Solo hacking dilemma WWYD?

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dilbert

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Today I decided to take my young cob out for a solo hack which involved some main road. It was windy and in hindsight I was a bit foolish but keen to get out and about .

He's not done this route for ages ( and only once alone) but hes generally a very good , safe ride. Anyway, the upshot was I couldn't get him past sme bird scarer things which he spotted behind a hedge ( stakes in a field with shiny ristly paper stuff) and ended u getting off him, tried to walk him past, couldn't so walked him back to yard, got back on and rode round the village instead and he was a star all though a little on his toes .

Now, should I try again ASAP and be a bit tougher next time or should I wait until I have company to ride with? Or maybe take him in hand? I wouldn't normally get off but we were on a busy A road ( we were a good couple of metres from the road though , big grass verges) and after a few spins and the like I lost my confidence.
 
You both got back safe and sound now that's a plus.
You got back on and then took another route, that's good too.

I'm no expert, but I'm guessing on another day in better conditions he'l be fine. Don't put pressure on yourself or him, you've done well to get out at all!

I havnt been out in over a week due to the weather and I'm guessing il be in for some show stopping anticts when I do!
 
Go out & do a couple of the routes you & horse have been happy & relaxed with.
Then get a friend if poss to ride out with you on the spooky route a couple of times so your horse picks up sensible vibes & is reassured all is ok to go past. Then go out again the next time or so, followed by someone on a cycle out with you on same route.

I really would not try to lead out in hand that way until you are happy & relaxed again :)

Good luck, am sure its just down to confidence building for both of you :)
 
You are bound to get many opposite opinions but my firm one is :- NEVER, EVER get off - ANYWHERE! If you can't control from the saddle - you stand absolute zero chance of doing so underneath four big feet attached to long legs with teeth at one end!

I did dismount once - breaking a golden rule - and then only because I'd recently been assured by BHS folk with strings of letters after their names - that it was not only acceptable to lead passed an obstacle but "The Thing To Do." Well ball licks to that! My mare, besides herself in fear of being out alone ( no one had told me ) and petrified of a giant thermometer advising folk how much money had been collected for the church roof fund! Finally she did a series of impressive rears with her front tootsies on a level with my nose and looking at them put me off thinking where they would land - on my foot! Sooooo painful it took every ounze of my long practised masichism to remount and take her home - my foot was smashed for weeks - so never again and I cursed myself for ever listening to STUPID PEOPLE!
 
Thank you all :)

I wouldn't normally ever get off ( certainly not on my other cob) but I know some peeps say walking in hand past scary things can help ( it didnt work, I won't try it again lol ) .

He wasnt that stressed , as soon as we were away from the scary bits he tried to graze . Monkey!
 
1stclassalan said:
You are bound to get many opposite opinions but my firm one is :- NEVER, EVER get off - ANYWHERE! If you can't control from the saddle - you stand absolute zero chance of doing so underneath four big feet attached to long legs with teeth at one end!

I did dismount once - breaking a golden rule - and then only because I'd recently been assured by BHS folk with strings of letters after their names - that it was not only acceptable to lead passed an obstacle but "The Thing To Do." Well ball licks to that! My mare, besides herself in fear of being out alone ( no one had told me ) and petrified of a giant thermometer advising folk how much money had been collected for the church roof fund! Finally she did a series of impressive rears with her front tootsies on a level with my nose and looking at them put me off thinking where they would land - on my foot! Sooooo painful it took every ounze of my long practised masichism to remount and take her home - my foot was smashed for weeks - so never again and I cursed myself for ever listening to STUPID PEOPLE!
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I tend to agree with you. I hacked out alone on a windy day and the little horse I was on freaked at something, spooked, jumped, span round and round... went dooo lally!

My instinct was to get off and lead him past the ghost, as I took my feet out and leaned forward for a quick dismount he lept into the air dropped his shoulder. I met the gound and he trampled on top of me, running away down the road home.

I feel as though I woudl have been far better in the saddle, and getting off was the worst mistake i made that day!


It depends on the situation though, I have got off once before on a busy main road when the horse refused to go past a sign. The more I asked him, the more he got agitated and was dangerous to proceed like this with the traffic. He was calm enough to let me dismount safely luckily.



Op - I'd take him past again (riding), as if nothing ever happned. Dont be afraid of if he will stop again, as he will sense this. It could have just been the wind :) dont put pressure on yourself to do it asap though, just enjoy it :)
 
I think it depends on the horse tbh, the Current Appy will pass most things, but hates runnng water beneath her feet and driving horses with carriage attached :eek: I get off and lead her over drainage ditches, until she is bored of them and then get back on and ride over them. If I get between her and the scarey horse eating vehicle she is fine ( I presume she thinks that they will eat me first and give her the chance to leg it while it is occipied :D ) If she doesn't want to cross the drainage stuff, she will not necessarily follow another horse, she is rather independant of others :)
 
Long rein him past scarey stuff

best idea not to get off

however if your going to get reared on or anything else stupid then GET OFF its not worth a lone horse galloping back to the yard while your on the floor

If you do get off you MUST go past the object and get on again or they will get to learn that if they misbehave you get off

work up to the point where you feel confident to pass the object again :)
 
1stclassalan said:
You are bound to get many opposite opinions but my firm one is :- NEVER, EVER get off - ANYWHERE! If you can't control from the saddle - you stand absolute zero chance of doing so underneath four big feet attached to long legs with teeth at one end!

I did dismount once - breaking a golden rule - and then only because I'd recently been assured by BHS folk with strings of letters after their names - that it was not only acceptable to lead passed an obstacle but "The Thing To Do." Well ball licks to that! My mare, besides herself in fear of being out alone ( no one had told me ) and petrified of a giant thermometer advising folk how much money had been collected for the church roof fund! Finally she did a series of impressive rears with her front tootsies on a level with my nose and looking at them put me off thinking where they would land - on my foot! Sooooo painful it took every ounze of my long practised masichism to remount and take her home - my foot was smashed for weeks - so never again and I cursed myself for ever listening to STUPID PEOPLE!
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Depends on your horse to be honest!
I have no problem jumping off and leading mine if required. We have done loads of groundwork and he will take more confidence from me on the ground. However my friends horse would trample over you so I can see both sides.
 
I think whether or not you get off depends on the horse and the rider. Mine will happily go past pretty much anything if he's following me, and as my confidence on board is a bit rubbish I'd rather get off and keep my brave pants clean for next time :D

If I had a horse that didn't follow me safely and calmly, I'd feel differently, but it's like anything else with horses - you can never say one way or the other is the only way to do things :)

OP, I'd stick to routes you're happy with, then try that route again on a nice calm day. preferably early on a Sunday when it's all quiet, and with a safe steady friend to follow - human or equine! Absolutely no point risking your confidence or anything else.
 
Haven't read any of your replies, but can only offer you some advice that worked for us and a baby we brought on! He had never hacked alone and we spent most of the hack stood still! We tried waiting until he got bored (40 mins once) we tried reversing, circles etc, we tried smacking (pointless he was scared so why reinforce why he was scared) Then we discovered getting off, leading past scary thing, then getting straight back on, we did this for a few weeks, until we were rarely getting off, and now he will go past anything, so in my opinion getting off is no bad thing X
 
YorksG said:
If I get between her and the scarey horse eating vehicle she is fine
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If mine sees something he's a bit unsure of, but that doesn't quite deserve a spook, he'll calmly and quietly just bob himself round the back of me to my other side so I'm between him and it. Coward :p
 
Thank you all for your comments :) they're really helpful. I think as he's normally so good I'm a bit wary of giving him a smack or a kick to get past things as I'm to sure how he will react.

Onwards and upwards :)
 
IMHO I'd pick a nice calm day and go with a companion (sensible horse and rider you can trust) chances are nothing will happen but if it does you've got weather and help on your side.
The soon after that take him on his own - calm and quiet and it'll be a non issue.
I've always thought you should never get off, until I was on one situation with Polo when he was going to spin and run, I'd tried for 15 mins to calmly walk him on (heart pounding through his girth etc.) it was genuine. He's not a horse you can fight with ! So I got off, walked him the whole rest of the hack I'd planned - with him dancing around me in a panic the whole time. next day, same hack - he was good as gold - you can never say never with horses IMHO
 
Whilst I would normally say getting off is wrong, I have been in a couple of situations where it was the right thing to do...

A couple of days ago I hacked my cob up to the village, bearing in mind he had not been ridden for 10 days bcause of the snow etc. Anyhow we came to a field where there were several geese honking behind a hedge - he would not go forward and could feel his heart beating under his saddle, and was genuinely frightened.

After several attempts to go forward, resulting in going backwards (!), I dismounted and led him past. With me as 'leader' he instantly relaxed and duly followed me without hesitation. I then popped back on and rode back and forth past the geese a couple of times and he was as good as gold.

I don't think you did the wrong thing. You turned a negative into a positive by still having a hack. I imagine most horses are a bit 'wired' atm due to restricted turnout and the current windy conditions - after all they are not machines but highly sensitive creatures with a very strong flight instinct, and if their 'human' can give them confidence that can only be a good thing.
 
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