Lost my confidence hacking after a bad fall

[ew96]

I bought my first horse in April but I’ve known him for just over a year and I’ve been riding him all that time as I work for a horse dealer. He’s very strong and lively, but never to the point where I’d ever felt like I couldn’t manage him.

About two months ago, I went for a hack, he was happily walking and trotting for about 40 minutes, I went for a canter to finish off before heading back. I went to ask for a canter, he galloped off up the hill, turned to gallop back down, fell over at the bottom, I came off and landed on my face with a concussion and broken nose. I have been riding him since this happened, but with it being winter I’ve only got time to ride about once a week right now. I don’t have a school so we’re stuck only going on the road.

I really want to be enjoying taking him out in open spaces again and he’d never done anything like that before so I know that it’s unlikely to happen again any time soon. He’s already ridden in a Tom Thumb bit and Cavesson noseband, the Tom Thumb had helped a lot as he was in a snaffle before this. The only person locally who I could hack with is an older lady with a double hip replacement and a Welsh who takes the complete piss out of her. If her horse behaved then mine would probably be less inclined to take off, but if they both did then I’d be worried about how badly hurt the lady could be.

I do absolutely love my horse, I just need to get over my nerves really and go out in a field with him and I know the sooner I do it, the better. I was thinking about starting with walking back across a field if he’s been behaving himself on the road and building up from there, I’d like to hear any suggestions at all please. I do also ride a lot of horses I know nothing about because of my job, so I’ve also had a lot of uneventful hacks on other horses since then and I’d consider myself to be a competent rider with good balance.

 

[Miss_Millie]

Do you have access to a school/arena? Working on transitions to make him more sensitive to your aids might help. I think the general advice when a horse bolts is to try turning them, as they have to slow down significantly to turn. I imagine this would have been very difficult on a hill though. Best of luck, I'm sure with time you will regain your confidence

Edit: Sorry I just read you don't have a school, but you could still work on asking for lots of transitions whilst hacking on the roads.

 

[ew96]

Do you have access to a school/arena? Working on transitions to make him more sensitive to your aids might help. I think the general advice when a horse bolts is to try turning them, as they have to slow down significantly to turn. I imagine this would have been very difficult on a hill though. Best of luck, I'm sure with time you will regain your confidence

Unfortunately I keep him at home, so I only have the field he’s turned out in and fields to hack in. There are some livery yards a few miles away so I could contact them about potentially hiring their arenas though. We do a lot of walk and trot transitions on hacks now anyway, but obviously haven’t done anything in canter for a while because of just riding on the road. It was very difficult on the hill, especially because there was a narrow footpath which was flat and the rest of that area is basically all shrubs. Thank you!

 

[Gloi]

You galloped up a hill, turned round and galloped back down the hill. A lot of horses would get totally out of hand in those circumstances. If you don't have tracks you can canter on and not turn back on yourself ,leave cantering on hacks until spring when he's living out and the going is better.

 

[Lady Jane]

Definitely don't canter/gallop out and do the same on the way back. If you need to do an out and return, walk a bit on the last 'out' and definitely walk a bit on the first part of the 'return'

 

[Caol Ila]

Don’t gallop downhill towards home? That’s been my policy for years, and I’m sticking with it. I don’t want my horses to have even the vaguest idea that running home is kosher.

 

[tiga71]

I agree with not cantering/galloping him in a place where you are then going to turn for for home.

Do you have transport? Could you meet up with some sensible friends for hacks in new places? In our area we have a Hacking buddies FB group which is a way of meeting up with people to hack with.

Are there some routes with canter spots that are circular routes so you are not turning back on yourself?

 

[ew96]

You galloped up a hill, turned round and galloped back down the hill. A lot of horses would get totally out of hand in those circumstances. If you don't have tracks you can canter on and not turn back on yourself ,leave cantering on hacks until spring when he's living out and the going is better.

Not intentionally, I wanted to canter, then turn left at the top and walk round a small square back down the hill

 

[ew96]

Definitely don't canter/gallop out and do the same on the way back. If you need to do an out and return, walk a bit on the last 'out' and definitely walk a bit on the first part of the 'return'

I didn’t deliberately do this, I wanted to canter to the top, turn left and walk a small square down hill towards home. My horse decided to turn back on himself and go straight back down, I’d never intentionally canter downhill

 

[ew96]

Don’t gallop downhill towards home? That’s been my policy for years, and I’m sticking with it. I don’t want my horses to have even the vaguest idea that running home is kosher.

I didn’t intentionally and I’d never plan on teaching a horse this either. He galloped to the top, my plan was to canter up, turn left and walk a small square back towards home. My horse turned back on himself and galloped straight back down to the bottom

 

[ew96]

I agree with not cantering/galloping him in a place where you are then going to turn for for home.

Do you have transport? Could you meet up with some sensible friends for hacks in new places? In our area we have a Hacking buddies FB group which is a way of meeting up with people to hack with.

Are there some routes with canter spots that are circular routes so you are not turning back on yourself?

I don’t have any transport, but there are a few very horsey areas a few miles away so posting on Facebook about hacking buddies could be a great idea, thank you

 

[Jellymoon]

Gosh, poor you, that’s sounds really scary and I’m not surprised you feel worried now.
I had a similar experience when a horse of mine took off for home and I came off on the road. I’m also at home on my own. Firstly, I would cut yourself some slack, don’t put yourself under pressure.
I’d perhaps not worry too much over winter, just gentle hacks when you can, and attack it in the spring. I’d probably hire a school, and also see if I can find people on safe horses who could hack with me.

 

[stangs]

If you can't find anyone to hack out with you, I find in hand hacks do wonders for my confidence and enjoying going out, let alone the horse's confidence.

 

[teddy_]

Do you have the financial resource for some help from a professional?

 

[Nasicus]

Not intentionally, I wanted to canter, then turn left at the top and walk round a small square back down the hill

Your post read as him taking off with you and turning to gallop downhill of his own accord, not that you did it intentionally. Not entirely sure why people have interpreted it as you doing it on purpose! I'm sure most people would baulk at the idea of going downhill at speed!

 

[ew96]

Gosh, poor you, that’s sounds really scary and I’m not surprised you feel worried now.
I had a similar experience when a horse of mine took off for home and I came off on the road. I’m also at home on my own. Firstly, I would cut yourself some slack, don’t put yourself under pressure.
I’d perhaps not worry too much over winter, just gentle hacks when you can, and attack it in the spring. I’d probably hire a school, and also see if I can find people on safe horses who could hack with me.

Thank you! He’s done nothing like this before so I do think it was a one off, but I’m also a bit apprehensive about if it is something he’d try again or not. He does seem calmer the warmer the weather is and he’ll probably end up being less fit anyway from being ridden less, waiting until Spring might be the way to go

 

[ew96]

If you can't find anyone to hack out with you, I find in hand hacks do wonders for my confidence and enjoying going out, let alone the horse's confidence.

I’ll probably try this soon to see how he reacts then, but he’s much calmer and more relaxed in general in hand than under saddle. He isn’t particularly stressy or anxious under saddle, but a lot more lively and excitable

 

[ew96]

Do you have the financial resource for some help from a professional?

Not right now because of Christmas and a few other big expenses, but in a month or two I could at least afford a professional to come out and hack him a few times. If he’s well behaved then I’d be less concerned about when I do take him back out again

 

[Esmae]

I would say hack out with a mate. Small hacks to begin. 15 minutes is fine to start with. Walk and trot only to begin. Talk to each other about absolutely anything. Switch right off the horse. Sing carols, anything to divert your brain from the horse. If you can't find a hacking buddy would someone come with you on a bike even? Large brandy or similar, before you start might not hurt either! Not suggesting you become an alcoholic over this you understand. Just to get your head back on straight. Breathe deeply and evenly as you get on and continue until your nerves settle. I wish you all good luck. I had similar issues a few years back and the above did help a lot.

 

[teddy_]

Not right now because of Christmas and a few other big expenses, but in a month or two I could at least afford a professional to come out and hack him a few times. If he’s well behaved then I’d be less concerned about when I do take him back out again

I think it could be a worthwhile investment when you can afford it.

I had a similar experience with a newly backed horse and it really knocked me for six. I found the only way I overcame it was having someone walk beside me whist riding for a while. It keeps you in the saddle but you don't feel like you might lose control of the situation at any moment.

 

[ew96]

I would say hack out with a mate. Small hacks to begin. 15 minutes is fine to start with. Walk and trot only to begin. Talk to each other about absolutely anything. Switch right off the horse. Sing carols, anything to divert your brain from the horse. If you can't find a hacking buddy would someone come with you on a bike even? Large brandy or similar, before you start might not hurt either! Not suggesting you become an alcoholic over this you understand. Just to get your head back on straight. Breathe deeply and evenly as you get on and continue until your nerves settle. I wish you all good luck. I had similar issues a few years back and the above did help a lot.

Thank you! The only person with horses very nearby is an older lady who’s had a double hip replacement and owns a pony who does whatever it feels like, so I’d be very worried for her if both horses were to take off. I could definitely get a friend to come in a bike though, my horse can be quite nervous of bikes too as he doesn’t like them approaching silently from behind so it could also help with that. A vodka shot might help too haha

 

[ew96]

I think it could be a worthwhile investment when you can afford it.

I had a similar experience with a newly backed horse and it really knocked me for six. I found the only way I overcame it was having someone walk beside me whist riding for a while. It keeps you in the saddle but you don't feel like you might lose control of the situation at any moment.

Thanks, it would definitely make me feel a lot better to know that someone’s taken him out a few times and been fine with him. Having someone come out on foot sounds like it would help a lot too, even if it’s just peace of mind that someone’s there if it did go wrong

 

[Keith_Beef]

Unfortunately I keep him at home, so I only have the field he’s turned out in and fields to hack in.

What's wrong with those fields that you can't use one of them, or a small section of one of them, for schooling as if you were in an arena?

 

[ew96]

What's wrong with those fields that you can't use one of them, or a small section of one of them, for schooling as if you were in an arena?

I only own one field, where he’s turned out and it’s on a steep hill. The other fields where we hack are farmer’s fields so there are only tracks we can ride on and crops everywhere else

 

[Keith_Beef]

I only own one field, where he’s turned out and it’s on a steep hill. The other fields where we hack are farmer’s fields so there are only tracks we can ride on and crops everywhere else

Ah, I understand better now. I can see that a steep hill is not great for doing circles and squares...