What to do with a horse that isnt hackable?

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noodle_

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Question in title.

I personally hate hacking anyhow so dosent bother me at all. However i feel sorry for her.

She spooks, spins and f-ks off. I have a lovely squashed face today :rolleyes: Even round the field - shes very very tense. Had her on a calmer for a week and its made her very dozy in the school rather than taking the edge off. fail. So i give up trying to hack her frankly. shes BRILIANT in the school. but im bothered shes going to go stale....

So schooling/lunging etc wise - what to do with her? to stop her getting bored??

I lunge/ride/long rein/jump - could free school but she jumps out...:rolleyes:


Suggestions?? or a good rider who has life insurance...? :D
 
My mare is going through a period of not being hackable - spinning, rearing etc. I'm going back to basics with her - long reining her out on the same route until I feel happy enough to ride her on that same route. I like long-reining as it gives them the independence to have to go forwards without you leading them. I'm waiting for one early morning when it's not windy, or raining and before the traffic is out to hop on and ride her the same route that we've been long-reining. It might be worth you thinking about that.
 
horses are very intelligent and are very capable of learning new tricks and games, is that something you could do with her? Also you could try lots of different things in the school to make it more interesting like grid work, cones and maybe work on learning new things together.
 
Holly Hocks said:
My mare is going through a period of not being hackable - spinning, rearing etc. I'm going back to basics with her - long reining her out on the same route until I feel happy enough to ride her on that same route. I like long-reining as it gives them the independence to have to go forwards without you leading them. I'm waiting for one early morning when it's not windy, or raining and before the traffic is out to hop on and ride her the same route that we've been long-reining. It might be worth you thinking about that.
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thanks :)

but tbh ive tried it :o

walking her in hand, long reining, being nice, being horrid, ignoring her etc.... on board shes a kn0b..... im assuming shes getting her confidence from the person next to her


tense dosent even begin to describe her.... shes like this spring ready to go. I have 2 jobs and uni to do.... i cannot afford to come off like this lol.
 
rhino said:
Driving a horse that won't hack :eek: :eek: You're brave :)

ETA have you tried hacking out with a sensible escort horse, is she as bad in company as she is alone?
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^This. As horses are herd animals they can react completely differently alone to when part of the herd riding out. Also, can you hack around the field that she grazes in - somewhere familiar?
 
ive ridden her out with her friends - she actually hacks round our grazing fields.... but cannot hack in her field as its individual grazin = too small

Even in another field - jump field shes a kn0b. My friend thinks im crackers even attempting to ride her out anymore lol!
 
noodle_ said:
thanks :)

but tbh ive tried it :o

walking her in hand, long reining, being nice, being horrid, ignoring her etc.... on board shes a kn0b..... im assuming shes getting her confidence from the person next to her


tense dosent even begin to describe her.... shes like this spring ready to go. I have 2 jobs and uni to do.... i cannot afford to come off like this lol.
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Ah she sounds worse than mine then - mine is fine for about 25 minutes then either something is hurting her (currently being investigated) or she just gets bored and wants to go home and that's when the antics start!
TBH, if I were you and you say you're not bothered about hacking, as long as your horse gets plenty of turnout, then stick with what she and you enjoy - schooling. Use poles, maybe - lunge one day, ride the next. There's loads you can do. Good luck. You have my sympathy! x
 
perserverance and forward thinking- market harborough and a whip and just think forwards forwards forwards - my boy is exactly the same as this - spins, rears, whinnies, stamps, tries to roll but a firm hand and he will go forwards you just have to have the confidence to stick with it. He is much much better than he was and hacking with others is a total joy on his own is not so but not a danger anymore. Good luck :)
 
Is it just that you don't like hacking, or is she a misbehaving idiot when you hack? How long have you had her? What have you been doing with her previously? Do you go to shows or anything? Personally I would find keeping a horse that I could only ride in a school rather dull. You say she goes well in the school, but perhaps she is bored with this, and is consequently getting het up. If you've got no decent hacking could you box her to somewhere else for better hacking (with a friend perhaps) to give her a more interesting outlook on life?
 
Sounds very much like my mare and to be honest I now no longer hack her as she's just not safe and I hate constantly fighting her. I vary things a lit and ride around her grazing fields where we can have a good canter.
She's fab to ride and very well schooled - just not out and about.

I sympathise as it's very frustrating and I do miss mooching out on her with the dogs :-(
 
Thanks all :)

I dont enjoy hacking regarless what horse im on. Its just not for me. i love schooling, jumping, lunging - but feel sorry for her (not after today though...!)

She has tons of turnout - shes out 12-14 hours a day (and wants to come in)!, has friends, has a snack a ball etc so plenty to do.

MrsD - thank you for the book suggestion - i will google that and get it :) I have a book on schooling but never looked at it :o I should


I have also got a little more in the paypacket this week so will have a lesson thursday/friday :) (cant fit it in before)..... so i know my instructor will help or even take her round the hack track for me as shes a fab rider and may offer some help with that too :)
 
Mine is now a broodmare. We tried the riding, she did ok, but is very traffic shy. I had always planned to breed from her, so have and she absolutly loves being a mummy, so we've agreed to forget the riding bit!
 
i would do that ^^ already picked a husband.... however i like riding. I said i would do winter season on her and then if we are no better by march time - then i will put her in foal.... probably good timing too as with work by then i will have no time to compete.

:)
 
I'm also interested in this thread! Ned just DOESN'T hack, there's no trying, there is just failing. I can't even get him down to the yard to the mounting block, without another horse infront.

Anyways, I just chimed in to hope for more advise :)
 
If neither of you enjoy it, I wouldn't bother and if it is dangerous I wouldn't risk it. If you get injured then she is likely to get zero work.

As long as they are really made to work in the school then I think that is enough, coupled with lots of turnout. When I say work, I mean mixing up the schooling so she is made to think, not just "exercising" her.

I hardly ever hack one of mine for the very same reason - I don't enjoy hacking and he is an idiot. However, very occasionally when the moon is in the right alignment I take him him out for a hack ... And he reminds me why we don't hack.

One of my others doesn't do anything except hack now but he is a fun hack so I like to oblige him. He detests the school now so I don't force him back in there unless I don't have time and he needs the exercise (I.e. Winter).
 
CBAnglo said:
If neither of you enjoy it, I wouldn't bother and if it is dangerous I wouldn't risk it. If you get injured then she is likely to get zero work.

As long as they are really made to work in the school then I think that is enough, coupled with lots of turnout. When I say work, I mean mixing up the schooling so she is made to think, not just "exercising" her.

I hardly ever hack one of mine for the very same reason - I don't enjoy hacking and he is an idiot. However, very occasionally when the moon is in the right alignment I take him him out for a hack ... And he reminds me why we don't hack.

One of my others doesn't do anything except hack now but he is a fun hack so I like to oblige him. He detests the school now so I don't force him back in there unless I don't have time and he needs the exercise (I.e. Winter).
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thanks :)

i dont feel so guilty now :o

I will keep long reinging her round the fields/hacks, however until i know shes grown up i will not be getting on her out hacking

cant risk my limbs tbh lol
 
My big warmblood will now hack - but it honestly depends on what mood i am in. He is now a bit sharp in company, and sometimes on his own he is fab, other times he is a 36hh monster that snorts and can only go backwards Fast, and is brill at canter, 180's to buck and bronc and than hoof stamps - and you know what I just adopt the old style legs forward, grit my teeth and keep the bugger standing where he was. I just do not give in - it only takes 3 or 4 mins now to make him do what i want and tbh i think its his size that makes him appear so naughty.

I wont though ride him on a road - I just will not risk him, me or the bus driver that will probably be going past just as he goes into tit mode.
 
I had a horse that wouldn't hack alone. I mean, wouldn't even go off the yard, he would try to walk into the stable block, smear me against the wall, throw himself into things. We tried everything, feeding him outside the yard, leading him etc. He just wouldn;t! The only way I could get him off the yard was if someone chased him cracking a whip or waving something! And then we would get down the road and have a paddy, he tried to brush me off under trees, chuck himself in a ditch etc etc.
So I gave up hacking, unless there was someone to go out with. It was a livery yard, between 4-12 hours turnout a day. Horse was on calmer.
ANYWAY....
Circumstances forced me to move yards to a quiet farm, only 2 horses, 24hr summer turnout, 12 hr winter turnout, BUT with no arena - I had to hack. THrough a busy village and down a main road where the cars, motorbikes go 60mph +.... I thought I would be selling my horse. But no. He setlled really well into the calm environment, he wasn;t stressed, he ENJOYED going out, I took him off the calmer, dropped his feed right down as the grass is so good. Fair enough we had some MEGA napping over the first couple of months but he is now the most fantastic hack you could wish for. We go out exploring on our own now, on the beach, over the moors etc.
SO I wouldn't write your horse off as a non-hacker completely, you just never know... I think mine just got too stressed at a busy yard. At our current place he knows where his ONE mate is and that he is staying in his field and will be there when he gets back, so he is fine.
 
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