vicm2509
Well-Known Member
Well he is doing so well that I thought id tell you all as its only thanks to the fourm members that we have got this far.
My last update said that we had made lots of progress and one sharp smack behind the leg got him going forward. Although he was still napping quite a bit.
Well 2 weeks on and I think we are 99% there. He now will walk off the yard with almost no hesitation at all, although I do ALWAYS keep my spurs on for hacking. He only attemps to nap on routes he doesnt know, and after one attempt, followed by a little smack he doesnt do it again for the rest of the hack. I have been taking him out every day sometimes just 5 mins sometimes for an hour, if i feel him tensing even just a tiny bit I calmly talk to him and give him a big pat as soon as he relaxes. We have been going out lots on our own but also with one other horse but Baron always stays infront. His confidence seems to be building up loads. One of our YO hay fields is now open which is on a hack route so we have been going for nice gallops in there and it really seems to relax him and allow him to let off a little steam. We have also been jumping the little xc jumps on out hack route.
I am so proud of him and cant believe how quickly he has come on. Yes he does still try and play on it at times but I am now in contol of it and have got the balance of smacking him when he is naughty (i.e tries to spin and go mental) and talk to him if i feel he is a little nervous. He now walks nice and briskly of his own accord and seems like he really enjoys his hacks.
And to top it off I had a fab lesson yesterday and got him jumping banks, hedges and ditches and it seems this is what he enjoys the most (besides the ditch which he wasnt keen on at first)
I really didnt think we would come this far in just a few months.
I want to thank all you brilliant forum members for helping me to achieve this, I couldnt have done it without you
My last update said that we had made lots of progress and one sharp smack behind the leg got him going forward. Although he was still napping quite a bit.
Well 2 weeks on and I think we are 99% there. He now will walk off the yard with almost no hesitation at all, although I do ALWAYS keep my spurs on for hacking. He only attemps to nap on routes he doesnt know, and after one attempt, followed by a little smack he doesnt do it again for the rest of the hack. I have been taking him out every day sometimes just 5 mins sometimes for an hour, if i feel him tensing even just a tiny bit I calmly talk to him and give him a big pat as soon as he relaxes. We have been going out lots on our own but also with one other horse but Baron always stays infront. His confidence seems to be building up loads. One of our YO hay fields is now open which is on a hack route so we have been going for nice gallops in there and it really seems to relax him and allow him to let off a little steam. We have also been jumping the little xc jumps on out hack route.
I am so proud of him and cant believe how quickly he has come on. Yes he does still try and play on it at times but I am now in contol of it and have got the balance of smacking him when he is naughty (i.e tries to spin and go mental) and talk to him if i feel he is a little nervous. He now walks nice and briskly of his own accord and seems like he really enjoys his hacks.
And to top it off I had a fab lesson yesterday and got him jumping banks, hedges and ditches and it seems this is what he enjoys the most (besides the ditch which he wasnt keen on at first)
I really didnt think we would come this far in just a few months.
I want to thank all you brilliant forum members for helping me to achieve this, I couldnt have done it without you
