Tirna
Well-Known Member
Thought i'd post an update after having received lots of really helpful advice a few months back! We'd had a few incidents of tanking off on group hacks, and despite both of us being unharmed on each occasion, I wanted to get it nipped in the bud to prevent any ongoing issues or dangerous occurences. Horse is 15.2h 6yo Connie X cob.
We went back to schooling and joined a weekly group lesson to get him used to working around others at various paces (always in a hanging cheek lozenge snaffle). I quickly discovered that he's completely unphased by other horses cantering up behind/passing/cantering away which was reassuring. He's quite happy to do the 'cantering from the front to the back of the ride'-type exercises without any napping or charging. His trigger seemed to be working at faster paces as a group, to begin with even a group trot was hugely exciting and I nearly had my arms pulled off trying to keep him from running into the back of others. I found that lots of half halts (rather than hanging on) and keeping him busy with lateral work etc really helped. Now, five months down the line he'll happily work as part of a group, front middle or back with only a few 'excitable' moments! We managed a group canter on a 20m circle last week and he cantered around calmly, in a really soft contact and nice even rhythm - we've still got work to do but im super-proud of him!
For hacking I decided to play it safe for now, after lots of trial and error (wilkie, NS universal, waterford gag) we've settled on a mullen mouth pelham which he seems to love, I no longer have to hang on and fight with him which is clearly better for both of us. Touch wood (and hoping im not tempting fate here....!), we've had no more tanking incidents. Im happy to keep him in his pelham for now for faster hacks, XC etc and snaffle for everything else.
Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to post suggestions, they've certainly helped! Thought i'd post a pic of him 'posing' on a little walk up the lane yesterday
Hope the link works - it's my first attempt!
We went back to schooling and joined a weekly group lesson to get him used to working around others at various paces (always in a hanging cheek lozenge snaffle). I quickly discovered that he's completely unphased by other horses cantering up behind/passing/cantering away which was reassuring. He's quite happy to do the 'cantering from the front to the back of the ride'-type exercises without any napping or charging. His trigger seemed to be working at faster paces as a group, to begin with even a group trot was hugely exciting and I nearly had my arms pulled off trying to keep him from running into the back of others. I found that lots of half halts (rather than hanging on) and keeping him busy with lateral work etc really helped. Now, five months down the line he'll happily work as part of a group, front middle or back with only a few 'excitable' moments! We managed a group canter on a 20m circle last week and he cantered around calmly, in a really soft contact and nice even rhythm - we've still got work to do but im super-proud of him!
For hacking I decided to play it safe for now, after lots of trial and error (wilkie, NS universal, waterford gag) we've settled on a mullen mouth pelham which he seems to love, I no longer have to hang on and fight with him which is clearly better for both of us. Touch wood (and hoping im not tempting fate here....!), we've had no more tanking incidents. Im happy to keep him in his pelham for now for faster hacks, XC etc and snaffle for everything else.
Thanks very much to everyone who took the time to post suggestions, they've certainly helped! Thought i'd post a pic of him 'posing' on a little walk up the lane yesterday
Hope the link works - it's my first attempt!
