Worst hack ever ... LONG

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pnap

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at the weekend. Offered to go out for a nice gentle walking hack with a lady that has lost her confidence a little on one of her horses. So first dismount of the day was to get Jack the big scardy cat past the pile of logs - if we'd been with anyone else no way in hell I'd've got off but this woman is really nervy and he was acting like such a prat I thought it would just be easier. So we walk for a good couple of miles into the woods and all is going well - her horse is acting like an angel. Until we turn for home when - as they do - he speeds up one iota, no jogging or pulling or anything just walking a bit faster - she panics and gets off! She's not the fastest on her feet so I have to keep stopping every minute or so to wait on her. She then decides she's going to try and get back on at a bench - her horse won't stand still so I get off again to hold him and Jack pisses off up the track on his own. I shout at him and he stops, turns to look at me as if - how come you're down there - we always have a good canter at this bit - and merrily trots back. She can't get on so says to me just to go on back to the yard and she'll catch up. Now rightly or wrongly I did - I didn't shoot off into the distance and kept him in walk but there was no way I could walk at her pace and he was getting more and more wound up with having to stop and stand still. Anyway gets onto the trafficked road and just turning into the yard road end when I hear the thundering of hooves and her horse comes past me flat out! So I get off again - and try to keep Jack from taking off after him to wait on her (at this point I can see her walking down the hill from the forest track). Phone along to yard to warn them as there were kids in a lesson and to see if someone can come along in the car to pick her up - since she's now been walking for the best part of 2 hours. Turns out her horse got spooked by another one coming past it and took off for home - so would you guys have waited and walked with her or done what I did and kept your own horse calm?
 
what a nightmare, why didnt she just stay on and try to calm down? dont know what i would have done really,without being there it would have been hard to judge. never heard of anyone getting off when scared, i feel safer on board, but thats me.
 
QR-No disrespect to you as you know the situation/lady better than I do, But I doubt I would have left her.
I would just not gone out with her again!
How was she?
Did she have a go and blame you?
At least no real harm done.
 
Gosh, I don't know, but I was badly injured in a fall in similar circumstances. Out with complete novice on horse walking loads slower than mine (I was helping at a RS in lieu of paying livery), mine got so wound up he semi-reared, then got bitten by another horse at the same time, I came off, my boy trampled all down my side and broke one of my ribs, and then galloped away chased by evil horse also at gallop, with a walking only so far beginner on!

So I won't hold my horse up for slow walkers now, they have to trot to keep up - not too much of an issue as I only ride with OH, unfortunately his horse is the slowest walker in the world...
 
I've hacked out with quite a few people who have lost their confidence and some people really do panic at what we think are silly little things. If i offered to go out with someone who i know has lost their confidence, there is no way i would leave them alone out hacking regardless of what they say. If it got to a point where my horse got upset waiting for another i would probably get off and walk home with them as i wouldn't want them to lose what little confidence they do have, but that's just what i would do!
 
Oh christ, she shouldn't be let out on the roads if she is that useless
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and definitely not left on her own
 
Its a tough one, but think I would have got off and walked too. I would imagine her horse got pretty over-excited when left on his own. What a horrible hack for you (both!)
 
Yeah, thats sounds like a bit of an nightmare, at least everyone is ok. To be honst i would have waited and walked with her rather than leave her on her own. Much safer in company and she probably just told you to go ahead as she was embarassed
 
I'm with oofadoofa. Or I would have taken a lead rein and not let her get off. It's down right dangerous. You are always safer on board.

I used to take the kids on my yard out all the time and never let any of them get off. It's lead rope or nothing.

My mare once got really bad fright when a guy on a motocross bike continually drove at her and revved his engine. It took 2 people to lead her home she was as high as a kite!
 
Oooh that is a horrible hack. I was out on my own a few weeks ago when some stupid farmer decided to use a mobile gas gun right next to the bridleway without putting any signs up. He lets a cannister go just as me my boy are getting level with them and my lad tenses up and tries to gallop off!!! Close shave but we managed to get home in one piece but my arms were killing by the time I got him home as he was pulling so hard and just wanted to gallop all the way back. But throughout the trip back I didn't once consider getting off and walking him back as I stand more chance of getting trampled on the ground and would have had less control, so the fact that she got off is a bit bizarre!

I don't think there is much you could have done, if you had made your lad wait he would have got more stressed and wound up and probably set the other one off which could have been disasterous with the road being nearby. At least you all got back.
 
I feel sorry for the poor lady, and it's going to be so much worse for her next time. B&J - panic disorder isn't the same as being "useless". She should just go out for 10 minutes next time and build it up from there. I'm sure you meant well JMB but she would be better off going out with someone with more patience and sympathy on a totally bombproof companion.

*ducks*
 
I am a bit of a nervous nelly but would have managed to stay on and keep up. Saying that I would have expected you to have stayed with her and not left her on her own under any circumstances and would suggest that you don't offer to hack out with her again.
 
Oh dear I would accompany a nervous on my boy (around home, he is not quite the same away!) but never on my mothers cos she wouldn't be impressed with waiting around either.

At this time of year though my riding time is too precious and I need to keep a fair lick to keep his fitness up.

Am also of the never get off its much safer up there bunch!

honestly not sure what I would have done though.
 
Although I do feel for this lady and her nerves, if she is that nervous she should either give up or pay a professional to help her out. I don't think it is fair for her to put other people in situations where they might get injured through her fear.
 
In fairness to the lady, I am one who gets an unbearable urge to get off, I tend to just take the shortest route home when I want to get off and I stay on in walk, but I know how she felt.
I would probably have stayed with her if she got off, or I would have led her home.
Nickie
 
This is the reason I won't hack out with anyone who cannot happily walk, trot, canter and gallop if the ride permits! I did my time babysitting when I worked at a RS, I hack my horse because I enjoy it. I won't let these nervous people (who really shouldn't be out of a RS) ruin my hacking. I have a lovely hacking partner and if she can't make it, me and my horse don't mind going out alone either.
I didn't mind it too much when I was escorting RS clients but when going out with people who can't even come out of walk yet own/loan their own horse is not my idea of fun!
So me being me I would have prob done what the OP did! Rightly or wrongly!
 
Why is she useless? Obviously just very nervous
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You offered to take her out so I think you should have stayed with her and got off and walked too if needs be, feel quite sorry for her, she was probably very embarrassed
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Sorry I do think it's a bit mean to offer to help someone have a confidence-building hack and then just abandon them halfway because they are cramping your style (or you can't keep your own horse under control).
 
Guess it's easy in hindsight to think I should have waited - but in the heat of the situation what I thought was best was to remove Jack from the situation as he was getting wound up, and in turn I thought this would wind up the other horse. I had planned on riding back to the yard and going back for her in the car with another rider to bring her horse back - she's a very proud lady and was very embarassed by the whole situation and I think she was getting more upset at the fact her actions were causing me and Jack problems. She's decided she's not hacking that horse out again - her choice - and is going to hack out on her other one which she will happily walk, trot and have short canters on.
 
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so would you guys have waited and walked with her or done what I did and kept your own horse calm?

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Waited with her obviously. Poor woman sounds as if she may never get back on a horse again now. What a shame.
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Actually - she rode him last night in the school. She is only really nervous out hacking with him.

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Ah, well that's really good news. Good for her.
 
As a nervous hacker myself ATM (following my fall) I would have had no problem with you going on ahead. I would have felt very guilty for potentially ruining your hack and would probably have felt a bit more at ease on my own.
I would have felt I had a calmer influence on the horse I was riding especially if I had gone out with someone who's horse was acting a bit silly. I would have tried to stay on the horse if he had spooked though-it sounds like she just bailed out-that wont do her any confidence any favours.

Don't feel bad. Its not the end of the world. Maybe she should go out for slow hacks with a R/S to get her confidence back to go out hacking?
 
Yeah at the time I did think I was doing her a favour by removing me and a getting more het up by the minute horse! Thinking about it I probably should have gotten off and walked him back with her but not a lot I can do about that now I guess. She is ashamed of herself for getting off and said she wanted to walk back on her own to teach her for getting off in the first place. She's going to get someone else to hack him out and concentrate on the one she does feel confident with for the future. Thing is he really didn't do anything - just picked up the pace in a walk a bit heading home - as they do. Jack would NOT bomb off and I think it's pretty unlikely her horse would've taken off on it's own - which she agrees with.
 
Its such a shame. I can totally understand her frustrations. I hope she manages to power through OK. I think you probably did do her a favour. Sounds like all hell would have broken loose if Jack had spooked too!! lol!

When I fell off, I could physically ride for 8 weeks. When I did get back on, I was a nervous wreck and burst into tears. I plodded around on my friends horse for about 10 mins and then got off. I was so ashamed of myself and felt so silly. I hope the lady is OK though.

I love reading about your horse! He always makes me smile-I get sort of Thelwell-esque images in my head of him!!
 
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