younge horse Hacking help..

I honestly think you should seriously hunt for a decent yard to get help and maybe contact something like the Blue Cross for a shetland companion for your mothers pony. You have a young horse who is getting the upper hand. Win/lose whatever you want to call it, that is irrelevant. You are training your horse and taking out the emotion, think what she learnt from that hack - she has learnt she can decide when to go back, turn round, eat etc. If you found a nice yard to go to then pal up with an older chilled out horse to teach yours to hack out safely. I am a big fan of hacking babies as it teaches them so much and helps them grow up as well. You have come such a long way with your horse and achieved so much and are ready for the next step....!
 
I agree with others you need to get someone (even MUM) to walk 50 yards behind you on a hack and send her for forwards when she p****es about. It sound to me like this mare really has your measure and is taking the mick.
I will get shot down for this but if she is dragging you about inhand then you need to get a bit tougher and stand your ground. Get a contoller headcoller and teach her manners in hand. If she has previously been kept tethered this might explain her poor behaviour when leading, she's used to dragging a heavy chain from her head and eating constantly, the fact that you are at the end of the rope will be inconsequential to her!

A 4 mile walk is nothing to a horse, muddy ground or otherwise, she has probably been driven this far at a spanking trot in about 6 minutes if the gypsies have had her!!
She will walk this much around a field while grazing so I don't think you need to build her up to it as such. Mentally yes, she needs to learn she can be away from home for long periods with you and should be chilled about it. So take her out and about with side reins if needed and always send her on. If she tries to eat growl and use your dressage whip to give her a reminder thats not what she's suposed to be doing.

Try popping up onto her while you are out and about, like its no big deal whether you are beside her or on her back.

Get help and good luck.
 
Take the fact that she is your pet out of the equation, imagine she's a child who when you say clean your room responds "no....don't want to!" Would you let them away with it? My 4 yr old is not a fan of mud....tough! My attitude to him not like mud is similar to that that my mother had when I didn't want to eat veg as a kid. You don't have to like it, you just have to do it!! He has tried to spin once or twice and a few pony club kicks plus sent firmly in the direction I wanted him to go and he is now a poppet to hack alone or in company. Even in the case of a genuine scary spook I feel fine have a look but go forwards when you are told to. Then loads of praise when he does. When hacking out you have to bear in mind that you are educating your horse not only for your own safety but for the safety of the general public because if horse spins, drops you, gets loose and could cause a serious accident. It's not a case of win or lose it is a case of you being herd leader and horse following your direction as such rather than questioning it. I'm not one for thinking you always need a lead horse, in some situations yes but in terms of just learning manners the horse has to learn to follow your direction with or without company being there.
 
I have a 5 year old and hack out usually once or twice a week, I go with an older horse,when my pony is leading, she decides she doesn't want to lead anymore, plants her feet and refuses to move, so the older pony has to lead!
 
Clodagh said:
Never, never let them win. Anything you ask a horse to do it always has to do it, even if it means you have to lead her round the whole hack. You let her take you home so she has learned a lot from that. She should hack on her own at 5 I think you need to set yourself up to win. Possibly long rein her round where you want to go, if it is safe. Or rope a friend into walking on foot with you. Or if it was me I would pay someone to get her round, someone very experienced and capable. I'm not saying you aren't but this needs to ber nipped in the bud.
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i agree... if you let them get away with it once they think acting that way means they get there own way!.... persevere and be patient... being stuborn pays off!
 
Win is just a word. Doesn't matter how you nit pick over the word used the principle is correct. The horse didn't want to go and ultimately it didn't go. If the horse get what it wants instead of what the rider wants it will develop into another problem.

Op have you read any of Richard Maxell's books? Train your young horse would be a good one for you I think.
 
She is spinning and going home because she has the authority to do so. It really is as simple as that.

You could probably get 'after' her and solve this in one session if you have the experience and ocnfidence. You could also get a local instructor and get help with her obedience, submission and her responsiveness to the aids. You have to reestablish with her that if you decide you are hacking a familiar route and she decides that she doesn't fancy it today thanks, that her opinion on the subject isn't required.

Where in North Somerset are you I can point you towards some local instructors probably. If you are near us you are welcome to come hacking with us.
 
I have a sec d who when I got him at 5 would not hack alone! He would plant and spin/mini rear/back-up! I got my boyfriend to walk out infront/(drag him!) and walked him out in hand. After about a year I could say I could happily hack him alone without much fuss, but that was mainly because I didn't try until this point as I wanted to get confident with him first, after that i could make him go alone but he is still very nappy to hack. He also had a full cheek which seemed to help with his spinning!
 
You definitely need some experienced help.
Your horse has you taped well and truly and you are looking on her more as a dog not as a potentially dangerous animal.

When she spins she should be made to go against the way she spun and if this means hauling on one rein with two hands do it! If you feel that she will not love you if you correct her hard you are incorrect. Horses prefer to have a leader - yours is leading you right up the garden path or should I say back home!
 
You do need help (as many have already said) as she will take (and continue to take the P) if you let her get away with it.
I have had a just backed five year old for about 5 weeks now - and we are now up to hour plus rides. on our own and in company. We started short rides 10 mins or so....I actually found he was much better on his own (less inclined to try and tuck in behind, with company - in fact when I do ride in company, I mostly make him go in front regardless)
Last week, we were on our own for 20 mins or so then caught up with someone else out hacking - when the parting of the ways came (after about 20 mins) he was reasonably nappy - did not want to be parted, and I had to be quite determined on him - but he was fine after about 5 mins. He is a nice genuine sort though - I am experienced, so I suppose give off the right vibes, but I am now getting on a bit, so not as confident as I was, and if he had bucked, then I would have been off him immediately, as my balance is terrible these days. Thankfully, though, I suppose that I can still be pretend to know what I am doing, and still giving those signals to the horse - I am taking him hunting for the first time next Monday - that will be the ultimate test of our partnership.......watch this space! But I suppose the morale of my tale is that young horses need confidence, and if you are giving them mixed messages they will be confused, and not know what the hell to do, and will take the easiest path of resistance.
 
Just realised i have you on instagram :p haha !!

We had an issue with a older gelding who threw his toys out the pram and spand round with us. It got to a point when he would rear and pull a face at you aswell. We found taking his mind of what he was doing completely worked so when he was being a little s*** we would pull out the dressage moves and would use laterall work to get him past the stage and then once he was going cross eyed from concentration we would allow him release and walk on. We would keep doing this everytime he went to span and eventually he went yeah this isnt worth it !!

Keep at it and remember who is the driver :)
 
siennamum said:
She is spinning and going home because she has the authority to do so. It really is as simple as that.

You could probably get 'after' her and solve this in one session if you have the experience and ocnfidence. You could also get a local instructor and get help with her obedience, submission and her responsiveness to the aids. You have to reestablish with her that if you decide you are hacking a familiar route and she decides that she doesn't fancy it today thanks, that her opinion on the subject isn't required.

Where in North Somerset are you I can point you towards some local instructors probably. If you are near us you are welcome to come hacking with us.
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thanks, im Banwell, near Weston-super-mare if you can know a few instructors? its difficult hunt for me so far
 
edgedem said:
thanks, im Banwell, near Weston-super-mare if you can know a few instructors? its difficult hunt for me so far
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Anna House is near you, she is lovely and used to lots of different types of horses/ponies. Do you know her, do you want her details?
Jane Smart is in Banwell if you don't have transport, she is also v good,
 
edgedem said:
haha i feel the same! i think the first time (and only time. "touch wood") she had me off it was through pure excitement! and ive always waited but im a lot more confident now so if she plays up i dont mind getting her moving forward and sitting through the jog!

i would like to have someone else ride her or school her or send her away to be educated.. but i posted on here for hopes of contacts and didnt get much :rolleyes::o

i hope to get lessons on her when i can and if the local yard can fit me in with her. failing that i guess ill just keep going and hope i dont ruin her!!

and also get a bit of logic and reassurance and guidance from lovely HH Forum reader/posters!
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When I said I am always ready for her I meant that I am ready to stop her spinning ie before she does. I'm not ready to fall off or anything. I also don't wait for them, I ride her forwards and stop her spinning. On the odd occasion she has almost got away with a spin I have stopped by her half way round at the latest and made her go back the way she came.

Hope you find someone to help you soon. I'd not hack her yourself until you do as it will become a more ingrained problem the more she does it.
 
Foxhunter49 said:
You definitely need some experienced help.
Your horse has you taped well and truly and you are looking on her more as a dog not as a potentially dangerous animal.

When she spins she should be made to go against the way she spun and if this means hauling on one rein with two hands do it! If you feel that she will not love you if you correct her hard you are incorrect. Horses prefer to have a leader - yours is leading you right up the garden path or should I say back home!
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this helps. like i said id stay on her back for an hour and tug her about in the right direction, i just get filthy looks! so its good to hear this is, to an extent, the right thing to do for my horse and my sanity.

im generally pretty tough on her, she isnt bad mannered in anything else, field, feed grooming etc and a pony that used to try and kick your head in when you touched her feet now lets you without a single fuss & the farrier.

she is on a diet though as she is a bit fat, which i think is the main cause of her snatching at grass, ive done the 'growling' at her and occasional a sharp tap with the whip and now she sort of panic snatches and tries to move on before i notice!

so we have had a lot of progress since ive owned her, still only been 5 months!

and i do understand what everyone say about her taking the p*ss, im not a weak little rider that wont put their horse into check. i will! i just need to know how . if it means like some of you said kicking her like hell to go forward and persistently spinning her in the right direction for hours then ill try that.

if i get off keep walking on then get back on i will also try this :)

ill look into a cheek snaffle aswell cus she is really strong in the neck so to turn her is tough.

thanks for everyones help.
 
edgedem said:
this helps. like i said id stay on her back for an hour and tug her about in the right direction, i just get filthy looks! so its good to hear this is, to an extent, the right thing to do for my horse and my sanity.

im generally pretty tough on her, she isnt bad mannered in anything else, field, feed grooming etc and a pony that used to try and kick your head in when you touched her feet now lets you without a single fuss & the farrier.

she is on a diet though as she is a bit fat, which i think is the main cause of her snatching at grass, ive done the 'growling' at her and occasional a sharp tap with the whip and now she sort of panic snatches and tries to move on before i notice!

so we have had a lot of progress since ive owned her, still only been 5 months!

and i do understand what everyone say about her taking the p*ss, im not a weak little rider that wont put their horse into check. i will! i just need to know how . if it means like some of you said kicking her like hell to go forward and persistently spinning her in the right direction for hours then ill try that.

if i get off keep walking on then get back on i will also try this :)

ill look into a cheek snaffle aswell cus she is really strong in the neck so to turn her is tough.

thanks for everyones help.
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If she pulls down for grass often I found bridging reins useful.
 
She's five.

She's scared and wants to go home.

As others have said, get a buddy to ride with, even somone on foot to lead the way.

Just get a bit futher than you normally go, praise, praise and praise some more. Then take a minute to stand, then do a loop and go home. Try a little bit futher next time, whether thats in hand, on board, whatever works for you.

Build her confidence. Its nothing to do with winning or losing, there's no prizes for bravery either. Just get her used to being safe with you and enjoying being out.

And a 4 mile hack isnt a long way but she does have to carry rider and tack and in muddy ground that can be hard for an unbalanced youngster.

Be patient. Best of luck.
 
tessybear said:
Just realised i have you on instagram :p haha !!

We had an issue with a older gelding who threw his toys out the pram and spand round with us. It got to a point when he would rear and pull a face at you aswell. We found taking his mind of what he was doing completely worked so when he was being a little s*** we would pull out the dressage moves and would use laterall work to get him past the stage and then once he was going cross eyed from concentration we would allow him release and walk on. We would keep doing this everytime he went to span and eventually he went yeah this isnt worth it !!

Keep at it and remember who is the driver :)
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do you haha i use this username alot! whats your instragram one?
 
If you really have no choice but to go alone I had too many times with my young horse, Can you mount her easily? If so get off before she spins for home lead her for a while then get back on and repeat, I was always getting off my horse just to get him past things or through mud and he will go anywhere now on his own, you could try going a short distance and coming home before she decides and try and go further everytime good luck!
 
Hi all, thought id give an update as im so super happy with Moo!!

my hacking buddy couldnt get out this weekend but i didnt want to not work her so we went for a 4 mile hack! and after a little playing up she settled down and really enjoyed herself, just needed 2 really wrestling moments before she realised i wasnt putting up with it and then yup, managed to get back home without an issue.. here some photos of our treacherous journey of mud and puddles!

thansk for all your help guys :)

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