Persistant Napping on hacks :(

[el_Snowflakes]

Hi all,

I would appreciate some sensible advice. My mare is 15 and in good health (all relevant checks done) shes good in the school and even tiding in the fields close to our yard. However I just cannot get her along the road to go for a hack she is a very bossy and opinionated horse and is so hard in the mouth that i cannot stop her when she does this. Basically she turns round to come home and i cannot get her forward now she threatens to rear at which point i lose my nerve and she knows it. She will do anything to not go forward including running backwards. The problem is not fear its really just her taking the p*ss as we have hacked out for hours alone before without probs. When she doesnt feel like doing it she just wont and its extremely frustrating. I used to use the whip which sent her forward but now this seems to make her more resistant. Please help if u can

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Mmmm, is this something that has just started? You say you've been on hacks before, but was this with another horse going with you???

My boy was exactly like this when I had him, he'd been a trekking horse and had NEVER hacked solo before, and the whole issue is really about you rider being a herd leader your horse can trust to go out alone with.

So that's what you need to work on, and there won't be any short cuts to this. If your mare has got to the stage where she's indicating she might rear (and you are quite understandably getting scared), then I would suggest that for now, you would be advised not to try to get her out alone anymore.

With mine, I had an experienced trainer who came alongside me. We started with groundwork, establishing the boundaries and getting my horse confident in a safe place about me being the herd leader. If you can move the horse's feet, then that establishes YOU as herd leader, so you need to work at moving the horse's feet around YOU, not the other way around!!!

So lots of circling, going backwards & forwards, just manhandling her basically like you would in the stable. Then you can progress to maybe putting up a little obstacle course like they use in horse agility, when you mare is ready tho' and not before. All of which you would do in a "safe" place like an arena.

Then you could progress to leading her out on the road, giving plenty of reassurance but also firm leadership like you've done in your groundwork ......... then one day, almost without her noticing, you could lead her out and then half way through your "walk", just hop up into the saddle and ride her home!!!

It WILL take time to build up trust for her - mares particularly IME are more prone to separation anxiety and herd issues simply because in the natural herd environment they're the ones who'd be looking out for the rest of the herd and/or the foals.

Also, I don't think I could have managed to get my cob out on his own without skilled help to come alongside and help me with the groundwork and confidence issues. I'd personally recommend someone who's an IH practitioner, or someone similar who is experienced at natural horsemanship and dealing with this sort of issue without waving a big stick - which is the very worst thing you could do in this situation.