How to Feel More Confident Hacking Out on Your Horse
Hacking should be one of the most enjoyable parts of horse riding. Getting away from the arena, exploring the countryside and simply spending time with your horse can be enormously rewarding.
But if you've lost confidence hacking, it can feel very different.
You may be perfectly comfortable schooling at home yet become nervous as soon as you leave the yard. Traffic, open spaces, unexpected noises, other horses, dogs, cyclists or simply being further away from home can suddenly feel difficult to manage.
Perhaps you've had a frightening experience while hacking. Or maybe your confidence has gradually disappeared and you can't pinpoint exactly why.
As a clinical hypnotherapist and an experienced horse owner and rider of more than 30 years, I know that hacking confidence isn't simply about telling yourself to be brave. The combination of an unpredictable environment and an animal capable of reacting quickly means some caution is entirely sensible.
The aim isn't to remove that awareness. It's to stop unnecessary anxiety from preventing you from enjoying riding out.
Why Do Riders Lose Confidence Hacking?
There are many reasons why someone who can ride confidently in an arena may become nervous hacking.
Common worries include:
traffic
horses spooking
hacking alone
riding in open spaces
cantering in company
dogs running towards the horse
cyclists or runners appearing unexpectedly
farm machinery
horses becoming excited on the way home
losing control
falling off away from the yard
Sometimes one particular incident starts the problem.
A horse may have spun around, bolted, slipped, reacted badly to traffic or frightened you in an open space.
Afterwards, you may find yourself waiting for it to happen again.
Why Can Hacking Feel More Frightening Than Riding in an Arena?
An arena is relatively predictable.
You know the surface, the boundaries and what is likely to happen around you.
Hacking removes much of that certainty.
You can't control whether a tractor comes around the corner, a pheasant flies out of the hedge or a dog suddenly appears.
For a nervous rider, that uncertainty can lead to constant scanning for danger.
Instead of enjoying the ride, you find yourself asking:
What's behind that hedge?
What if a vehicle comes?
What if my horse spooks?
What if we meet something unusual?
That constant anticipation can be exhausting.
It can also make ordinary events feel more threatening than they really are.
Make Sure Your Concerns Are Reasonable
Confidence advice should never be used to persuade someone to ride in genuinely unsafe circumstances.
If your horse has suddenly become difficult to hack, consider whether something has changed.
Pain, discomfort, tack, eyesight, management, feeding, fitness and training can potentially influence behaviour. If there has been a significant or unexplained change, appropriate professional investigation may be needed.
The environment matters too.
A busy road may genuinely be unsuitable for a horse that isn't comfortable in traffic. A recently backed horse may not yet be ready to hack alone.
There is a difference between anxiety exaggerating the risk and recognising a genuine safety issue.
Good confidence comes partly from knowing that you've made sensible decisions before you set off.
Start With the Easiest Hack, Not the Hardest
If you've lost confidence, don't immediately set yourself the biggest possible test.
Choose a route you know well.
Keep the first rides relatively short.
Go at a quiet time of day if possible.
If hacking with another horse makes you feel safer, do that.
Your first objective isn't to prove that you're brave. It's to finish the ride thinking:
“That was all right.”
Those ordinary successful experiences are what begin rebuilding confidence.
Choose Your Hacking Companion Carefully
The right hacking companion can make an enormous difference.
Ideally, choose a calm, sensible horse and a rider who understands that you're rebuilding confidence.
Someone who continually pushes you to canter, criticises you for being nervous or disappears into the distance isn't necessarily the companion you need.
Tell the other rider what would help.
Perhaps you'd prefer to walk most of the route. Maybe you'd like them on the outside when passing traffic. Perhaps you don't want to canter yet.
There is nothing embarrassing about being clear about what you need.
How to Build Confidence Hacking Alone
Hacking alone can feel like an enormous step because there is no other horse to provide reassurance.
Don't assume you need to go from company to a full solo hack in one jump.
Break it down.
You might ride a short distance from the yard and return.
Next time, go slightly further.
Then perhaps complete a very short familiar circuit.
Gradually increase the distance as each stage begins to feel ordinary.
The goal isn't to see how far you can force yourself to go.
It's to gradually teach yourself that you and your horse can cope without another combination alongside you.
How to Feel More Confident Hacking in Traffic
Traffic worries are understandable because riders cannot control the behaviour of every driver they encounter.
Preparation matters.
Your horse should be introduced to traffic appropriately, and you should choose routes that are suitable for the horse's experience whenever possible.
If you are rebuilding your own confidence, beginning with quieter roads or riding with a sensible, traffic-confident horse can help.
Try not to tense every time you hear a vehicle approaching.
Keep breathing, concentrate on your horse and give clear, calm aids.
And remember that confidence should never replace sensible road safety. High-visibility clothing, appropriate routes and awareness of other road users remain important however experienced you are. If riding on roads is the part of hacking you find particularly difficult, my Roadwork with Confidence self-hypnosis session has been created specifically to help riders manage anxiety around traffic, noise and unexpected situations while remaining calm, alert and aware of their surroundings. Roadwork with Confidence
What If Your Horse Spooks?
A spook can be particularly unsettling because it happens quickly.
After experiencing one, riders sometimes begin looking for everything their horse might possibly react to.
The irony is that this can make you more tense before your horse has done anything.
Try to distinguish between your horse noticing something and your horse actually becoming difficult to control.
A horse may look at a bin, hedge or sign without anything more dramatic happening.
If you immediately tighten your body and shorten the reins every time your horse looks at something, you may inadvertently turn a small moment into something more significant.
Stay aware, but try to respond to what is actually happening rather than what you're afraid might happen next.
Hacking in Open Spaces
Open spaces can create a different type of anxiety.
Some riders worry that their horse will become strong, start cantering unexpectedly or become difficult to stop.
If this is a concern, don't feel obliged to canter simply because you're in a field.
Walk.
Then perhaps trot a short distance when you feel ready.
If and when you decide to canter, choose somewhere appropriate and keep the first attempt manageable.
It can also help to avoid repeatedly cantering in exactly the same place, as some horses can begin anticipating what happens there.
You decide the pace. Being in an open field doesn't automatically mean you have to go faster.
Be Careful About Turning for Home
Some horses become noticeably more forward when they realise they're heading back to the yard.
If your horse starts rushing home, the change in pace can quickly make a nervous rider feel out of control.
Try to keep the return journey calm and purposeful.
Avoid allowing rushing to become the normal way of getting home.
If this has become a significant training issue, an experienced instructor or trainer may be able to help you work on it safely.
Again, not every hacking problem should be treated purely as rider anxiety.
Notice What You're Doing With Your Body
Fear changes the way we ride.
You may:
hold your breath
grip with your knees or thighs
become rigid through your back
raise your shoulders
tighten your hands
lean forward
constantly shorten your reins
Your horse may then respond to the change in your riding, which can reinforce your belief that something is wrong.
Periodically check yourself.
Are you breathing?
Are your shoulders relaxed?
Can you soften your hands?
Can you feel the movement of your horse underneath you?
You don't need to become completely relaxed. Just reducing unnecessary tension can make both you and your horse more comfortable.
Stop Riding the Disaster in Your Head
One of the biggest obstacles to hacking confidence can happen before you've even left the yard.
You imagine the tractor.
You picture your horse spinning.
You imagine losing control in the field.
You mentally rehearse the dog appearing from nowhere.
By the time you mount, your body may already be responding as though those things have happened.
Try deliberately rehearsing a different version.
Picture yourself leaving the yard calmly.
Imagine riding along your familiar route.
See yourself dealing comfortably with an ordinary unexpected event.
Picture yourself returning home pleased with the ride.
This doesn't guarantee that nothing unexpected will happen.
It simply stops your mind practising disaster every time you think about hacking.
Stay With What Is Happening Now
An anxious mind tends to ride several minutes ahead.
You're approaching a corner and already worrying about what might be around it.
You're walking across a field and thinking about the place where you're planning to canter.
You're still half a mile from the road and already worrying about traffic.
Bring your attention back.
What is your horse doing right now?
What can you hear?
What rhythm are you riding?
How does your horse feel underneath you?
Dealing with the present is considerably easier than dealing with ten imaginary future problems at once.
What If You've Had a Frightening Experience Hacking?
Don't expect yourself to immediately feel the same as you did before.
A frightening experience can change the way your mind interprets similar situations.
If possible, identify exactly what you're now afraid of.
Is it the location?
Traffic?
Your horse's behaviour?
Being alone?
Falling?
Losing control?
Once you've identified the specific fear, you can rebuild around it rather than simply concluding that you've “lost your nerve”.
If the incident has left you particularly worried about falling, our guide to overcoming the fear of falling from a horse looks at that problem in more detail.
Can Self-Hypnosis Help With Hacking Confidence?
Self-hypnosis may be useful when you have the riding skills to hack safely but anxiety, anticipation or previous experiences are getting in the way.
Hypnosis combines relaxation with focused suggestion and mental rehearsal.
This can give you an opportunity to practise situations such as leaving the yard, riding calmly in open spaces, encountering everyday distractions and returning home feeling pleased with your ride.
It isn't intended to make you ignore genuine risks or encourage you to ride in situations that aren't appropriate for you or your horse.
I created Hacking with Confidence specifically for riders who find that nerves and anticipation are preventing them from enjoying riding out as much as they would like.
What If You've Lost Trust in Your Horse?
Sometimes hacking anxiety isn't really about hacking itself.
A frightening incident may have changed the way you feel about your horse.
You may be comfortable around them on the ground but no longer trust how they'll react when you're away from the security of the arena.
In that situation, it can be useful to work on the partnership itself rather than continually testing yourself by riding further.
Our guide to rebuilding trust with your horse looks specifically at how to gradually restore confidence in the relationship after something has shaken it.
Keep a Record of What Went Well
Nervous riders are often very good at remembering the difficult five seconds of a ride and forgetting the calm forty minutes around them.
Try reversing that.
After your hack, ask yourself what went well.
Perhaps your horse looked at something and walked past.
Maybe you encountered a vehicle and coped comfortably.
Perhaps you went slightly further than last time.
Maybe you simply enjoyed part of the ride without thinking about being nervous.
Those experiences are evidence.
The more evidence you collect that you can cope, the less convincing the anxious predictions become.
Don't Measure Success by Distance or Speed
A successful hack isn't necessarily a long one.
It doesn't have to involve cantering.
It doesn't have to be alone.
If you rode for twenty minutes and came home feeling more confident than when you left, that was a useful ride.
As your confidence grows, your world can gradually become bigger again.
Trying to make it bigger too quickly can have the opposite effect.
Hacking Should Be Something You Enjoy
You don't need to become the rider who will hack anywhere, on any horse, in any conditions.
Confidence isn't recklessness.
It's being able to make sensible decisions without anxiety making all of them for you.
Choose appropriate routes. Ride with company when you need it. Get professional help with genuine training problems. Progress at a pace that allows you to accumulate positive experiences.
Most importantly, remember why you wanted to hack in the first place.
The goal isn't simply to get further away from the yard.
It's to get back to enjoying being out with your horse.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why am I confident in the arena but nervous hacking?
An arena is relatively controlled and predictable, whereas hacking introduces traffic, open spaces, unexpected noises and other things you cannot control. Some riders therefore feel completely confident schooling but considerably more anxious when riding out.
How can I become more confident hacking alone?
Build up gradually rather than immediately attempting a long solo ride. Begin with very short familiar routes and increase the distance as each stage becomes comfortable. Make sure your horse is appropriately experienced for hacking alone.
How do I stop being nervous about my horse spooking?
Try to respond to what your horse is actually doing rather than constantly anticipating a spook. Work on reducing unnecessary physical tension and, where appropriate, gradually expose your horse to different environments with suitable support.
What should I do if I'm scared of hacking in traffic?
Start with suitable quiet routes and consider riding with an experienced horse and rider while rebuilding confidence. Make road safety the priority and don't use confidence techniques as a substitute for sensible assessment of whether a particular road is appropriate.
Should I force myself to hack if I'm frightened?
Forcing yourself into a situation that feels overwhelming can reinforce fear rather than reduce it. Gradual, manageable challenges are usually more useful. If your fear relates to genuine difficulties with your horse, seek appropriate professional help.
Can self-hypnosis help me feel more confident hacking?
Self-hypnosis may help reduce anxious anticipation, physical tension and repeated thoughts about what might go wrong. It can also provide an opportunity to mentally rehearse hacking situations more calmly alongside practical riding, training and safety measures.
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