New horse worries - long moan sorry!

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Grumpymoo

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I recently bought a horse after a 7 year break from riding. I stupidly got the completely wrong horse for me 5 year old very green welsh gelding. I absolutely adore him and on the ground he is perfect. Unfortunately when ridden I am just not at the standard I need to be for him. I've sent him away to be schooled with my instructor for 5 weeks and I have been having lots of lessons to improve my riding. Of course all of this is costing me a lot but I don't mind if it gets us where we need to be.

Anyway, one of the issues he has is hacking on his own and she was pretty sure that we could sort this although after having him a week and a half she mentioned that he might be one of those horses that can't hack on their own. Now after having him for three weeks she wants to meet up and chat about my horse and where we go from here :/ I am convinced that she is going to say that I should sell him as he is not going to be what I need. This is not an option for me and I definitely want to keep him. All I want to do is hack and do a bit of schooling etc. I just feel like I've put so much time and money into him and I just want to be able to enjoy him.

Sorry for the moan and I don't know if there is anything anyone can say to sort this I just wanted to get it off my chest :( xx thanks
 
Try not to worry until you've met up with her and discussed it!

She might have positive news - you don't know otherwise yet :)

If he really can't hack out alone, then you will just have to ride out with others, which is often more fun anyway.

Don't be despondent yet, there's plenty of help/support available, and it sounds as though you are being pretty sensible with getting assistance anyway.
 
awww bless you i hope things work out :) is there not anyone on the yard who you can hack out with to build his confidence? maybe try long reining and walking out in hand this will also help build confidence :) good luck
 
TBH if all you want to do is hack and a bit of schooling but the horse doesn't hack alone, this isn't really the horse for you.
Sis and I bought a mare who was quite happy to hack alone but terrified of large vehicles in small spaces, we got round it by buying another horse to share and hacking together and we kept her for 23 yrs but this option isn't viable for most people.
I should listen carefully to whatever your instructor has to tell you - you never know she might have some good ideas to train him to hack alone. But you might have to be prepared to cut your losses. Good luck!
 
Thanks for the replies :)

I am just feeling sorry for myself and I know I could be in such a worse situation than I am.

When he comes back I am moving him to a new yard with better facilities so i can school him and hopefully I will have someone to ride with there. I do just prefer riding on my own but maybe that will change and I'll make new friends in the process.

I will def try long reining him, thanks for that suggestion.

I did suggest to my husband that we get a quiet cob for him to learn to ride on so we could go out together and if I wanted to ride on my own I could ride the cob but I just don't think we can afford to keep two.

I'll let you know how I get on when I meet up with my instructor
 
Grumpymoo, you haven't had him long for a start. Start by long reigning him, walk him out inhand, it all takes time, everything starts on the ground, you have to earn his trust, grow together, bond together, be consistant, 'slowly slowley catch a monkey' as they say.

Monty Roberts at a show when asked by a woman who said that her horse doesn't like hacking out alone, his reply was " well he isn't alone is he, he has you?" and I thought how true this is!
 
Thanks Debsey. I know your right I am expecting a lot from him so soon. The most frustrating thing is the first time I hacked him on my own we managed it so I guess I feel that i've gone backwards and my confidence has been knocked so badly.
 
Grumpymoo said:
Thanks Debsey. I know your right I am expecting a lot from him so soon. The most frustrating thing is the first time I hacked him on my own we managed it so I guess I feel that i've gone backwards and my confidence has been knocked so badly.
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You haven't gone backwards, start again take him out inhand praising him all the way, do this a few times. Then ride him to the top of your lane or road depending on your set up then ride him back home again praising him when he's done this. It's a case of building up his confidence and trust in you and you'll feel better too. Before you know what you'll be riding out the two of you he won't be alone. Good luck
 
You havn't had him very long, and it can take a long tim for you to build up a good bond with him. I would say carry on with the lessons and hack out with others to give him confidence. Also second the long reining or walking out in hand. I had a very green welsh D that I used to go for walks out in-hand for a while as he trusted me a lot more on the ground. This helped to build up his confidence in me whilst out alone in strange surroundings, and it was quite fun!

I enjoy hacking by myself too, however perhaps your horse hasn't done much hacking and needs to feed of the confidence from others. If you feel he is the horse for you then give hime more time and carry on with the lessons :)
 
Thanks again everyone. I am definitely going to take him out in hand for walks once he is back at home as there is no way I am giving up on him.

He has hacked quite a lot but not very often on his own. When I tried him he was a bit hesitant when he was ridden out the yard but the girl smacked him on the arse (which should have been a warning sign) and he was fine the rest of the time. To be honest I completely fell for him which is a stupid mistake. I'm not going to give up I just hope he has been getting better not worse whilst he has been away!

Thanks everyone for your support!
 
personally i would not have a horse i could not hack on my own. mainly because i am on my own but even if i was on a yard i would not want to rely on other people just to be able to ride my horse. i hope all works out well for you, there are so many williing horses out there to be loved that will give you something in return. :)
 
I think you need to give him time to settle - some horses adapt quicker than others, he's in a new place with a new person and probably doesn't know who owns him - I'm sure once he settles ino a routine and gets used to the area he'll settle and gain confidence
 
That's why I like to hack on my own so that I am not relying on others. The new yard has a massive floodlit school so I can school him in the week and hack out at the weekend if someone is around or take him out in hand if not. I know we will get there and I don't agree with just getting rid of a horse or any animal in fact unless it is dangerous. He has a home for life with me :)

I just need the support knowledge and confidence to get us where we need to be
 
I have a horse that I really need to get confident with. I have owned him for nearly three years and in that time I have gone from hacking him every where on my own to not being able to do anything with him. I have moved yards so that I can have regular lessons and the instructor can ride him too. I ONLY hack out with others at the moment but that does not mean I won't hack him on my own again in future. I too have and still am spending a fortune on him and lessons but it is all so worth it as we are both coming on in leaps and bounds. So the moral of the story is this. Don't be so hard on yourself. There is no shame in hacking out with others, I am sure you can return the favour one day,and if spending the money is getting you both to where you need to be then it is money well spent. :)
 
I know you say he has a home for life but if you can't do the things you want and safely then I would get rid. life's too short and it costs too much money to keep them and believe me once they start to knock your confidence it's incredibly difficult to get it back, especially if he's a nervous type anyway and you'll just end up feeding off each other. if its not good news from your instructor I would have a good think about it without getting too emotionally attached, easier said than done! I do hope it works out for you but please don't let this horse destroy your confidence, I've been there and it's just not worth it
 
Why not ask your OH to walk or bike with you? If the horse is insecure then this will probably help a lot. The other thing to consider is that the horse is napping and having you on a bit, because he knows you're nervous. If this is the case then either you need to learn to be braver and get after him so that he can't nap, hack out in company (which is more fun anyway), or accept he'll never be the horse for you if you want to mainly hack. You haven't had him long so give it time but that said, there is nothing wrong with realising you've bought the wrong horse and selling. Horses are expensive and if it won't do the job you bought him for, there will be another out there who will.
 
Thanks for sharing your situation padderpaws. I want to keep going with him I just hope I can keep the help and support from my instructor rather than her just writing him off.

Festive and chestnut cob- I know where you are both coming from and I do agree but I just don't have it in me to pass him on. I could never deal with not knowing if he was being well looked after. I would ask my husband to come out with me but he is nervous around horses so I need someone confident really. All my horsey friends are not local but I might have to find someone to come with me.

Thanks shysmum. I have asked her if I can come and see her ride him this weekend to see how he is doing and have a chat. Fingers crossed and I will report back
 
OP, not long ago I could have written exactly what you have! I also bought a 5 yr old, was prepared to put the work in schooling, and she seemed very chilled when I tried her out (both times) but once home she was very different.
She naps, even with company, but not badly. But enough to knock my confidence, as I was not 'riding fit' when I got her. Fast forward to now and I have hacked her out round the block twice alone. She still has a way to go, but hacking with others just got me out on her, and my confidence grew each time we rode out. It will get better! :)
One thing though, if her problem is napping (noticed the comment about smack on the way out of the yard) then whatever you do - DO NOT ride out, and then turn for home, always go on a circular, or 'lolipop' ride....that was a brilliant bit of advice given to me - and I can understand why!
Wait to see what your instructor says then come back and let us know, I'm sure you'll get lots of good suggestions. :)
 
Is there really such a thing as a horse that WON'T hack alone? Given time and correct training and exposure I mean?

Many horses won't at first. He is only young and needs to build up confidence with other horses and learn to trust your decision as rider before he will, but I wouldn't be so quick to say that he is 'just one of those horses' and you'll have to put up with it or sell, just yet!
 
Hi. Welcome to the ladies that took a break and then overhorsed themselves club. I bought a whacking great big green, but gorgeous, 4 year old Friesian mare after a 27 year break less than a month ago.

I have help but am really enjoying being involved in schooling her - I would say I enjoy the Monty Roberts style in hand schooling with a dually halter almost more than riding her as it is building up a bond between us.

If he's good on the ground and can hack in company then you are really 95% there with him. I don't believe that there is such a thing as a horse that won't hack alone - just one who's rider chooses not to go through the work needed to get him there (although this is an acceptable decision). But you will need to be firm with him on occasion.

You could part with him and get another horse that seems perfect and then have different problems. All horses are unsettled when they are first moved and some will be good as gold with one person and try it on with a new one.

Try not to worry too muc until you have found out what the instructor has to say.

Paula
 
Thanks Crazydancer for your support. I'm not sure I will be able to have a route short enough that i could complete on him before he spins and bolts back to the yard! But i guess if i start doing it on foot with him and in company for a while he might manage it.

FBB - I have PM'd you

Matt - I know what you are saying i think she is worried that with my lack of confidence he may not be able to hack alone with me riding him.

Paula - Thanks for your advice. I am hoping all is well but i just have this feeling he has been a monster
 
If that's his only problem you could pay an experienced rider to hack him alone once a week while you work on schooling and hacking in company.

You sound determined to achieve it.
 
So I met with my instructor and her advice was to not sell him. Unfortunately this is because she said he is not safe so would be dangerous to sell him on to someone else :(.

She thinks the problem is from when whoever backed him. She thinks he was literally brought in fr the field and had a saddle chucked on his back given a whack and off he went and that is how he has been ridden since. He has had no ground work done etc. she said there is def a problem in his head some sort of block when he will go so far even in company and he even then he just stops. He is also napping in the school. She has tried various did ways with different people riding him and not much luck. On the plus side she said he has beautiful paces. Oh and she also thinks he might be a rig. There is so much more that she said but I'm on my phone so won't go into detail. To those who pm'd me I'll get back to you tomorrow!
 
sorry to hear this - my advice would be to listen carefully to your RI otherwise you could end up being hurt.

ive done the same... bought large, green ISH from IReland and overhorsed myself. I did the same as you and had loads of lessons and my RI took him to school. In my gut I knew he wasnt right for me but I loved him to bits and wanted to keep trying. I ended up at A&E with a busted ankle:o What did your RI suggest you do with him? Does he have room to take him for you and even turn him away over winter and re-start him in spring? Would you be able to afford taking a loss on him and find yourself something else?
 
Well she said not to hack him out at all once he comes home. Just to ride in the school starting just at walk only and take my time. It's going to be a long road and i am so disappointed. So much to take in :(
 
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