Does anyone not hack out?

[benson21]

i have a young girl that rides donovan a fair bit now, but only in the school. She would love to take him out on a hack n the roads, but I have said no. But now I am feeling that maybe donovan is missing out on an experience, I know when I went hacking with the group from the yard Benson and I had a whale of a time, and I have this feeling that I am making Donovan miss out on something that I am pretty sure he could enjoy. Anyone else just not hack out?

 

[Hanzybaby01]

Couldnt imagine not hacking out, both me and the horse love it - but then i am strickly a happy hacker and working in a small school would bore me.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

A part from the enjoyment it gives it is also an important method of getting & keeping your horse fit.

 

[AmyMay]

Seems rather unfair to restrict the pony to a life of circles in the school........

 

[Wizzkid]

I hate being trapped in the school! Becomes so dull for both of us.

 

[Batgirl]

There is a lady on my yard that doesn't hack out. Seems to suit both her and the horse, it depends on the horses attitude to hacking out, the safety of hacking out (i.e main roads only etc). And he is your horse, why don't you want her to hack out? If it is for good reasons then don't worry about it. Even if it is for bad reasons it is your horse so only let him do what you are happy with

 

[MileAMinute]

I couldn't cope without hacking out. It's nice to give the horses a good stretch of the legs, and helps keep them fresh.
How old is the girl? Would imagine if she's fairly young she'd get quite bored schooling. Can you not go out with her, so you can see how they do?

 

[Fairynuff]

very few horses/ponies kept at equestrian centres are hacked out here in Italy. It's just 'not done!'

 

[benson21]

I just cant get over the fear of having my pony out on the road, after my accident I had a couple of years ago. Its just a mind thing with me, but I cant get past it.

 

[Fairynuff]

I just cant get over the fear of having my pony out on the road, after my accident I had a couple of years ago. Its just a mind thing with me, but I cant get past it.

I can understand that, I am the same having held up a pony on xmas morning waiting for the vet to come and shoot it-foreleg shattered thanks to a Volvo. I wouldnt hack out here, it would be sheer madness (Italian drivers) and it's not going to get any better

 

[catwithclaws]

i hack out occasionally, but the only reason i often don't is nobody else on the yard can (or will!) get their horses to hack out in lead file so its always left to me. I don't mind but my mare is very spooky and will leap into the path of an oncoming truck if a bird/cat/carrier bag comes out of the hedge. its not possible to just 'chill out' on a hack, ive got to be ready for her every step of the way and its just not overly relaxing if someone else would occasionally take over the burden then i'd be happy to hack out more

 

[honorgon]

I haven't hacked my ex-racer out on his own yet but my Haflinger and I do mainly hacking. But luckily there are places to canter around here so it keeps him fit and if I cross a main road I can get a few nice grassy bridlepaths for a good bez around.
I'm just not confident enough to take my ex-racer out. I think if you're quite protective over your horse, it's understandable not to want him being hacke dout but it's ultimitely your decision. Also, some horses find hacking out really stressful and prefer the safety of the school hope this helps x

 

[Pebbles]

I do hack as I feel it is good for my mare and breaks the schooling monotony but have to make myself :-( even though I have a fantastic horse to ride out on but I don't like road work even though it is also good for them too and do as little as possible. Given your awful experience Benson it is hardly surprising but can you walk with her on a mostly off road hack? We always wear high vis for the short walk down the road to the common and if you have access to something like that perhaps you should give it a go if you can force yourself? I totally understand your concerns though x

 

[PandorasJar]

I just cant get over the fear of having my pony out on the road, after my accident I had a couple of years ago. Its just a mind thing with me, but I cant get past it.

This changes my original thoughts...

I prefer hacking out. I hate schooling and everything I sit on in a school goes to pot as I lose concentration almost instantly. Hacking I love, but is straight out off road. At last yard I'd hack on open roads where you could see cars coming from miles off, on a very sensible (on the roads) horse. Or out the back straight into woods. I would not hack mine on my local roads though. Have to say that I'd choose a different yard if hacking was limited as far prefer it.

Pan

 

[mandwhy]

I have a share that I have always hacked out despite spookiness, sometimes it can be quite bad but she does look after us really. I am now riding a TB for someone else and I can't really bring myself to hack out as the roads here are busy and it would take ages to get to a bridleway. I think for me fast work is the point of hacking out, you go to your favourite canter tracks, have a blast and loop back. Even after a mile or two here its still all stones!!

 

[dorito]

i have a young girl that rides donovan a fair bit now, but only in the school. She would love to take him out on a hack n the roads, but I have said no. But now I am feeling that maybe donovan is missing out on an experience, I know when I went hacking with the group from the yard Benson and I had a whale of a time, and I have this feeling that I am making Donovan miss out on something that I am pretty sure he could enjoy. Anyone else just not hack out?

You don't say what the roads are like/whether the girl and Donovan would be alone or in company etc...that's for you to know and decide on.
But, in principle, I personally would try to ensure a horse got a bit of both schooling and hacking - it could easily make them stale if only schooling (or sloppy if only hacking!). I like to do both myself, but confidence-wise, when I have been too chicken to hack, have had periods of only schooling. Not long-term though.

ETA: I think it depends hugely on the type of hacking someone has available. If all roads..maybe not worth it?

 

[benson21]

The girl is 14, really good rider, and would hack out with another girl, and maybe a couple of adults. It is just the fact that I cant push the feeling of utter fear that, although not really probable, but lightning can always strike twice. I never thought an accident like the one we had would ever happen, but it did. And it could happen again.
And now I am getting really pi$$sed off with myself for letting all these negative thoughts come into my mind! Where is my positivity???

 

[horsemadelsie]

My mu s horse refuses to do anything in the school unless he gets hacked out at least once a week! It gives him a break and he loves getting out. I don't hack my youngster at the moment though, thanks to an idiot in a car when he was 3yrs old he has a fear of things coming up behind him. There are some off-road tracks that I can box to, and I'll take him there occasionally if the ground's good, but I doubt I'll be regularly hacking him, unless he can get over his fear. I think it depends on the horse and the rider, and where you have to hack- if I had off-road hacking on my doorstep then I'd probably be out at least twice a week on each horse!

 

[nikicb]

Completely understandable given what happened to you. But, could you transport them somewhere for some off road hacking? I don't hack from home but am trying to get in to the habit of boxing somewhere every so often to give them a change of scene.

 

[JFTDWS]

How about a compromise, benson? What about boxing her and a buddy out somewhere to hack off road - where there is no road work involved at all? That way you don't have to worry about maniac drivers (understandable given the bg) but kid and pony still get to enjoy the benefits of hacking out and having fun. Even if you only did it once every few weeks it would be better than a lifetime in the school / field.

Assuming there's somewhere off road near you - like a forest, or even a beach?


great minds, niki

 

[be positive]

I think your fears are, in the circumstances, well founded, an accident such as the one you experienced is unlikely to happen again but I can understand your wish to avoid the roads. The responsibility for pony and rider will mean you are tense and them hacking out will most likely be a stresssful event for you, possibly even worse if you are not with them.

Are there fields that they can ride round to break up the schooling, ours often just wander round the fields rather than go out for a real hack, the ponies enjoy it and the riders can chill and chat without worrying about traffic or other hazards.

If you can let them just go for a walk down the road with you on foot, maybe after some schooling, one step at a time is the way forward, you will find it gets easier but dont push too much, go at a pace that feels right.

 

[hairycob]

Given what happened your fears are perfectly understandable, but I get the feeling that you want to get over them & you are getting unhappy about it. Could you try hypnosis? Or maybe box to somewhere where you/the girl could have a hack that is all off road & take it from there? I bet you are beating yourself up & thinking you should just put on your big girl knickers & get on with it, but really you shouldn't - you had a terrible experience & then were let down by the law & it takes a lot to get past that. I don't suppose for one moment Donovan stands in his field gazing into the distance thinking "I so want to canter up that track"

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I think your feelings are understandable considering what you've been through.

I take my OH to an equestrian park, which has a x country course on that they hire out. They have an annual membership rate, and because we use it a lot, it works out very reasonably priced.

My OH doesn't jump yet, but I don't trust my horse on the roads whilst he's riding him, and my OH needs to get some more hacking experience in. At the park, he can have some nice long trots, and do some cantering, go through woods, streams, open fields and if a pheasant jumps out of a hedge, or if my horse puts in a spook, he can learn to deal with that in a safe environment.

Are there any equestrian centres near you with xc courses they hire like this?

 

[annunziata]

I can totally understand why you dont hack. I dont hack my horse at all he hates it and rears spins comes home backwards and I dont want to end up in a ditch but he loves schooling and jumping

 

[MyBoyChe]

I stopped hacking out from our yard last year, the road is a B road but full of rat runners, racing cyclists and idiots!! I thought Id be OK just pottering round the farm, but Im not, Im bored, so have decided to bite the bullet and buy a trailer so I can take him somewhere safer. If this is an option for you, I would offer to travel her somewhere once a week so that they can both have a bit of fun off road (assuming you have somewhere close by). He is your horse and if you think it is a risk too far, stick with your instinct. I never thought I would be too scared to ride out, Che is such a good boy but you cant control everything, he might trip, spook or be scared by something and traffic now is just so fast and unforgiving. Nothing awful has happened to me on the roads and I pray it never does, even so, I am now too scared to risk it!

 

[Spudlet]

I can quite understand why you feel as you do, but I do think that some horses and ponies can get a bit sour if they only go into the school.

I think the suggestion about boxing over to somewhere off-road is a good one

 

[Elsbells]

The girl is 14, really good rider, and would hack out with another girl, and maybe a couple of adults. It is just the fact that I cant push the feeling of utter fear that, although not really probable, but lightning can always strike twice. I never thought an accident like the one we had would ever happen, but it did. And it could happen again.
And now I am getting really pi$$sed off with myself for letting all these negative thoughts come into my mind! Where is my positivity???

I've just looked at your sig pictures again I think you need to look at them too

(((hugs)))

 

[igglepop]

I rarely hack out because i share two horses and they don't like to be parted so i will hack out only when owner rides. I do however take the horses for a weekly blast in field so they can stretch, saying this i am lucky to be the only person on the yard and don't have to worry about upsetting others.

 

[9tails]

I just cant get over the fear of having my pony out on the road, after my accident I had a couple of years ago. Its just a mind thing with me, but I cant get past it.

I've not had your awful experience, but I allowed another rider to hack mine out once a week. I worried myself almost to death every time until I got the call that all was OK, I stopped it after a few months as my nerves wouldn't take it! I hack her out myself all the time, but I wouldn't forgive myself if she was hurt while someone else was riding her.

 

[Gusbear]

My boy would go nuts (as would I) if we didn't hack out at least once a week. He is young and very inquisitive and I really do think he enjoys heading out and seeing new places and experiencing the different sights and smells and also riding out with different horses from our yard. Plus he seems to revel in the attention he gets from passers by and loves getting pats and cuddles from the children he meets along the way.
He is more or less bomb proof and great in traffic (although I must admit I do get a little nervous with the idiot drivers, he on the other hand seems to be OK for the most part). It also gives him the chance to stretch his legs and let loose with a canter or gallop on one of the many commons/downs we have nearby.
I must admit I do get a bit bored and stale riding around the ménage during the week so he must feel the same.
I really can't understand anyone that never hacks out. I bought my horse to be able to get out and see the countryside and for both of us to be able to enjoy ourselves. Luckily everyone at our yard feels the same and there is always someone around on any given day keen to ride out whether I be a quick 30 min hack or a good 3 hour marathon.