YOUR HORSE’S TRAINING BOOSTING CONFIDENCE | HACKING CLINIC
PART FIVE
THE MORE CONFIDENT you are, the safer you will feel when hacking,” says Steph Brooks, addressing the attendees at the BHS Suffolk Hacking Confidence Clinic at Boyton Hall Equestrian Centre (Your Horse, April/Spring/May/June, Training/Hacking Confidence Clinic). The group of riders is preparing for the final task of the day: going for a hack after trying several exercises in the school with their horses. The time has come to put the techniques they have learned into practice — but that begins off the horse.
Finding your feet
Before a rider heads out on a hack, Steph advises them to walk the route first on foot.
“As you walk, think about what you might notice when riding that could cause you anxiety, and ask yourself why it might do so,” says Steph. As the riders walk the route, they share their worries aloud, which include…
■ “Being in a new place could bring up some nervous energy as my horse takes it all in.” ■ “My horse is barefoot, and the gravel might make him uncomfortable and want to speed up to get off the surface.” ■ “Going from the road onto the grass track might excite him.” ■ “Cyclists could come down the road which might make my horse spook.”
