Our first real hack alone - advice for nervous horse?

HollyWoozle

HollyWoozle

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Today I decided to try taking Belle out completely on my own, when we usually have someone walking or cycling with us. The aim is for me to be able to ride her out without having to depend on anybody else and I know that her previous owners rode her out like this. As it was a beautiful day and we've had her for 6 months now, I thought it's about time I gave it a go.

We went the direction that we always go but first of all she wouldn't pass a skip outside someone's house (it has been there a while so we've passed it with mum). I tried and tried to push her on, to talk to her and so on but she would not go. In the end I had to stand in someone's drive to let cars by until some dog walkers appeared and she followed them past it (gave her lots of praise). Then we got near to the village playing field and they were playing cricket... no hope! She has always been slightly nervy of it but today there was just no way she would go past, I tried 5 or 6 times before giving up. Instead I walked her down a new short street and then on the way home, I turned her off onto another short road, just so that we could see some new stuff. She didn't rush home and stopped beautifully at the mini roundabout. She was not at all spooky or anything.

All in all, not as great as I had hoped but can't blame her for her fear. She just planted her feet and then would turn around. Does anybody have any advice for coaxing horses past areas they are nervous of? It is quite a busy village, though that part is 20mph with speed bumps and we are easy to see decked out in our high vis. It's just tricky as cars stop for us and they can't wait forever whilst I try to move her on.

Overall I'm really pleased with her as she didn't spook, bolt or any of that, she was just genuinely nervous. Any advice much appreciated! :)
 
Can't offer any advice as I haven't managed to hack out by myself yet. Sounds to me like you had quite a successful outing, maybe just keep doing it regularly? as she gets more confidence in you and the fact that nothing bad is happening perhaps she will get even braver?
 
Dunno if it helps, but my first thought was, that is challenging hacking! To get to know her is there anywhere else more rural/quiet you can go for the moment? x
 
Holly - I think we will just keep going to build up the confidence, yes. It's just tough as we can't do much without going past there!

skewby - it is challenging and a lot to expect of her, it's just a shame that around here there aren't many other options. :( I could either go the other way out of the village which has a 60mph road we have never tried or I would have to dismount and cross a railway line! Once past the playing field and up the village, we have far more options and can go some lovely routes.

I think I will go out past the playing field with my mum a few more times (perhaps after every lesson as we have those nearby) and then could try to pass it alone when they're not playing cricket!
 
ive just started taking my new youngster out alone, having had hubby on the ground the first few times.


sing ! honestly.. i went through the entire programme from the sound of music the other night and we went past a tractor, 2 blue portaloos,loads of wooden boxes that had spilled across the track, some washing on a line and kids kicking a football.

also - i wouldnt just allow her to plant. id keep her moving.. circles, turn on the forehand... and dont praise her for going past either. she should just get on with it (easier said than done, i know) and praising reinforces that there may have been something for her to worry about. there is a decent article in your horse this month - worth a read. good luck!
 
NeverSayNever said:
ive just started taking my new youngster out alone, having had hubby on the ground the first few times.


sing ! honestly.. i went through the entire programme from the sound of music the other night and we went past a tractor, 2 blue portaloos,loads of wooden boxes that had spilled across the track, some washing on a line and kids kicking a football.

also - i wouldnt just allow her to plant. id keep her moving.. circles, turn on the forehand... and dont praise her for going past either. she should just get on with it (easier said than done, i know) and praising reinforces that there may have been something for her to worry about. there is a decent article in your horse this month - worth a read. good luck!
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Thanks for the suggestions, the planting was for about two seconds before she turned around for home and although I could turn her back round again, I just could not get her past that point. The playing field is on the opposite side of the road at this point but right next to it and runs for a good 100m or so so we can't just get past it too easily.

I think I would have kept trying but more and more cars were appearing and her turning around in the road was not ideal! You're right about the praising actually, I hadn't thought about it like that really. I'll look out for the article, thanks. :)
 
I would rather get off and lead past something "totally terrifying" than have to not go past it at all. This isn't to say I leap off at the slightest thing but my horse will follow me anywhere if I lead her past, but it is a complete last resort and I don't have to do it very often. I know its safer staying on top and that some people would see this as defeatist, but what would you do if you were miles from home and encountered something that the horse would NOT go past, would you turn round and ride all the way back? I don't think so.
 
I would consider dismounting and leading in some situations but I think she'd turn around and head home if I got off her in the street. Plus she's 16.2 and I wouldn't able to get back on again very easily. :P
 
Do you lunge her often? The reason I ask is because I have noticed that with all the lunging, long reining and leading in-hand I have been doing with my lad since I started backing him, there is a marked improvement in the reaction and the reassurance he gets from my voice. Perhaps if she is a nervy girl it might be worth building up the relationship this way too?? I went for a hack today too and when mine got a bit 'sticky' because he lost confidence, it only took a soothing 'good boy' and a reassuring 'walk on' and we were merrily on our way again :D
 
My mare was horrendous hacking on her own would rear and spin like a ballerina.She is incredibly nervous and shakes. Ive had two like this and sometimes the best thing to do is trot them so you are going forward before they have a chance to plant.This always worked with my gelding , mares a bit trickier as she is very sharp but keeping moving is the only way.:D
 
Sounds like some ground work might be the answer for Belle, though I know when my mare plants she seems to lose all connection from the rider to her brain! Moving in anticiaption is the answer - you can't beat a nice forward trot!

Personally I wouldn't ride a horse that I couldn't mount from the ground and can't quite get my head round why anyone would do that. What if you had to get off to get a stone out of the horses foot, open a gate or you dropped your whip? (Not a dig at you HollyWoozle)
 
I find that staring in the opposite direction to the scary thing really works. I think it alters your position, and they can feel that you are not paying attention to the scary thing too. I have tried this out on two or three youngsters, and it always seems to work for me.
 
Wobblywibble said:
Sounds like some ground work might be the answer for Belle, though I know when my mare plants she seems to lose all connection from the rider to her brain! Moving in anticiaption is the answer - you can't beat a nice forward trot!

Personally I wouldn't ride a horse that I couldn't mount from the ground and can't quite get my head round why anyone would do that. What if you had to get off to get a stone out of the horses foot, open a gate or you dropped your whip? (Not a dig at you HollyWoozle)
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I think you could be right on the groundwork front as we don't do much and I think she really needs to feel more of a connection to me. She is much better than she was at first so we are obviously heading the right way, she just doesn't quite have that confidence.

As for the mounting, I could probably manage from the ground at a push, or definitely from the curb, but I don't think she would stand still and I wouldn't feel safe doing it on the main road of the village. If I had to get back on then I could definitely find a way to do it, I would just have to lead her off the street or something maybe (if she hadn't sodded off first!!).
 
The best way to get a young horse used to riding out is to take it out with an older road safe horse. This will instill confidence in your younger horse. The older horse should be on the outside of you with its rider level with your horses head.
 
Have to disagree somewhat with the praising when going past scary stuff. My mare is incredibly sharp, and very quick to spin if she doesnt like something. The best way I have found to get her more confident hacking out alone is LOADS of praise, telling her she is a good girl makes her grow in confidence, and makes her want to give it a go as she LOVES praise! She is single minded enough to know there is something scary about certain things, me telling her she is a good girl going past it or not makes no difference to her ;)

Just as an example, she was terrified of metal gates, as one slammed behind her when she was being backed, and scraed the bejesus out of her. I was teaching her to open gates, which was a real issue as she would plant, not go near it, and spin when I moved towards it. To start with, I told her off for the negative behaviour, and just asked as much as was needed to get here I wanted her to be, but she was still as stubborn and slightly scared about it! I then tried it ignoring the bad behaviour, but correcting it quietly, and giving her LOADS of praise when she did what I asked without a fuss, and she has grown in confidence and learnt in 1 session like this how to do a gate.

They should be rewarded for positive behaviour and doing as they are told, they don't think "christ, I'm being told I am good, that ust have been REALLY scary/dangerous/etc etc" ;)
 
This is time consuming but may work, try walking her in hand round the route you want to go on, when you get back to the yard, get on and go on the same route again. This way you know that she is not that frightened and can pass things easily. If she plants, get off and lead and then immediately you have passed the scarey thing, get back on and ride on as if nothing has happened. Eventually she will trust you enough to know that you will not put her at risk. My mare is awful about crossing drainage channels, if I lead her two or three times over them, she will then walk over ok when ridden. Hope this helps.
 
I rode my youngster out on her own, today (she hasn't been this way on her own before but had with other horses). We got to a certain point and came across some cows, she's been past cows loads of times before with other horses but never on her own. She planted her feet and didn't want to go forward, although she remained fairly calm and didn't try turning around, I didn't make a big issue of it and eventually she went past. The next scary thing she came to she almost stopped at but I was more determined that we wouldn't and she carried on.
You should always praise even if they think about doing what you want them to do otherwise they don't know when they are doing something right. Also try doing lots of transitions on a ride and bit of schooling if you can, this helps them to concentrate on you and means they are less likley to worry about what is going on.
Concentrate on where you want to go and be positive thats where your going to get too without stopping. If you anticipate that she is going to stop somewhere and plant her feet cos its scary then she will.
 
First of all - well done, i have a very nervous mare when she is out on her own, we have the planting, napping, backing up, shaking, trying to turn round for home etc etc.

To be honest, i have had her 3 years and some days i feel that we have made no progress at all and other days we can go anywhere, i find that i have to keep her forward thinking and anticipate the stops, i have mastered this over the years as i know her very well now and i do lots leg yielding, turning her head away and trotting on past the 'scary object' and then lots of praise after.

I find she is much more 'scared' when in season too.

Keep it up, it will get better.
 
Yes, sing! and yawn too, coz it totally relaxes you the rider and that transmits to the horse! But don't just sing when something stressy's happening or the horse will figure it out and realise sommats up!

Groundwork is fundamental in building up confidence; you could put spooks up in the yard if you can, anything really, cones, tarpaulins to walk over, flags, plastic bags, and just lead him around, giving plenty of reassurance and "rewarding" by rubbing his neck, withers etc. He needs to have confidence in you as herd leader, that what you say is "safe" and OK, is safe and OK, before you venture out, and I just wonder whether, for now, you're being a tad ambitious. Yes, he might have been ridden solo in his previous home, but its YOU the rider, now, who needs to give him that confidence as herd leader, and he'll be looking to you for that.

There really isn't any subsitute for groundwork, then after that you can go on to face spooks (in the arena initially), with him learning to look to you for his confidence and going off the leg, starting, stopping and changing pace and direction. Then after that, you might progress to hacking out, but you can't short-cut the process.

My boy was mega silly hacking out alone when I had him and I had to go through all of this process before I could hack out safely solo on him, but its been so well worth it coz now we're hacking solo and meeting scarey tractors and all that groundwork has really paid off!

Persist, gently but firmly, and you will get there. But for now, you might need to backtrack just a wee bit and get your basics sorted out with your horse. He has to learn to trust you as his leader first.
 
HW - if she won't stand still for you to mount, you DEFINITELY need to do some ground work with her! Can you find someone else to ride out with you? I know my mare will generally follow another horse past scary things so am more confident out in company and I have wondered if my attitude/anxiety when we are on our own affects how I ride her, so I sometimes pretend there is another equine bottom in front of us! Plus what others have said, focus where you want to go and not on the scary things (easier said than done I know).
 
Not always an option if you are on a busy road...... but...... if she plants and refuses to pass something going forwards, turn her round and ask her to pass it backwards (providing she understands the aids for rein back etc).

Sounds ridiculously simple, and is probably the last resort before getting off and leading, but has worked wonders for me.
 
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