[smallholder in the city]

Hi
Tomorrow I'm planning on taking my horse Bob out for a short hack. He's an old hand at hacking out and according to his previous owner (who i trust) happy even in busy traffic although he does have a phobia of puddles but simply finds a way around them rather than hairing off.

I've had him for 3 months now and have been schooling him in the field but haven't hacked out yet because I'm a bit nervous about it. I'm not the most confident rider but loads better than I used to be. I rode a lot until i was 14 then had a nasty fall and stopped, started again about 4 years ago and have got lots more confidence than when I started, but I do get nervous about new things.

Logically we shoud be fine, Bob is a sweetie and I've hacked out on more challenging horses ( the 9 year old going on 2 year old who was randomly terrified of evergreen trees being one than springs to mind).

 A few days ago we just stood at our front gate and he was totally chilled out about the cars that went past. Bob can be a bit obstinate though; tacking up was a bit of a palavar in our first few weeks together although he's a lot better now.   

I though I'd post because then I'll have to go through with it. Keep your fingers crossed for me.   

Here's an arty black and white pic of Bob with his lady love Bonnie

[Bionic]

Bob looks great. I am sure you will have a lovely time tomorrow and it will give you confidence.
Sally

[doganjo]

You lucky thing!  I've got to (almost) 68 without being able to have my own horse.  Same here, fell off at 16 and only rarely been back in the saddle since.  Now too old and fat, but get my pony fix just standing near ponies and horses owned by two friends.  I don't regret much in my life, but if I have a wish for the future it would be to be able to get rid of these extra three stones and win some money on the lottery so I could have a field and a pony for me and my grandkids.

I'll send some of the little confidence I have over on the ether to help you tomorrow.  Have fun!  That's what life is for! 

[SallyintNorth]

Sounds like Bob will take good care of you.  The way you describe him, he sounds a lot like my Fell gelding, Davy - he too is 100% in traffic but not at all happy about water.  Like Bob, he tries to avoid but doesn't bolt or behave dangerously.  He's so sensitive to water, whether seen or not, that I reckon I could hire him out for divining!    He's not a paragon by any means, but he is a gentleman and takes his responsibilities seriously and I trust him to take care of me, as he does that I will take care of him.

I predict that you will have a super hack tomorrow, and come back with eyes shining and a grin on your face you'd forgotten your face could do!  I know I do!  Best of luck - let us know how you come on.

[Penninehillbilly]

Oh I do envy you.
I haven't ridden for about 20 years, the urge is sometimes so much it hurts. but I tried about 5 minutes on a friends horse and I felt like a sack of spuds and terrified of falling off, (I don't think I'd bounce as easily as 30-40 years ago). keep thinking of trying a riding school to give me confidence again but time is a great activity limiter.
Have fun tomorrow.

[lachlanandmarcus]

Bob looks like a marvel. Maybe theres a cob thing with water, my Haflinger girl doesnt like getting her tippy toes wet at all!

Just remember to breathe and sing as you go, and it will be fine and you are out for a happy noodle, and that if you meet scary monsters you can always just hop off and amble back. (here speaks a nervous nellie who rode to 14 and then took it up again at 30, I hack by myself (as only have occasional partners to ride out with)  it does get easier).

Do think about the sense of achievement when you get back, theres simply nothing better!

And I would be less nervous about hacking out than schooling in the field, mine always seem to think an open field is whizzy time whereas on roads and tracks they are much more sensible!

[smallholder in the city]

Hi thanks for all the positive vibes.

I did it ! Bit of a mixed bag and I'd appreciate any advice. We started off down the road and he was completely fine with the cars that went past. We then got close to a neighbour who has dogs that started barking. You couldn't see them just hear them. There are a few people up the road who have dogs that run up to their gate and bark.

Bob stopped, had a think, looked both ways then crossed the road in walk and faced back the way we had come. I decided not to force him past the barking dogs because it is his first time along that road. I know that some people might think I should have made him continue forward but I decided it wasn't the battle to have today.

Then our second event. A few more cars went past with no problem. We walked on down the road no problem. Then I spotted another horse and rider coming towards us. I decided to turn around and head back up the road towards home because I was a bit nervous about dealing with cars and another horse. Again Bob crossed the road perfectly.

Bonnie, Bob's field mate, whinnied from our field and then Bob suddenly started trotting and did a few paces of canter before going back into trot listening to me and then going back into walk and into our driveway.

At first I thought this was because he had heard Bonnie but as I was untacking him the other horse came clip clopping past. Bob got all stressed and basically tried to hide himself in the corner. A bit of reassurance and once the cip clopping had passed and he calmed down.

So was it the sight of the other horse that made him trot / canter off ?

Also any ideas about getting him used to barking dogs he has lived on farms with dogs so perhaps it wasjust hearing them in an unfamiliar place that unsettled him?

This was his first time on this road so it was all new. I was thinking I'd just take him out for regular short hacks up and down the road to get him used to it, gradually going a bit further each time. 

Despite it not going entirely to plan it was fabulous just the feeling of being out in the countryside just  you and your horse brilliant ! I'm also really pleased that I didn't panic or have any flashbacks (something that used to happen frequently when i first started riding again).

[SallyintNorth]

Well done!   

Gradually building up on the hacks sounds like a good plan.  If every day you get him nearer to the barking dogs, one day you'll have gone past them!   

If he's nervous of other horses, is there any possibility you could get him more used to coming into contact with others?  If not, don't get stressed; as the two of you go out more and more your bond and mutual trust will grow, and he'll trust you that he can just hold himself still while a perceived threat goes by.

One technique I've learned this last year has been an absolute boon to me.  'Pressure and release' basically means ask for something, keep on asking, but as soon as the horse yields at all, take off the pressure.  Then ask again, and again, as soon as he yields at all, take off the pressure.  Gradually he will offer more and more and in time you will be doing the whole thing at one ask.  I would use this technique to go a little closer to those dogs each day - he will soon learn that going on isn't scary, because as soon as he yields, you stop pushing.  Each day push him just a little further than he volunteered to go.

I used this technique to teach Davy that a puddle wasn't scary - and the second day he voluntarily walked right up to it and straight into it!  Without my asking at all! 

The other thing that you may have to bear in mind with a careful, clever horse like Bob is - you are supposed to be the leader.  If you let him make decisions about when to cross the road, turn for home, etc, he will start to think that he is the leader and has to make all the decisions.  He will feel much less anxious and be much happier once you make it clear that you make the decisions and all he has to do is whatever you ask!  (Maybe he can give a little input now and again. )

I wouldn't worry a bit about him breaking into trot and canter - the important thing is he came back to trot and then walk when you asked.  So long as you both know he'll change down when asked, neither of you have to be anxious about him doing the odd change up when something excites or bothers him.

It sounds as though Bob is a really lovely boy who is naturally obedient and careful of his rider.  Hopefully you can go on giving confidence to each other as you do more and more together.

[smallholder in the city]

Thanks for the tips Sally. I think the leader thing is key he gets noticeably more relaxed as I get more confident with him. And despite things not going exactly to plan I feel like I've had a big boost to my confidence. Fingers crossed we'll continue to make progress.

[waterhouse]

With a lot of the fear problems in horses it helps to get the horse to address the problem rather than trying to avoid meeting the situation again.  When I bought my 9yo experienced hunter I found him to be pretty spooky.  It turned out that he was actually a 6yo novice and was meeting a lot of situations for the first time. 

The huge farm sprayer was immensely scary until he'd seen it half a dozen times and walked around it.  A 3ft wide 6 inch deep stream gave him conniptions but once he got though it the first time (immediately followed by going back and forth half a dozen times) he became relaxed about any moving water. 

Widen his experience as much as you can but there are some things that are hard to fix.  My horse remains scared of bird scaring flappy, wavy things.  He's learned about the explosive ones, but he can spot a fertiliser bag on a pole from a quarter of a mile and needs a lot to keep him under control.

Good luck: as you've spotted it's in your head too.

[Rosemary]

If you are concerned about your safety, you may want to do some of the desentitisation work from the ground on a long line rather than from his back.

[smallholder in the city]

Thanks guys. I am a bit perplexed about being scared of another horse if that's what it was. In his previous home he lived with two other horses a 4 year old gelding and  minature shetland mare. There was apparently a bit of competition for the affections of the shetland between him and the other gelding but they seemed generally to get along. Maybe it was just too many new thinsg at once. Anyway we'll persevere.

I do love all the horse psychology stuff even though it's a bit like taking work home being a psychiatrist. 

[sabrina]

Sing, will help you both relax, if you are not tense then Bob will feel better also.

[waterhouse]

Closest thing I saw to a wipe_out was two pairs of riders following the same field boundary but in opposite directions and invisible to each other.  We were the far side of the same field when they met on a blind corner.  Bearing in mind the horses were all from the same yard the chaos that ensued was the more impressive.  Only onerider came off, and not too badly, but it was a stampede that left circles in the crop that showed for some weeks

Out hacking the horse will often spot another well before you do, certainly if it's behind, and will become anxious/excited.  It's normal.  If you see a mate 400m away and canter over, however, he/she won't be pleased to see you because your arrival will be just too exciting. 

Not sure about singing, well not mine anyway, but talking helps.

[smallholder in the city]

Thanks waterhouse that makes sense. I'll try singing ( got kicked out of the school choir when I was 7 for singing flat so won't be too tuneful)