Hacking alone - how is it for you?

[Neptune]

How different is your horse hacking alone or in company?

How do you handle the two different situations?

Just curious as mine is like two different horses when in company or alone. We try and hack best we can on our own but not sure if it is really worthwhile. Will hacking an alert / spooky horse that rushes home when alone ever get better the more you do it? He is as good as gold in company.

 

[9tails]

The opposite of yours, mine is calm on her own but wants to be in front or have a race if in company. On the other hand, she's fantastic in a big group of horses. It's just one or two others that she gets silly about. Especially if they're slow walkers.

 

[ihatework]

I’ve never owned a horse that wasn’t fine hacking alone.
Some have needed a little more confidence building / management to get there but 99% of the time a horse takes its lead from its rider.

 

[LaurenBay]

Mine is retired now but when ridden she was very different in company to alone.

I used to do lots of both, I preferred hacking alone, whilst she was more spooky she was much more level headed. I could canter her anywhere on the buckle and have a blast. In company she was trickier, nothing too bad but if she was left behind in canter she would panic and bounce around, she preferred to be in front, but I would have to really sit deep and be alert as she was partial to a few excitable bucks (never did this on her own)

I rode her for 6 years, the first year she was not easy to hack alone, she would nap on the way out and then jog or canter side-wards home. She did eventually settle and would hack home on the buckle, it just took lots of practice!

 

[Shady]

I cherish the days i can hack alone as we are both so much happier. My horses are mismatched to go out together so mine is either getting bitten on the bum in front or sulks if behind and they won't go next to each other at all without bickering

 

[MDB]

I worked hard last year to get my mare out hacking alone after two and a half years of owning her and having never hacked alone, she was always much better in company, although she was always reactive, sharp, spooky and desperate to be in front.
She is now actually calmer hacking alone. When we go out regularly (three times per week minimum) she becomes so calm and nothing fazes her.
When we go out in company I find her a little more spooky, but she will now happily go in front or behind without rushing.
I love hacking alone, the freedom to do what you want without considering another rider or horse's requirements. But sometimes it is nice to have company.

 

[MuddyMonster]

Mine is good with both, but I put years of work in to make him so

 

[Landcruiser]

Mine is fine with either. He can get silly at fun rides when everyone is tearing around, but otherwise he's good alone or in company.

 

[Lintel]

The more you hack alone the better but YOU need to be comfortable and calm or you both and up in a vicious circle.
My boy doesn't care if it's a group or his own, more often than not he does his own thing even if our with other. Keep going at it OP

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

How different is your horse hacking alone or in company?

How do you handle the two different situations?

Just curious as mine is like two different horses when in company or alone. We try and hack best we can on our own but not sure if it is really worthwhile. Will hacking an alert / spooky horse that rushes home when alone ever get better the more you do it? He is as good as gold in company.

Like your's mine is a different horse - lots more spooking lots more going from 16.1hh to 18 hh. I talk to her a lot and that seems to help and also give her encouragement if there is a spooky or something different that has not been there before, which is the thing that causes spooking.

In company she is much more relaxed and gives a much nicer ride, specially in canter, as on her own she is a 4 time canter like a pogo stick like rising in canter, or being bounced out the saddle .

 

[Mrs G]

I actually prefer hacking alone; my horse can, at certain times of the year/when hes in a certain mood, be very reactive and then I not only have myself and him to worry about, but also whoever I am with and their horse! I started him hacking on his own with my husband on foot, then short routes on our own and went from there. How long have you had your horse/how old is he? If new to you or young it could just be a confidence thing and in that case persevere; your bond will be all the stronger once he learns to trust you. Another thing that might help is doing trec-style/handy pony type obstacles; going over/thru/under things, manoeuvring him backwards, sideways etc. Anything that gets him listening to you and trusting that if you tell him its ok, it IS ok!
Your confidence too is important; for me a neck strap/saddle strap or similar is a BIG help; I feel I can achor myself with it which gives me confidence if I see something ahead he might spook at or if he gets 'jiggy'.

 

[AmyMay]

I too have never had a horse that won't hack alone. It's a deal breaker for me.

 

[Asha]

our two IDs can hack alone, and are the same whether in company or not. My homebred, hes a spooky thing when hacking with the others, but not spooky when hacking alone.

I don't see the big deal about hacking alone, as I prefer to hack with others so we can have a good chin wag on the way round.

 

[Tangled]

Mine too is a different horse. He is much better alone (we’ve done this much more than riding in company). And I generally prefer to ride alone too. He is more confident, relaxed and listens to me 100%
I find whoever we hack out with can’t keep up with him - he doesn’t rush, he just has a great striding walk (he is 14.1 but outstrides every horse I’ve ridden out with!) but rather than the other riders trying to catch up, I’m constantly having to hold him back which we both find frustrating as I hate just plodding along, going nowhere! He is much more reactive too and will spook at things I can easily get him past alone.
I purposely ride out at unsocial hours now just so we can have a great ride together going where I want and the pace we want ��

 

[MuffettMischief]

Ive got one that will just not hack alone. We've tried it all. Last time she came back without me....

I have tried and tried but she has absolutely no self preservation and I have decided life is too short after watching her gallop away down a main road without me....

Which is a shame because I love hacking alone.

 

[elliejhb]

How different is your horse hacking alone or in company?

How do you handle the two different situations?

Just curious as mine is like two different horses when in company or alone. We try and hack best we can on our own but not sure if it is really worthwhile. Will hacking an alert / spooky horse that rushes home when alone ever get better the more you do it? He is as good as gold in company.

I feel like you're talking about my boy! He's an angel on the way out but on the way home he jogs piaffes and makes himself a snorting mess. But he is safe, although when he's done it on the roads previously I have hopped off.
With others he is great, will be calm and has even positioned himself between the other horse and the spooky object.

 

[Amye]

Mine will do both, but is different if he's alone or in company.

In company he's a bit too laid back, can be a bit nappy, he has got tons better with this but... he is seriously a bit too laid back sometimes. When I first got him he was lacking confidence and would NOT lead, now mums got her own loan pony we've been leading a lot more so he is better. Certain horses he will still not lead with though... not sure why, but he'll plod at the back all day long (he used to get quite slow though and we'd end up miles behind which was frustrating, he has got better at this too though). If he's in a massive group he can get a bit silly, he's fine with around 5 horses, however I've only taken him out with more than that once and the horses at the front cantered off without telling us so we piaffed our whole way round... maybe if we'd all stayed together he would have been OK.

Alone he's a bit more spooky, hacking alone was difficult at first due to confidence. But now, he will look at things more than in company but he'll go where I ask, and he'll march out. He's more switched on alone! I don't mind hacking either alone or in company, I do like my own company, so I do prefer going alone sometimes as it's nice to get him moving forward. If someones wanting to whizz round a hack I'd normally pass as he can be a little slow but someone who just wants a plod is fine. I was more wary of going out in company when I first got him as he'd be very slow and I didn't want to stop anyone enjoying themselves, nowadays he's not so bad so I don't worry so much

 

[The Fuzzy Furry]

Mine is fine with either. He can get silly at fun rides when everyone is tearing around, but otherwise he's good alone or in company.

Same here, excellent alone (which is what I do most often) and in company.
Can be a tit at start of a fun ride or if people barge through to pass rudely, otherwise v good

 

[Beth206]

I currently hack in company if we are going on a long ride.

My mare spooked quite badly in 2016 and it really knocked my confidence. In summer I would school and then cool off going on a hack around the block on our own (literally 10 mins) my goal this year is to be able to hack alone as it will make my life so much easier also.

The issue with us hacking alone is definitely more my issue than with my mare. She takes everything in her stride but pays a lot more attention when out on her own and we have to stop to look at everything but does seem to be less spooky on her own.

I hope you get there with your horse.

 

[JFTDWS]

One of mine has always been terrific in company, but varying degrees of spooky and ridiculous alone. At times, I've had to be very careful when and how I hacked him, as he did do some very stupid and somewhat dangerous things. However, with good management and persistence, he is 99% pleasant to hack alone now - he's still a bit spooky, but not standing on his back legs, throwing himself in ditches spooky. He's actually quite pleasant and relaxing these days.

My others, two have been very similar alone or in company, and my mare is currently still learning the ropes.

 

[milliepops]

I too have never had a horse that won't hack alone. It's a deal breaker for me.

This used to be my opinion, and then along came Kira...

3.5 years in and I still wouldn't really bother trying. She alternates between the ridiculous and vaguely dangerous on her own. Fortunately she's absolutely lovely in company and she has other strengths which I enjoy more so I don't mind any longer.
Oddly she's loads better if we box off site and hack in a strange area.

I'm sure Salty will hack on her own quite happily, she has the same kind of nosiness that made Millie a very enjoyable solo hack. At the moment she is still having a nanny though

 

[Shavings]

Levi is a lot more "on edge" alone to the point where i dont really taking him alone any more as i might as well take puff the magic spinning, dancing rear threatening dragon for a ride!

in company he is a saint, the company can be spooky as ever and he doesn't bat an eye lid..

i cant figure it out my self but that is life!

 

[supsup]

Mine does both, but is slightly different alone or in company. Alone, he's not particularly keen to leave the yard, and while he doesn't nap outright, he's just dragging his toes a bit and needs to be asked to keep up a decent tempo. Some days, he'll also look at things he'd normally completely ignore. On the way home, he tends to be perfect - just the right amount of forwardness without rushing. In small company (maybe up to four riders), the other horses give him a boost (slight competitive streak), and he's not as lazy leaving the yard. He still prefers to tuck in behind the others rather than lead, but will lead without complaining. In large groups, he can get overwhelmed and completely lose his head if the whole group takes off, or if people overtake at speed and he loses sight of the horse in front of him. (I avoid those kinds of rides.) That used to be a big trigger for running off when he was young.
I would say that training and maturity has mellowed all his edges - he's less nappy/lazy/looky leaving the yard alone, and tolerates other horses passing much better than he used to. But none of basic traits have gone completely. IMO, it's part of their character - my gelding takes confidence from the herd, and while I can train him to act against his instincts, I can't necessarily get him to like it. I doubt he'll ever be a horse that prances off the yard in eager anticipation.

 

[pansymouse]

I do a lot of hacking on my own and my horse is perfectly happy alone or with company. I enjoy both, alone because I can set my own pace which tends to be quite fast and company because it's nice to have a chat.

 

[PapaverFollis]

For a number of years hacking Granny in company was a hair-raising experience. :lol: she HAD to be in front no matter what. But was utterly foot perfect alone. Fortunately I like my own company! We got there in the end, still grumpy behind but not ridiculous.

The Beast is calmer in company but ok alone and I don't think it'll take much before there's not much difference. She's slightly more spooky when asked to lead the ride than she is when completely alone though, weirdly. Like she cant handle the responsibility when there is someone else that could do it. :lol:

 

[OldFogie]

I've not ridden since 1995 so all the follow is reminiscing. In my early days, I could turn up at place loosely called Stables (old packing cases) with my three and six pence and take a large pony out for an hour - I had to go with a mate because our two ponies used to act as if they were screwed together (in fact so well that I have a black & white photo of me riding them both at once in standing style like a Hungarian!) neither would do anything without the other. As my life progressed, the standard of my horse flesh improved somewhat and in later life I retrained in classic dressage style (oh! the pain!) I eventually bought one of the school horses an Irish type who thought she was a Lippanzzaner - she'd rear into a flat out gallop on anything green when I first took her out because that's what the tutors and students had always done when let out of the yard with no one looking! Many years of riding and me being her only rider cured her worst excesses but not her competative spirit - she might have been built like the proverbial brick outhouse but no one had ever told her she wasn't a racehorse and would try her damnest to get past anyone! In a group she'd work herself up into such a sweat that you could follow us home by the froth trail, she'd also spot another horse ten fields away, roar a challenge and we'd be off to get a nose in front. She was truly wonderful and I miss her something chronic.
I've also had the good fortunate to meet a 17.2 gent who was a regular with the North Cotswold - he rode like a Range Rover Vogue drives and jumped five bar gates much better. He would often try to kill people in his box but was perfectly behaved once you were mounted, he was good alone or in company in the front or out with the washing. My daughter's eventer ( I've already made the comment elsewhere that it was an event for her to actually wake up!) was dead to to leg and most other parts of one's body so she'd amble along and not notice if she was alone or in a cavalry charge. I also rode a few friend's horses who were good on their own but don't know what they were like in a group because I rode when no one else was around, yes, good except for Carbon ( guess his colour ) who would jump shadows from a standing start.

 

[paddy555]

I too have never had a horse that won't hack alone. It's a deal breaker for me.

absolute deal breaker for me as well. I expect it to be able to do everything out alone and deal with any situation. The more training, exposure and practise the better they get. I hate riding with others, would much prefer for me and the horse to do our own thing.

 

[Britestar]

Small horse will do either or in a group.

Big horse, only in company. I've tried several times alone but frankly I value my life. He'll get so far then turns and run for home. Most of my hacking is roads, so it's just not worth it. In company he's great.

 

[FDLady]

FDL has been absolutely foot perfect out alone since day 1; it was definitely a deal breaker for me after having a rearer go over backwards ontop of me when i was out alone one day. I trust her to go past anything, go for a long flat out gallop as well as pull up when needed and generally look after me. Out with another horse though and she becomes alot more forward going - still well behaved but the end of buckle contact is gone and i generally have a horse who likes to feel me at the end of the reins. She will canter behind steadily but its a bit more of a firm reminder of breaks. Out hacking in groups and she does her best Valegro impression, her dressage training definitely shows. Its the joke of the yard that she'll do a collected trot, shoulder in or outline for the entire hack and really show off despite having a really light contact (not being held back). Still controllable/enjoyable in walk and trot but i really have to ride her rather than be a passenger. Haven't cantered her in a large group though since i took her hunting and saw my life flash before my eyes.

Generally i like my own company so i never have any issues XD most she gets used for apart from regaining my sanity now and then is to take a green horse out.

 

[WandaMare]

Mine is more on her toes when she is alone but perfectly manageable. She was a naughty napper when I got her and I shamelessly bribed her into hacking alone by giving her treats along the way. She is now focused more on me and less on the spooky monsters. I love hacking alone, especially first thing in the morning before the roads get too busy. I am usually far too dopey at that time in the morning to be sociable with anyone, so probably best that we hack alone.