new country, first horse, novice rider... off out hacking :)

MDB

MDB

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Hi all,

This is an introduction and an request for tips or advice at the same time. I am a fairly novice rider, had some lessons as a little kid at around 8 years old, but then had a break from riding for 15 years or so. Since then my riding has consisted of occasional hacks a couple of times a year. I had never had any experience looking after horses and didn't even know how to put a saddle or bridle on!

I have now moved abroad and we have got some land... and suddenly a great horse came along which has been broken and ridden for several years but was sold because the previous owner didn't have time any more. My philosphy in life is that sometimes you just have to jump in at the deep end and go for it so a cheque was written and horsey was brought to his new home! That was a couple of months ago and it's been a roller coaster ride so far!

I had to youtube how to put his bridle and saddle on!... it took me about an hour the first time! He still hated having to put the bit in his mouth... once it is in he is fine but he doesnt like his mouth being touched.. even for worming meds. But we are working slowly on getting him used to having his mouth touched so slowly slowly.


First time I rode him he was having none of it! Zero respect for me (quite rightly!) and so I decided to spend a month doing lots of groundwork... again thanks to youtube! I have plenty of advice from the friendly locals who think I should just get the whip out and beat him till he obeys...lol.. they think I am nuts cos I try to understand what is going on in his mind! But I carry on in my own way, teaching my lovely horse to give me space and respect, back up and yield.. all new stuff to me until recently!

I am now starting to take him out into the big bad world hacking. We have lots of trails directly from our house all around the country. He is stubborn and doesn't want to be out of eyeshot of my neighbour's horses and he is nervous of monsters lurking in the bushes. He naps, zigzags, jumps and jolts, and on our first 15 minute outing I don't think we went forward at all.. we were too busy walking sideways like a crab and semi rearing up and spinning around... I had never been on a horse doing this before! I had friend come on foot so if anything went pear shaped I wouldn't be alone.

Well that was about a month ago and a few days ago we went for our first one hour solo hack! Big achivement! I am exhausted at the end cos I have to concentrate so hard.. I never know when he is going to spook and jump two metres sideways. He is very forward going though and he often wants to take off. We have done some controlled trotting.. I trot him uphill as it tires him out more and is easier to control! Lol. But I feel I have to be quite firm on his mouth because he does want to take off...but then he started rooting. Throwing his head forward and yanking the reins out of my hands. I had no idea what this was until I googled it afterwards! ;) I read that it can be due to the rider being too harsh on the mouth. So I now try to be as soft as I can and he roots much less... but I find it hard to be soft on the mouth when he is about to take off.

Anyway.. there you have it. A very steep learning curve for both of us. Any tips for training or hacking and especially how to calm down a spooky horse would be very much appreciated.
I am sure that he is going to be a brilliant, calm horse once he is used to the trails and truly trusts me... but we are getting there and it is amazing how much progress can be made in just a few weeks.

anyway, happy riding to you all and thoughts / advice appreciated :)
 
Anyone near you can hack out with for a bit of support, with you out in front? Good luck, your place sounds fab.
 
To me he's giving you TWO signals his teeth hurt. 1. When you bridle him up and 2. When ridden and he snatches those reins.

Have you had a vet out to give him the once over? I'd be wanting the vet to take a really good look at those teeth - particularly the wolf teeth.
 
He has been thoroughly checked by the vet. He had a tick borne disease when I got him (asymptomatic previously) and needed one month treatment and injections. The vet checked everything so his teeth are fine. The previous owner told me he has always been difficult to put the bit in (she had him since he was 8 months old) and I think since he wasn't ridden frequently he was just never trained to accept the bit peacefully. I have a battle every time. Once it is in he is fine and doesn't root any more since I am more gentle on his mouth.

There isnt anyone I can hack with... just me and my horsey for miles.

wish I could post a pic. How do I do that?
 
I lived in a foreign country and did many miles on my own so I know where you're coming from! I got a saddled cloth with picnic bags and would take a long toddle.

How are you opening his mouth and what type of bit are you using?
 
You may find it useful to roll the bit in damp sugar and let it dry, then do the same again so that he learns that having a bit in is a nice thing and tastes good. if the sugar is dried on it takes a few mins to disappear and is an easy way to get horses to accept the bridle. also try to check that its the right size and shape for his mouth as that could make things more comfortable for him. what country are you in? it may be that there are others in here that would know people in your area who could help you even if its just over the phone which can give first time owners confidence. sounds as if you are trying hard and going in the right direction though
 
well done for ignoring the whip brigade and trying to understand him....I have had horses for many years and my current horse is the first who was a problem to put the bit in. she used to out her head up nervously so I assumed that her teeth had maybe been banged with the bit so I held a mint in the hand that I had the bit in and she dropped her head down to sniff, I then slid the bit in together with the mint and after doing this a few times she was fine and is very easy now....may be worth trying....good luck and look forward to seeing a pic of your boy (go to photobucket to upload pics and then you can cut and paste onto your message here)
 
You sound like you are doing very well for someone without help, and as they say 'a calm sea never made a good mariner'... or something like that.. so you will come out the other end with a wealth of knowledge you wouldn't have got otherwise.

I second the suggestion of using a treat as the bit goes in to sweeten the deal, otherwise maybe think about using a hackamore if you are continuing to struggle as it will give you brakes without interfering with his mouth.
 
Sounds like you are making good progress, if you can some lessons will help hugely and remember that horses are herd animals and need companionship, to them being alone is being vulnerable , they need to socialise, groom etc. Maybe a small companion who is happy to be left when you ride?
 
http://s112.photobucket.com/user/MD.../20140604_180248_zpsa6b81ea6.jpg.html?filters[user]=140694565&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

Thanks to everyone. I will definitely try the sugar on the bit or the mint. I haven't had his saddle checked but I can get that done. I have uploaded some pics from my phone to photobucket. The quality isn't great... but they are there. I tried to copy the link to photobucket.. not sure if that has worked or not!
 
MDB said:
http://s112.photobucket.com/user/MD.../20140604_180248_zpsa6b81ea6.jpg.html?filters[user]=140694565&filters[recent]=1&sort=1&o=1

Thanks to everyone. I will definitely try the sugar on the bit or the mint. I haven't had his saddle checked but I can get that done. I have uploaded some pics from my phone to photobucket. The quality isn't great... but they are there. I tried to copy the link to photobucket.. not sure if that has worked or not!
Click to expand...
Photobucket link does not work but there is a thread I hope the link below works for that tells you what to copy and how to post them http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/foru...ctures-with-screenshots-in-a-step-by-step-way
 
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The links work even though the photos are not showing so I have tried to post them for you. what fantastic countryside to ride in and the horse looks rather nice as well :)
20140508_111710_zps74e962b2.jpg


20140629_205205_zps843ff36d.jpg
 
Thankyou! And thanks for posting the photos for me :) He is a handsome big boy. 15.3 hands and solid. We have miles of trails just behind our house all around the countryside and are so lucky. Hopefully it won't be too long until we go off for hours together. In the mean time we work on our short hacks and groundwork and I mess around by jumping on his back when he is the field! This is northern Spain. Very rural and simply beautiful :).
 
I just wanted to tell you how much I admire you. You've done something many people would not be brave enough to do, you look like you've got an extremely nice horse, and I hope you have many happy years of hacking together. I'm not the person to tell you about schooling; I came of a hunting family where you just got on and rode, and learnt on the job! But two other things occur to me.

Re his sensitive mouth. Have you considered riding him in a bitless bridle. I did this with a mare I acquired who had been a high class show jumper, and who from photos appeared to have had everything but the kitchen sink in her mouth in her competitive days. she hated having the bit in, flung her head around when ridden and was a misery guts. Put her in a hackamore and the world changed for her - and me.

Re riding along. You sound as though you have quite a bit of land. Have you thought of having a livery - preferably a friend, so that you could ride out together? I agree with others that keeping a horse alone is not good, and I think your boy would benefit from having a companion. For some years I used to help keep a friends Endurance horse fit by leading him from my horse when I rode. I wouldn't recommend this until you are more experienced, but riding and leading is very pleasurable, and not just for the horse. We used to canter for ages around the farm here. NB You do need a horse that leads nicely though, not one that wants to race you, or to trail behind until your lead arm is a afoot longer than before.

Have lots of fun with your new acquisition - and again, well done!
 
Have you considered/tried long reining? Get a friend to come with you to begin with, it will encourage him to go forward on him own, lots of positive voice commands should make him feel more confident too. Good luck seems like you are doing well on your own :)
 


not sure why it isnt posting the photo... I must get a photo of me on him.. or try a selfie when riding! ;)

Thanks RoseFolly and LadyRascasse!
I had thought about a bitless bridle... it was the first thing I looked for in the only equestrian shop we have for hundreds of miled around. Unfortunately they don't have one and the shop owner looked at me as if i had three eyes when i asked ;) so it has always been my intention to get one on my next trip to the UK.
I unfortunately haven't got anybody that I can ride out with here since most locals only keep horses to keep the grass down in their fields. My horse is actually with my neighbours two mares
until our new pasture is ready to take him. He will have about 3-4 acres and we will probably get another horse for my other half at that time... and maybe a couple of rescue donkeys ;)
I have long reined him.. that was what I did in the month of ground work. It really helped him start to listen to my voice commands. I much prefer long reining to lunging which I am useless at!
 
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