Anyone NOT hack out, and just stay in the school?

C

Cerries

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Hi everyone!

Hope you're well!

I'm curious. Does anyone NOT hack out, but prefer to work in the school - even though hacking is an option?

If so, is there a reason you don't hack out?

Thanks in advance!

C xo
 
I didn't hack for about a year through sheer fear, but my horse gets sooo bored and i did too tbh. We worked on our hacking and now can go out alone for as much as i can be bothered to. I enjoy a hack now and then but its not my favorite.
 
equi said:
I didn't hack for about a year through sheer fear, but my horse gets sooo bored and i did too tbh. We worked on our hacking and now can go out alone for as much as i can be bothered to. I enjoy a hack now and then but its not my favorite.
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Equi - thank you so much for your response!

That's exactly why I asked. I'm a beginner, and despite having an awesome cob I'm extremely nervous when hacking out - to the point where I feel sick, and get so worked up :( I do enjoy hacking, but the fear of coming across something like a noisy motorbike literally sucks all of the enjoyment out of it. I'd be so much happier staying in the arena for the foreseeable future, but I don't want my horse to lose out :( x
 
I don't hack out much. We have woods near my barn but my pony doesn't hack out well with me alone and still doesn't do well with some other horses. I've owned him for close to 4 years now. We ride in the inside school and outside school. We do dressage and jumping. We have 2 lessons a week and don't appear to be hindered by this too much. We will take a bit of a walk after a nice ride to cool down but I don't like going out too far alone for fear of something happening and nobody being there (I have 2 small children at school while I ride).
 
Man I'd feel way too horrendously guilty not hacking out. What a sad existence for any horse that doesnt get a change of scenery!
 
Faracat said:
Is there anyone you can hack out with even if they are on a bike or on foot?
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Thank you Faracat! Yes, I do go with others on the yard. Or if on foot, my husband is quite happy coming with me. I just would like to spend time building up my confidence for a couple of months before venturing outside of the yard, you know? But I don't know if that would have a hugely detrimental affect on my horse. Although - so long as he has food, he's usually very happy lol! ;)
 
I'm the other way, hacking is my easy go to way of exercise for my horse. I have to force myself to go in the school and actually really need to crack in and do that ;)
 
Cerries said:
Equi - thank you so much for your response!

That's exactly why I asked. I'm a beginner, and despite having an awesome cob I'm extremely nervous when hacking out - to the point where I feel sick, and get so worked up :( I do enjoy hacking, but the fear of coming across something like a noisy motorbike literally sucks all of the enjoyment out of it. I'd be so much happier staying in the arena for the foreseeable future, but I don't want my horse to lose out :( x
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The only thing i can advise is get a steady partner to hack with who is happy to box you in and keep its short and sweet! It really is one of those things where the more you do it the more confident you will become. The first time i tried my horse i went on a hack and he was foot perfect with traffic etc but i was boxed in and he was already schooled so a bit worn out lol on our own he can be sharp and if im in a mood he can be a spooky tit, so i learned to calm myself and only hack when i felt i was in the right frame of mind to. This resulted in us going out for very short (maybe 5..10 mins max) hacks and we came across anything going and he was fine. If we had a cyclist, i would say "thats our lot today, lets go back home" The more i trusted him the happier i was to hack further and the happier i am the happier he is..i can now plod about on a loose rein and have no issues which is great for his fitness and muscle. Its all about small steps, and doing what you feel comfortable with and ending on a good note not only for you but for your horse.

To add, i actally got a lesson with a equine behaviorist/EE instructor about my hacking and the thing that really stuck with me about it all was if you are ever finding it all too much just stop and get off. If you can't get back on then walk home, but you are much more likely to control your horse if you get off than if you are on it and being too nervous to function. However there is a line, you have to be able to control the horse on the ground well. I have never had ground issues, my issues were ridden.
 
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poiuytrewq said:
I'm the other way, hacking is my easy go to way of exercise for my horse. I have to force myself to go in the school and actually really need to crack in and do that ;)
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Snap but actually I get loads of schooling done out hacking .. that's what I tell myself anyway ;)

OP try and get out as much as you can, its good for you and definitely good for the pony. You cant beat a good hack weather thats in company or alone :)
 
That's great advice, thank you!

I'm so sure that I'm worrying unnecessarily, but I have anxiety - so that's kind of my thing anyway lol!

On the hacks I have been out on with him, everything has been fine (apart from one when he turned in the road to come home). The longest I've been out is about an hour, but that was in a larger group. Usually, I go for about 20 mins (10 mins one way, 10 mins back).

I'm absolutely terrified of coming across something like a noisy motorbike and him taking off with me. He's never done anything like that, but the fear of it happening is immense. I'm frustrated at myself for not just relaxing and going with it :(
 
Poor horse if he only ever goes in a school. A sure way to make a horse sour and start problems,mental and physical. Cant you ride round the field? Or find someone to hack with? The more you do the more you will enjoy it. No fun for either of you going round in circles, even if you vary it with jumping and other fun stuff.
 
If you go out with others whenever you have the chance, then I don't see why staying in the school the rest of the time would be awful short term. I would also ride in the field (if you are allowed) as that is a step up from the school and would give a change of scene.

Have some lessons too to get your confidence and riding ability up. :) I do think though that in the end, the only way to gain confidence hacking is to have lots of good experiences on hacks. I would do things like head out early on Sunday, so the traffic is lighter and stick to 'easy' routes (so no pig farms, duel carriageway bridges etc...) and take someone with you.

ETA - IME going down the road for 10 mins, turning on the spot and going home will create a 'sticking point' if the horse has any nappy tendencies. Circular or lollipop shaped routes are far better.
 
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Antw23uk said:
Snap but actually I get loads of schooling done out hacking .. that's what I tell myself anyway ;)

OP try and get out as much as you can, its good for you and definitely good for the pony. You cant beat a good hack weather thats in company or alone :)
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Thank you Ant!

At the moment, I am trying to go as often as possible. I went out on Saturday with two others, and I did enjoy it. But the anxiety of something going wrong is - at the moment - so bad. I can't wait until I can go out with confidence that we can handle whatever comes our way :/ :)
 
stormox said:
Poor horse if he only ever goes in a school. A sure way to make a horse sour and start problems,mental and physical. Cant you ride round the field? Or find someone to hack with? The more you do the more you will enjoy it. No fun for either of you going round in circles, even if you vary it with jumping and other fun stuff.
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Thank you Stormox! My plan is to hack often - but for the time being, I feel like I need to focus on the basics, in a more controlled environment :) I can definitely ride around the field! And I do go up and down the track that runs through the yard :)
 
Constant work on a surface, in circles, is a very bad idea for the horse. If you can't do it (and there's no reason why you should if it scares you), I would be inclined to pay someone to hack him for you, or to lead him from their own horse, if the hacking is safe enough for this to be realistic and sensible.
 
I hack more than I school, but we are lucky in that we have our own private small farm ride around the land, so I can hack out every day without needing to go on a road. I also box to other farm rides every two or so weeks. I go in the school maybe twice a week at most.

I do a lot of schooling on hacks though. The diva learnt to shoulder in and leg yield out hacking.
 
If you arent confident with even the basics - I assume you mean transitions, walk trot and cantering, stopping starting and small jumps I dont know that you would be ready to own your own horse. Could you not get lessons somewhere so you could ride lots of different horses to get your confidence? There are quite a lot of equestrian centres with enough land to ride around tracks, maybe small xc logs and poles, up and down hills etc. You wont really learn balance, improve your reactions or learn how to read your horse if you stay in a school. IMHO anyway.
 
stormox said:
If you arent confident with even the basics - I assume you mean transitions, walk trot and cantering, stopping starting and small jumps I dont know that you would be ready to own your own horse. Could you not get lessons somewhere so you could ride lots of different horses to get your confidence? There are quite a lot of equestrian centres with enough land to ride around tracks, maybe small xc logs and poles, up and down hills etc. You wont really learn balance, improve your reactions or learn how to read your horse if you stay in a school. IMHO anyway.
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Thanks for your thoughts, Stormox! I've owned him since the beginning of the year, and he's wonderful. I'm having lessons with him - I just feel like I need more time right now to practice what I'm learning before venturing out too far :) For the time being, anyway!
 
Another thing to think about is the time of the month you hack. I know for me personally i can't even think about hacking at certain times, cause im a bag of nerves and can't balance and generally a moody mare so my short temper will not work well on a road! I tend to not even ride some of those times cause i'm not doing me or my horse any good...we have a free lunge instead.
 
equi said:
Another thing to think about is the time of the month you hack. I know for me personally i can't even think about hacking at certain times, cause im a bag of nerves and can't balance and generally a moody mare so my short temper will not work well on a road! I tend to not even ride some of those times cause i'm not doing me or my horse any good...we have a free lunge instead.
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I hear you! I'm the same. I went out on Saturday and I was absolutely fine - but there have been other times where I'm just not up for it :/
 
Cerries said:
Thank you Ant!

At the moment, I am trying to go as often as possible. I went out on Saturday with two others, and I did enjoy it. But the anxiety of something going wrong is - at the moment - so bad. I can't wait until I can go out with confidence that we can handle whatever comes our way :/ :)
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I've suffered crippling anxiety in my time so I do know how you feel. I turned my anger .. and boy dont we get angry with ourselves, lol ... into a game that I 'had' to do it to prove myself wrong, that I would and I damn well could do stuff my anxiety was telling me I couldn't! I HATE the first 100 yards of my hack, its a naf bend on a country lane and they fly round it and when Im at the stables and poo picking ect all's I can hear is cars, vans, trucks, tractors ... I can hear THEM ALL going past and it was getting to my head badly and putting me off going out. I knew from my 'anxiety training' that I had to block the noise, ignore the sound and make myself go out on that damn road .. its about 100 yards, I do it, its done. Coming back I can trot it if I so wish .. I dont now but I still hate that bit of road but I LOVE hacking, my horses love hacking and I wil not let my anxiety get the better of me ever again.

I think we all get that sinking feeling when we hear a bike or a large truck coming up behind us or in the distance or seeing something up ahead and thinking 'damn, wheres the neckstrap, lol' but you know **** happens, hold on, kick on and dont look at it! It does get better and it will get easier but you have to fake it before you make it :)
 
We don't all have schools... :-(

I'd love to have the option of a school, but all my schooling is done out hacking or at the odd clinic. Luckily I love hacking and my horse is very good on the road, so it's not an issue, really.
 
Although I do tend to prefer the school, hacking is extremely important for several reasons. Personally, I always preferred hacking (especially alone) on roads as my mare tends to hit grass and thinks she's suddenly in the grand national - which can be quite interesting to watch, I've been told. That being said, strive to push yourself without putting yourself into a situation which makes your anxiety worse. If one day you feel you can go a few extra steps further, then that is better than nothing! One thing I always loved about hacking out was how you can enjoy yourself without thinking too much. You can listen to music, enjoy the scenery, go swimming if you have a beach nearby, or simply just get some fresh air. If you're concerned how your horse will react to certain sights, try taking them for a walk in-hand. Good luck!
 
Thank you so much Ant - that's so helpful, you have no idea!

I am proactive about tackling my anxiety head-on (and have been for over ten years), and owning my horse has taught me more about resilience, patience and determination than anything I've ever done before. (I will add that I'm not totally new to all this - I grew up owning horses, and we had a sec A for my daughter who we sold on last month). So you're absolutely right - it's so important to face the fear and do it anyway.

Like you, I can hear the tractors etc going up the lane, and I get caught in the 'what if'. Luckily, my horse is generally really chilled out - but each time I see something up ahead or behind, I feel myself tensing up. So frustrating!
 
Landcruiser said:
We don't all have schools... :-(

I'd love to have the option of a school, but all my schooling is done out hacking or at the odd clinic. Luckily I love hacking and my horse is very good on the road, so it's not an issue, really.
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I know...I'm so lucky! We have a covered floodlit school. I feel very blessed to have it as an option :)
 
I hate it personally... much prefer working in the school. However when the horses are in work I make sure they do get to go out at least once a week, and I'm not one to school on a hack - it's their chill out time. G's just coming back into work from injury so for her it's hacking for the foreseeable future!
 
Thank you so much for this Jennie! I'm always trying to push myself just that little bit further. I went out on Saturday despite being really anxious, and the world didn't end lol! I actually enjoyed myself :) It's just the constant thought of 'what if...' in the back of my mind. I think about my five year old daughter, and what would happen if it all went wrong, especially as I'm just starting out hacking. Silly, I know...but that's how I'm feeling. Great idea for walking in-hand! I actually took him for a little walk down the lane today, but next time I'll venture out onto the road :) x
 
miss_c said:
I hate it personally... much prefer working in the school. However when the horses are in work I make sure they do get to go out at least once a week, and I'm not one to school on a hack - it's their chill out time. G's just coming back into work from injury so for her it's hacking for the foreseeable future!
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Thank you so much Miss C! Is there a reason why you hate hacking so much? x
 
I think it is important for horses musculature etc too.
I would also suggest that if you are struggling and have not had your horse long and are nervous hacking that it might be an idea to get a confident person to hack him out for you occasionally anyway, just to keep him 100% as even the best can start to pick up on their riders feelings.

Also how would you feel about long reining/learning to long rein?

I get the angst, but hacking is definitely usually my zen time, I am missing it dreadfully being without horse currently.
 
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