Balance between hacking and schooling?

[Reashi]

Do you believe its important for horses to go for a hack regularly? I ask because I've always liked to do as much hacking as I do schooling, as I don't want to overload or bore my horse, and have always assumed they enjoy hacking. However, I know some horses don't get hacked, and I went to a dressage demo by a local dressage rider who I greatly admire and respect, and was surprised to hear that her and her husband no longer hack their horses, as 1) some of them were too excitable, and 2) it set back their training, as they had to teach the horse again what it had learnt a few days ago. There is a dressage horse at my yard who never ever gets taken for a hack. He is in the school day in and day out, and I think "poor horse" alot. But is it really that bad? Am I wrong for assuming my horse enjoys hacking? Or is it down to the individual horse? Or should every horse have a hack at least once a week? Just wondering what you think!

 

[Grey_Arab]

This is just my presonal opinion, but I think that all horses should get to hack soemtimes as if they don't then they may start to resent being tacked up and ridden if all they end up doing is going round and round a school. My boy is used in the RS 4 days a week and I hack him on 2days (one hack will be a canter hack) and then he has the other day off. This seems to suit him fine and he gets on in the school without becoming too stale.

 

[alicedove]

I was recommended not to hack my horse, when I had a dutch warmblood as a dressage horse. But I couldn't resist it and had to do it. I like it!

Yes, it un-taught him, because unless you ride the whole hack on the bit and in total control (which is nigh on impossible) they're going to slip up mentally.

No, I don't think its cruel unless you stop hacking/hunting/change the career of, a horse that has been used to doing those things, then, go into an arena only.

But it can't miss what it doesn't know.

I personally don't think that PROPER schooling, to utilise the horse's body properly and make him work properly, can be boring to the horse.

Turn out, there's a thing I would never deny a horse.

 

[Reashi]

But will they actually start to resent it? Or is it down to the horse? The horse at the yard that gets schooled every day seems happy enough - which does surprise me but there we go.

 

[JessMannion]

Henry horse hates hacking on his own - so its quite difficult to hack more than once a week. but i do think they enjoy hacking...

 

[Grey_Arab]

I do agree on the type of schooling that they get may engage their brains in a different ways. But as I say IMO with the RS horses/ponies they do need a break from all the continual going round and round the school nose to tail all day!

 

[Irishcobs]

I think its down to the horse. Personally I think all horses should hack as it teaches them important lessons as much as schooling does. At college the horses were rarely hacked as they had so many lessons to do but when we got a new YM we students were allowed to hack them in our spare time so most got out once a week. I think they really enjoyed the break and certainly strided (is that a word?) out when they knew we weren't going in the school. They specially loved going up on the common for a good canter.

 

[alicedove]

Yes I do agree that they enjoy it, especially the canter on the hills!

But I reckon, if they have never, ever done it they wouldn't have a clue what they were missing out on!

Sad though, I would want to hack them.

 

[Nosey]

What did people do before schools?! They would school on a hack! Yes its different but you can still do leg yielding. shoulder in, travers ,get them responsive to the leg, changes of pace within the pace, transitions...its endless.

When you compete (well unless its just pure dressage) you don't always get a perfectly level arena on which to warm up or even compete in..you often get a bit of field with plenty of undulations in the ground and lots of other distractions so you need to have been outsdide the confines of the school from time to time to prepare for all this!

I personally think they need to go out a couple of times a week just to see life and always find my nag enjoys it .. really steps out etc etc...but then I am no dressage diva!

 

[Mungali]

Depends very much on the owners and what they have their horse for. But they do say variety is the spice of life, so I don't think it would hurt to hack as well as school. Suppose it also depends on how safe the roads are where you live. My boy gets a balance of schooling and hacking, but then again I am too useless to compete, if i did, I still think I would take them out for a relaxing hack !

 

[pottamus]

Yes all horses should go out and about...it is brilliant education as they see new things and learn to tackle them...I believe it makes for a better rider too as they have to learn to deal with the horses reaction to things! I always hack my horse and do schooling whilst out hacking too...okay he would do a lousey dressage test but he is happy, pretty bomb proof and great fun to ride out and about!
The best thing I ever did for my boy was to take him on pleasure rides as he saw so much and really matured because of it.

 

[Sali]

I always just used to school and would very rarely hack out, I'm making more of an effort to hack out now. But I'll still school whilst out and about.
I also hack to competitions just so my maries get to hack out that little bit more

 

[Bossanova]

I think they should go out and do something different at least once a week, preferably twice. With Moon I rarely hack but we do go up to the gallops

 

[scrat]

When I was younger we hardly ever schooled horses other than part of the breaking process. Once the horse was going forward it hacked out! Things seem to be back to front these days, by that I mean that the emphasis is on schooling and less on hacking out I suppose a number of factors contribute to this. It would depend on what purpose you have your horse for. I don't think dressage exsisted for the average rider years ago. Safety is a factor and many cannot hack out because of busy roads. Many owners work hours mean they can only ride in a floodlit school for six months of the year. My daughter shows her cob but only schools him once a week mainly because she has to hire a school but also because he would become stale if he could not hack out. He can still be schooled while out hacking and he learns to cope with different ground conditions too. Mant showgrounds (fields) are pretty poor .

 

[TGM]

People sometimes think that it is not important for competition animals to hack, but if the horse is injured or needs an easier life for some reason, then the ones that have hacked regularly are much more likely to find a new role.

 

[aimeerose]

One of the reasons my msare is out on loan is that she simply doesnt enjoy schooling day in day out. (I do!)

She gets stale and sour and horrid to ride - yet when we were competeing I could giver her a week off, wash her, plait her and go straight out and win a novice test, with no prep work.

It totally depends on the horse - my friends connie will happily school 5 days a week, hack on the 6th and keep peforming and getting better. Try to do that with mine and in 2 weeks shes as stale and fed up and arguing over the silliest little things.

 

[ihatework]

I think it does depend a bit on the horses. Mine needs to out out for a hack including a decent canter at least once a week otherwise he would start to play up in the school.

 

[Parkranger]

Personal opinion but I think that any horse should have a well rounded exercise program - I turned down a sharer for Ty casue she could only school him in the week - that's all I can do so I want someone who can hack him out!

I try to alternate - school, hack, school, jump, hack etc and if I'm pushed for time I'll chuck a lunge day in there!

 

[elles]

I like to do something different everyday if poss. 2 x flat, 2 x hack, 1 x pessoa, 1 x jump and a day off. Obviously it changes if we are going out.

 

[Nickijem]

My problem is fitting in the schooling! I much prefer to go for a hack than stay in the field and school - especially on nice days. I try to do some schooling on hacks - eg transistions, leg yielding, collection and extension.

 

[Coffee_Bean]

Any horse I have, I've got to be able to hack out. It is what I really enjoy and I can unwind on my horse as she is so good (well we don't have a school do don't really have any other options tbh!)

 

[rara007]

We don't hack on road, but we go round our 30 acres, its not safe enough for me to hack out alone and I don't have any one to go with.

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

personally, and it is a personal opinion, i hate to think i bore my boy and i hack all weekend as much as possible, in the summer twice a week and twice a week in the school. in the winter though ill do the same at the weekend, try and do a early morning hack once or twice a week and some schooling, one or twice a week to include or add on a lunge session and jumping session. today he got a bit cocky on the way home galloping and calling for his friends so to teach him a lesson not to take his route for granted he took him for another hour!! he wont do that again, i hope hehe.

 

[PeterNatt]

I believe that hacking out is good for a horses physical and mental well being.

 

[MagicMelon]

I never hack! Don't get me wrong I think it's good to hack - excellent for fitness and great for the horse to see new things etc. however after a few incidents out hacking, its just too dangerous to do it anymore. Ive lost my confidence hacking, used to love it but now I hate it. I do try to take out my 7yo on a very nice calm day very occassionally just for his education. But I dont enjoy it and Im sure he senses that!

Ive not missed it TBH. I just school or lunge instead. Mine live out 24/7 which seems to keep them pretty fit and happy. I have 2 who compete every weekend, one doing BE Novice and foxhunter BSJA so certainly hasnt effected him! It is difficult to keep him fit enough for the eventing side of it, but as I said, at least him living out keeps him quite fit on his own.

 

[WishfulThinker]

I think its good for them mentally - like a wee break. But for some it can be a bit much, although if they have never been hacked out it may just be that they aren't habituated enough and so it could be risky.

Mine hadnt been hacked for a few weeks once and I took him out and thought I might die as he got sooo excited, but some times he gets scared and wants to just go home and potter round the school. But I don't always just pootle along on hacks, we do some schooling - like on Sat I took him for a gallop, but we worked on canter for a bit once and balance as when he doesn't have a school wall he seems to be perfectly fine balancing!

 

[muddy_grey]

I think if you can hack out then it's a nice break for both of you. When I did my exams I didn't school for a month. It was nice to just relax with him for a while. When I was Competing my old horse his week was 1x jump 1x show 2x hack 3x school. One hack was always a light hack and this was classed as his day off. Otherwise he went crazy if he had a real day off.