Can you over hack your horse?

[Bs_mum]

So I’ve spent that majority of the summer hacking my recently broken horse. We’ve done a variety of fast, slow, schooling, short, long hacks. We’ve gone from home, I’ve chucked him in the lorry and taken him places, different woods, beach etc but it’s all been hacking. I’ve done it this way to make the most of the weather & light, feeling that I can school over the winter when the weather is terrible and it’s not so light (fitting riding around hunting/school runs/children's clubs etc)
I was asked by someone the other day how he was getting on & they where absolutely horrified that I’ve done no “proper” schooling with him, saying that anything they break spends 6-8 weeks in the school before stepping foot outside, & that I’ve over-hacked him and I’ll struggle to school him. Now, I know everyone is different, bearing in mind he’s going to be a hunting horse, hacking would surely be the way forward over schooling for the moment? Spending 6-8 weeks schooling every day seems excessive to me, and also extremely boring for both horse and rider!
So out of interest, if you’re breaking a horse, or riding a recently broken horse, what do you think your riding plan would be?

 

[Shay]

Brought not not backed - but also intended to be a hunter. My personal view - hacking is better prep for hunting (and indeed probably most things for a youngster) than schooling in an arena. Perhaps if the intention is to get a young horse to a high level of competition you would need to focus on schooling. But outside of that I would have thought a broad general education would be preferable. And you can school on hacks!

 

[Brownmare]

More horses are ruined in the school than out on hacks. I think it is essential for any horse to do more straight lines than circles in their first ridden year for the sake of their long term soundness. Ignore this person but, out of interest, check back in with her in 10 years and see if her horse is still sound....

 

[Fanatical]

Hacking is always better than schooling - on many levels. With all of the youngsters I have dealt with, including newly backed horses, they hack as much as possible and go in the school as little as possible! It is much better for them to strengthen up and learn to go forwards out and about than going round in circles in a school.

 

[ihatework]

My plan would completely depend on the horse in question, but, provided they were safe enough would include a high % of hacking. Personally for me it wouldn’t be 100% but not because I think that ‘harms’ them.

In the context of producing a hunter then yes hacking (which does include schooling IMV) would take priority over arena schooling.

I’d tell your friend/acquaintance to toddle off and leave you alone.

 

[Sasana Skye]

Oh dear, my horse was backed in May 2018 and only been hacking since! I only put her in the arena to initially back and then since then it was around the fields at home, around the tracks on the farm and then out on the roads. I've only just started introducing school work and IMO she's better for it because the hacking made her fitter, stronger and more forwards.

 

[Cortez]

Can you "over-hack" a horse? I don't think so. If I was training a horse for something highly technical and specialised (dressage, showjumping, etc.) then it would have to have the schooling to cope with its job, but hacking, or at the very least riding outside of an arena, is essential to produce a sane, confidant, useful horse that can be ridden in any circumstance.

I don't hack on the roads at all these days, (we ride in the fields or the forest, as well as the arena) but if my horse's job was hunting, or involved being on the roads, then that is where at least part of his work would need to be. A hunter still requires to be supple and capable of using himself properly, and that requires a gymnastic education and training from the rider - but you don't have to be in an arena to achieve that.

 

[Jaffa]

Oh this gave me a laugh, she's talking bollocks.

How many horses in other countries never set foot in a 20x40 school?

My old boy, I had nearly all his life spent maybe 4 hours in total his whole life in a school, he was a hacking and hunting horse. He was exposed to things at a young age from being out, he walked the first year of his ridden life up and down hills but on the moors of Devon.

Went on to being driven and was as sound as a pound, the most bombproof horse you could ever wish for. Any schooling he did was out on hacks, yes we did some circles out ridden sometimes but not many and he could still do a decent dressage test.

Crack on and keep enjoying him, it sounds like you've given him the best start going out and about in straight lines seeing the world, especially if he to be a hunter. Plenty of logs to be found to be jumped over when he's fitter too when out hacking.

I can see the benefits of a school of course for a horse who's owner has a keen interest in dressage or jumping but they are no means a necessary for the average horse.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

So I’ve spent that majority of the summer hacking my recently broken horse. We’ve done a variety of fast, slow, schooling, short, long hacks. We’ve gone from home, I’ve chucked him in the lorry and taken him places, different woods, beach etc but it’s all been hacking. I’ve done it this way to make the most of the weather & light, feeling that I can school over the winter when the weather is terrible and it’s not so light (fitting riding around hunting/school runs/children's clubs etc)
I was asked by someone the other day how he was getting on & they where absolutely horrified that I’ve done no “proper” schooling with him, saying that anything they break spends 6-8 weeks in the school before stepping foot outside, & that I’ve over-hacked him and I’ll struggle to school him. Now, I know everyone is different, bearing in mind he’s going to be a hunting horse, hacking would surely be the way forward over schooling for the moment? Spending 6-8 weeks schooling every day seems excessive to me, and also extremely boring for both horse and rider!
So out of interest, if you’re breaking a horse, or riding a recently broken horse, what do you think your riding plan would be?

they're talking bollox, very few people had arenas back in the day. Put it this way, if I were to buy something that had been under saddle for one summer I would want to buy the one that had been hacked all summer than the one that had probably been schooled poorly on a surface instead. All of my schooling, such as it is, is done on hacks and when I do get to an arena I spend 20mins in it before I realise that we are doing alright and should go and do something more fun instead and pretty sure my pony agrees!

 

[MuddyMonster]

Does your 'friend' know it's perfectly possible to school out hacking?

When I think of the hills, different terrain & other obstacles negioated out hacking - responsiveness and balance of the horse is key to a safe and pleasant ride.

 

[meleeka]

Does your 'friend' know it's perfectly possible to school out hacking?

When I think of the hills, different terrain & other obstacles negioated out hacking - responsiveness and balance of the horse is key to a safe and pleasant ride.

That was my first thought. Schooling doesn’t have to be done in an arena and I’m sure most people school whilst hacking anyway, especially with a youngster. Learning to be responsive is not about learning to go round in circles.

 

[Merrymoles]

I'm of the opinion that hacking is the best possible education for a young horse - they learn to cope with different terrain, new things, all kinds of new experiences with little pressure on possibly still-growing joints and ligaments etc.

 

[scruffyponies]

More horses are ruined in the school than out on hacks. I think it is essential for any horse to do more straight lines than circles in their first ridden year for the sake of their long term soundness. Ignore this person but, out of interest, check back in with her in 10 years and see if her horse is still sound....

^^ this 100%

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I've never heard such rubbish!

It seems to me that your friend is probably one of those hackers who simply sits slouched in a chair seat on the horse, taking no notice of what is happening around them, holding up traffic and generally causing a nuisance to other road users, whilst allowing the horse to slob along doing exactly as it pleases.

Those are the only circumstances in which I can imagine riding in an arena being better for a youngster.

 

[maya2008]

I do one day a week in the school for the first year - and that’s only 10-15min. Then twice a week after that. Larger schools with firm surfaces for the second year. They seem to do fine, and mine do SJ and dressage so you would think they would need to go in the school.

Horses that don’t hack enough in their first year don’t learn to balance themselves - they need to encounter different terrain and strengthen properly before they do anything else.

 

[Jumoro]

Different scenario but same principle I think...I was told by vet & physio to limit time in school for my boy when back under saddle post KS surgery. We have focused on hacking, mixing up the work/terrain and and schooling whilst out and about - taking him in the school no more than once a week. So far horse is doing really well (even better than expected) - thriving on the variety physically & mentally. We are lucky though - it's very hilly where we are!

 

[Kat]

What is she on?!

If more people gave their young horses more hacking and less schooling then we would have a lot more sound and sensible horses.

She is not doing her horse any favours in terms of long term soundness or sanity. Lots of steady straight line work is good for gradually strengthening the horse but excessive circles on a surface is hard on the legs. I have come across school sour horses but never a hacking sour horse!

Crack on you are giving your horse a great start.

When mine was young we spent a few weeks doing 3 days a week in the school to ensure the basics were installed then spent about 6 months hacking most days and hardly going in the school. We went back to schooling over the winter all the better for the education and fitness gained out hacking. She's 12 now and still loves to hack and is a pretty perfect hacking horse, she also loves hunting, dressage, jumping and is happy and enthusiastic in all her work. Hacking loads didn't spoil her, quite the opposite.

 

[Bs_mum]

I’ve always done it this way, and how my dad done it before me and my Nan so really, it’s all I know.
What is interesting is that anything she brings hunting that she has “produced” is spooky and lacks confidence, not something you’d particularly want to ride while hunting!

 

[Goldenstar]

I don’t think you can over hack a horse but you need to keep it in mind that hunters need formal flat training to improve strength and balance and learn to jump in the way you need them to hunt ( in our case that’s to jump upright fences out of difficult ground conditions often with little space in front of the jump .
I think you need to both to produce a top class hunter .

 

[HeyMich]

I'm of the opinion that hacking is the best possible education for a young horse - they learn to cope with different terrain, new things, all kinds of new experiences with little pressure on possibly still-growing joints and ligaments etc.

I think my horse was seriously 'under-hacked' as a youngster. She still needs so much confidence from me going anywhere new, and will only hack alone if she knows the route well. I wish someone had hacked her more!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

My boy won’t have the life schooled out of him once he’s broken. He will probably spend his first year under saddle seeing new places on a straight line with the odd show.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

Best way to be, hack them after backing! Teaches them so much more than a arena.
Thats how I backed both of mine and they're super. Made them much more forward when introducing flat work.

 

[tiahatti]

I've never heard the expression "Over Hacked" before. Not everyone has a school they can use so all those horses must be over hacked too.

 

[HollyWoozle]

I've met a lot of fabulous riding horses who have never once been in a school. Depending on their intended job, I don't think it's key at all.

 

[tristar]

riding young horses on straight lines for a longish period is what is all the great horse trainers suggest, horses of any age can be schooled as long they are not ruined, schooling 4 yr olds is counter productive in my experience,

i have schooled horses in their teens with good results, mainly because a mature physique is more balanced and able to cope with the demands.

hacking helps to make the horse straight, to school you need a straight horse, you are doing a great job by the sounds of it

 

[AUB]

I think lots of hacking out is great for a young horse, both when thinking of longterm soundness and bombproofing them, but also for making them think forward and stay motivated.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

I've got a 6yo (profile pic) who came to me at 4yo just-backed-and-riding on.

She has NEVER in her little life, repeat never, seen the inside of a school! And never will, not while I've got her, and I intend to keep her till the end. I know some would shake their heads and say whaaatttt! A six-year-old who's never seen a school!!! She was very well backed at my trainer's yard (who is also an old schoolfriend) and she doesn't have a school either, she is an endurance rider who does a lot of confidence mentoring and remedial work, who does all of her "schooling" out and about, although she, like me, does have a little area which she uses as a groundwork and "sorting out" area, but not a school as such.

My little girly, as a 4yo even, was perfectly happy to hack right through a working quarry near us, also walked through a load of noisy roadworks just down the road and was "nanny" to the Big Grown Up Horses who were terrified of the whole shaboodle!

Recently we met a idiot on a trials bike who was going way too fast towards us in a narrow lane, saw us from about 10ft away, jammed on his brakes, and skidded towards us with smoke coming off the back wheel and screeching sound to boot. She didn't move, just stood there.

We have done a fair bit of groundwork with her, at home, we have a big concrete yard which is the size of a small arena, and that's our training ground where we've done a bit of TREC type obstacle stuff, but that's not an "arena" as such.

If I need to do stuff like riding her into a contact, or leg-yield, serpentines, stuff like that, we do it out on a hack. We have a local bridle path where there are a total of four gates along it, so plenty of opportunity to practice gate-opening and all the ground-skills required for that.

I know of a well known female Devon-based event rider who hacks out all her young horses to get them used to the sights and sounds.

 

[JoannaC]

Hacking is great for youngsters, I hacked my mare out after she'd been broken for a good year as she was quite immature mentally. I did find when I took her back to the school that she was less than impressed and did think maybe I should have done a bit of schooling with her as well as hacking but hey ho, we both enjoyed ourselves

 

[irishdraft]

I have backed 4 or 5 young irish draughts once they have learned stop start and turn at home either in arena or fields they then go hacking . It's the most important thing imo. I had a weanling who I backed @ 4 and then lightly hacked until the age of 6 . He was by then 18.hh too big for me a true HW never had a lame day in his life. I sold him to a lovely but novice couple who decided their aim was to show him as a HW hunter 18 months later he was lame 3 years later pts . Various lameness problems but that poor horse spent every waking hour going round in circles as a immature ID.

 

[The Trooper]

I have backed 4 or 5 young irish draughts once they have learned stop start and turn at home either in arena or fields they then go hacking . It's the most important thing imo. I had a weanling who I backed @ 4 and then lightly hacked until the age of 6 . He was by then 18.hh too big for me a true HW never had a lame day in his life. I sold him to a lovely but novice couple who decided their aim was to show him as a HW hunter 18 months later he was lame 3 years later pts . Various lameness problems but that poor horse spent every waking hour going round in circles as a immature ID.

This!

Young horses being made to walk/trot/canter circles has alot to answer for, I read an article a while ago that was exploring the possibility of arthritis being hereditary and almost pandemic in ID's and circles were given the blame.

Like many people who have replied to this thread I bought Bonnie as a 6 y/o broodmare, I had her properly hacking within the first week or two of backing. All other work was ground work, long reigning etc. NO SCHOOL WORK.

Now around 18 months after backing I am intending to take her to some lessons but that is as much for my benefit as hers. I would like to ride better and learn to jump small hunt fences and the likes.

We have a Clyde to back this winter/next spring and she will be done the same.

I basically broke Bonnie on my own, I had never done it before.