Major milestone with nappy horse....

J

jumpthemoon

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Last night we managed to hack through the village....on our OWN!!!!
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It's the first time I've been out on the roads with Canto on our own since I've had him as he's quite nappy out hacking. Last night I thought I'd take him for a wander through the village as there wasn't much traffic around. We left the yard and went up the road, over the scary bridge, turned right at a junction, then when we got to the pub there is a scary bin next to it and he decided that was far enough
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Started doing his rearing/spinning etc, so I pulled his head round to my toe and he did a couple of circles until he decided forwards was better...
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We went past a cement mixer going in someones front garden and he was good
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We only went about 1/4 mile but it was a real breakthrough
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Maybe we will be able to hack on our own after all! Once we'd had the argument he seemed to get on and be a bit more forward, so I think it helped that I won the battle and made him continue...
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Fantastic, well done
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That's a real achievement for the pair of you
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I had an awful battle with Meg on her first solitary hack, but the next time she was so much better, and she continued to improve after that. Sometimes you just have to have it out with them
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Thanks fairhill
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I was so chiuffed with myself
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I'm going to take it a bit at a time, but I don't think the battles can be avoided. Once he realises he can't get away with being a total [insert horrid word] I'm sure he'll decide just to get on with it
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- he doesn't seem to put up much of a fight once you've had the initial barney. Fortunately the roads are much quieter where I am now to where we were before Christmas - I think that helps!
 
Give yourself a slap on the back 'Well Done' perserverance (spelling) paid off and your horse will benefit from it no end.

Keep up the good work you have the right attitude and your hard work is paying off. I love it when some one is determined to get the horse to do the right thing and not just give up and moan about it.

Well done
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Congratulations! I bought a 16.2 argentinean TB a few years ago (chestnut jumping post & rail in my siggy) who was so nappy everytime my bum landed in the saddle he would stand straight up. It took me about a year to sort him but now he hacks out on his own & will SJ & go XC. He will occasionally try to spin round still but this is easily corrected. He only ever stands up now if he is really worried about something but in my book this is fair enough and usually a sign that I'm expecting too much from him!
 
Well done
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Baron is exactly the same, I have a huge battle to get him off the yard (usually in reverse), sometimes I can hack for ages and hes good but most of the time he has a major nap every 10 mins. He is getting better though
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Keep up the good work.
 
Oooh thanks everyone
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I think it helps coming on here, to be honest - makes you realise that other people have similar problems and can overcome them.
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Now summers coming I really want to be able to go out for a hack on my own - it's all very well going in company, but if you take a day off and there's no-one to go with it's rubbish
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Canto will just have to pull his socks up
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Good for you in both the accomplishment and the new attitude.

I'm all for understanding horses and getting to the root of the problem but sometimes you just have to say, "Because I said so!" After all, I think it's positively disrespectful to horses to assume they never have their own opinions or ideas about things. And lots of horses will winge a bit and then go, "Oh well, fine, if you're going to be like THAT. . !" which then allows you to be nice again and reward them, making it a whole lot more pleasant for both of you. A much better circle!

Happy hacking.
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That is good news, even the smallest of steps gives you both so much more confidence for next time and I agree to just doing small steps at a time as a good foundation for achieving your ultimate goal. I have just had a major step forwards too. For the past few weeks I haven't been able to even walk a circuit in the school without napping and using spooking as an evasion to work. I was just about to give up with him schooling when a teenager from the yard decided to see what she could do. Well, we had a few bucks when she used the whip and he tried to get out of it but she just kept on telling him that forwards was the only option and he soon gave in and they were trottting and cantering around the school and even popped a small cross pole! The answer it seems is to ride really positively and don't give him a second to think about evading. I got on this morning and he was brilliant, so much more forward after he'd been 'told'. I must admit to being rather a lazy rider myself, which wasn't helping, but I'm going to change my ways now and stop blaming the horse so much.
 
Well done - I agree you do need to be positive and assertive when they mess you about. There's no point bothering if you are only going to half heartedly ask, as the horse will win. It takes guts though! That's the hardest thing I've found - having the confidence to go through with my 'threat' ie holding his head round to my toe when he tries to rear. If I only do it halfheartedly cos I'm scared, he WILL rear. I need to be 100% comitted for it to work
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We're getting there though
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I hope you continue to make progress with yours
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Oh congratulations! I have a mare who napps a lot and I know how hard it can be. She's also a rearer and I find the head-to-toe thing works - though she takes a while to give in and I sometimes get dizzy!
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Keep it up. You'll both soon forget what all the fuss was about.
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Arwen - I've seen your posts about your mare and I think they sound pretty similar! It does take him a little while to give in, but yesterday he was much better after the battle - I'm hoping he will remember it when we go out with YO tonight and be extra good
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