hacking alone

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lolly10fi

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just wondering who on here hacks on their own? im at a privert yard with only few people who never hack alone but they dont have time to ride with me so most of the time my dad walks nextto me but i want to go out more alone but im only 14 does anyone think i should go alone thanks :)
 
I always used to hack alone when I was 14! As long as your horse is safe and you have a phone on you then no problem - always a good idea to let someone know where you're planning on going though, just incase.
 
lolly10fi said:
just wondering who on here hacks on their own? im at a privert yard with only few people who never hack alone but they dont have time to ride with me so most of the time my dad walks nextto me but i want to go out more alone but im only 14 does anyone think i should go alone thanks :)
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I went out alone as soon as I could control the pony properly, probably around 12 year old. Maybe do the bhs riding and road safety test.
 
When I was 14yrs I did hack alone all the time - but that was 30 yrs ago when there was less traffic to worry about.....

Assuming you have a sensible pony/horse, have you got any safe circular routes that you could start with, and have a phone on you?
 
Agree with other posters. unfortunately its the volume of traffic thats more of a problem these days. Always make sure your wearing hi-viz clothing so you can be seen both on roads and anywhere off road for safetys sake.
 
Hack alone as much as you can with the occasional group/ partner hack. If you ever needed to sell you are bang on whats required in a pony :) ... Plus its just lovely to get out on your own, you and the pony/ horse, chilling, thinking .. putting the world to rights ... fab times :D
 
My daughter is 13 and often goes for a solo hack as there is no-one to hack with (ponies at home). I often cycle with her esp if we are investigating a new further afield route, or I might meet her the other end with picnic if going with a friend or further afield. She's in the Pony Club, and is about to do her C+ test, passed her Riding & Road Safety test a year or two ago, so I know she's pretty safe. We're in a fairly suburban area, but there is a high population of riders so cars meeting a horse isn't unusual. Pony is fairly bombproof she's had him 3 years so they've a good knowledge of each other. She hi-vizzes her & the pony, takes a phone, tells me where she is going and stops and phones me half way round.

I'd recommend R&RS test before you do solos if you have anywhere to t ake it locally. I'd also suggest to start your dad walks part way, then you ,meet up with him on the way back.
 
It depends on a lot of things really - how the roads are around you, how your pony is, how sensible you are!

I made my stepson do the PC riding and road safety too - he actually failed on bit of the exam, but the fact that he'd done the course was enough for me to feel happy that he had learned how to ride on the road safely. He also had a very safe pony and we don't have to go on main roads.
 
Yes I don't have much choice as only have a couple of hacking friends but I enjoy it as long as horse is sensible.

It very much depends on what your pony is like on the roads combined with how busy the roads are, but I don't think you are too young personally as long as you have control and a phone!

Having someone with you on foot or on a bike is handy to get used to it..
 
My 14yr old daughter occasionally goes for a hack on her own. I make sure I know where she's going and that she has her phone with her and her hi viz on. She's sensible and pony is ok on his own so I think it does them both good. She doesn't do it everyday and at first I walked with her and then would let her do a bit on her own and meet me at an agreed place and gradually these got longer.
 
I have hacked alone since I was 11, I am now 31. Mobiles were not about back then either, but as long as you have a phone on you and take a good route on a good horse and say when you will be back I do not see the problem
 
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