Hacking alone question

Waxwing

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Hi all

I am still tentatively horse searching and saw an advert yesterday that ticked all the boxes, right age and experience and on sales livery with someone with a good reputation. I have messaged the seller and horse does sound potentially suitable, but has limited experience of hacking alone. According the seller the horse has been a family home for the past five years and two family members always rode together. One of my bottom lines is being able to hack alone, I like riding with other people but equally if the work day allows I like to be able to have an impromptu hack around the village without needing to find someone to go with. Tbh if I haven't got that flexibility a lot of the benefit of horse ownership for me isn't there. I think I shall be regretfully passing.

I just thought I would seek other people's opinions before saying an absolute no. The horse is in the UK but some hours from me.

The seller says that they don't see any reason she couldn't but she obviously hasn't had recent experience of this.
 
Hi all

I am still tentatively horse searching and saw an advert yesterday that ticked all the boxes, right age and experience and on sales livery with someone with a good reputation. I have messaged the seller and horse does sound potentially suitable, but has limited experience of hacking alone. According the seller the horse has been a family home for the past five years and two family members always rode together. One of my bottom lines is being able to hack alone, I like riding with other people but equally if the work day allows I like to be able to have an impromptu hack around the village without needing to find someone to go with. Tbh if I haven't got that flexibility a lot of the benefit of horse ownership for me isn't there. I think I shall be regretfully passing.

I just thought I would seek other people's opinions before saying an absolute no. The horse is in the UK but some hours from me.

The seller says that they don't see any reason she couldn't but she obviously hasn't had recent experience of this.
Hmmm, It's a hard one isn't it?

I much prefer hacking on my own, so I too, am looking for the same thing. I've turned away horses in the past that don't meet this criteria but thinking back most of my previous horses were imported WB's and at the time I never questioned the dealers whether they could hack out, indeed I doubt any of them would have had this exposure.

The very day after I bought Bailey and transported him home (hadn't even asked if he'd ever travelled in a trailer either), I just went off on my own without a second thought and hacked for 1.5hrs; albeit we got lost as it was a new yard 🤣

So I've been tentatively wondering whether I should just get on with it as the pool of suitable horses to buy is so small as it is. Given how firm I was with Lari refusing to go through the gate on his own and how I managed to get him down the lane on my own in a tantrum of spins and planting, I probably have more confidence than I give myself credit for.

I've always said that it's far easier to be braver on a new owned horse you don't know whats its capable of than a horse when you know what it is capable of doing!
 
Can they send you a video of them riding out alone?

I knew a lady who bought a retired hunter just for hacking around the lanes. It absolutely refused to go past the end of the drive. It was perfect in company but had never hacked alone.

I ride one like that now. Good in company, a hairy nightmare alone.

I always think that unless you are a "producer" and willing to work on things, if you want a horse to do a job, then make sure you have proof of the the job being done NOW, not last year or in six months time.

This horse might turn out to be absolutely suitable, but I don't think I would agree to buy until you know a bit more. Good luck.
 
Is it possible to message the owners via the sales livery? Ask whether the horse was happy hacking and whether he took the lead or was always behind, was confident, whether there were any issues? Say it's important to you, even if it's something you would be willing to work on, it is good to know if the foundation of confidence is already there.
 
Can they send you a video of them riding out alone?

I knew a lady who bought a retired hunter just for hacking around the lanes. It absolutely refused to go past the end of the drive. It was perfect in company but had never hacked alone.

I ride one like that now. Good in company, a hairy nightmare alone.

I always think that unless you are a "producer" and willing to work on things, if you want a horse to do a job, then make sure you have proof of the the job being done NOW, not last year or in six months time.

This horse might turn out to be absolutely suitable, but I don't think I would agree to buy until you know a bit more. Good luck.
The trouble with them sending a video of a horse being ridden alone means that by definition they are not actually alone!

A horse will get confidence by someone walking in front/behind it. I've often seen adverts of someone stood nearby taking a video of the horse walking 'alone' and thought that proves naff all 🤣
 
I've always said that it's far easier to be braver on a new owned horse you don't know whats its capable of than a horse when you know what it is capable of doing!
You're so right! I've been thinking about this recently and it's a funny thing.

I agree with @Orangehorse , unless you don't mind putting the work in to get a horse going well out alone, I'd only consider one that's doing that job well right now. My current horse is a sweetie in every other way but a pain to hack alone. Not dangerous, just annoying. I know he'd improve if I was willing to take him out alone a few times a week and ride through it but.....life is short and I don't enjoy riding a horse that ponces along twitching and giving side eye to every passing bench. So if that's really important to you I'd buy one you can enjoy right now.
 
If the horsei snt local to you, i would say no. The usual advice is to see the horse doing what you want to do with it at the viewing. There will be a more suitable horse waiting for you somewhere.
 
You're so right! I've been thinking about this recently and it's a funny thing.

I agree with @Orangehorse , unless you don't mind putting the work in to get a horse going well out alone, I'd only consider one that's doing that job well right now.
Agree.
I would ask them to hack it alone to see what happens.
Or if you feel happy to do it say you will want to see it out alone when you view it .
Or try it your self one of my favourite horses had his first solo hack with me on the day I tried him .
When I tried the last horse I went to view I walked out of the gate and down the lane with the owner. I then asked her to wait on the corner and went off on my own probably a good 300 yards ahead of her and through some road works, turned and walked back through again, then turned away from home to check for napping. Then stood facing away from home. He was great, no napping whatsoever.

Sadly he was comprised physically and on the advice of a professional I took it no further.
 
No I wouldn't consider this one, considering what you've been through I would avoid anything that wasn't proven hacking alone x
 
Perhaos because most people don't want to hack, never mind alone.
No....it seems like a strange oversight. All the dealers (reputable or otherwise) I see on social media will advertise as standard whether or not the horse is good to hack alone and in company. I think most leisure riders want a horse that is at least safe on its own and won't deck them on a twenty minute ride after work.
 
If he is on sales livery I would have expected them to have hacked him alone, if not before advertising him, I would expect them to find out if he is happy to when they are asked about it. He may or may not be ok to hack alone but the fact that they are not prepared, as a professional sales livery yard to "try" this would be a red flag to me. It's a lot easier to say they don't know when in fact he is does not hack alone.

When I was looking I found the hardest bit of my criteria was a horse that was good in all traffic and happy to hack alone, in fact that was about the only thing I would not move on. In the end I bought a 4 yr old who I'd seen was solid in heavy traffic and who had done some solo hacks. I tried him on a Feb afternoon in dreadful weather, went down the road on him, was passed by a tractor carrying silage bales and also rode him past his yard entrance, none of which bothered him. It was that 15 minute hack which decided me that unless something horrendous showed up on vetting he was coming home with me.
 
I would be suspicious if they had not done this for a sales livery. I would suspect they may have tried with no good results.

That said, I've tried a few where they had never hacked at all until I went to try and I wobbled them down the road and back myself. I would rather find it was a disaster and I had to dismount and lead them home there and then, rather than once home.

I also hack right past the gate on returning home, to make sure they will go on.

If you are not happy to do this, then I would say no, don't bother to view until they have provided assurance that the horse has been tried and tested.
 
I would ask that when you view, provided you a) like the horse and b) they are happy with your competency, that you are allowed to trial the horse around a short route solo.

If they are at all iffy with that I wouldn’t waste your time. In my mind anyone. With a horse in to sell should be testing the horse hacking alone.
 
I would ask them to hack it alone to see what happens.
Or if you feel happy to do it say you will want to see it out alone when you view it .
Or try it your self one of my favourite horses had his first solo hack with me on the day I tried him .

Or you send a HHO’er to try it, when the dealer says he hacks alone and then it has a bloody good nap when HHO’er tries it! But you rattle its cage, don’t get decked so buy him anyway 😆😆😆😆
 
It isnt terribly "basic" for a horse to hack out alone. They are herd animals. They have to be taught.
At the yard where I first shared, new horses were taught to hack solo. They hacked with a group of 3 horses, at first with the new horse` going last , but in subsequent hacks, moving up the line till they went first, sometimes with a foot soldier leading. When they were happy going first, they were tried on their own, first with a foot soldier and then just with the rider.

Some horses dont like going out alone and with some it is the opposite, they get over excited in a group. But it depends on the rider. I am an old, touchy feely rider. I have shared and hacked solo on horses that have decked more competent riders. But I wouldnt be capable of hacking the big warm blood horses they ride.
 
Or you send a HHO’er to try it, when the dealer says he hacks alone and then it has a bloody good nap when HHO’er tries it! But you rattle its cage, don’t get decked so buy him anyway 😆😆😆😆
Er yes I had forgotten that.
I just got off him he was sharp today .
He’s great fun .
It’s nice in the fullness of time to thank you again for for pointing me in Skys direction.
 
It isnt terribly "basic" for a horse to hack out alone. They are herd animals. They have to be taught.
At the yard where I first shared, new horses were taught to hack solo. They hacked with a group of 3 horses, at first with the new horse` going last , but in subsequent hacks, moving up the line till they went first, sometimes with a foot soldier leading. When they were happy going first, they were tried on their own, first with a foot soldier and then just with the rider.

Some horses dont like going out alone and with some it is the opposite, they get over excited in a group. But it depends on the rider. I am an old, touchy feely rider. I have shared and hacked solo on horses that have decked more competent riders. But I wouldnt be capable of hacking the big warm blood horses they ride.
If you're referring to my post, I didn't mean hacking alone is basic but that it's not complicated for a professional selling a horse to find out how that horse feels about hacking solo.
 
If you're referring to my post, I didn't mean hacking alone is basic but that it's not complicated for a professional selling a horse to find out how that horse feels about hacking solo.

I completely agree.
Any pro sales yard, especially one adverting allrounder/amateur types, should spend a good 1-2 weeks assessing a variety of things (including solo hacking & traffic) before advertising
 
It would be a no from me, i have one, she's a great follower, pony/person/quadbike, but mainly just a flat no when on her own. We're working on it, she just gone off with a friend, I'm on standby in case I need to go get them
But saying that, different folk have different energy/confidence
 
I need the flexibility of hacking alone and if the horse that you are looking at won't hack alone/hasn't been tried alone - personally I would not go. But if the horse has ticked a lot of other boxes, I would say give the sellers a phone call and see where things go. Just be aware if they avoid giving straight answers to your questions as that is usually a red flag.

The livery yard that I'm on I'm 1 of 3 people who can hack out on their own if they wanted to - I do feel that hacking alone is a dying art - but then again, it can also be considered quite dangerous to hack alone, so it's understandable how people aren't as keen to hack on their own as they used to be x
 
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