Scared to hack out alone - help

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inkratlet

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I often have to hack out alone as YO takes her horses competing at the weekends and I don't have regular access to a school.

It's all been fine until recently when he spooked severely at a deer who leapt out from behind a tractor and I went out the side door. He galloped home on his own and stopped at a local yard nearby when he saw horses and people. He was wearing a pink hi viz coat.

I don't care about falling off, and it isn't what is making me nervous, but I am scared of him hurting himself, getting onto the road and getting killed if I fall off
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In an enclosed area I don't care how many times I bite sand.

We've gotten ourselves into a vicious circle, every time he spooks he makes me more nervous and the more nervous I am the more he spooks. He's literally spooking at EVERYTHING, a hack alone is just one great big ball of stress and anxiety and it is ruining our experience of each other
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Today I took a deep breath and got on confidently, started him off down the road and literally 3 steps he spotted a group of people with a golden retriever and a baby in a buggy and planted his feet and refused to go further. If I try to boot him on he naps like mad and ends up going up the steep riverbank = dangerous! All my instincts are telling me to *make him go past it* but he's putting us in a dangerous situation. So I turned him round and decided to go the other way, but literally 20 yards away theres a building site and he went up the bank again. This bank is sooo steep, and neither of us are eventers, on the other side is a river. Any attempt to get him to go down it just made him back further up and he wheeled round and leapt right up to the top. So we're on this very steep river bank about 10 metres above the road below
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I'm afraid I bailed on him and lead him down. I was then too stressed to even think about getting back on him as I'll just end up making things worse, so I walked the route we would have taken with him. I just walked beside him. He still spooked at things but not so much as he does when I'm on him which is just screaming at me IT'S ME WHO IS STRESSING HIM OUT. In one way I think if I'm not prepared to walk with him then what right do I have to sit on him, and in the other way I think getting off him just reaffirmed his fears.

I'm pretty sure he's not being naughty, he's just a highly strung nervous TB.

How do I break the cycle? How do we build trust in each other?
 
When my three year old had just been broken in I had no-one to hack out with and was quite nervous about going on my own. Luckily my B/F didn't mind walking out with me. It just gives you confidence to have someone on the ground to talk to and to be there if you have any probs. Can you get someone to walk out with you a few times to help get your confidence back.
 
There is no point putting yourself, your horse or others in a dangerous position by hacking out by yourself.

My advice would be similar to above and find someone who will regularly and I mean regularly go out with you on foot, bicycle or horseback so that your horse gets used to all the local routes. Give your horse a good two years of regularly being hacked out at least several times each week.

Your horse may eventually well settle down and stop spooking however you must go out regularly and get him used to all these things if you want to resolve this issue.

(One other thing next time your vet is down get him to check your horses eyes).

Good luck.
 
Agree totally with this - don't put yourself in danger.

Do you have a sympathetic instructor? Perhaps they could walk with you as you hack - you could pay them as if it were a lesson. Or perhaps they could get on first with you walking alongside and let you know what's happening when he gets tense? I know our local instructor does this, so it may be worth asking around.

Good luck, I hope it all works out.
 
All great ideas, thanks.

I am thinking of asking his owner to get on him, as she's a very confident rider. Normally I am too, it's just really been knocked lately. It wasn't even falling off that did it, it's just the constant spooking at every tiny little thing since then and the completely absurd overreactions when he does spook.

Not sure about my OH though, he's a bit afraid of horses so I'd need to get him confident before even thinking about trusting him to be there if there was a problem!
 
I know what it's like to have a spooky one - it can sap your confidence sometimes! If it helps, I had someone else ride my boy whilst I was pregnant and he seems less spooky now. I think we got into a vicious circle where I was expecting spooks, so he obliged.
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Definately, since he threw me off the side and then the next hack out he spooked so bad I very nearly came off again and twisted my ankle in the stirrup, I know I clamp on and tense up when I expect him to spook out of sheer desire for self preservation!

Hired the school tomorrow though so provided we can get far enough up the track to actually use it we should have a good session tomorrow. *crosses fingers*
 
if your horse is scared and spooks on the road then you could tack him up ride him in a arena and then just before you untack get off him and walk a bit of the way and every time you walk him on the road by hand take him a little bit further every time then eventually he should get calmer. i hope he does get calmer for you.
 
I too have times when I'm not too happy hacking alone. We have a lot of deer near us, and I have had a few close calls!

However, I find that if I can see a potentially 'spooky' object ahead (today it was a pile of earth covered with a blue tarpaulin) I try to make sure that I have enough of a contact, but not too much, then try to relax, and stare really hard in the opposite direction from the 'spook'. I find this really helps, if you look at the spooky object you are reinforcing your horses fear of it.

And to be honest, if it was that bad, I would get off and lead past. I don't think this is giving in, and in some situations it is probably the safest option, particularly the situation you describe with a river and a high bank.

Good luck. I have felt like this several times, but have always got through it, and I am sure you will too.
 
It isn't the road specifically that bothers him as he grew up in Newmarket around traffic, cars, lorries etc. all fine.

Of course peoples washing hanging in gardens are a bigger issue and the idea of him being loose on the road would terrify any horsey person!!
 
Its probably not you who is stressing him out, more like he is more confident with you by his side...... Merlin is just like that
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Big baby!!!

Keep on trying, maybe with a chaperone for the next couple of rides..... and try not to worry about falling off and him getting away.

Try to focus on all the times you have hacked out alone and not fallen off..... thats what I have to do. I also worry what would happen if merlin got away from me as he would have to cross two main roads and negotiate several cattle grids to get home. BUT in the four years I have had him that hasnt happened, so I have to concentrate on that rather than the few times he spooks at the cattle and I nearly hit the deck!!

Be brave and carry on if you can
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I know just how you feel.

My mare is a terrible spooker and I'm sure that is down to the fact that we have had no choice but to hack out on our own all of her life.

I've foregone going on a lovely hack that I have a permit for because it involves riding on 2 very fast rat-run lanes.

She scares the life out of me with her antics.

Don't know why I haven't thought of this before but today I got off and led her all the way along the 2 scary lanes, and then popped back on once we were onto quiet lanes again.

we had the most lovely ride, and gallop round the woods.

Normally I'd be stressing about the ride home, but not this time as I knew I was going to lead her home.

I would love someone to come out with me on foot or bike, but there's no one : (

If you can find someone, chew their hand off. Doesn't have to be anyone whose going to touch the horse I don't think. Just having someone to walk in front or close by you makes all the difference to your and your horses' confidence.
 
oh i see, i feel sorry for you having to have the experience of your horse being on the road on its own. you can get a powdered yeast that is supposed to calm there nerves i have it for my horse because it doesn't like drains, but my horse isn't that calm i don't know wether its the spring grass or the powdered yeast. on the tub it does acctually say for calming nerves.
 
I know how you feel, ever since I fell off George on a hack and he galloped off I realised my fear wasn't me falling but him running off and hurting himself and me panicing in the meantime. George isn't really spooky so I don't have that problem, but I do find someone on a bike helps me feel more confident (if no-one to ride with). I also make sure George has hi-viz on as well as me and he has dog tags on his saddle and bridle with contact numbers on, it does reassure me a bit!

Good luck.
 
The best thing to do, if there is any is any doubt in your mind about your safety or his, is to get off and lead your horse past anything that looks like it may be an issue, BEFORE it becomes an issue.
But he needs to have confidence in you first.
If he is really that dangerously spooky out on his own you need to go back to basics leading him and riding him past an assortment of objects at home in his field or arena until he is sure that your decision is the safe decision, and always hack out for now, with someone on a sensible horse.
Its just not worth the risk of possibly killing yourself or your horse.

I have always taken my horses out for walks in hand in a bridle, as youngsters or just for a walk for my own exercise, or with the dog. I find the dog also gives my horse confidence as he chases forward all the pheasants or deer that may be in the bushes.

Another thing I do when I am feeling confident is to whistle or sing "Always look on the bright side of life" aka Monty Pythons Life of Brian, at the top of my lungs (!!?? Great tune to build confidence and makes you laugh) and then get my horse in a brisk walk or trot. Then when we do meet something scary on the horizon I sing along or whistle our tune. ( must be careful not to whistle or sing ONLY when you see spooky things though) and put my leg on, he usually goes straight past and I give him a little stroke on the neck with my finger and praise him.
It worked first time today when he would`t get in the new trailer, or ford a stream out hacking.

I once backed my horse past an irrigation fountain in a field this way, and she was so confused that she did not know which way the scary object was until she had past it, and then she wasn't bothered anymore either. Often you need to outwit your horse and show him you are the safes bet to stay close to you.
If he can't trust you to keep him safe, then he WILL take off for home.
If you do find your horse is still ogling the object after he has had a little look, turn his head away, and yours too, as looking at scary things after a point, just increases the adrenalin rush, and that should be avoided if possible otherwise flight mode is more likely.

And I would be very worried about falling off on the road too. The road is very hard.
I broke my pelvis when lunging in a sand school!!!

You are no good to your horse if you are unconscious on the road.
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Ha ha! I often sing 'Always look on the bright side' too! Because the beat fits in with the walk clip clop!

I do find myself singing slightly more high pitched and a bit panicky as we dart across the road in yet another melodramatic spook - and then I shut up as I wonder what people would think!!

Leading my girl along those 2 horrible roads that she's scared on was just so much better. She's very well mannered in that respect and seemed so pleased to have me at her head keeping her company! She bunts my hand as if to say 'I'm glad you're still there'.

I'm so pleased and happy that we can now walk to the nice hacking and have a lovely pleasant time.
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[ QUOTE ]
There is no point putting yourself, your horse or others in a dangerous position by hacking out by yourself.

My advice would be similar to above and find someone who will regularly and I mean regularly go out with you on foot, bicycle or horseback so that your horse gets used to all the local routes. Give your horse a good two years of regularly being hacked out at least several times each week.

Your horse may eventually well settle down and stop spooking however you must go out regularly and get him used to all these things if you want to resolve this issue.

(One other thing next time your vet is down get him to check your horses eyes).

Good luck.

[/ QUOTE ]

I had the same problem with my old pony, we couldnt even get 3strides without him bronking, and for 3years we did what is above. My mum walked with me for 3yrs and we went out atleast 5times aweek.

When i first started hacking out on my own I led Mickey down to the bridle path (different bridle path each time) and get on him there, so by that point we were on our way home, and he didnt want to be silly because he knew he was on his way home. - i did this for about 3months.

Then i could get on him and go from the yard practically everywhere with no problems, and yes sometimes he did try to take the p*ss but that was not very common
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Good luck chick, i am sure you'll be fine in no time
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!
 
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