Is walking the same as walking ? Hear me out ...

[alibi_18]

@Meredith Clark

My other option is just riding him in one of the pastures. It’s fenced and he’s used to it but wouldn’t be much more exciting than the sand ring.

From your post, you are scared of riding your horse at a pace higher than a walk in your sand ring, I doubt that what you need is exciting places to ride.

You need to gain confidence first.
A controlled environment is the place to start.

If I were you, I wouldn’t go on a hike with this horse until I was confident enough of its reactions and my abilities to fully control it if it loses its mind.

Get to know and trust your horse first.
It might be boring but there is no point in getting hurt or more scared.

Start the work in the sand ring and the fenced pasture.

A little drug can also do wonders on both the horse and yourself when you’ll feel ready to explore those 65 acres on your own.

[Meredith_Clark]

Oh oh I didn’t mean to give that impression. I am not at all afraid to ride him ! He’s actually very well behaved and sensible I just worry being out and about all the things that could happen and more importantly the fact that I’m by myself and no one is home until after 10pm. We have a sheep farm next door, Amish with their buggies and plow horses, etc. just a lot that could catch him off guard.

The second ride i ever had on him i hacked him in open fields at my trainer’s farm to get to some logs to test him over (he was great by the way!).

When im here alone or if hubby is inside I’m perfect comfortable walk/trot/canter and jumping. My ring is right near our road so someone would definitely see me if I fell off, my neighbor across the street too. If I ride out it’s behind the farm, not many people around and can’t be seen from the road.

@alibi_18

From your post, you are scared of riding your horse at a pace higher than a walk in your sand ring, I doubt that what you need is exciting places to ride.

You need to gain confidence first.
A controlled environment is the place to start.

If I were you, I wouldn’t go on a hike with this horse until I was confident enough of its reactions and my abilities to fully control it if it loses its mind.

Get to know and trust your horse first.
It might be boring but there is no point in getting hurt or more scared.

Start the work in the sand ring and the fenced pasture.

A little drug can also do wonders on both the horse and yourself when you’ll feel ready to explore those 65 acres on your own.

[Meredith_Clark]

He’s not exactly wild …

https://instagram.com/p/Bpcoy6eF83H/

[yventer]

I came late to this thread, but I also often ride alone. I have the RoadID app, wear a gaudy red helmet cover for visibility, try to be aware of my horse’s frame of mind each ride, and be generally sensible. I think there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handwalking your horse for a “hack,” nor does it mean you need help, more work, a different horse, etc etc etc. There was one time with a young, newish horse I hadn’t ridden for a couple days that the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should lunge him before riding. “No, he’s been so calm.” About a 1/4 mile from the barn, he spooked and bucked me off. Fractured my pelvis.Since then, I pay very good attention to those little voices and what they say. And the “safety” voices sound quite different, at least in my head, than the regular “dealing with horses” voices.

[Meredith_Clark]

@yventer

I came late to this thread, but I also often ride alone. I have the RoadID app, wear a gaudy red helmet cover for visibility, try to be aware of my horse’s frame of mind each ride, and be generally sensible. I think there’s absolutely nothing wrong with handwalking your horse for a “hack,” nor does it mean you need help, more work, a different horse, etc etc etc. There was one time with a young, newish horse I hadn’t ridden for a couple days that the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should lunge him before riding. “No, he’s been so calm.” About a 1/4 mile from the barn, he spooked and bucked me off. Fractured my pelvis.Since then, I pay very good attention to those little voices and what they say. And the “safety” voices sound quite different, at least in my head, than the regular “dealing with horses” voices.

YES! I hear that little voice before we hack out alone. I’m totally fine riding in the ring, hack out with friends , or even if someone is home and knows what I’m doing.

As i get to know him better he definitely seems to be a creature of habit more than some of my other guys. So maybe I’ll just work on building a safe loop and sticking close to the farm. Doing it on foot first and then mounted on the weekends when hubby is home.

Unfortunately the way the weather has been we have barely been able to ride in the ring, let alone hacking out. I don’t want to annoy the friendly farmers by messing up with land.

[Jersey_Fresh]

@Meredith Clark I often ride before my husband gets home and over the summer I did a lot of conditioning off site alone. My horse is good until he’s not and he can spin out from under you in a few seconds. Anyway, what I did and still do, is I would send a text to my husband that I was getting on and I should be done in X time and if he did not get a text back from me within a few minutes of that time, he sends me a text going “Are you done riding?” so I can check in. That could work for you especially if you let him know where you are going (in my case I would condition at a public park within site of the road and at home, I had a set conditioning path that I looped so I wouldn’t be hard to find).

[Sobriska]

I watched the video and CLEARLY that horse is a monster! You should not be riding him AT ALL! That said, I specialize in such crazy beasts. Obviously kidding. He is SUPER CUTE!

[Meredith_Clark]

@Sobriska

I watched the video and CLEARLY that horse is a monster! You should not be riding him AT ALL! That said, I specialize in such crazy beasts. Obviously kidding. He is SUPER CUTE!

i mean sometimes we get a little craZy when we jump 12inch verticals. :lol:

https://instagram.com/p/BqDo4UPlEYh/

[Sobriska]

LOL He is super cute