Hacking alone

[SpottedCat]

Testing the theory that those of us whose horses hack alone are in the minority (not challenging the lucky part!):

 

[SpottedCat]

I'll kick this one off - both my horses have hacked alone - Twiggy it took months of blood sweat and tears to get her to, B has always hacked alone, and will hack with others and not have a fit if they leave him etc. Never had an issue with him at all.

 

[ecrozier]

My horse is better out alone! He races other horses if we are out in company, irritating rather than problematic, but out alone we can actually have a nice relaxed canter without me constantly having to be aware that he could charge off at any moment to get in front!

 

[ihatework]

Yes mine hacks alone, and No, as far as I am aware he has never had a problem with it.
In fact I would go as far as to say I prefer hacking him alone as he walks out better alone

 

[vieshot]

When i first got my pony he was a s*** to hack alone, he wasnt scared he was just a t***! After a few weeks or persistance i could hack him out alone fine with the occasional psycho moment when he would hammer off towards home lol, hes a perfect angel now though, hes learnt that Mummy knows best and that Mummy always wins.

 

[Tempi]

I wouldnt hack Archie out with anyone as he can be quite a liability! At least when its just me and hes b*ggering around i dont have to worry about anyone else. He can nap, rear, bronk all the usual things but i always have my mobile with me and if he gets really bad i just get off and lead him for a bit then get back on once hes calmed down.

I like hacking on my own as i can do my own thing.

Bloss hacks happily on her own too

Altho is partitial to the odd buck when she thinks shes going for a canter

 

[mrgoop]

My horse is a star alone and in company.
He is a really good boy and i never take that for granted

 

[PaintboxEDT]

i havnt braved taking my boy out alone yet,but my old horse use to go alone or company he was as good as gold with either !

 

[Chex]

I often hack alone. Chex is fine to hack alone, but he used to nap (he'd just walk backwards when he wanted to go home - didn't matter much you kicked, smacked etc).

 

[Madam_max]

Corroy does now, but it took years off standing up, bucking etc. I did get someone to help at one point. She is perfectly fine now and I don't have any issues with her.

 

[TGM]

My girl happily hacks on her own - which is just as well because it is probably the only thing she is good at, LOL.

I bred her myself and had to accustom her to hacking when she was a youngster - we never had any huge problems with her going alone, although I used to take someone on the ground with me to start.

 

[BBs]

Umm, Bertie has always been a total start hacking out and never bothered if another horse left him.
TBH he was easier on his own as he would always want to be out in front (very anti social).
Winston is a super star hacking but is a bit of a pain if the horse he meets up with leave him - he starts to jog and get very upset - but usually give him a firm kick and tell him to get a life sorts him out.

Snoop has always been good to hack out in traffic but went through a nappy phase which required firm riding as he would stand up and refuse to move! trying to spin round etc.
It was a total battle of wills but we got there and he now loves hacking out with or without company.

 

[Acolyte]

Every horse I have ever owned/ridden has hacked out alone, so I guess I am very lucky! Not really had many problems, other than occasional napping but nothing that has really frightened me.

My worst time hacking was when I had a 17.1hh TB on loan (I am 5'2"...don't ask....) - the idiot I was hacking with cantered off, but I didn't want to canter as the ground was awful. Horse ended up scraping himself down a barbed wire fence - couldn't get him away from it, OH couldn't lead him away from the fence as horse was so wound up

Luckily it was superficial cuts, but never hacked out with that moron again

 

[HBII]

I mainly hack out alone, I prefer hacking out alone as I can do exactly what I want when I want

. Never had a real issue ie horse related that we have had to solve. I did have confidence issues which I have worked at to get hacking more. Prefer hacking to schooling now!

Hb

 

[showjump2003]

I have to hack lone as tere is no one else to ride with! The problem comes with hacking in company as she is not used to it! lol

 

[fairhill]

Both mine hack alone.

Meg is very happy on her own and the furthest I"ve done so far with her is a 15 mile route, most of it new to her.
I had problems with her being a nappy b'gger when I first started her off, but to be fair to her, she was just as nappy with another horse there.

Chloe will hack alone, and I've took her for 8-10 mile hacks, but she's soooo slow on her own, and a bit of a scaredy horse so she's better sticking to shorter rides that she knows well

I really enjoy going out by myself, I can go at my speed, where I want, and it's very relaxing

 

[buzzles]

All my horses hack alone and are expected to. I've ridden a lot of horses, including youngsters and racehorses, and never had one that I couldn't hack alone. There might have been a few initial objections but once the horse trusts me and I'm confident, patient and firm then I've never had a problem.

 

[*hic*]

I said yes to both because I normally have to hack alone. Usually there are no problems but given the horses I've had since I came back to riding - one I was re-breaking for someone else, two were newly broken and out on the roads for their first few times, and one was sold to us as dangerous, I've only had one sensible one; and that I live in a rural area with extraordinarily large combinations of tractor / trailer / farm implement and with two lorry yards in the village it's not surprising that on occasion I have had a horse that decides that things are very scary and has needed a little extra encouragement. I've never had anything I can't deal with (touch wood).

I have never had to call anyone else out - if I thought they were going to be that much of a problem I'd have waited until someone else could come with me. tbh if I did have a problem there isn't anyone I could call anyway! My daughter's at school some 35 miles away or an hour by train and my husband's at work 19 miles away.

 

[Baileysno1]

I think Bails would rather hack alone, Ryu would rather not hack alone or in company or at all, he would most like to stand still in a field with a mouth full of grass, seriously tho he goes out a alone but takes little mincey steps and gets a bit vocal, he shuffles around in company at the back he is definately a horse couch potato. Bails loves it he gets competive in some company but loves hacking so much he strides out and his ears wobble backwards and forwards.

 

[missshell]

When i get my horse it'll have to hack out alone because theres no one to go with!!

 

[Gorgeous George]

George hacks alone or in company, but if with company I prefer not to canter as he does like to be with the other horse. I like hacking on my own as I find it really relaxing and good chill out time.

 

[Twiglet]

Mine hacks alone relatively confidently - he's not one to take confidence from other horses, although he does go better with a confident rider.
He's a saint on the roads, and better behaved on his own off road, than in company (when he tends to get wound up with other horses getting in front of him etc).

I would hate not to be able to ride alone, that's my ultimate break-out time.

 

[AmyMay]

All my horses have been good to hack - admittedly some were better than others, and Freddy was definately more settled in company.

Hand on heart - all the horses I have had dealings with (so in addition to mine) have all hacked out very happily on their own - other than newly broken in babies, and they just needed to be introduced to road work etc. and the concept of eventually being on their own.

For me it's the norm - anything else is the exception.

Can I just add the proviso here though that I do understand that some just won't - regardless. But that could be for any number of reasons.

 

[Hedgewitch13]

I always hack out alone as none of the others in the yard can match her pace! She is actually worse in company as she will try and hide behind the other horse if she gets worried, yet she always go wherever quite happily when we are alone. Odd chestnut mare

 

[Persephone]

I almost always hack alone. I find Star far more distracted with company than without.

 

[Dogbetty141]

i hack mainly with just another girl and her horse and he is fine. Hacking alone is ok and he will go round but is mardy and spooky. Not daft just little jumps here and ther. now he is afraid of prams!!! dont ask!

 

[jumpthemoon]

I don't hack at all at the moment and if I did it would be in company. My horse is a pain in the butt to hack - nappy/naughty

However, I am moving yards soon to a place much more out in the country, on quiet roads, so he's going to have a shock *evilchuckle* Where we are at the moment the yard goes straight out on to a very busy, fast road, but when I move, I will want to hack out alone.

 

[Flicker]

We are lucky to have lovely off-road tracks and Flicks is grand along there on her own - albeit a bit jumpy. However, we are also surrounded by some pretty busy roads and I would not feel confident on her in heavy traffic alone because she can be a bit of a spoon, and I would worry about her spooking at a bit of plastic on the side of the road and backing into a bus! However, put another horse next to her (even an idiotic one) and she just switches off completely and becomes like a riding school pony!
TBH - I prefer hacking with others because I like the opportunity to chat and catch up on all the goss...

 

[arwenplusone]

My oldest mare loves to hack, alone or in company.

My young mare hacks alone but not without an argument.
I actually 'make' her hack alone because she is a very nappy horse in general. I feel it is good for us both!

We have to hack past the fields (on the road) going out and when we get to the last one she throws her toys out of the pram, BUT I can and do ride her through it - after that she is 100% the rest of the way. Funny horse.

Oh and just to add - I hack her out in company more often - only on her own once a month or so.

 

[Parkranger]

Ty has always hacked alone - he was a bit of an idiot to start with but strong legs and me being confident overcome it! the new boy is a bit spooky so I'll wait a few weeks before taking him out on his own but I think he'll be fine....all about settling in for him I guess.