Now it all makes sense!

[Annagain]

Since Christmas, I've been taking Charlie out on my own a lot more. I tend not to hack on my own as I find it a bit boring - I like a chat as I go - but I know Charlie needs it for his education so I've been doing it more and chatting to Charlie instead. We started doing the 'little block' a 15-20 minute road loop down the front lane to the yard, along the main road a little and back up the back lane before moving on to the 'big block' by turning right off the main road to join a longer loop. We've done the big block lots with company and haven't had any problems, but since we started doing the little block Charlie has been reluctant to take the right turn, even in company. The first couple of times we had turning for home (you couldn't really call it spinning, it was too slow) but he'd turn round and carry on when he was told. Since then, the turning has stopped but from about 50m from the turning, we have high alert, snorting, spooking at nothing and not really settling until we're 100m down the road. I assumed it was because he knew carrying on the main road was the quickest way home and he was being a nappy so and so would growl at him and send him on his way.

Today I met a friend for a hack at the corner of the right hand turn. There's a house on one side of the corner and her yard is on the other side. She told me that the kids in the house had a pair of pigs for Christmas who live in the garden, right up against the wall that stretches down the lane. Her horse was very wary at first but, living so close, has since got used to them. Now it all makes sense! Poor Charlie was victim of a miscarriage of justice. There was me thinking he was being nappy and he was trying to protect us both from the evil killer boar. It's just a coincidence that I started solo hacking at the same time as the pigs arrived. I'll be a bit more sympathetic in future - but still send him on his way down there!

As another plus, this was the first time (with me) that Charlie has met another horse while out and about, hacked happily with him and then left him to head home on his own. So far we haven't met any challenge that he doesn't just shrug his shoulders at and take in his stride. I really feel I've clicked with him in the last 6 weeks.

 

[sportsmansB]

My 16yo school master still tries to spin and jogs sideways snorting past the alpacas which live on our hack.
They seem to have gone elsewhere for the winter (?) and he stilll does it past the place they live.
I don't think he is cureable to be honest.. I just growl in advance now which eliminates the spinning but not the jogging and snorting..!

ETA - Excellent progress! He really sounds like a dude

 

[Annagain]

He is. I always said the perfect horse would be a halfway house between Archie and Monty. I think I've found it in Charlie. He's more forward and braver than Mont but not as strong or bolshy as Archie. He'll go first or last, doesn't care if anything overtakes him and is totally unflappable in traffic. His only 'fault' so far is a couple of baby, unbalanced bucks in the school as he goes into canter but never more than one and never big. Since Christmas, we only hacked for 2 1/2 months as the school was always flooded or frozen (for the first time in the 19 years I've been there!) and since going back in the school, he hasn't bucked at all - he's much stronger behind now.

 

[Baywonder]

Isn't it great when everything just comes together! It sounds like Charlie is a real star!

My old boy used to be petrified of the horse eating donkeys that lived down the lane. Thankfully, with much patience and perseverance, he did get used to them quite quickly.

 

[Scotsbadboy]

When i brought my new guy onto the yard the other night and started picking his feet out he was insistent i pick up the back far leg first, i was annoyed with him for 'trying it on' so growled and made him pick up the other two feet first and when i go to that foot he had compacted mud and a piece of hard plastic in it which would would have likely been digging into the sole of his foot How guilty did i feel, he was clearly and very politely trying to tell me!

In hindsight i should have checked it as he's too perfect to be trying to give me the runaround just for the sake of it! I do need to trust him more when he is clearly putting so much effort and trust with me. Lesson learnt and lovely post OP and if you think about it this is the whole point of you making the effort to hack alone so its a positive experience

 

[SEL]

Charlie sounds like a star - I still hate meeting other horses on hacks because my mare gets ridiculous around them.

Pigs though are just fine. She had one in a pen next her paddock and was spotted leaning over the fence to lick it

 

[Annagain]

I take it all back, my semi-pro friend came to ride him this morning and he was a git! Left rein perfect, right rein a stroppy hippocamiraff. After a few lovely days, it was cold and windy so I'm hoping it was just that. Horses!