My horse hates hacking

[crazycoloured]

My horse has never really been keen on hacking much but recently has got much worse.we moved yards a few months ago and IV hacked him out no probs but recently he has started panicking and getting fizzy.he starts to do mini rears he can do it on the way out on a hack but more than often does it on way back.i end up dismounting him and walking him on foot.my question is do I carry on hacking out or just accept he doesn't like it..IV fairly quiet hacking but onto busy ISH roads.he is better in company but have no one else to hack with.

 

[mandyroberts]

Is he OK in the school?

 

[crazycoloured]

Yes he is fine in the school.no problems

 

[spookypony]

What do you do when he starts to act up? How far are you going on a hack, and for how long are you out?

 

[crazycoloured]

We go a distance up the road say 30 mins

 

[catroo]

Same bit of road every time?

 

[JFTDWS]

Do you turn around and come back the same way?

#20Questions!

 

[mandyroberts]

And does he get stressed in the same place every time?

 

[Kezzabell2]

I would fine a nice quiet confident horse to hack out with and do that a few times to see if it helps?

 

[oldie48]

Blunt question, when you take him in the school does he work hard and is he on your aids, ie do you have control of him or do you just trot and canter around and accept what he offers you? the reason I ask this is because my lovely late horse could be an absolute pain to hack once he was on the way home. I got off and led him on many occasions and I could guarantee that even when I stayed on he was pretty vile. I solved the problem in the school (with help from my super trainer who v quickly got the measure of him and me) If you can get him round and soft and on the aids, you'll have control of him. It's not a quick fix, it takes work but it changes everything and my horse quickly accepted that he now had a leader rather than a passenger. if I have misjudged you and your horse, please forgive me, but for me it was life changing, your horse should do what you ask and once we start moving the goal posts for them, I worry about where that leads. Good luck

 

[Sauerkraut]

Is he napping just hacking out alone or even with another horse leading the way?
My horse isn’t the most confident one out hacking alone and when we moved a few months ago I had to start all over again.

 

[Gloi]

Can you box away from home and then hack a circular route sometimes. It can encourage them to be awkward if you regularly do a ride where you go away from home then turn round and come back the same way.

 

[crazycoloured]

We go on different routes and he does it in different places.puts his ears back and starts being silly.usually on the way home come to think of it..

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Do you ride any circular/lollipop routes?

 

[Goldenstar]

It Does not like he does not like hacking it sounds like a bad manners and training issue .
The answer is to hack more often go loft longer and further make sure you not giving too much food and get the horse tired .
Loading to hack away from home is a good idea .
Hack more often and for longer and avoid out and back hacks do circular or lollipop hacks .
You might also try taking a day and just riding one of your most used routes over and over again and see if he settles .

 

[Red-1]

Rather than load up and hack home, with a new horse I hack out and arrange OH to meet us in the box a couple of hours later. He sets off in the correct general direction and I phone him so we meet somewhere were loading is possible. That way, the horse is always striding out as the "way home" is closer the further away from home we get.

I would always avoid hacking out and turning round to come home. That encourages them to be thinking of turning round.

If one rushes home I tend to hack right by the gate and keep going the other way. Turn round and if they walk sensibly we go in the gate, if not we hack right by the gate and keep going again, until sensible is the new norm.

Alternatively, they can rush home to be instantly met with a rather energetic schooling session, then hack out again and if they rush home then be met with an energetic schooling session - until they walk home!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I agree with "Oldie48" above.

Seems like this horse is being allowed to call the shots i.e. "he does not like hacking".

When I first had my old boy (now gone sadly) we had all these issues with him, he'd been a Trekker and had only ever followed the bum ahead.

I had a professional to help (always a good idea by the way, they can look at a problem from a totally different viewpoint and offer alternative suggestions); we started off by leading him out in hand - always going a circular route never just out and back the same way. We then tacked him up and led him out, and led him back home again. No pressure. Then we progressed to tacking him up, leading him out, and at some point when it felt right, I popped up and rode him home. If he'd started acting up at any point, I'd have done an "activity" such as making him go round in small circles, or do a serpentine, leg yield, anything basically to keep his mind on the job and focussed.

I think this horse has taken the "herd leader" role upon himself and is calling the shots frankly! YOU as rider need to be herd leader not him! I'd be inclined to work on this issue as much as you would work on a school issue, as I feel it merits every effort being made to sort it.

Yes it might be an idea to hack out with a steady horse for a while, BUT that won't solve the "herd leadership" issue. Think this is the REAL issue tbh.