Hacking solo

[raymond]

Those of you who read my post about hacking with zara and the flying patio furniture cover will know that ray can be a handful hacking in company let alone on his own! I normally avoid hacking solo as it is so stressful, but tonight I got home in the light, but no one around to come with me. I thought sod I am going out. Ray was a little angel, only went out for 20 mins but not one hairy moment. Do you think he will ever grow out of the hacking alone phobia altogether or are some horses always adverse to hacking alone?

[fleabitten]

He might just take notions. Princess has good days where she is calm and then days when she is spooky and sharp. But I think she is a singular case!! I dont know another horse at the moment who gets on like she does. One day she will walk past a flappy object or a cone and the next she will snort and sidestep.

[racaille]

Well done! A perfect 20 minutes is so much more valuable than a hair-raising hour!
I do think some horses find hacking alone more terrifying than others but it does also depend on what they've been used to all their lives. Most horses (in my experience) can learn to do it with kindness and firmness. So whatever you're doing, it's working!

[fimacg]

Oct 7, 2008 7:21:45 GMT racaille said:

Well done! A perfect 20 minutes is so much more valuable than a hair-raising hour!
I do think some horses find hacking alone more terrifying than others but it does also depend on what they've been used to all their lives. Most horses (in my experience) can learn to do it with kindness and firmness. So whatever you're doing, it's working!

echo the above,

Rrepetition is also key, if you can keep going out on your own and having some fun like a canter through a stubble field will encourage Ray to enjoy himself and put more trust in you. keep goin out on short hacks on your own but if you dont have a circluar route make sure when you turn around you do it in a different place each time and it it as an exercise eg turn on the forehand tp face towards home but repeat on the other rein so he faces away again and then another exercise to turn home, otherwise it can encourage napping when ever you reach that point.

[zara]

Well done Raymond! I'm really proud of you and Ray Zx
ps where are pics of Teddy in his new rug???

[jane]

Hi Ray

I would agree with what has been said, keep doing it, going out on interesting little rides gradually building up the distances. I also agree with Racaille that most horses will hack alone, all of the trekking horses will go out alone, and all the ones bought and sold here also have to hack alone.

You sound like you are doing really well, and it also sounds like his phobia may not be so bad after all.... he enjoyed his little hack and each time you take him he will realise that "this ain't so bad".... you'll be hacking for five hours with me in the spring

jane

[stillonly1wu]

Well done, both!!

Next time go a bit further. Another 5 minutes out means another 5 minutes back, which increases your ride out by one third!! Progress indeed ;D

Don't be afraid to get off if he gets agitated. He won't think that you're a wimp: more likely he'll be pleased that you're there to help him. Lead him past the offending object a few times, then get back on & ride past both ways.

I love hacking out solo. Just you and your horse and a bit of peace and quiet. Magic. If you think of it like this, it won't be something you have to force yourself to do, but another way of enjoying your horse. Sounds as though he liked having you to himself for a short time. in fact.

Hope this helps. Enjoy.

Wu

[raymond]

thanks guys, I really hope we do get hacking alone for hours. I completely lost my confidence about six weeks after I got ray ( some three years ago now). I stupidly bearing in mind he was a youngster and new to me and the yard hacked him out alone one sunday morning. Till this day I don't know what he spooked at, but about one mile from home he freaked, reared and spun round and I fell off him onto the road. Unfortunately I did not manage to hold onto him and he ran off. It was the most frightening experience of my life. Alone and injured I tried to run after him. Luckily I had my phone, rang my husband and yard and my husband finally caught him trotting down a lane towards home but on his way to a busy main road. I could not help to think what if.... It has taken me a long time to get over that day, but I finally feel happy taking him out alone albeit not v far. Hacked out tonight with my lil sis walkin on foot and he was goof as gold.

[ceej]

do only what you feel comfortable doing. Its taken me nearly 9months to get round the circuit (about 1/2 hour) on my own on Harry. When I first started going out on my own with him he was snorty and spooky and kept whinnying so that his whole body shook...he rarely does now (well he still puts in some mahoosive jumps sideways at cows, scary birds (save pheasants which for some reason are FINE) bits of twig etc) he doesn't spook at these things in company, but they have to be their own eyes and ears all round when they are on their own - at least until they trust you to be a paid of eyes and ears too. I think most horses, for this reason, are a little more on edge when they are out on their own.

One thing that helped me loads is this bunch ere telling me it didn't matter if I got off after 10 minutes and walked the rest of the way (that was my second time out - I freaked right out and got off), or if I only get 100 yard up the road and come back again...none of it matters s o long as you don't beat yourself up about it...it really is the little steps. Also remember, it takes a Long time to get your confidence back and not much to knock it, but it is sometimes the bad bits that help too. A while ago me and harry were going down the road and some alpacas (lama type things) were int he field next to us. Well they all ran over and put their heads over the hedge (the field was higher than the road so they were above us - all down the lane in front of us and behind us) Harry froze and was shaking and snorting and I could feel he just wanted to turn around and run home. My feet came out the stirrups and I was just going to jump off, and I thought, no, i wont this time. I sat quietly talking and stroking his neck then when he seemed a bit more used to them he moved on (eyes on stalks!) so that day I learned something about him - if he is freaking out, give him a minute to look at it rather than just pushing him on because he will calm himself down. Got more confidence that day than in ages. a few months before I would have jumped off and led past - and thats fine too so long as you don't worry about it! who cares!!

sorry this is really long, I just know how you feel. If I can do it, you can do it too...I used to physically shake at the thought of going out on my own. However, Harry is older and very honest, he ignores my nerves - does Ray? If not maybe you could get someone who is confident to hack him out as well to build his confidence up? Don't forget its often a two way street!

[ronansmum]

I reckon the main thing is not to put pressure on yourself....so, if you feel like going for a solo hack and Ray seems relaxed, then go for it. If you feel challenged or uptight or he seems frisky/stroppy etc then just leave it.

But I agree with others, once you are out try to go a bit further each time, as Fi says they can nap a bit if you turn at the same place too often and as wu says 5 extra minutes out is 5 extra minutes back, so before you know it you could be doing an hour +!!

The other thing is positive visualisation, don't, PLEASE DON'T keep reliving the awful experience you had, that is over, past, all forgotten by Ray...........

Just picture you and Ray doing a nice relaxing fun hack and keep scary thoughts at bay.

Good luck, and well done so far!! You have done it and you will do it again and again and again..... ;D ;D

PS I wish we had stubble fields at our disposal!! All we have is roadwork and plenty of fields with closed gates.......... - our local farmers do not encourage riders on their precious land..

[racaille]

Raymond, my sympathies, that was a scary experience. I had a similar: A partridge suddenly flapped up in front of Paco when we were cantering through a stubble field - he reared, spun, I went flying and he went hell for leather home. The last I saw of him was galloping across a concrete bridge (no railings) and taking the track for the club. Admittedly only a few cars use it, but this is France and they all drive like lunatics.
I was more frantic about him than about me. As you say, the 'what ifs' can keep you awake at night. But they do fade and we do get back on. I am not a hugely confident rider either and every time I saw a game bird I froze for ages - especially as we have hunters hiding all over the place here for five months of the year. But it does get better - we potter off together for days on end now, just him and me.
But there are still things that freak him. Ceej's technique of sitting quietly and waiting is really good - but when it doesn't work, I never feel shy about getting off and leading Paco past the problem. When I was taking my exams I thought I'd blown it by getting off and leading Paco past a horse-eating cement mixer, but in fact I got EXTRA marks for being 'sensitive to my horse's needs' and responding with 'kindness and intelligence' (as opposed to the cowboys who just whip on and think it is a slur on their machismo to dismount!)
Sorry this is so long - it's a subject close to my heart! Paco is now pretty much the perfect, bombproof hack (er, except for the dog walker the other day ) and if scaredy-pants Paco can do it ... ;D

[joandlad]

It's funny that most of us expect horses to hack out alone without any (major) problems when in reality it can be one of the most stressful things you can ask a horse to do. Horses come from a world where the herd means the difference between life and death (don't mean to sound melodramatic!). They know that safety is in numbers and to ask them to do something on their own is a massive request. The fact that they are (usually) willing to do it is testamony to how much trust they place in us. So, bearing that in mind it's not surprising that some horses find it so hard to cope being out on their own.

Not sure how confident you feel about leading your horse from the ground but how about going out for in-hand walks for a few weeks? Just as I was backing Murph he got kicked on his stifle and had to go on box rest, being walked out 3 times a day in-hand. Looking back, it was probably the best thing that could have happened. He is quite a confident boy anyway, but through leading him out we experienced things together, side by side. He could see my reactions to things and gain conficence from me and I could see his reactions and deal with them immediately. As soon as he looked twice at something we'd walk right up to it and both have a good touch and a sniff. There was no rush to get from A to B, we were just out for a relaxing stroll together. When I finally got back on board we were both much more confident, not just with ourselves but with each other.

You could, perhaps, lead out then lead out and ride back and go on from there?

Jo