Problem with hack - so disappointed

diamonddogs

diamonddogs

Active Member
Apr 14, 2008
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Badiddlyboing, Odawidaho
My friend has persuaded me to go to her riding school next week and go for a hack on one of their bombproof horses. We both thought this would be helpful in resolving my confidence issues.

So, she called her instructor, who has said that we need to speak to the YM, because their policy is to have an assessment lesson before you can hack out. They have to see you walk, trot and canter. I can understand this, after all, a lot of people overestimate their riding capabilities or even lie, but I'm actually a good rider asking to be treated as a virtual beginner.

This is just not going to happen. If I was up to walk trot canter I wouldn't need to spend £25 to hack one of their horses out - I'd keep my money in my pocket and ride my own horse.

Of course, once she explains the plan to the manager, he may say it's fine and we can go ahead, but what if he says I have to be assessed?

I'm so disappointed. I was really looking forward to it, and felt really positive it was going to help.
 
Many riding schools demand a canter test in a school before you can hack out. This was a great problem for me too. If I was away from home. But I dont fully understand your problem. If you are an advanced rider, surely you can canter? They only want to make sure you wont fall if the horse spooks into canter.
 
At my local RS you have to have a 30 minute private assessment lesson before you are allowed to ride in the group lesson and certainly before you hack out. I think that this is the norm and I would expect any responsible riding school to do it. They need to be confident that you can ride the horse and be in control of the horse before you hack.
 
Sorry, can you clarify, is the problem that you aren't confident enough to canter on a strange horse? If that's the case - that you are perfectly capable ability-wise of cantering but your confidence will be an issue - then I would just explain that to them and ask if they can assess you just in walk and trot. Pre-hack assessments are mostly to make sure you''ll be in enough control to be safe, and if you ride well enough in trot they will probably be happy to take you out anyway.
 
Joosie, I completely lost my confidence a couple of years back. I know that my ability is there, but it's completely buried. If I could just get on and do the stuff that most people take for granted, I'd be doing it on my own horse.

It's not about cantering a strange horse, it's any horse. I was hoping that if I could just go out and have a pootle and play it by ear, this might shift the block that I've got. A normal lesson seems too structured, and again, I can get an instructor out to my own yard to give me lessons on my own horse.

I think I'll just forget it - for less money I can have a lesson on my own horse in my own school. There's a lady who coaches one of my friends who I've had a chat with, and she wants to use half the lesson to see me lunge, play, and generally interact with Sham, and the other half to begin to transfer that confidence into the saddle. I've got a strong feeling that if this lady knows which button to press my confidence will come straight back, then my only worry will be getting fit enough to ride properly! Of all the instructors I've spoken to, this lady is the first one to suggest doing groundwork first, and this appeals to me as she'll see how confident I am doing groundwork and handling.

It's all happening a bit quick - I've been a bit skint for the past few months (OH keeps me on a tight horsey budget!), and now I've got a small amount of spare cash to spend, I'm considering my options, trying to decide the most cost and time effective way to take this forward before I waste another summer.
 
is it for insurance reasons maybe they have to do the assesments? but if you just want a beginners hack anyway walk/trot then I dont see why you need an assesment. I know where I worked once that they assesed for intermediate hacks but not for novice ones - and plus the assesment was a very basic pre hack walk/trot and canter in the arena before they left. If they were not up the faster pace hack they just went out on the novice hack. Seems a bit much to have to have a full assesment lesson and pay £25 !
 
diamonddogs said:
There's a lady who coaches one of my friends who I've had a chat with, and she wants to use half the lesson to see me lunge, play, and generally interact with Sham, and the other half to begin to transfer that confidence into the saddle. I've got a strong feeling that if this lady knows which button to press my confidence will come straight back, then my only worry will be getting fit enough to ride properly! Of all the instructors I've spoken to, this lady is the first one to suggest doing groundwork first, and this appeals to me as she'll see how confident I am doing groundwork and handling.
Click to expand...

Excuse the unsolicited advice, but have you previously experienced an instant return to your confidence? It's just my own experience suggests that while this is something we all hope for, in reality, it's unattainable. Might it be best to adjust your expectations so you are not disappointed and maybe set goals for the summer that are erring on the cautious and conservative side, that way you can be sure to exceed your aims and end up more confident as a result?

As for the assessment ride, could you ask for them to do a mini one at the start of the ride rather than a full 30minute one? Or get them to your yard and let them see you on your own horse - and kill two birds with one stone so to speak?
 
Flipo's Mum said:
Excuse the unsolicited advice, but have you previously experienced an instant return to your confidence?
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Kind of... after I lost Kelly, who I'd just started to tack up and ride on my own before she died, I was trying lots of different horses with no apparent issues, and I was thinking it was all going to be fine (I even rode one that was very excited, jogging down the lane and very lively, and never batted an eyelid, then got told afterwards it hadn't been ridden for six weeks!) but for one reason or another (weather, mainly) I left it too long before I got on Sham and it had gone again :(

...Or get them to your yard and let them see you on your own horse - and kill two birds with one stone so to speak?
Click to expand...

I'm trying to gain confidence to ride Sham, which is why we'd planned the hack, thinking it might help.

Thanks for the unsolicited advice ;) and I think you're right - baby steps on my own horse with an instructor!!!
 
A lesson sounds a good idea. But let's go back to the idea of a quiet trail ride just sitting on a horse. There are riding schools suitably located still that teach very beginners out on hacks. I was recommended to ride at one.
It is helpful for people who are too frightened of RIs to ride well in proper lessons. Tho I missed out on formal canter in a school and had to take proper lessons to learn that last Feb.
I went to a BHS school and training centre and the most excellent RI knew that was why I wanted lessons. So it is worth analising what it is you are scared of, exactly, and seeking help with that specific thing.
The first lesson went too well, and I had to explain to the RI that I was not actually as good a rider as it might look. I then got her to teach me the "correct" school cues for everything we did and then used them again and again. It was highly mechanical.
But if you are afraid of your horse in general and feel out of control the more NH oriented lesson you plan would be an excellent idea. But it is the opposite of mechanical. And will be good, provided that you dont have real problems of balance? Or security in canter? Because that would be sorted by lunge lessons concentrating on you the rider. Taking the horse out of the equation.
But an assessment need not be as scarey as it sounds. I did once arrange to hack from a school where they agreed I could ride out with no school test. They didnt tell the RI who was taking me and he led me into the out door school. After trotting a figure 8, he asked me to canter. Even though I had rarely cantered in a school I guessed if I asked on a corner, the horse would take the correct lead. So that's what I did. And the horse did.
The whole test was less than 5 minutes. But I had asked for a walk trot hack and I declined to canter on the hack. My own thoughts are that hacking is more hazardous than riding in an enclosed school, and after I have had a bad experience, or been ill etc. I usually start with a school session and dont go back to the wide open spaces till I feel comfortable.
 
I thought the walk, trot, canter assessment was whether to send riders out on canter hacks? Plenty of places hack out with beginners. If you don't want to canter on a hack, tell your riding school and I am sure they'll accommodate this - they're being paid to provide you with a service after all.
 
Unless you go to a trekking centre where they have bombproof horses geared up to walking with total novice riders it is almost impossible to hack out without an assessment due to insurance requirements. The idea is that is the worst happened and your horse accidentally cantered you would be able to stay on.

I often recommend a couple of locallish trekking centres to people to gain confidence, perhaps your friend could ask at her school if they know of anywhere. Untimately however the best answer is lessons with your own horse with an instructor you trust and who is good with nervous riders.
 
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