, you need to lead and by this you can't tense up or fret. The more you do the worse it'll become.

The horse feeds off your vibes...
 
Toto is a nightmare to hack alone , he constantly tries to turn for home or decides that a hedge is going to eat him ! , Ive learnt to completly ignore him and to either talk to myself or sing/hum which puts us both at ease , if he starts looking at something I ride him forward strongly and pat and reward him with a treat when he has gone by it , I know its hard but just try to relax and not worry about what you may encounter because they soon pick up on you getting tense , just go out on short hacks and build them up slowly , good luck
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Tell yourself before you go out that you are a confident, competent rider (and you are cos I've read your other posts!) then set out in relaxed yet determined way. Remember, a confident rider has a confident horse!
 
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George seems to have some confidence issues ... as soon as he tenses I start to fret ... I find myself worrying before we go out what we might meet
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I think you have answered your own question hunny.
It's not really George that has the problem...
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Rescue remedy sounds like a good idea, singing always helps (I used to sing to myself all the time!
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The most useful thing is to think positive, look forward and think forward! Enjoy!
 
Just tell him "oh get over it" - and any suitable phrases that you can think of that mean "I'm not scared by them, and you know better than to be scared, so get on with the hack and don't be so silly"
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... and don't look for things that just might spook him - you think "I bet he'll spook at that plastic bag" he hears "there's something scary about that plastic bag" and obediently does what he thinks you want him to do!
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All easier said than done, I know. But you do improve, promise
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[ QUOTE ]
I find singing usually helps. My mare is a complete spaz to hack, but when I feel her tensing I sing 10 green bottles. Because in order to sing you have to breathe properly, it helps you relax and this in turn helps your horse.
Bring neck strap too. I find I hardly use it but it is like a confidence thing to know its there, plus if he tenses you can just wrap your fingers around if instead of tensing up on the reins.
Hope this helps!
Izzi xx

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I do exactly the same thing but sing "Always look on the bright side of life" have neck strap, ride on confidently and look away from object. Mostly I now insist we trot past scary stuff, that way I can be sure that when we see scary stuff we go forward past it bravely, then i never have to worry about, a big spook and sideways dash in canter, where i possibly would come off ( very round cob)
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[ QUOTE ]
Tell yourself before you go out that you are a confident, competent rider (and you are cos I've read your other posts!) then set out in relaxed yet determined way. Remember, a confident rider has a confident horse!

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Great advice there, and in the other threads.

The only other thing that I would say is DON'T reinforce there was something spooky by patting and saying well done afterwards. Just ride on with a "Whatevvvver" frame of mind.

I used to always pat my nervy lad once we'd got past something, until someone pointed it out to me.
 
Thanks everyone, great advice as usual, but of course the real answer is what I knew it would be - I need to get a grip!! Hadn't thought that making a fuss of him afterwards would be a bad thing, but it makes sense.

Can I ask though if you come across something that is genuinely scary (like the 2 horse and traps I met haring down a narrow wooded track), what would you do? Is is safer on or off?
 
Depends completely on the horse, but again, don't make a fuss just because you think he might be scared by it. F will lead if he won't ride past something, but other horses are the other way around. Again, so much of it comes down to you - are you more confident in handling it from the ground than onboard or vice versa? Your confidence will radiate to him.
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thanks, makes sense, I would be more confident on the ground as I won't have to worry about falling off - so perhaps that is the answer for real scarey stuff! Will have to perfect scrambling back on though!
 
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