Hi,
Hey experienced & successful S-hack users: I've been using an s-hack on my mare exclusively for about a year, and switched on & off between s-hack & snaffle for the two years prior- I started her in a snaffle.
I do exclusively outdoor riding, country roads, and very rough trail riding, typically ride 7 miles or more on each ride. Currently training this mare to bee an endurance competitor. I ride barefoot, and mostly bitless, use both treed and treeless saddles. I am a barefoot trimmer, have completed the Michigan shore to shore trail barefoot on another horse (250 miles in 10 days),
My question is : are there any limitations to control when using an s-hack? Specifically, my mare lately has been doing some obstinate head tossing when I want to ride her out away from her paddocks, and she does it when she seemingly wants to refuse to go forward , away from home.
It doesn't seem to be a pain or saddle fit issue, as she is perfectly happy if she is headed back home. It seems more of an obstinance issue, in which I need to be more firm with her, and/or make it more work for her to do what I don't want her to do, and less work for her when she complies with my directions. Problem is, I become afraid that she's going to escalate her behavior into something dangerous when she starts the refusals and the head tossing, and I've been getting onto the ground and walking with her, in the direction I want to go. Today she was so extremely uncooperative that I went back , got the other horse to ride, and ponied the obstinate mare out on the trails.
Wondering if the s-hack is a suitable device to use when correcting this problem of head tossing and unwillingness to turn right or left, when going away from home? Or perhaps do I just need to crank the s-hack more, and wait it out? Thinking of getting on the ground and making her trot in circles whenever she does this .
Also thinking the problem may have started with her recent experiences with my new riding companion, who several times has completely lost control of the mare, letting the mare go back towards home, over forbidden terrain, etc. I was riding with he on my other horse and I encourage her to work it out, when she can't or doesn't we switch horses and I make the mare behave properly. I don't want my nice horse to get into bad habits!
Hey experienced & successful S-hack users: I've been using an s-hack on my mare exclusively for about a year, and switched on & off between s-hack & snaffle for the two years prior- I started her in a snaffle.
I do exclusively outdoor riding, country roads, and very rough trail riding, typically ride 7 miles or more on each ride. Currently training this mare to bee an endurance competitor. I ride barefoot, and mostly bitless, use both treed and treeless saddles. I am a barefoot trimmer, have completed the Michigan shore to shore trail barefoot on another horse (250 miles in 10 days),
My question is : are there any limitations to control when using an s-hack? Specifically, my mare lately has been doing some obstinate head tossing when I want to ride her out away from her paddocks, and she does it when she seemingly wants to refuse to go forward , away from home.
It doesn't seem to be a pain or saddle fit issue, as she is perfectly happy if she is headed back home. It seems more of an obstinance issue, in which I need to be more firm with her, and/or make it more work for her to do what I don't want her to do, and less work for her when she complies with my directions. Problem is, I become afraid that she's going to escalate her behavior into something dangerous when she starts the refusals and the head tossing, and I've been getting onto the ground and walking with her, in the direction I want to go. Today she was so extremely uncooperative that I went back , got the other horse to ride, and ponied the obstinate mare out on the trails.
Wondering if the s-hack is a suitable device to use when correcting this problem of head tossing and unwillingness to turn right or left, when going away from home? Or perhaps do I just need to crank the s-hack more, and wait it out? Thinking of getting on the ground and making her trot in circles whenever she does this .
Also thinking the problem may have started with her recent experiences with my new riding companion, who several times has completely lost control of the mare, letting the mare go back towards home, over forbidden terrain, etc. I was riding with he on my other horse and I encourage her to work it out, when she can't or doesn't we switch horses and I make the mare behave properly. I don't want my nice horse to get into bad habits!