Ashtead & Epsom Common hacking advice

Im stabled in Ashtead and can hack to Epsom in about half an hour. Hacking is good over Epsom, lots of tracks but you will run into race horses at some point or another if you hack in the morning plus you cant go on the sand tracks until after 12. There are still lots of other places to go, i certainly havent found them all but mine is a bit of a plank over there.
Hacking in Ashtead is ok, not the same as Epsom but good for shorter rides and getting to other places like Headley.
 
Ah brill, thanks so much for replying.

Is Ashtead common good ie are the tracks boggy or well maintained?
Are you able to do short and long rides? Have you ridden in Horton country park?

I used to be in Headley so rode Headley heath quite a bit..Now in Esher so do Arbrook, Esher alot..

Someone on here a while back said Ashtead and Epsom werent very good hacking and were boring so it concerned me..What would you say?
 
There is a difference between Ashtead & Epsom Commons and Ashtead and Epsom. There's a large urban/residential strip and 2 main roads between them - I've never hacked from one to the other.

When I was in Chessington I used to hack over to Arbrook/Esher mostly, I did Ashtead & Epsom Common & Horton Country Park just once on a day ride, we accessed it through Prince's Coverts, for which you have to pay £180 a year. That means crossing one main road for lots of off road hacking.

I've walked over Ashtead Common once - this February. The main track from near Glanmire over to Ashtead station was unbelievably muddy and boggy - I was literally wading through ankle deep mud (whilst wearing jeans and trainers!) but I don't know about any of other other tracks.

Hacking over Ashtead and Epsom is the best I have ever experienced. Epsom Downs is lovely to ride over at pretty much all times of the year and if you avoid riding before midday you can access more tracks and are unlikely to meet any racehorses.
 
Im on the other side to Ashtead common so cant comment on the hacking i just know the tracks round the yard. Any hacking can get boring but so far i can be out for as long or as short as i want, i guess as im not right on Epsom i dont find it boring as i only go once a week or so. I have heard Horton isnt that great and really limited.
 
Epsom common has a summer ride and winter ride, but people don't tend to take notice of the signs so the summer ride is pretty boggy because everyone churns it up! (i live on Epsom common), but I love it there and you don't tend to come across that many people, the summer ride does have a couple of good places to canter as long as the ground is okay! You can also go in the meadow which isnt too boggy but not sure when the cows are going in there, normally around this time ,same for ashtead too. You can get to horton through Epsom common so easy to explore, also you can get to chessington/malden rushett. Epsom downs is brill as long as you dont go before midday! Headley is never boggy as not on clay, but don't know much else!
 
Ashstead and Epsom Common are pretty much the same place, they just run into one another. I used to share a horse at Horton and hack in the country park and across to the common. I love hacking around the common but it's better for walk and trot than cantering and there isn't really anywhere where you can really let loose (unless I've not found it!) as it's wooded so you have to be careful at what is around the corner. The winter tracks are mostly hard tracks so are great all year around but as others have said the summer ones can get poached up, especially if we're having a wet one!

I now have a horse next to the racecourse so I mostly hack straight out onto the downs. It's fantastic and we're very spoilt. There's plenty of open spaces for gallops and also hard tracks for when the weather is rubbish. I hack in the morning a couple of times a week and as long as you stay where you're supposed to, are aware that the racehorses have priority and your horse isn't a total nut job then you'll be fine. Ours are used to it now so don't blink when a horse goes up the gallops the other way.

From the Downs you can also hack to the Pony Club field and Gasstons for shows and schooling, plus get to Walton and Headley if you want to go further afield.

You can hack from the common to the downs and vis versa. There's a cut through the woods but does mean a trot up a busyish road past the hospital and crossing one road.

It all depends on what you're after. I love being able to go for a blast so I prefer being on the downs and able to hack over to the common for the occasional change.
 
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