Learning to hack alone - slightly odd response from horse?

soloequestrian

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Part way through teaching my young horse about hacking alone. We go out with either someone on foot or on a bike (an e-bike so she can get trotting properly!). We have a short route that we have to do at least part of for every other hack - all the other hacks lead off it. She is totally relaxed on the short route with her foot soldier but gets a little tense and stop start if they drop behind. I can understand that because she is used to them being in front. However if the foot soldier pauses at one of the junctions to a longer hack, horse will stride off confidently along the new route even when she has never been down it before. Although I'm pleased about this, I'm also baffled. Why would she be confident on new bits and hesitant on bits she has seen many times before?! Any hints about how to transfer the confidence from one situation to the other?
 

DabDab

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If I'm interpreting what you are describing right, then I would say that I have found that type of learning/behaviour pattern in quite a lot of youngsters. I've always assumed that it is a bit of adrenaline/curiosity that makes them seem quite keen in new environments but as that fades away and the route becomes more familiar they start noticing more gremlins and over-processing their surroundings for a bit. It's just part of their learning process and passes with repetition and consistent riding.

I find they tend to be the horses that when more experienced develop a clear preference for some routes over others.
 

Equi

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As said its a bit of adrenaline and lack of knowing where they are that makes them seem a little more forward and interested. Its not actually that, they just dunno where they are or how to get home and the best defense is to keep moving forward. They almost have a photographic memory i think and on a hack they know, they want it all to be exactly the same as it was the last time they went that way. My boy is 100 and very used to life but alerted me to the fact a house had gotten a new fence the other day, despite the last hack past said house being at least 4 months ago lol
 

paddy555

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I would try to break the cycle by long reining. Start off with the friend but always stay in front. Your horse is the leader from the very start. You can see exactly where she is faltering with long reins and can drive her on. For her it will be a bit different, something new, something to think about. Once she can do that then you can change places constantly so she leads or she follows.
 

Michen

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My mental to hack (8 year old) is much better behaved when hacking in places he doesn’t know, I think it’s a similar thing really.
 
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