2024 Hacking Thread

Bearing in mind that we've had several successful off road outings away from home now, plus the road safety course we did a couple of weeks ago which included an escorted road ride, I thought it might be time to take AJ on a quiet Sunday morning walk down the road. Disaster. Well not quite a disaster, in that we got home safe and sound but it did nothing for either of us confidence wise. I don't know why doing a route he's done before is so much more stressful just because it's on a road. He got excited in the first place because we passed two horses coming the other way and after that I think it was just trigger stacking. Ended up on the road with him so beside himself he stopped and bucked a little bit - not the first time he's done it and I don't think it's malicious, just that he's so beside himself he doesn't know what to do. Scared me on the road though, visions of a loose horse careering through the village. He went at the speed I asked but jogging on the spot, bucking and when I sent him on throwing his head right up as if to rear. I don't want him EVER to get it into his head that rearing is an option! So I tried all the exercises we know - side pass, flexing, turn on the haunches/forehand, backing up (towards home, that confused him!) He did come to a little bit then and calmed down, but we were off the road by this point and on the back lane to our yard, I could hardly do this on the proper road. Not sure how we're going to get round this tbh.

I'm really glad I've had the opportunity to go through this baby starting process. It's been very hard and I've learned a LOT but it's been very fulfilling. I sure as heck never want to do it again though!
 
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Heck, how big a space does she think she needs?! I have the opposite problem, Luka is convinced he can fit through gaps that an anorexic tb would struggle to squeeze through and indeed my shin is bearing the marks of a brush with a gatepost as a result (but it's ok, he didn't get his feet muddy :rolleyes: )

Lol at the new jods, I remember doing similar an since I was remounting from a grass verge with a bit of a scramble my leg caught and stuck to the cantle! Thank goodness I was on Little Un who was completely unphased by rider idiocy 🥰
It might have been the tractor being on the trailer that had the "I don't know about that" expression.
Hoping next ride will be better with these jods. Think they are riding tights as thin. But navy is perfect.
 
@newforest wash them with some fabric conditioner, I find that reduces the stickiness a bit.

@Bodshi there are a lot of positives there too, not least that you kept your head and the exercises you've learned got his attention back enough to calm him down. It sounds trite but focus on the positives!

We had an interesting hack yesterday as we came across an organised shoot. The tractor, trailer and 4wds on the byway didn't bother him at all but he was very unhappy about the beaters waving flags and blowing whistles! The shoot were fantastic, told us to ride in the neighbouring field so we had more room for Luka and radioed the beaters to stop until we were well past. He kept a lid on things in that he didn't buck or run but he was very anxious, bouncy, and sweated up in seconds. I think if my friend's horse hadn't been so chilled it could have gone wrong, but as it was it's one more thing he's trusted me over and come out of unharmed and it's those things that build a solid foundation, or so I tell myself!
 
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Bearing in mind that we've had several successful off road outings away from home now, plus the road safety course we did a couple of weeks ago which included an escorted road ride, I thought it might be time to take AJ on a quiet Sunday morning walk down the road. Disaster. Well not quite a disaster, in that we got home safe and sound but it did nothing for either of us confidence wise. I don't know why doing a route he's done before is so much more stressful just because it's on a road. He got excited in the first place because we passed two horses coming the other way and after that I think it was just trigger stacking. Ended up on the road with him so beside himself he stopped and bucked a little bit - not the first time he's done it and I don't think it's malicious, just that he's so beside himself he doesn't know what to do. Scared me on the road though, visions of a loose horse careering through the village. He went at the speed I asked but jogging on the spot, bucking and when I sent him on throwing his head right up as if to rear. I don't want him EVER to get it into his head that rearing is an option! So I tried all the exercises we know - side pass, flexing, turn on the haunches/forehand, backing up (towards home, that confused him!) He did come to a little bit then and calmed down, but we were off the road by this point and on the back lane to our yard, I could hardly do this on the proper road. Not sure how we're going to get round this tbh.

I'm really glad I've had the opportunity to go through this baby starting process. It's been very hard and I've learned a LOT but it's been very fulfilling. I sure as heck never want to do it again though!
You mentioned before he’s often spicy for the first 10 minutes you’re out, was it that or did it go beyond today? Just wondering if the normal happening on the road bothered you more than normal.
 
Bearing in mind that we've had several successful off road outings away from home now, plus the road safety course we did a couple of weeks ago which included an escorted road ride, I thought it might be time to take AJ on a quiet Sunday morning walk down the road. Disaster. Well not quite a disaster, in that we got home safe and sound but it did nothing for either of us confidence wise. I don't know why doing a route he's done before is so much more stressful just because it's on a road. He got excited in the first place because we passed two horses coming the other way and after that I think it was just trigger stacking. Ended up on the road with him so beside himself he stopped and bucked a little bit - not the first time he's done it and I don't think it's malicious, just that he's so beside himself he doesn't know what to do. Scared me on the road though, visions of a loose horse careering through the village. He went at the speed I asked but jogging on the spot, bucking and when I sent him on throwing his head right up as if to rear. I don't want him EVER to get it into his head that rearing is an option! So I tried all the exercises we know - side pass, flexing, turn on the haunches/forehand, backing up (towards home, that confused him!) He did come to a little bit then and calmed down, but we were off the road by this point and on the back lane to our yard, I could hardly do this on the proper road. Not sure how we're going to get round this tbh.

I'm really glad I've had the opportunity to go through this baby starting process. It's been very hard and I've learned a LOT but it's been very fulfilling. I sure as heck never want to do it again though!
Is it a specific road, point on the road or any road?
 
You mentioned before he’s often spicy for the first 10 minutes you’re out, was it that or did it go beyond today? Just wondering if the normal happening on the road bothered you more than normal.
Maybe, I'm not ruling out the possibility that it's me, or at least partly. I made a very conscious effort not to show my own anxiety, using the exercises I've been taught - breathing out, sitting deep, lowering my diaphragm. But it's hard to fool a horse! In our schooling sessions he responds to cues before I've even given them, at the point where I've only thought them. I had a very interesting chat with my physio the other day who said that people get cross and think it's anticipation, but in reality it's the horse being so tuned in that they're reading your heartbeat and breathing. If that's what he's doing, he's too clever for me!

I forgot to mention that we were passed by 2 cars and they weren't really a problem, just everything else apparently.
 
@newforest wash them with some fabric conditioner, I find that reduces the stickiness a bit.

@Bodshi there are a lot of positives there too, not least that you kept your head and the exercises you've learned got his attention back enough to calm him down. It sounds trite but focus on the positives!

We had an interesting hack yesterday as we came across an organised shoot. The tractor, trailer and 4wds on the byway didn't bother him at all but he was very unhappy about the beaters waving flags and blowing whistles! The shoot were fantastic, told us to ride in the neighbouring field so we had more room for Luka and radioed the beaters to stop until we were well past. He kept a lid on things in that he didn't buck or run but he was very anxious, bouncy, and sweated up in seconds. I think if my friend's horse hadn't been so chilled it could have gone wrong, but as it was it's one more thing he's trusted me over and come out of unharmed and it's those things that build a solid foundation, or so I tell myself!
Thank you, I will try to be positive.

I can just imagine Luka with the beaters. The horses on the yard I used to be on would get very stressed when the shoot was out if the beaters were near. Not a bit bothered by the sound of the guns, but the beaters are terrifying. Well done Luca for holding it together.
 
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Is it a specific road, point on the road or any road?
I've only been on one road, I've never got any further! I tell a lie, on the road safety course they took us the other way but that involves going round a blind bend which was fine that day because we had people on foot in front and behind to warn the traffic, but even on Raf I avoid that bit of road normally. There is another route I could try but there's so many tractors about at the minute and the road is narrow, we'd be in the same situation as you were, and AJ definitely isn't ready for that 😂
 
@Bodshi when Jim was young there were times when focusing on the positives was the only thing that kept me going, and sometimes the positives were simply no-one died and if I could cope with that I could cope with (almost) anything!
 
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Maybe, I'm not ruling out the possibility that it's me, or at least partly. I made a very conscious effort not to show my own anxiety, using the exercises I've been taught - breathing out, sitting deep, lowering my diaphragm. But it's hard to fool a horse! In our schooling sessions he responds to cues before I've even given them, at the point where I've only thought them. I had a very interesting chat with my physio the other day who said that people get cross and think it's anticipation, but in reality it's the horse being so tuned in that they're reading your heartbeat and breathing. If that's what he's doing, he's too clever for me!

I forgot to mention that we were passed by 2 cars and they weren't really a problem, just everything else apparently.
I didn't mean it was you influencing it, but I know Monkey does things in the forest that don't bother me, but if he did it on the road I would be more acutely aware of the additional risks although the actual behaviour is no worse. Is there somewhere that you can do 20 minutes off road, before doing a short road section, so you're past the initial excitement of being out before dealing with the extra's that road work brings? just while you both get a bit more confident with it.
 
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I've only been on one road, I've never got any further! I tell a lie, on the road safety course they took us the other way but that involves going round a blind bend which was fine that day because we had people on foot in front and behind to warn the traffic, but even on Raf I avoid that bit of road normally. There is another route I could try but there's so many tractors about at the minute and the road is narrow, we'd be in the same situation as you were, and AJ definitely isn't ready for that 😂
I would box him up to somewhere else and see if he's the same on other roads. Or, just this one.

I would also look at what you can do with him in the moment. If you are on a road, you can't really use many if any of the exercises you have learnt. Those really need to done away from any traffic. You need other tools.

I have a sound that I use to encourage her when she hesitates, it tends to stop me saying "walk on for goodness sake it's a tractor!!! "
 
@newforest "walk on for goodness sake it's a tractor!!! " sounds so much better than my rather bored "yes it's a dragon, no I don't care, now can we please walk past the stone/puddle/person walking a dog?". Tractors are more a case of firmly pointng out we can't fit through the gap they've left and need to wait!
 
We rarely see them these days and when we do they appear to be from the 1950's very noisy.

We see the odd old one that goes along making a "put put put" noise and has a rattley metal lid on the exhaust, but mostly huge modern ones. A while ago a big and very old car caused a bit of a drama - far more than the old tractor - but in fairness it did sound very odd, was huge, and was so old the bonnet was held shut with leather straps!!!
 
It is funny what they look sideways at. Mine used to hate brown sheep. Now she's not looking at the ones we see around here.
Though in season she looks at EVERYTHING and it's not really worth going out at all.
 
I didn't mean it was you influencing it, but I know Monkey does things in the forest that don't bother me, but if he did it on the road I would be more acutely aware of the additional risks although the actual behaviour is no worse. Is there somewhere that you can do 20 minutes off road, before doing a short road section, so you're past the initial excitement of being out before dealing with the extra's that road work brings? just while you both get a bit more confident with it.
I see what you mean, but no I don't think it's just that, as the stressiness gets worse not better the further we go on the road. It escalated to cantering on the spot and bucking which is not how he normally behaves. He's funny because he doesn't actually break speed, his legs go quicker but he doesn't.

Good idea about trying an off-road ride before a little road ride, and a new road @newforest. From here I go up our back lane which is an access only road, before I go on the real road, but it's only 5 minutes. I'd have to box up somewhere. I'll see if I can think of anywhere. It would be worse getting parted on a road we didn't know though, plus I need to be able to drive home, so it would have to be somewhere where I could easily get off the road in an emergency .. thinking cap on.
 
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I see what you mean, but no I don't think it's just that, as the stressiness gets worse not better the further we go on the road. It escalated to cantering on the spot and bucking which is not how he normally behaves. He's funny because he doesn't actually break speed, his legs go quicker but he doesn't.

Good idea about trying an off-road ride before a little road ride, and a new road @newforest. From here I go up our back lane which is an access only road, before I go on the real road, but it's only 5 minutes. I'd have to box up somewhere. I'll see if I can think of anywhere. It would be worse getting parted on a road we didn't know though, plus I need to be able to drive home, so it would have to be somewhere where I could easily get off the road in an emergency .. thinking cap on.
Google Earth cap on. It doesn't need to be far to be different.
 
Rehab week 9. I am now managing a slightly bigger circular ride of 2.7 miles which takes 45-50 minutes and we did that on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. On Sunday we went in the school to do some cantering (long side only) and some trot poles. Harvey *really* wanted a jump - but he's not allowed yet :(

Hacking
8 miles
2 hours 45

Schooling
15 minutes

Totals
Hacking
472 miles
149 hours 15

Schooling
4 hours 20
 
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I'm glad Harvey is keen to jump, he must be feeling good. I've been through the rehab schedule with Raf. I think he came out of it fitter than he had ever been before!
 
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I actually had a really nice ride in the sunshine, albeit the route we did was a tad hot!! It's actually what she's been preferring so I have gone along with that to get us back in the swing of it. I leave her to turn at the fork since she will lean anyway 😂

So, second ride in these jods and after a wash @carthorse yes they are better.

I am still having issues with the right stirrups.We had a nice little trot and my foot decided it wasn't riding today and went to slip thru. Then I got cramp, then the seam on the jods really wasn't in the right place on the right leg.
It's actually a really good thing that I am riding something "sensible" and not anything remotely fresh since I appear to have problems with my equipment!!!

When I got back, it became clear that I actually had the stirrups on the wrong way round. 😂
I would have hoped after all the years of riding and tacking up that I would have mastered this by now. See if I had a groom they would checked all that before I set off.

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