anyone NEVER hack their horses??

**Whispers** THEIR!!!!!
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I worked on a dressage yard for 2 years and never left the yard.. and i honestly beleive that the horses were better for it!

Lou x

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interesting......

how did they keep everything interesting and varied and stuff??
 
How on earth could they be better for it? I see too many dressage horses that are wrapped up in cotton wool and have no life apart from schooling and competitions.
When they get to competitions they make issues about all the banners and flower pots etc because they have not been introduced to the real world!
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Even people like Carl Hester hacks and gallops his horses and i dont think his horses are any the worse for it are they?
I wouldnt want to be stuck in my house every day, only going out for one hour a day, would you?
Sorry, rant over!
 
I had not hacked my horse for ages until I moved yards last month and now my horse is sooooo much better in his schooling having had several good hacks and gallops out!!
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I worked on a dressage yard for 2 years and never left the yard.. and i honestly beleive that the horses were better for it!

Lou x

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Really?? IMO there is nothing like hill work to get a horse to learn to balance and carry itself.
 
Can't imagine not hacking out, and as for dressage horses never being hacked out and being better for it.... Carl Hester hacks out his dressage horses (including Dolendo) and at the end of the day he couldnt get much better....
 
girl at my yard has 'dressage horses' and wont hack them out
i do, hacking is the best way to educate a baby, and the best fun
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I love to hack, would be bored in the school all the time. Horse likes hacking as well, its a chance to let him relax. Thanks to hacking his rather stilted walk is now more forward and loose, and his balance has also improved.
 
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Hacking is fun, if mine doesn't get a hack every couple of days he starts getting grumpy in the school and refuses to co-operate.

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Same here, he seems to think he should definitely be able to go out at least once a week and have a good gallop and buck
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I don't hack my showjumpers out but there is a reason for it. Its not just because i don't want to and want to wrap them up in cotton wool!

My lane is hell. absolute idiots doing 60mph round blind bends and tbh its not worth it on slightly unpredictable horses.

Danny doesn't 'do' traffic and last time i took him out we ended up bronking in the middle of the road. So now i just take him for a gallop in one of the big turnout fields. He only ever goes in the school to jump as gets bored. He is also turned out all night.

Gigolo HATES being on the tarmac. Turned out in the day for as long as he likes, he lets you know when he gets bored
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Ulrich can't be ridden, but when he is in work i do like to take him for a blast occassionally though.

Every so often i will box them up and go to a XC course and take them for a hack though usually without jumping much.

But i do like going for a hack on one of moms horses.
 
I used to love hacking out. BUT: Marius is unpredictable out, and will plant, spin and even rear if he gets upset. I am of an age now when I know I won't bounce; and the combination is not a good one.

Marius does hack out, though, with my daughter, whose horse he originally was (I look after him now) - so he goes out, even if I don't
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I only hack, that's what having a horse is about for me!

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I am all for that too...marvellous...nothing better than a wander around the countryside. I only hack, do not school work at all. The best thing I ever did for my horse to bring him on a bit and get him more confident was to start doing pleasure rides in new places where you meet all manner of things for them to get used to. He is such a better and more reliable ride for it.
 
lots of turn out.. lots of varied schooling including jumping and days off.. and lots of varied competitions.

I think ahcking is very over stated.. its dangerous and unenjoyable unless you have a bombproof horses or lots of off road hacking.

lou x
 
oh and for the record.. i did not say they were wrapped up and i did not say they spend all day in their stable..

As for carl hestor... i couldn't give a flying frenchman what he does.. he's good but he is NOT the best.

They were better for it as they were not stressed out every few days, they were not put in dangerous situations every few days.
 
Sorry but I don't agree with horses just jumping/schooling etc and never being hacked out. I'm sure that's why have had the problems with Oscar that I've had - painfully apparent that he just jumped, jumped, jumped and never hacked.....he's so much better out hacking now and is starting to enjoy it.
 
difference of oppinion i suppose..

i hack my own horse.. he enjoys it..

the dressage horses where working animals, in a routine, happy, comfortable and relaxed.. they were better off for not hacking
 
I hack my 2 show jumpers (although I havn't done with one yet, she will be).
Occasionally take Blu on the roads for a change, but usually use the huge field with a gallop stretch and logs
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I think ahcking is very over stated.. its dangerous and unenjoyable unless you have a bombproof horses or lots of off road hacking.

lou x

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I hope that I dont offend you in saying this but horse riding in general is dangerous, as is every sport. Everything has a 'what if' with it. My horse is VERY much far from bomb proof and I hack out all the time and we both thoroughly enjoy it, I find riding a bomb proof horse can sometimes get rather boring IMO (No offence to those that have bomb proof horses, I am very jealous of you at times). I agree that you have to be safe on a ride, as you should in any situation whether it be in the school, in a field or on the road. (And how do you think that a 'bomb proof hacking horse is bomb proof? It was ridden again and again and shown things it was probably once terrified of! Theres a first time for everything)

More importantly hacking is a way of getting my boy to unwind. He loves looking at the things around him and having a good canter in the woods! I find it helps him to go forward too, and although he is crazy boy most of the time, I still always give him rein for him to stretch out and relax instead of constantly being cooped up in the school doing things he finds utterly boring (not me though lol!1!!)
 
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As for carl hestor... i couldn't give a flying frenchman what he does.. he's good but he is NOT the best.

They were better for it as they were not stressed out every few days, they were not put in dangerous situations every few days.

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If you had off road hacking available would you hack out?

The Spanish Riding School would be classed as the best and they hack out the stallions (in a group!) as they say a change of scene is good for the horse's both physically and mentally.
 
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its dangerous and unenjoyable unless you have a bombproof horses or lots of off road hacking.


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Eh?! My horse isn't bombproof by an means and I don't have masses of off road hacking but to me it is much more fun than just going round and round in circles!
 
We have off road hacking but for a change of scenery we box the horses and drive somewhere else. I've just sent off to join UK Chasers to give us more options for hacking as there are 4 courses within about 20 miles of the yard
 
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