Backing youngster - when do you hack ?

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cellie

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I have just been given go ahead to reback my 5 yr old.Hes been off work with ligament tear and inflammation in coffin joint fortunately I have great vet and with op and treatment hes sound :D.Op was 10 weeks ago although hes been untouched for 6 mths.Im going to start him as if hes been untouched but obviously no lunging,circles etc , he needs to be walked for 2 months.If I manage to get him under saddle walking 8 weeks before we do any trot work is best way to strengthen his ligament.Hacking is also good option.
Ill probably walk him in hand for while especially on roads with companion .The reason Im posting is to ask if anyone else has hacked out with youngster in walk without introducing trot canter in school.Im happy to do few steps in trot in school once we have made progress but don't want to do heavy schooling or put pressure on his ligament.Obviously want him safe and responsive but want to give him plenty of time to build up ligament.
I really want to know thoughts on hacking out with what will be fairly green horse.
I suppose the main question is do we need to be trotting or schooling before we manage safe hacking ?.I havent made any decisions and will go with vet advice and my trusted instructor but wondered if anyone else experienced same problems.:rolleyes:Our roads are busy unfortunately so safety first but hes seems good in traffic walking with me at his side.
 
We had a very 'hot' dressage youngster in to back - SERIOUS 'flight' issues - and working him in the school (once we were ON him) was downright dangerous. Any little thing spooked him and he WENT! So we started longreining him in the local forestry, then added riding - all in walk - to introduce him to terrifying things without letting him get up speed. For the first couple of weeks it was all done with a 'foot soldier' who had him on a long line just in case!

So yes - walk him out in hand, then walk him out ridden with a foot soldier, then walk him out with a sensible companion. You can do a LOT of 'educating' in walk - far too many people want to rush on to trot and canter too soon!
 
It totally depends on the horse. My 4yr old was off for a long time before I bought her. I sat on her 3 times in the field and then went hacking and the 5th time went hacking on my own.
 
Agree that it totally depends on the horse. I helped train one who was never in a school, learned everything he knows from hacking. From very first time sat on till working well :)

My current boy however, is a bit of a big woose - so we are taking it really steady. Building up a good solid schooling foundation and have just started walking him to the end of the road and back. He seems to really enjoy it, just goes from working beauitfully in the school... to a giraffe on a hack! :p

I also walked him out in hand for a while. His eyes popped out his head just as much :p

Take your time, and jusde what is safe and in the horses best interest :)
 
Thanks janet, he had flight issues too which was very out of character this is why I had vet investigate ,poor lad was in pain lame on 3 legs so hoping his issues can be resolved.Fortunatley he will follow me anywhere and trusts me 100%.
Instructor thinks previous owners have given him some issues with long reining which we had just resolved when he went badly lame. Sounds like Ill be doing lots of mileage :D
Reading your earlier posts think hes just your type idx out of clover hill (clover clare- dam):D
 
I always hack mine from the word go. They are led out in hand every now and then from a year onwards, so they've seen cows, flappy plastic, cars etc. Then when they're ready I back them in the yard and make sure they don't explode when you walk them forwards. As soon as that's sorted I start leading them out in full tack and when you're on a nice quiet stretch, jump on. To start with I probably ride less than 10% of a short hack, and just build it up from there. I always do the first trots and canters out with another quiet horse, you just want to let them trundle into it. Don't forget the corners in a school come up awfully fast when trotting a baby with no balance and not much steering!
 
Polotash said:
I always hack mine from the word go. They are led out in hand every now and then from a year onwards, so they've seen cows, flappy plastic, cars etc. Then when they're ready I back them in the yard and make sure they don't explode when you walk them forwards. As soon as that's sorted I start leading them out in full tack and when you're on a nice quiet stretch, jump on. To start with I probably ride less than 10% of a short hack, and just build it up from there. I always do the first trots and canters out with another quiet horse, you just want to let them trundle into it. Don't forget the corners in a school come up awfully fast when trotting a baby with no balance and not much steering!
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^^ This exactly :)
 
Have you not got a horse that you could lead him from? This is how I condition my youngsters, get them used to traffic etc, they get fitter without a rider interfering.
 
I'm another that cracks on with hacking ASAP. It's get them really thinking forwards in an easy way. I also ride and lead before I get on and take them out. Always have a good steady lead horse or can nanny as required!
 
My 5 yr old is going away to get started in a couple of weeks. He'll stay until he can stop, start and steer in all paces then he'll come home and be hacked all the time. I don't have a school hence sending him away.
 
I sat on mine first 3 times, bit of walk in school, then hacked her walk and little bit of trot before turning away. Will do same most likely when I reback.

I'm not experienced as most are on here, but I don't 'get' the rush to walk/trot/canter in a confined space so early.

A nice calm walk out must surely be more beneficial, although I'm lucky to have completely off road hacking and have hand walked my mare since very young.
 
My latest one I rode straight out hacking, she didn't work in the school until she had done 6 weeks just hacking and I've been really impressed by how well is worked as by then she was forwards, responsive, had great steering and was well balanced
 
Trouble is mine bolted, I knew he wasn't nasty turned out he was in pain.So have to be 100% sure hes going to be safe before I hack.He was professionally backed but had issues and bronced rider off hence investigations with vet. Walked him inhand today and he was lovely didn't bat eyelid at cyclists or car.Hes great if im by his side but worries if I disappear. Will probably get instructor on him and Ill walk beside him doesn't matter how long it takes :)
 
Before mine was even backed, I took him on walks and ponied him from my older mare, with and without tack. I rode him out on little walky rides as soon as I was happy enough with the brakes and steering in the school. He learned to canter on the trail behind my mare. The first time he did it, I rode my mare and my friend, who did trick riding, had the youngster as I figured anyone who intentionally hangs off the back, front, or side of a horse in full gallop is a lot braver than me.
 
hacking and long reining on the roads is a great way to start them instead of the school when they are being backed.

ive seen it done successfully many times this way and it helps make the horse bolder.
 
I reward my boy after being in the school ( I know you do no have one) but do you have a nice flat area you could do a little bit of walk/halt in a straight line?

Because I take him out after his work, he will ask to go out for a walk before his work. I only walk him in hand, have just taught him long reining and steering, so will attempt to long rein him out if it dries up!

My last baby broke his stifle and he had surgery but we were not so lucky and he was pts. Congratulations it's lovely to hear some good news. All the best.
 
As soon as my mare would walk forward we went hacking, I did get some one on the ground to lead us the first couple of time to to be safe. Once she and I felt comfortable I got my friend to unclip me but stay with us. Then we moved to my friend walking away from us or falling behind so we were on our own but just incase it went pear shaped she was still there.
 
Ive always hacked out any youngsters ive broken as soon as we had stoppage and steering. They were all longlined and pony'd out before sitting on so knew what the outside world was and cars etc so i never found it a problem :)
 
I didn't have any facilities (no school, not allowed to ride in the field). I've broken 3 horses using hacking only, one a very sharp spooky horse.

They did LOADS of inhand walking and long reining before hand so once they were used to someone sitting on them (done whilst tied up whilst outside the field) I would hop on and off whilst going along quiet routes they were well used to. We hacked out with a friend initially (not because the horse needed it but in case something went wrong) then introduced trot then canter following a sensible horse.

They were trot cantering and jumping little logs hacking before any went into a school.
 
I don't have a school, have broken the last 2 without even a flat bit of land to do much lunging on (often muddy) key for the 1st, really nappy, backwards horse was ride and lead off a very steady older horse. 2nd one, very uncomplicated, we did lots of ground work, really established stop and go and then pretty much hacked immediately. He was also ridden on a lead from another till he was clear about stop & go commands.
In your position I would say a quite older companion is going to make life a lot easier, to lead off to start with and then as a hacking buddy.
I walk them for miles to condition them anyway, so would probably have a fittening regime similar to what you'd do to rehab from an injury as a matter of course.
 
Quick update,been to vets had all clear scans look great and vet said he would pass him on vetting.I am 2 weeks into 8 week walking ,this week hes been on roads and happily walked past lorries motorbikes cyclists vintage car and pony and trap :eek:.Tonight after lots of inhand work I laid on his back :eek:,previously he looked scared which was probably all pain related as he didn't bat eyelid this eve.Hes so much happier after surgery so looking positive.
Walking with companion is working fine ,cant do it on roads from another horse roads are far too busy apart from weekends.Ill be happier walking beside him with instructor or competent rider to reassure.
I have good school now and hes walking on lunge and listening to commands.Definitely no trot til another 6 weeks.:D
 
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