Can you get a horse fit without hacking out?

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yaddowshad

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Hi, I want to get my horse fit for the summer but I am not confident hacking him out yet (re: too scared to ride my horse threads). I am able to now ride him in the school but all fittening programmes that ive read require hacking out. I know some competition horses dont hack out either for lack of time or they go nuts so Im sure it must be possible to devise a plan for a few weeks until I am confident to hack out, any ideas please and any experiences people have had with this is much appreciated. I will also update my other threads soon.
 
Of course you can, lots of lunge work, trot and canter work.

So long as you do different things in your schooling, and have "fun" sessions where you do the things he enjoys, he wont think its boring!
 
i'd say you can but it wouldnt be as fun as your limited to what you can do in a school, no hill work and no gallops
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im sure you'll get confident hacking out soon
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sure you can, but, would you really want him very fit for summer if your looking to tackle confidence and hacking issues???? just a thought.

whilst i wouldnt want a horse that had been ridden very little, i also wouldnt want a horse that was rippiling with fitness after lots of lunging and canter work if i was looking to build my confidence and start hacking out.x
 
I use trotting poles and small jumps to vary school work but I do think horses need to hack out for relaxation. I'm not the bravest rider in the world (understatement!) but find either riding out with a sensible horse/rider or with someone walking/cycling with me can be a real help. Sorry if this has already been suggested and isn't possible or practical.
 
You could, but it would be very boring for the horse! Can no one else hack him out/ride with someone else until you are more confident? My last loan horse the owner didn't hack her out much, and as such she eventually became nasty in the school, they need it for relaxation sometimes.

I am a firm believer in hacking for fitness, especially as at my current yard I don't have a school! But if you are planning jumping/cross country etc then hacking is excellent with the hills etc and riding on a flat surface all the time won't do them any favours on an undulating cross country course. But don't know what you are planning, hope you get your confidence soon!
 
QR

God it doesn't matter, does it? We're talking 2 weeks, and fit to get out and about a bit. OP after 2 weeks you'll prob easily be confident enough to hack out!

Ooh and just remembered, I am near you and my lad is the best hacking nanny in the world, I have frequently had a queue of people with babies I couldn't actually fit in!!!
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xx
 
Forgot to mention he doesnt enjoy hacking out, either with or without me riding him, he never has. He gets nappy and anxious and just wants to go home, a grade A showjumper has contacted me and says there is no need to hack out if the horse doesnt like it. Most of his horses are schooled in the school and taken to shows but no hacking out as it winds them up. This chap is very well known and extremely successful so i suppose its horses for courses.
 
Ah ok, another story if he doesn't enjoy hacking. I have known a few horses that only school and compete, no hacking. Sorry...haven't read other posts so didn't know your situation! Hope you get your confidence soon
 
Yes, but it would get quite boring for him. Maybe ask someone else to hack him out? If not, try walking him around in hand around the woods and fields (also does wonders to get you fit!
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) but when schooling try and mix it up with lungeing and pole work, both of which are great for fittening up and are funner for the horsey! xx
 
What do you want to get him fit for and how fit do you need him to be? I personally think horses should be hacked out (just because a Grade A SJer says his horses don't hack out doesn't neccessarily make it right or ideal - even the racehorses at the yard I'm on are hacked twice a week). I think it really depends on what you are trying to get fit for. If you're nervous out hacking then I'm also not sure that getting your horse superfit is really the best idea, as once you do go out hacking then he might be quite a handful.

You say he doesn't like hacking - has anyone else tried taking him out? I'd think your best bet is to try and get him out in company. It's not ideal for them to go in the arena all of the time and do nothing else.
 
Its ok if you only ever want to ride him on a surface.

However if you want to jump or gallop on grass or other 'firm' going, if you have only ridden on a soft surface before you are likely to get lots of injurys as the muscles\joints\tendons have not been conditioned to work on hard\firm surface.

If you can't hack out and you want to do these things then you also need to find somewhere else to work the horse regularly (even if its only in walk\slow trot) that will have firmer going.
 
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