Youngster getting more and more difficult to hack...

C

Charla

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 January 2011
Messages
585
Location
Kent
Visit site
My 5 year old warmblood has been coming on leaps and bounds with his school work. I've been having lessons and we have been preparing him for his dressage career. He feels fantastic to ride, I'm so pleased. My only problem is that although his school work has improved hugely, his behaviour on hacks has really deteriorated. He is so spooky to a point where it is becoming unenjoyable. He is the worst he has ever been since broken last year. Going past a car or van is such a big deal, he freaks and runs when he has never been phased by traffic. A sign will kill him so he will either refuse to move or dance around sidewards and then take off past it. Throughout our hacks this behaviour is happening every two minutes! He also randomly freaked out on the road today, took off cantering, leaping and rear plunging for no apparent reason. I hack him 2-3 times a week and have done since he was broken, but he just seems to get worse! Any ideas what I can do? As im really not enjoying hacks anymore!
 
I think the most important question is 'Do you hack in company?' He sounds like he needs a schoolmaster type to show him the ropes.
I would go out with someone all the time at the mo and only once he is confident on a particular short ride would i then try taking him alone. Even then i would probably ask someone to walk with me the first time.
 
Sorry I should add, the only person I have to ride with is a novice lady who cannot get her horse to go infront, so my horse always has to lead the ride no matter what. Sadly I have no one else to ride with!
 
The only way to solve this is to find a good horse to hack out with.
Know how you feel I had the same prob with a few of my youngsters!
Did a lot of asking around& eventually found a few people to help.
Or maybe find a safe/ cheap to keep pony to use as a hacking companion& beg a friend to ride it?
Or box over to friends places to hack?
 
I hate to say it but I am in the process of moving yards for pretty much exactly this reason :/ I can hack mine alone, but whereas as a 4 year old he was a complete dobbin, he is now much sharper and prone to dropping his shoulder and spinning, or at least trying too! I can catch it in time usually and correct him and move him forwards, the problem I have at current yard is that so much of our hacking is main roads and it's just too dangerous!!
Is yours ok off road?
 
Shame i'm not closer or i would have brought my mare over and hacked out with you, my mare gives confidence to any horse out hacking, she would quite literally hack down the motorway!

But, unfortunately i am too far away but i would bet there would be someone near you like me & my mare, can you put up an advert in your local tack shop.
 
Thank you for all your replies! Ecrozier, mine was also a dobbin to hack as a 4 year old, he was lovely! Whereas now he is sharp and very quick and gas learnt to move his body in new various ways! Will definite look for a sensible horse to hack with and see how he gets on. Really want to enjoy hacking again! Thanks again all.
 
Yep - sounds familiar!! Mine is on box rest ATM but prior to that I had started him on equi feast cool calm and collected, bombproofing version, and it did seem to be helping. Mine is tricky as if I boxed up to off road hacking we were fine, not sure how much of that was me being more relaxed that even if he did spook/spin, we weren't going to be hit by a car whilst I regained control!!
 
Build his confidence by taking him out in hand, it's the perfect way to really get them used to everything and once you get going it's actually quite enjoyable, i have to do it with my 8yr old at the moment and he is way better with me on the ground than when i am mounted. Bonus is that you get fit at the same time. I only hack him in company now with my safe solid other ponies next to him.
 
i know this isn't the answer - company is the best bet, but if you have to go on your own maybe try loading him on a calmer. i have no hacking company either, my boy is a GOOD boy on hacks, but we're having to overcome the loss of sight in 1 eye and I will be putting on a calmer to get started with. Ive no choice and I will make life go on!
 
I agree that best option is hacking out with another horse but if that isn't an option how about following a friend on a bike? Some horses are happier to follow someone else on foot or on a bike than go out alone.
 
Ditto the bike idea. I have no one to hack with but always took mine out following someone in a bike. Added bonus is that there is another pair of hands if you need them.
 
I had exactly this and of no help to you at all, I lost my confidence and sold him. Mine couldn't handle it at all. He was amazing in the school and at comps so he has gone to a pure dressage home where they dont really hack. Sorry it isn't much help but he was also a 5yo wb so I can utterly sympathise. X
 
5 year olds are horrid, they are always nice at 4 and monsters at 5! Having said that you do need to get him over his issues, and a schoolmaster is the best way to do this. Can you advertise locally for a "riding friend" and say you need a babysitter type? You could take it in turns to box to each others or something, they might like to do some new rides. Otherwise, does he long rein nicely? If you could get someone to walk at his shoulder whilst you long reined, he should gain some confidence again.
 
Mines like this. He used to be so good to hack but now he's terrible. He's just turned 6 and developed an attitude!!

He stepped in a tiny puddle the other day, and that prompted a huge cat leap and mad gallop down the road towards home. I wouldnt mind if he was actually scared of water :rolleyes:

I was actually thinking if there was something I could give him to take the edge off but not sure what?
 
Six has definitely been the age mine turned from an angel to sometimes a monster!
I had just started feeding equifeast Cool Calm and condition and it did seem to be helping, when he went lame and needed 3 months off.... Just reintroducing it now 5 weeks into rest so he's back up to maintenance level when I hope to get back on!
 
This has been an interesting thread to read! My 18 year old Warmblood has turned into a nightmare when hacking! I brought him 3 years ago and he was a nice hack, a bit more jumpy on his own, but pretty laid back… since he did his check ligament back in January he has been a nightmare.. I gave him the benefit of the doubt as I know he had 3.5 months box rest.. but now he is back in work and still wild to hack out on his own! He is a joy in the school, but out on the roads a nightmare! He is scared of everything!! It makes hacking most unenjoyable and he even tests my nerves sometimes.. I always make sure he goes with company at the moment and hopefully once he gets out competing he will calm down a bit more and not find hacking out alone the scariest thing in the world 
 
seabsicuit2 said:
The only way to solve this is to find a good horse to hack out with.
Know how you feel I had the same prob with a few of my youngsters!
Did a lot of asking around& eventually found a few people to help.
Or maybe find a safe/ cheap to keep pony to use as a hacking companion& beg a friend to ride it?
Or box over to friends places to hack?
Click to expand...

I totally agree with this. I too have a spooky warmblood, who's rubbish on the roads. The ONLY that has really served to improve things is hacking with other sensible horses... which then gives him confidence to go out on his own.
 
Strangely hacking with schoolmaster types made no difference at all with mine, he would act exactly the same although it probably helped my confidence.
If your options are going alone or going with another less than perfect horse I would go alone, especially if you have someone who could come on foot with you.
 
coen said:
Strangely hacking with schoolmaster types made no difference at all with mine, he would act exactly the same although it probably helped my confidence.
If your options are going alone or going with another less than perfect horse I would go alone, especially if you have someone who could come on foot with you.
Click to expand...

Totally agree, on foot or bike. Did wonders building up the confidence on the horse I ride.
 
I would agree. Hacking with a sensible horse is a quicker way forward for most but if the eventual goal is going to be to hack alone I find a human escort very helpful. A person won't buy into horsey panic, will stop and stand when asked, can put a hand on the horse/give a leg up, and can act as a calming Pez dispenser. ;)

Also, if the regular rider is struggling to have faith in a horse it can help him/her to see the horse improving. I've more than once gone out on a horse with the owner on foot/bike then swapped over at a designated point when everyone is in the groove.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top