Planting and Going Backwards!!!

[Mrs. Jingle]

Can you just sit it out - I have done this with a couple of horses over the years when all else failed. Pick your time and place to ensure safety of you and the horse. One mare took two attempts of literally sitting for 2 hours or more- the slightest attempt to turn away from the direction I wanted I just firmly turned her in a circle until we were yet again pointing in the right direction. attempts to run backwards I just let her run back into hedges etc....sitting still and totally unresponsive to sitting in the middle of a hawthorn hedge - I think she got scratched more than me!

She was eventually a fabulous solo hack but on occasion I had to act extremely quickly to push and growl her forward before she got into reverse or spin mode.

Second one is my current retired mare - and ex hunter who had never hacked alone - she was a nightmare and would happily reverse into tractors, cars and whatever was behind her rather than go forward alone. In that instance I would always get off, my safety, the horse's safety and most importantly other road users. I would walk her forward slightly ahead of her for 30 yards or so, turn her rapidly and walk back, repeat a few times at which point her head was spinning (as was mine lol!) and she didn't care which direction we went so long as we just kept going - at this point I would get back on and continue. Time consuming, damned annoying but worked a treat and she became almost totally reliable hacking alone.

 

[Ownedby4horses]

I know you are trying to help but please don’t tell me I need “professional help” when I work with so called “professionals” daily who have all suggested the exact same things of what I’ve been trying. I may be a brave rider (since I work with and ride racers as well as my own) but I know my horses limits and certainly know my own better. I have enough experience to know when situations are getting dangerous and where we are both at risk, and how to prevent these risks from escalating (example being getting off to let him relax, the getting back on again). I am not afraid to ask for help, and never have been in my 14 years or owning, riding and training horses. If I was, I wouldn’t be on here asking for opinions. I am here to see if anyone suggests anything different to what me and the “professionals” have come up with. Like I said, I understand that you are trying to help and am very grateful but sometimes it comes across as a bit obnoxious when someone is trying say you don’t know what you’re doing. I assure you my horses health and comfort is a best interest here.

Wow OP- you obviously know it all already, So if you don’t want advice, don’t ask for it. I will just say that 14 years isn’t a long time at all and there are so many professionals in different aspects of training that you may well not have ever encountered!

Perhaps you should not be so closed down to advice when you have asked for it!!!

Just to add, Your comments about not giving in to him and you know you shouldn’t get off him etc are very old school, so you do need to look at a different style of approach as what you are currently doing isn’t working for you!

 

[megb18.02]

Wow OP- you obviously know it all already, So if you don’t want advice, don’t ask for it. I will just say that 14 years isn’t a long time at all and there are so many professionals in different aspects of training that you may well not have ever encountered!

Perhaps you should not be so closed down to advice when you have asked for it!!!

Just to add, Your comments about not giving in to him and you know you shouldn’t get off him etc are very old school, so you do need to look at a different style of approach as what you are currently doing isn’t working for you!

I don’t understand the need to be rude to me when I wasn’t rude to you. I appreciated your advice and said that then simply explained why I wasn’t keen and how I felt, I’m sorry if that came across different to you. I have been riding for longer than 14 years, what I mean is I have been training with ex - racers for 14 years. I stated that I have been working with professionals and stated in my original post the methods we had already tried and that they hadn’t worked. I’m sorry if I wasn’t clear enough with that. My methods are a combination of old school and modern approaches too. The reason I asked for other methods is because I know what I’m doing now isn’t working. I do not know it all and never said that I did, you learn everyday with horses, even some ‘professionals’ don’t know it all. I am not closed down to advise given. I just don’t appreciate being replied to as if I don’t know what I’m doing, especially when no one knows me personally. I’m trying many things, working along side people etc. But I’m sorry you feel this way about me.

 

[megb18.02]

Can you just sit it out - I have done this with a couple of horses over the years when all else failed. Pick your time and place to ensure safety of you and the horse. One mare took two attempts of literally sitting for 2 hours or more- the slightest attempt to turn away from the direction I wanted I just firmly turned her in a circle until we were yet again pointing in the right direction. attempts to run backwards I just let her run back into hedges etc....sitting still and totally unresponsive to sitting in the middle of a hawthorn hedge - I think she got scratched more than me!

She was eventually a fabulous solo hack but on occasion I had to act extremely quickly to push and growl her forward before she got into reverse or spin mode.

Second one is my current retired mare - and ex hunter who had never hacked alone - she was a nightmare and would happily reverse into tractors, cars and whatever was behind her rather than go forward alone. In that instance I would always get off, my safety, the horse's safety and most importantly other road users. I would walk her forward slightly ahead of her for 30 yards or so, turn her rapidly and walk back, repeat a few times at which point her head was spinning (as was mine lol!) and she didn't care which direction we went so long as we just kept going - at this point I would get back on and continue. Time consuming, damned annoying but worked a treat and she became almost totally reliable hacking alone.

I usually do try to sit it out but he get sort of agitated with himself. It really is a tricky one! Definitely worth another try though! I don’t mind time consuming methods, as long as he feels happier in the work we’re doing, then I’ll do anything. I usually do your other method too when I do get off where we walk back and forth quickly, this usually does help but when he’s in one of his extreme moods, he has it worked out what I’m doing! But like you say, it is sometimes so much safer for everyone, including horse and people, to just get off. Thank you for your advice, greatly appreciated.