Schooling livery/freelance rider Preston

[wish upon a star]

I'm looking for someone to help bring on my horse, mainly in hacking so would need her to go to their yard as the hacking isn't very good where she is. Could do with some schooling work but mainly roadwork.

So please could I have some recommendations and also estimates of prices if possible, or other options considered.

Thank you.

 

[Makemineacob]

Are you looking for someone to teach your horse to hack out as you don't feel you have the confidence? The reason I ask is that it isn't as difficult as you think to get them out hacking, even with a horse with "issues", my mare is a major stress head and had only been out once or twice in company in her previous home (the owner was too terrified to ride her when I went to trial her so I knew she wasn't going to be straight forward) so I started leading her out in hand and letting her experience lots of things with me on the ground to give her confidence and it has helped massively with helping her to overcome her worries. I regularly get someone to come out on foot with me (usually hubby) and got him to carry a lunge line with him as a precaution incase he needed to clip us on (more of a precaution for me to give me some more confidence too as she was tricky!). I started taking her out on private land/lanes as initially she was perfect in the school but when she got worried hacking out she would tank off. She still has moments where she winds herself into a coil ready to go but now listens to me for reassurance. The one thing I didn't want to do was to keep her hacking out with other horses all the time as I didn't want her to be reliant on others horses and become nappy if we went out alone.

Obviously I don't know the full extent of your reason for wanting to get someone to do it for you etc but this might save you some money trying this or at least give her a head start if you do get someone to do it for you.

 

[wish upon a star]

Thank you, that was my original plan actually but just feel like the road she is on is chucking her in at the deep end and there's no way round it. Ideally I'd take her somewhere else but would be wanting to build it up so it's a lot to hire a trailer just for a fifteen minute walk somewhere quieter! I might try it at quieter times and see how we get on. Thank you, it helps to hear that it worked for you and yours sounds trickier than mine so if we follow suit we might get somewhere!

 

[Makemineacob]

Start just by leading out lots, you need to make sure you have a good basis of groundwork in place to ensure you both stay safe and that you can control her etc if she has a major panic. My mare came to me with a history of tanking off and absolutely no way to stop her so safety was my first issue. I used a bridle and a lunge line and the pair of us covered in high viz and a handful of treats as an emergency to distract her if needed and a very good pair of gloves! We actually managed to make it past one of those huge tractors on massive wheels with the spraying arms extended out and whilst she was dancing like crazy on the spot she never left my side. I trick I also used was of she was worried about anything coming towards us (cyclists, dog walkers, farmer) I swiftly passed them a treat to give to her and pretty swiftly she was looking forward to seeing cyclists etc incase they had good!

The main thing is take things steady, don't set yourself any deadlines or put yourselves under pressure as you'll get frustrated, it will all come good in time and the more you can expose her to on foot the better.