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8 Tips For Hacking Out With Confidence


By Anne Gage for The Rider - June 2021 Do you want to enjoy


hacking out on the trails with your friends, but fear holds you back? Whether you’re new to


trail riding or you’re getting back to it after some time away from riding, riding out in the open can feel scary. If you want to say “yes”


(and mean it) the next time you’re invited to go hacking, following these 8 simple tips will help you to feel safer and eliminate those trail riding nerves. As you try these steps, be


careful not to go over your or your horse’s fear threshold. Taking small steps consis- tently provides good experi- ences that build confidence.


Karen Dallimore, OAC ‘85 Great Beginnings


Horse Basics is a coaching service for horses and their handlers based in Orton, Ontario. Call me to find out how I can help you with


handling and husbandry, goal setting, Extreme Cowboy obstacle work, recreational riding or just plain enjoying your horse. For more infor-


mation visit my website at www.horsebackwriter.net/horse-basics or find me on FB at Horse Basics.


Sweet Grass Farm, Orton, Ontario


519-855-1127 • karen.dallimore@gmail.com www.horsebackwriter.net • @horsebackwriter


1) Take Your Horse For A Hike


Start out on foot, leading


your horse outside of your regular riding area. Pay atten- tion to your and your horse’s stress levels so you avoid overwhelming either one of you. Gradually expand your comfort zone by starting where you’re both comfort- able and going only as far as you start to feel a tiny bit anx- ious. If your horse starts to


show any signs of tension then go back to where you’re com- fortable.


2) Practice At Home Practice riding transi-


tions, different gaits and halt- ing so that your horse responds consistently and you’re doing them confidently at home. Then you and your horse will have the training for confidently hacking out and you’ll know that you can con- trol your horse in different sit- uations.


3) Set Up Simulations Of What You’ll See You’ll come across differ-


ent obstacles when you’re out hacking than you do at home. So create some simulations in your riding area at home like: • Uneven ground. • Logs or other obstacles your horse will have to step over. • Unusual objects (like mail- boxes). Place some poles ran-


domly around the arena or even add a few small tree branches. Raise some of the poles a bit. Introduce your horse to them in-hand before riding around and over them at a walk. Introduce only one or two novel objects at a time.


4) Be Safe On The Trail Reducing the risk of


physical injury by wearing a helmet and safety vest gives a sense of protection in case something unfortunate does happen. Modern riding hel- mets and safety vests are light- weight, comfortable and come in a variety of shapes and colours. If you’ll be riding out on


any roads, high visibility gear for you and your horse is a good idea. Having a neck strap on


your horse gives you some- thing to hold onto if you feel a


bit insecure in the saddle.


5) Visualise A Good Ride


Imagine enjoy-


ing a wonderful trail riding experience. (See my article in the Feb 2021 issue - How To Use Visuali- sation To Become A More


Confident


Horse Rider) Picture yourself and your horse relaxed and having fun. Bring in a lot of details of


what you’ll see, hear and feel - as well as the emotions you’ll have.


6) Breathe Slowly & Deeply Before and During Your Ride


Before your ride, ground


yourself by inhaling and ex- haling through your nose for equal lengths of time. If you feel anxious, make your exhale longer than your in- hale. This calm, deep breath- ing is the quickest way to calm anxiety. And you can do it on your way to the barn. While you’re tacking up your horse. And when you’re on the trail ride.


7) Notice & Release Tension Before And During Your Trail Ride Tension in your body cre-


ates tension in your mind and vice versa. Practice noticing where you hold tension and releasing it. You can also do this easily before and during your ride. Combine this exercise


with the breathing exercises above to release tension with each exhale. Move the areas of your body where you hold tension… • roll your shoulders, neck and ankles • clench and unclench your


toes • clench and loosen your fin- gers


8) Hack Out With A Support- ive Friend Talk with a trusted and


confident riding friend. Ex- plain clearly how they can help you. You need their support


when you feel anxious but without being pushed beyond your fear threshold (which puts you into overwhelm). A supportive friend will


celebrate your successes – even if you don’t complete the whole trail or you had to dis- mount and walk your horse in hand for a while. They’ll help you see the


positive in every ride. What’s most important is


building positive experiences every time you and your horse go out on the trails. So you’ll be confidently


hacking out with your friends on woodland trails, quiet country roads ... and maybe even on a beach ride. If you’re like my clients,


using these strategies and the other proven and effective techniques that I teach, you’ll stop feeling anxious and fear- ful and really enjoy every ride.| Happy Trails!


Due to Covid-19, our business practices and hours of operation have changed. Please see our Facebook page for updates!


www.facebook.com/BudsonFarmFeed


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