After Being On Hack Up Bespoke For A Month I Was Cantering Around The School

After a month after being on Hack Up I was cantering Jesse around the school .

I've been using hack up since March this year, my boys on the calm/ digest/ detox and L prone. After watching the reviews on Facebook for a year, I decided to give you a try. 

I've had Jesse for three years but not ridden him for two of them years. On arrival it was apparent we would have our work cut out with him & very clear he had separation anxieties for his buddies. 

For the first 10 months of owning him we managed, we hacked out in company as we couldn't alone or he would rear, spin and would be incredibly spooky! Completely different from the bombproof pony he was in company. 

We took him to a little local show only doing le treck but going round, despite being next to his buddy he reared, we managed to finish the course but on loading to go home he had a melt down in the trailer which resulted in us walking him home.

We worked on his confidence and ours slowly but he was so fearful on his own and while my partner was lunging him he took off, which resulted in my partner breaking his finger. A few months later I was working him in the school on his own and he bolted and I fell off resulting in me breaking my back. This completely knocked my confidence & to be honest Jesse now scared me, I didn't want to give him up, so while I was healing we worked on our friendship building up trust of each other and ground work was working and I started to feel less scared.

Sadly though Jesse got laminitis and was very poorly and needed to be on box rest. The vet must have seen the fear on my face as I knew Jesse would not cope in a stable without his buddy and we couldn't expect his pal to be shut up too. We put a plan in action, my partner adapted Jesse top door with strong bars should we need to close his door he could see out and the vet gave a sedative and after two days of flight being in with Jesse the time came for him to go out! Flights head collar went on, he walked past Jesse stable & boom Jesse lost the plot and for his and our safety the top door got closed and I had to walk away, I couldn't see my boy like that it was heart braking. The girls on the yard sent me pictures to say he's settled but every morning we had to watch and deal with his melt downs. It was the hardest time with Jesse we've ever had to deal with. 

All recovered from his laminitis and a diagnosis of EMS we knew working Jesse was the key to his recovery but his behaviour had got worse, leading him to the field took two of us and he became a coiled spring spooking and spinning at everything, the vet said it's not his EMS that's doesn't effect his behaviour but he was incredibly overweight and now weighs 150kg less so he's feeling better and reassured me he would settle, he did a little but I knew I had to do something or his Health would suffer but I was worried of being hurt again. 

After a girl put her horse on hack up at our yard and seeing all your reviews I got in touch and put Jesse on your products.

Jesse is a different pony, we can hack alone he's aware of his surroundings but hasn't gone up, spun or spooked he's been so good our four year old daughter now rides him round the field, being led by me and daddy has his arm round her as we're finding it hard to believe the difference in him. I'm riding him again and having lessons and he's not put a foot wrong. We braved a spook buster clinic which meant travelling him and we haven't done an outing since his first one three years ago. He did go with another horse from the yard but they don't share a field of have any contact, so I was very nervous but Jesse loaded and travelled well and wasn't a sweaty mess the other end, he didn't have a melt down when the other horse went away at the show. He looked and our hearts skipped a beat but he turned back and carried on eating.

He did so well in the clinic and walked away with a 2nd place and a lovely rosette too. He re loaded and again travelled well on unloading his buddy was shouting but Jesse looked but went back to his yard so we could take his boots off etc. He walked back down the field like a gent. I've gone from having him in a dually to sometime been led in a bridle to now leading him in a normal head collar. 

But the main reason I decided to write this, was yesterday Jesses buddy had hurt his leg so needed a vet to come out which meant leaving Jesse in a stable while Flight went off to be looked at. My cousin said did I want to bring Jesse with him but I decided to see how he would cope & as Flight went past I held my breath but Jesse stood looking at us and didn't flinch, didn't call to Flight, didn't rear, didn't spin, didn't kick out, just stood there. I can't believe what a difference your product have made to him the relief I know feel, I don't stress as much and I certainly don't have heart failure at the thought of riding him now, in fact I want to ride him and I'm not scared of him. I can lead him up from the field while holding my daughters hand I never thought I would ever do that. I can bring him out of the field on his own to do whatever with him and I don't have to use food as I bribe to try and get him to be calm. He still has small moments but they make me laugh because as soon as he's thought about it he's calm again & compared to what we had he's a doddle to handle.

My partner still doubts it's the calmer he thinks it's all the ground work & yes to a point that's helped but a year after ground work I still didn't want to get on him yet a month after being on hack up I was cantering him aroound the School  all by himself and no one next to me. I'm enjoying my pony and him us my only regret is that I didn't try your product sooner! 

Thank you hack up your product is life changing x
Donna Palmer