Wont Hack Far Alone! Losing will to live :o(

[Nonyabusiness]

Please i need advice not critisisim or nastiness please. My horse is just not willing to hack out alone. i can get her to go so far, some days further than others. anyway we get to point she stops backups up turns and walks back. (Now dont think i take that from her i dont) But im alone on hard ground and really dont want to fall off. But im not soft on her. I can push her on to a point where shes worked up into a sweat by being what i can bloody stubborn. we normally hack with a friend and her horse but its getting stupid that she wont go alone, he will she wont.

Today i have lost the will to live, after 20 mins fighting to go in my direction on a field i gave in.

i just want some advice on hacking alone with my very stubborn mare.

teeth are fin,e saddle is newly fitted, back is fine, been on magic calmer, stubborn mare supplement, currently fed hifi, sugar beet slow release mix. with hay nets and hayledge in field.

 

[Suelin]

Personally I would long rein her and get her going that way if you are on your own.

 

[Rhodders]

How long have you had your horse? Has this always been the case?
What do you do when he starts playing up?
Sorry difficult to give advice without a bit more info

 

[kerrieberry2]

my mare would do this years ago when she was in season! She'd go any direction but forwards! one day my YM saw her doing it and got me turning her in the tightest circles then pushing her forward until eventually she gave in! the first time it did take a lot of circles, maybe 20 or so but then pushed her on with a very stern voice and she went out fine! that day she tried to do it again but the voice worked the second time!

before this I used to ride with a whip in my boot, as she is really whip shy and would just pull it out and that would make her walk on! but when that stopped working it was the tiny tiny circles! had to do that when loading her in a trailer too!

 

[SillyMare]

Have you tried just sitting it out?

You will need to allow ages the first few times (all day if necessary). Rather than get cross with her and risk a battle / explosion when she sticks, just sit there ensuring she remains pointing in the direction you want to go. Ignore any steps backwards and praise any steps forward. While she is still, literally just sit there (gently asking forward every so often bu don't ove react if she ignores you).

They can take quite a long time to get bored and give in the first few times but once they realise that you are absolutely not going to give up and go home, they usually come around to your point of view.

 

[ridefast]

If she doesn't want to go forwards, make her go backwards, for as long as it takes, and /or circle her. Might take hours the first time but once your past that first hurdle it will get easier

 

[Shantara]

I can't give much advise, but don't fret I have one who everyone said will never hack out alone and I should just accept I'll be riding with the group. I even started to accept it!
Well, I hacked through the centre of Milton Keynes completely alone and I frequently go by myself now

I find the circle thing helps, Ned used to rear when he had a "moment" and that would prevent that. Also, I've heard "Ride it like you stole it" helps

Good luck! I expect to see an "I did it!" thread soon

 

[MrsHutt]

No advice, sorry! But I have exactly the same problem! I will be looking at the replies with interest!

(Could they be related Looks like they were separated at birth!!)

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Choose a short circular/lollypop shaped route and walk her in-hand round it a few times.

Then ride the same route. If she tries to nap, don't have a battle, just get off and lead her until she's walking nicely again. Then remount in a safe place and carry on with the ride. Do NOT turn back even if you walk most of the way.

Keep going until she will happily ride the whole ride.

She needs to learn that the only option is forwards, so never turn on the spot and go home the way you came.

I know that many people consider getting off a defeat, but I used to ride in a lot of traffic and couldn't risk a huge battle on the roads. So I used the above method and I can now hack my mare anywhere.

When we moved yards (a few years after the original napping problem), we did have an issue with going past some alpacas but I dismounted and led her past them a few times and now she goes past ridden with no trouble. I didn't need to lead her the whole ride, just the dodgy bit.

I also had some lessons to improve my riding, voice trained her (whoa, walk on etc...) as too much pressure with my legs would make her rear. I also rode with two dressage whips for a while, I never hit her, but a tap on the shoulder that she tried to spin towards would straighten her up again. She was too quick to swap the whip over from left hand to right hand, so my instructor suggested two whips. I did try them in a lesson before hacking with them.

 

[3Beasties]

If she doesn't want to go forwards, make her go backwards, for as long as it takes, and /or circle her. Might take hours the first time but once your past that first hurdle it will get easier

This!

I've had a major napping problem with my mare since November but have made great progress in a week using this method. If you look back at my last few threads there is some information about what I did

Good luck, it is so frustrating but so rewarding once you get them over it!

 

[Bertolie]

My boy is 20 years old on Wednesday, I have owned him for 6 years and he has been on the same yard for 4 years and its still a battle to get him to hack alone. I do the turning in tight circles, growl at him and kick him on but it is hard work and to be honest I really don't bother hacking alone very much at all. I really don't think at his age he is going to change! Good luck with your horse OP.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Choose a short circular/lollypop shaped route and walk her in-hand round it a few times.

Then ride the same route. If she tries to nap, don't have a battle, just get off and lead her until she's walking nicely again. Then remount in a safe place and carry on with the ride. Do NOT turn back even if you walk most of the way.

Keep going until she will happily ride the whole ride.

She needs to learn that the only option is forwards, so never turn on the spot and go home the way you came.

I know that many people consider getting off a defeat, but I used to ride in a lot of traffic and couldn't risk a huge battle on the roads.

Just exactly what I was going to suggest.

 

[Cocorules]

Agree with Faracat too

 

[webble]

Have you tried just sitting it out?

You will need to allow ages the first few times (all day if necessary). Rather than get cross with her and risk a battle / explosion when she sticks, just sit there ensuring she remains pointing in the direction you want to go. Ignore any steps backwards and praise any steps forward. While she is still, literally just sit there (gently asking forward every so often bu don't ove react if she ignores you).

They can take quite a long time to get bored and give in the first few times but once they realise that you are absolutely not going to give up and go home, they usually come around to your point of view.

Agree with this. I have had the same problem, had a few scary battles but now I just sit it out. I keep asking every few mins and eventually she gets bored and goes. Allow plenty of time of be patient.

Can you try asking her to move sideways like a leg yield? I sometimes find that then gets mine moving forward again

 

[Hetsmum]

Another one agree with Faracat. Also when you do hack out in company try to always put your horse in front so that they are used to not following the leader. Try to stay calm and if you have to get off - so what? The only reason I would not go with the 'go backwards if they won't go forwards' is that some horses might then take that as a cue to go upwards . Good Luck

 

[JillA]

I'm working on this with mine - he has pain memory from concussion on hard surfaces when he was first broken and ridden on so I am careful about how far we go. But I have gradually extended his comfort zone by going a little further each day (might only be a few steps but it is further), rewarding him with a polo when he has done that, then going a couple more steps and turning him when he is going forwards.
There are two factors - how obedient he is (so I do insist when I know it isn't freaking him out and make it my decision to turn for home, not his) and how motivated he is, hence the polo and only turning when he is going forward. So far from just a couple of hundred yards we are up to a good half mile from home, and we only do it a couple of times a week because of the concussion issues.
It always helps if you have a plan, to know in advance what you will do when they plant (irritate the hell out of them with niggling heels until they offer a tiny bit of forward and stop the second they do) or try to spin round (carry on the circle until they are back where they started). But take note of the heart rate, if they are stressed and scared to death they won't see sense anyway, hence the only extending the comfort zone bit by bit.
Good luck - see it as a project, but the biggest problem is motorists who come along at just the wrong time

 

[catkin]

Does she do this on her 'home patch' so to speak?
I have a mare who can be quite sticky on the lane outside the house but fine further away. What we think she is doing is checking out every minute detail for any change/sign of danger - after all that's the survival instinct coming into play and she's an intelligent mare just being a horse! It's not being 'rude' or 'taking the P', she's just doing what she needs to do - making sure that everything is safe. She does it when coming back home from a hack a bit too.

It can be a bit annoying/embarrassing but the only way to deal with it is to go with flow and sit it out as described by other posters above.

 

[teresagarsden]

I had this with my Welsh D last year, point blank refused to go any further than 1/2 a mile on his own ( he is 7 yrs old) I tried the making him reverse worked for a short while but then he started to try to rear.
So i rode him out with a schooling whip and a pair of side reins attached to the saddle, when he stopped, I asked him strongly to go on if he started to reverse or mess about I calmly dismounted, attached the side reins and asked him again while long reining him if he stopped he got a smack on the arse with the schooling whip.
Within 4 hacks he was walking out like a trooper and I have had no napping issues since.

Good luck, I do hope that whatever you try works for you.

I have my own stables so my horses have to beable to hack alone as its not everytime i can get a hacking buddy.

 

[chestnut cob]

When she plants, sit it out. Make sure you have enough time (hours, if need be). I've been known to get off and walk, when something is being really stubborn. I'd rather get off, lead for a bit (past whatever it is the horse won't go past) then get back on once it's going forwards. Also agree with other posters about only doing circular routes. Even if you walk her around them a few times first.

 

[Landcruiser]

Another one here for backing up, seriously backing up! I had this with my first horse, he'd drag his feet all the was and eventually stop and/or spin for home. I had huge battles. If he spun I learned to spin him right round 'till he was facing "my" way again. He hated that! He wasn't much of a backer, but if he took an unasked step back, I'd make him back 20 feet, and I'd have made him back a hell of a lot further if I'd had to.

Persistence paid off, and as he gained confidence, in me and himself and his surroundings, the napping tailed off. He'll go anywhere now, but he'll still stop and have a look at things he's not sure about. I allow him to do this, and usually he'll move on happily in a few seconds. If not, I'll allow him what he needs - give whatever it is a wide berth, go and have a closer look...I'd get off if I needed to I guess, but I haven't had to do that in about 3 years.

 

[weesophz]

this was a serious issue with my boy. he did even when there were other horses. i would end up in tears and just turning home, but one day i just had enough. instead of fighting him to go the way i wanted i would just turn him in a circle the way he wanted to go then pushed forward. little by little (and getting dizzy and strange looks from passers by) he finally got it. even now when hes hesitant if i just kick him on he will go. one day i was out a hack and i just stood him still for ages as the turning in a circle thing wasnt working. they eventually get bored and go.

 

[suffolkmare]

I've done the backwards thing with a Welsh D who didn't want to leave his field mate. Having tried circles, he kept spinning to face home, I made him walk backwards away from home, turned him to go forwards till he spun again and repeated the backwards till he relaxed enough to try turning again and so on. We even crossed a bridge over the M25 mostly backwards, goodness knows what the motorists thought but finally he agreed that walking forwards round the track was more enjoyable for both of us. I agree though that this would not be a good idea if you thought your horse might go upwards, and Billy never did.

 

[Nonyabusiness]

well today we have had some success. after going down my lane we got the end and unfortunately a car came through a rising barrier on man utd rd (yes my yard is right ontop on man udt training ground, im a man city supporter) ( spooked her but we did try with the circles ect to make her go off the lane. didnt work. so we went the woods way. back up the lane towards her friend and the woods. a small amount of fighting then i decided to ride her like i stole her, as someone put on the thread. wow did that work, she picked up a gear and we were off. got her to the field and had a blast great. got back round to where we came onto the field. she wanted to go back. so i let her walk backwards and tight circled her she eventually went back towards the field. really pleased with her as she went round the field again this time with a little more control ) but she loved it and at no point did she try and race back. fab night had by both. )

thanks all for your words of wisdom

 

[shannonandtay]

I can't give much advise, but don't fret I have one who everyone said will never hack out alone and I should just accept I'll be riding with the group. I even started to accept it!
Well, I hacked through the centre of Milton Keynes completely alone and I frequently go by myself now

I find the circle thing helps, Ned used to rear when he had a "moment" and that would prevent that. Also, I've heard "Ride it like you stole it" helps

Good luck! I expect to see an "I did it!" thread soon

The centre of Milton Keynes how did you cope with the roundabouts only joking my dad lives there

Well done op really pleased for you.

 

[AmyMay]

Sit it out.