Need some tips for settling horse on hacks

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cellie

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To give you some idea as to why we are having problems.
I have 6/7 year old tbx bought last year.
Im really pleased with overall progress with my mare in school ,she is doing really well .She used to run away from instruction as she was complete stress head and very anxious.Her basic schooling was non existant couldnt walk only jogged and wanted to canter flat out all the time.She was always above bit with her head in the air and dripped in sweat as she was so hypher.Shes now beginning to work in outline and tries really hard to please.
We can walk out for hacks on our own which she had never done before and the jiggy jogging has stopped .Although she really listens in the school she reverts back to nervous stress head as soon as we canter on hack.She goes back to going like a giraffe and running away and being spooky.Her canter is lovely in school very elevated and bouncy but on hack Its so hard to sit to as she feels like a cross between a hackney and giraffe if I get off her back she tries to gallop.
I keep persevering hoping that it will become routine and a bit boring and will improve.
Ill keep up with her schooling but I really dont want to school her every day this will make her stale .I need her schooling to transfer over to hacking.
I should tell you that she had 5 homes in 2 years and I imagine had very unsetled life and this was why she has been moved around so much. If nervous she gets faster .
For first 3 months I only walked her when out so did basics.She used to jog every time her hooves hit dirt track this has stopped actually I hadnt realised how much progress we had made until I started typing it all out.The last piece in jigsaw puzzle is a good controlled canter on hacks so any tips would be gratefully recieved.
 
Sorry cellie ive no ideas really .But On occasion i was often known to sing to keep gwilym calm i must have shatterd a few car windows over time but only damn thing that worked after meeting the dreaded donkey up the road !
 
I dont think I could sing with that canter Im concentrating on staying intact and gritting my teeth lol
Bear in mind I didnt buy this horse for myself my daughter picked her for sj,I should have picked a nice safe plod at my age.
She has improved so much it would be the icing on cake. How are you ? that pic you sent me was lovely your daughters horse looks very sweet
 
do you hack on your own or with others? my TB (ex racer) can be an idiot with others but is much calmer on his own. sometimes he starts jogging and leaping esp after a canter, and with him i just try to ignore him and sort of hum quietly to self. if he gets really bad i will halt him or turn small circles to slow him up...does your horse have chance to have a really good longish canter? rocks is fine if he's had a good blast where he can go forwards but its pointless doing a short canter with him as his head disappears somewhere up his ar$e!
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Thats what I do with my mare, (sing I mean)she was a very spooky girl when I first got her and wouldnt go out on her own atall. Have you tried any sort of calmer e.g NAF Magic? Only rule I have is that I canter where I walk and walk where I canter if that makes sense. She doesnt automatically know then where a canter may come up. Whats she like out with a quieter horse? Maybe try that and canter side by side if possible. Sounds like shes had a very unsettled time if shes had 5 homes in recent times, poor girl. You should take credit for your persistence and Im sure she will come right in the end.

Good luck
 
my old mare wasn't unsafe, but as soon as hoof touched grass she exploded-became v tense and just wanted to gallop all the time, the only way i got a half nice canter from her was to let her go a bit then she'd settle.she was never any good just 'popping for a quick canter'. i needed space. accepted it in the end as she was perfect in every other way. not v helpful to you but thats what i did!!
 
yes same here, i have a new mare that i got last weds, i talk 2 her constantly, she does the jiggy joggy business and sweats alot. im hoping she will calm down as its still early days. If your mare only gets silly wen u canter maybe go back a step and stick to walk and trot. make it so she doesnt have to canter everytime shes on the grass. sounds like she needs a lil bit more confidence. you are obviously doing the right thing if she will walk out nicely now compared to wen u first got her... keep up the hard work. you'll get there one day.. like me (hopefully) x x x
 
yes think singing would prove to be quite hard lol .
you have done such alot with her all that hard work is paying off you should be very proud .
Im doing ok still havent got another for myself yet, searching for the right one is proving hard .
The pic is the same pony she rides when she wants so suits us all really.
 
I do both to try and give her balance sometimes on her own behind and in front with company.She has decent canter in woods and comes back to me at end of track but becomes more excited as we approach new tracks.Shes worse if the track has bushes each side doesnt like going down roads with lots of high fences she feels penned in I guess.
I had ex racer and he was far more sensible than her he gave me lovely collect canter on tracks.
She is getting better but I dont want 100mph all time.
 
Calmers made no difference it was schooling and calm rider that she needed.Our tracks arent wide enough for side by side and I manage 1 or 2 hacks with sensible horse.She still gets excited and wants to run away I dont mind speed as long as shes in straight forward canter but the horrible leaping when I check her is awful.I have tried walking canter tracks that has helped just need extra time I guess.Her bucking and rearing have stopped as well so will keep persevering.Shes a sweet little mare and young so hopefully shell turn the corner.
 
I wish we had somewhere nearby that I could give her some freedom ,gt yarmouth race tracks would be ideal but I dont think they would let me
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are you feeding her any magnesium? I have a mare that would match your story only I broke her as a 5yro, but the whole canter thing and jogging instead of walking etc..............I put her on magnesium which i found calmed her mind enough to allow me to show her that everything i asked her wasn't going to eat her or be that big a problem.........this mixed with pure consistancy in how i asked her to do something and correction when she did it wrong has resulted in her being so much more trainable, and even on hacks i treat this as schooling outside the arena, so i would try the magnesium then keep your aids consistant but don't let her do what she wants..........mares are as complex as us females and sometimes it's all mind games!!! Good Luck!!
 
Waiting for brakes to be done on trailer but is a option, wouldnt that completely blow her mind.Im always bit worried about tendons although she is very fit and works in deep sand school.
 
personally for me i'd rather have big open space on something hot and joggy and tense- that way they can go til they are happy to stop rather than having to stop them coz you're at the end of a canter track and then they get het up because they can't canter more... while hacking at home i'd probs be inclined to insist on walking and trotting on canter tracks for a while till she settles a bit...
 
Yes she is on magnesuim has always had it in her feed.I also give her chaste berry which really helps.I walk her in decent contact on roads as any strong collection makes her work against you and she becomes tense.Its difficult in canter in woods or tracks as she would take off if I loosened her contact.I dont want to put her in stronger bit as I dont feel thats the way forward and she not overly strong.I use market harborough on hacks on second clip down so she cant get her head completely above bit.
Your right about being complex but she is getting there slowly.
 
Take her to the beach or a gallops (ie somewhere with plenty of space), let her go, and when she has had enough and wants to slow down, kick her forwards for a little longer. Helps to get the speed on your terms not hers.

Also I think it really helps them to be allowed to go as fast as they like on a loose rein rather than being held back all the time. Somehow seems to make speed less exciting if they are allowed to do it now and again.
 
It's not easy especially on a bad day but as long as you remember how bad it was at the start and the progress you have made then you'll get there, it's just a time thing!! good luck!!
 
Have you tried cantering her only in 1 place to start her so she knows you will canter only here and is familiar with that place for instance if there is a park on way back you can walk her round the trot then try small canter? keep doing this whole time? I found with my old horse that he was spooky because he thought everything was going to jump out and eat him! i did this on same track only in canter and he calmed down then i progressed it and he came right
 
Is there any where you can 'school' in a circle when out on a hack? I had a scatty mare and everytime we cantered she did the same as your mare. My solution was to find somewhere I could do at least a 20 metre circle and trot trot trot trot. When she was doing this well I would ask for canter but always on the circle. If she blew up then back to trot until settled then ask for canter again. When she settled in canter I could then try a canter in a straight line. I think it was the control / transitions that gave me and her confidence and quieten it all down
 
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