Does everybody hack?

[Milliechaz]

Hi all just looking for some feedback really please.

I have recently had some very unpleasant hacks around my home roads. We moved here 6 years ago to what was a relatively quiet area to hack around (30/40mph roads but only for 5 minutes to get to moss roads) however over the last 2 years a bypass has been built which has seen traffic increase and a good proportion of car drivers just seem to be so ignorant nowadays. Both me and my horses are always fully kitted out in hi viz...me in a polite coat or gillet and horse in a polite exercise rug and leg wraps. In addition we are 5 minutes away from the mounted police headquarters and they hack around here which you would like to think would make a difference however in the last 2-3 weeks I have had some really unpleasant hacks with people not slowing down to pass and passing too close. These have been on my 15.3 sensible gelding. I also have a 3 1/2 year old 15.2 mare who was backed in December and has been hacked out lightly (in the company of my gelding with my friend riding him) once or twice a week maximum ever since.

Last Sunday we were hacking along our quiet country lane literally having just left my house when one of the neighbouring field owners started a commercial strimmer on the otherside of a hedge that was running alongside the road. Said person must have been able to see us as the hedge was below head height. Both horses spooked, luckily my friend on my gelding managed to keep hold of him and calm him down but my youngster had a mini meltdown resulting in me falling off, being knocked unconscious and my mare taking off down the road loose. Thankfully there was a car driver coming in each direction who stopped to help and call an ambulance and one of my other horsey neighbours caught my mare and took her home for me. I was laid on the floor for 90 minutes being put on a spinal board (luckily i always ride in my body protector so no serious injury) and having been knocked unconscious for 4 minutes. I don't remember a thing about the accident and only remember leaving my house and setting off down the road then being CT scanned in the hospital.

I am now feeling like I really don't want to hack on the roads again. I have a trailer so i can box to a farm ride/beach once a month or so and my gelding loads easily so that's not a problem but there aren't any that are particularly close so time would allow me to go as often as i would like. I also need to teach my mare to load as she isn't currently too keen but i'm sure that wont be an issue. My problem is I was planning to lightly hack my mare for 12 months to keep her ticking over while she matures before taking her into the school as she is still pretty bum high and i wanted her to mature in build a little more. I have no objection to giving her the summer off and teaching her to load in the meantime with a view to taking her to some farm rides in the autumn if needs be it just wouldn't be my 1st choice of how to take her forward.

My main question is though, does everybody/most people hack on the roads locally? I've always given my horses a variety of school and hacking exercise as i have felt this was good for their mental health and stimulation. I'm not keen on the thought of riding in the school the majority of the time and only getting them out once a month or so....particularly my youngster but my gelding is also 19 so the same goes for him at the other end of the age spectrum really.

What are other peoples thoughts on this? Is mostly school work with the odd outing acceptable?

 

[Red-1]

I was a hardened hacker but even I keep local and be careful now.

The next place we move to will be off road hacking, alternatively buy a 'normal' house and livery at a yard with off road hacking.

 

[milliepops]

My horse doesn't enjoy hacking at all so we don't hack much, but I do try and get her out once a week at least. its more about her than the roads, we only have to cross a main road and then have lanes which are not too busy.
it's not what I'd choose, but it's what she chooses so we make it work. I try vary the work in the school and we do a lot on the track keeping circles to a minimum, horse is at advanced level so it's fairly intense anyway. the school footing is excellent.

In your shoes i can understand your reluctance, i'd want to get over the loading thing so you can box off every week - can you find some off road hacking that you can use regularly rather than needing to pay for stuff? there are a fair few off road loops round me that i can park for free and toddle off around, but I know I'm lucky being based in the forest.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I've bailed from hacking on the roads .

The lanes here used to be great for hacking, been here 35 years, but now the traffic is so fast and inattentive that it's no longer safe.

I took these pics a couple of days ago, both very near to home on our lane. Skid marks from vehicles driving in the middle of the road approaching blind bends, and that happens multiple times a day. It's a NSL unclassified road.

The first pic is the same spot where my uber sensible mare nearly got taken out from behind by the driving school car being driven by the instructor - and we were hivizzed up as per my avatar at the time.





Only alternative is to box up to off-road hacking. Hacking is so beneficial to both horse and rider.

 

[teddypops]

I’ve hacked for many years, every day and several times a day until recently when I have just about completely given up due to the amount of people now using the tiny country lanes. The majority don’t drive or pass me sensibly and after a couple of very near misses, it’s now just not worth it. I ride in my fields and school and if I can be bothered I will box to the woods, however they are also now much busier with dog walkers and cyclists who have no respect for horses either.

 

[Milliechaz]

Thanks all yes i agree that hacking is really beneficial. I do have some localish parks and routes etc where i can box to and hack but they still have some road work to link them together and those roads are quite busy. I'm not bothered about having to pay to go somewhere that is totally safe for us all its more having the time to box there ride and box back. Ill make it work, i have to.

 

[cauda equina]

I get up at 4 30am, out before 6. The traffic's not too bad then

 

[dreamcometrue]

I hack every day for 1 or 2 hours, it’s my everything to go out and about with my pony. I do a mixture of road work and bridleways. I’ve hacked through towns, on main roads and country lanes. My pony is road traffic savvy and unfazed by any vehicle. I wouldn’t risk it with a less trustworthy pony, though.

 

[Flame_]

I moved from a fairly rural area with decent lanes for riding on to an urban area with too many knobheads. Happily, I keep my horse somewhere with hacking on private land, and for this I miss out on having an arena. There's no chance I'd ride on a road round here, I flinch walking on foot along pavements at the speed at which people go past and at how close they are.

 

[GreyDot]

I get up at 4 30am, out before 6. The traffic's not too bad then

I've done the same, but in the last couple of weeks, have had to avoid Saturday/Sunday morning and I have had a couple of very dodgy near misses with cars roaring through the country lanes, not expecting to meet anyone, and quite likely having been out all night, rather than out early.

The local lanes and forest are so full of dog walkers, joggers, etc. nowadays that it is getting difficult to find somewhere peaceful to ride.

@Milliechaz - I hope the person strimming apologised - sounds like you had quite a fall.

 

[teddypops]

I hack every day for 1 or 2 hours, it’s my everything to go out and about with my pony. I do a mixture of road work and bridleways. I’ve hacked through towns, on main roads and country lanes. My pony is road traffic savvy and unfazed by any vehicle. I wouldn’t risk it with a less trustworthy pony, though.

My ponies are pretty bombproof with vehicles but unfortunately that’s not going to make a difference if a van comes flying round a blind bend on a single track road and we have nowhere to go to get out of the way. That’s what makes it not worth the risk for me.

 

[Milliechaz]

I've done the same, but in the last couple of weeks, have had to avoid Saturday/Sunday morning and I have had a couple of very dodgy near misses with cars roaring through the country lanes, not expecting to meet anyone, and quite likely having been out all night, rather than out early.

The local lanes and forest are so full of dog walkers, joggers, etc. nowadays that it is getting difficult to find somewhere peaceful to ride.

@Milliechaz - I hope the person strimming apologised - sounds like you had quite a fall.

No he didn't unfortunately but he is well known as being a complete pillock!!!

 

[Milliechaz]

I hack every day for 1 or 2 hours, it’s my everything to go out and about with my pony. I do a mixture of road work and bridleways. I’ve hacked through towns, on main roads and country lanes. My pony is road traffic savvy and unfazed by any vehicle. I wouldn’t risk it with a less trustworthy pony, though.

My gelding is traffic proof but that doesn't stop somebody hitting us when passing too close

 

[sportsmansB]

I love hacking
My horse is not so keen and can be a bit of a tit.
I hack around the fields now, when possible (not at the moment as the grass is so long for hay, and harbours horse eating Hares and Pheasants which result in all sorts of antics).
I really miss it, but he is not reliable enough and one particular place which he doesn't like is just after a blind bend and I can't take the risk of someone coming around it too quickly and us being in the middle of the road having an argument about passing the alpacas...
He finds it quite stressful, starts off quite chilled out but returns home like a coiled spring, which is not the point at all!! He's 16 and unlikely to change at this point, he is pretty set in his ways
We have a canter track which 12 laps around is a bit like a shortish hack, so some days we do that, he gets cantered for eventing fitness too, and I just make sure that I vary his workload so that he isn't always schooling.
Sunday mornings used to be peaceful enough but now some neighbours have a flipping marquee church with the associated traffic from that so they are a no go now too.
I care, he doesn't seem to.

 

[I'm Dun]

I hack every day for 1 or 2 hours, it’s my everything to go out and about with my pony. I do a mixture of road work and bridleways. I’ve hacked through towns, on main roads and country lanes. My pony is road traffic savvy and unfazed by any vehicle. I wouldn’t risk it with a less trustworthy pony, though.

I only have a grass school so I'm the same. Our local village lanes are pretty quiet, but I do cross a dual carriageway to go further afield. All of mine are good in traffic or I wouldnt take them out. None of them would bat an eyelid at a strimmer, they happily stroll past the tractor and hedge cutter for example.

I think riders have a responsibility to ensure there horses are good in traffic and with things like strimmers, before they venture out, or to keep them off road.

 

[dreamcometrue]

I guess I must be wrong and stupid to carry on hacking then. So be it.

Both me and pony can hear when a vehicle is coming.

 

[Flame_]

I think riders have a responsibility to ensure there horses are good in traffic and with things like strimmers, before they venture out, or to keep them off road.

I think people who say things like this are people who only ride horses of the not-particularly-sharp variety and or horses over 8 years old. Someone has to establish the not sharp ones (unless they are totally braindead) and you can never de-sensitise the sharp ones to absolutely everything!

 

[cauda equina]

No, you can't, and however good a horse is with stationary things or normal traffic you have to factor in driver behaviour too

 

[teddypops]

I only have a grass school so I'm the same. Our local village lanes are pretty quiet, but I do cross a dual carriageway to go further afield. All of mine are good in traffic or I wouldnt take them out. None of them would bat an eyelid at a strimmer, they happily stroll past the tractor and hedge cutter for example.

I think riders have a responsibility to ensure there horses are good in traffic and with things like strimmers, before they venture out, or to keep them off road.

Of course they do but even having the most bombproof of horses won’t stop you being hit by a speeding driver not paying attention flying round a blind bend straight at you.

 

[MuddyMonster]

To be fair, the most very bombproof horse isn't always going to help if you have literally nowhere to go on the road when a car comes too fast or too close. I had a very near miss with a HGV driving stupidly - my wonderful pony was awesome and probably saved my life - but it didnt give me any more room to deal it. It won't give me any extra room if a car comes too fast on the wrong side of the road, either.

No one is saying don't hack or those that do are silly @dreamcometrue . I've always been happy to ride on the quiet roads around me but I can appreciate that it would be different on different roads and a 14hh mildly spooky native pony that prances and snorts but doesn't do too much is different to riding a 4 year old, athletic event horse or a SJ bred for his/her sharpness.

We have good off road riding too - which I've always made a priority - so i can avoid or be picky about when I ride on roads.

When you have a horse that doesn't hack well & start a post about it, chances are a lot of the posters will be those that don't too ....

OP - as long as you're happy to box out off road regularly and can vary your schooling, I'm sure you'll be fine!

 

[L&M]

So sorry to hear about your scare, and not surprised it has put you off.

I hack 3-4 times a week, on a very sensible and traffic proof 13 yr old cob. We have to hack either into town to get to the bridle paths, or down a single track country lane that is used as a rat run to avoid said town, so can actually be the more dangerous of the 2 options.....

When my lad was a youngster no way would I have done this, but fortunately we had access to quieter hacking then.

If not doing a fun ride or hunting at the weekends, I often box up to safer/off road hacking and a lot more relaxing. I have no school so have to just grit our teeth, hi vis up and go for it.......my horse gets very bored off going around in circles so hacking is his preferred form of exercise any how.

Sadly hacking will continue to get more dangerous as more areas are being built on, and those who have the luxury of off road hacking then possibly have to live in isolated areas, which in itself creates its own issues. The only solution is for more farm rides to open up and the creation of safer off road hacking.

And to ensure that if we do want/need to hack out we take all precautions possible, and educate our horses to whatever busy roads can throw at us, but appreciate this is easier said than done!

 

[Bernster]

I do like to hack to give them variety of work and as I think it’s good to keep them used to it, if they are safe on the roads. The yard I’m at now has limited hacking and some busy roads to get to the common (it’s great in all other ways). It wouldn’t take me much to stop me doing those roads even though my horse is very good - you can’t rule out idiot, unsafe and unaware drivers. So I understand why you’d be hesitant and stick to boxing out to better areas. It’s such a shame though and I wish people could be more considerate.

Its very odd to suggest it’s entirely the rider’s responsibility though, which is the impression given by a couple of replies above. Yes horses should be safe but they are unpredictable flight animals, and you can’t account for other road users or events outside your control.

 

[milliepops]

My horse is pretty traffic proof, lawnmowers, strimmers, tractors going past over the hedge etc no problem.
The thing that last caused her to leap across the road was the sound of someone removing velcro travel boots from a horse that had just unloaded at a yard we were passing. I mean. you can't plan for everything can you ?! My horse wears velcro on boots every day, it was just the unexpected nature of the thing that surprised her.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

One of mine I don't really take on the road much he just hates any motorized vehicle and it's dangerous, I will sometimes go on the quiet lanes if I am with a good big horse we can hide next to, but even the lanes are dodgy many are single lane with passing areas and some drivers will do 45 mile an hour along them and they have no regard for horses at all.

My other horse doesn't really like hacking but is better in traffic and we sometimes do a few yards of lane before a bridlepath, luckily we do have some off road hacking which I can access from my house so I can avoid roads if only staying local.

 

[McFluff]

I wouldn't hack on our local roads if you paid me. Had someone scrape down the side of my car on the way to the yard the other day. I was able to stop, he wasn't - came flying round a blind bend in the middle of the road and tried to swerve, missed the front of my car, but bounced off the verge so his wing mirror went down the back end of my car. This is not unusual - too many cars, poor driving and high speeds. I won't risk my horses life to hack out. Pity, as I love hacking. I try to box to the beach for variety, but with Covid that is much busier and more 'interesting' than it used to be, and stresses him out (thus undoing the benefits of hacking). I'd love some local off-road hacking - would happily pay for it - but just doesn't seem to exist where I live in Scotland.
Really feel for you OP - horrid place to be, but safety first.

 

[Casey76]

The hacking is the one thing I miss from my first yard in France. You could go out for hours and only need to use paved farm tracks and forestry roads, hours and hours without seeing more than a car in the distance. For someone (i.e. me) who Has PTSD from a riding accident, resulting in a TBI with some deficits, whilst hacking, it was perfect to get my confidence back.

My second yard in France was very different, and you had to exit the yard onto a rat run between two villages which was a single lane race track at times. And because my mare was incredibly spooky, going down through the village was traumatizing for me as there was so much for her to spook at... most of the time she’d only jump a little, but she had a highly ingrained levitate/180 spin and run away response too. It was a real shame that I completely lost my confidence again, because I learned to love hacking with Pinto.

I always felt I was doing my ponies a great disservice not hacking as much as I wanted to, consequently I used to loan them out quite often to people (who I knew/friends on the yard, not complete randos lol) who really enjoyed hacking to take them on adventures.

 

[Tarragon]

I guess I must be wrong and stupid to carry on hacking then. So be it.

Both me and pony can hear when a vehicle is coming.

Surely it depends entirely on where you hack? The is no denying that the traffic on the roads appears to have changed over recent years for the worse.
Yes, there probably are plenty of places that are still ok to hack, and I live in one of them, but I can completely see why some people are forced off the roads.
I have a good friend who is now retired, who takes out her little box once or twice a week to meet up with friends to hack out. There are horse box parks on the trails near us which will be become standard car parks if they are not seen to be used enough. I cannot do it as I still work 5 days a week, but because of that I am often riding before half 7 and don't meet the crazy traffic. At weekends, I choose my rides and times carefully. At this time of year we are trying to avoid the haylage contractors with their monster tractors!

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

It's not about having a bombproof horse, it's about drivers not being safe. I won't even walk (as in, on my own two feet) down my own lane anymore because of delivery drivers chucking their white vans round blind bends at 100mph.

 

[Tiddlypom]

I guess I must be wrong and stupid to carry on hacking then. So be it.

Both me and pony can hear when a vehicle is coming.

The day that my mare and I were nearly taken out by the driving school car neither me nor my accompanying ninja cyclist heard the driving school car approaching at speed from behind. We had both checked behind that it was clear before rounding the bend.

My ninja cyclist is also a qualified Advanced driver, so he knows how to check for traffic. The driving school car spotted us at the last minute and skidded past. My mare did shoot forwards slightly as she heard the squeal of locked tyres on tarmac immediately behind her, and her actions probably saved her life.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

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