Hacking etiquette?

EllieBeast

EllieBeast

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Just a quick one- when riding out on the roads on my 4yo yesterday (with sensible companion as it was her first hack since october having had time off with saddle issues!) We came across another rider trotting towards us on the other side of a single track road.
To pass us he didnt slow down, just kept on trotting past fairly close to ours. This certainly wasnt a problem to us as our horses couldn't care less but I have always been taught to pass at a walk as you dont know how other peoples horses are likely to react. What are other peoples views on this? How do you pass others?
Im merely asking out of curiosity as I expect my horse to behave in these circumstances, but know others that may kick up a stink!!
 
I always walk past other horses but I try to train my horses to expect to be passed in both directions by other horses at all paces (do this during groupwork in a school, first with the buddy horse then with other horses so the baby gets accustomed to all manner of things and treats them as normal.
 
I would always slow down coming towards other horses, if I am coming from behind I would always ask it was ok to pass. To me its just a question of manners
 
yes I would always slow down if I was passing someone else! my mare used to be a right night mare, she wouldn't walk anywhere but I would always battle to bring her to a walk/annoyed jog when passing other horses! but had someone else trotted passed her, all hell would have broken loose! she used to get very stressed out by other horses! I used to have to hack her alone! shes retired now!
 
I always walk past but I don't mind people trotting past me as mine isn't bothered. If they galloped past in the field it would be a different story of course but we'd win every time :p
 
Hacking etiquette dictates that you slow to a walk when passing other horses in either direction. You can gallop past Kali in the school or in a warm-up arena, but if you cantered past him out hacking he'd want to come with you - which as a herd animal is completely understandable.

P
 
I always walk for other riders/ pedestrians etc. Other week I was out on my 4 YO and a troop of about 6 riders from a local yard riding 2 abreast trotted past with me no indication of stopping or slowing down. Poor Nelly's brains just about exploded out her ears and she reared up and almost went over a wall backwards. Not fun.
 
If I had been on my old mare then I wouldn't have even given it a thought, but with the youngster every new situation is a test as she hasn't seen much of the world yet. She is used to working with other horses in the arena although can be a bit too 'horse focussed' so I was pleased that she didnt react yesterday.
Its useful to know its still considered good manners to pass slow!
 
NellRosk said:
I always walk for other riders/ pedestrians etc. Other week I was out on my 4 YO and a troop of about 6 riders from a local yard riding 2 abreast trotted past with me no indication of stopping or slowing down. Poor Nelly's brains just about exploded out her ears and she reared up and almost went over a wall backwards. Not fun.
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Thats really rude of them!

I always walk and ask if its ok to pass
 
If coming up behind another horse and you slow to walk then ask if OK to pass and the other rider says "NO". What would you do then? Curious as this has happened to me.
 
PolarSkye said:
Hacking etiquette dictates that you slow to a walk when passing other horses in either direction. You can gallop past Kali in the school or in a warm-up arena, but if you cantered past him out hacking he'd want to come with you - which as a herd animal is completely understandable.

P
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Same with Ned. When I rode in the school with group lessons you could whizz past Ned and he'd happily stand or walk or whatever. I've also ridden him in the field with Cookie charging about like a mad thing, trying to make him follow and he just doesn't, he knows better.
But out and about, I think walk is the fastest someone could pass us without issues. Ned still "naps" a wee bit and seeing other horses blows his brains a bit...I can control him, but it's not fun. I would always walk past others.
 
PaddyMonty said:
If coming up behind another horse and you slow to walk then ask if OK to pass and the other rider says "NO". What would you do then? Curious as this has happened to me.
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If their horse was getting upset I'd stop and get a good bit of distance between us and wouldn't trot. If their horse was fine I'd perhaps ask why? But I would respect their wishes and wouldn't pass.
 
PolarSkye said:
Hacking etiquette dictates that you slow to a walk when passing other horses in either direction. You can gallop past Kali in the school or in a warm-up arena, but if you cantered past him out hacking he'd want to come with you - which as a herd animal is completely understandable.

P
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See I personally wouldn't be bothered and would encourage the horses to deal with situations like this - out hunting we will often have huntsman and hunt staff cantering/galloping past us in the opposite direction and I would be mortified if any of ours decided to whip round and follow them, so they are quite used to having horses flying past them.
 
I think I'd ask them what they needed to do for us to get past them. If we could stop and let them turn round and pass us and then let us get away, or they could get into a gateway. Most of the time when I meet others I tend to stop for a gossip.
 
I'd have stopped my horse sideways across the track so they couldn't get past, waited from some manners from them and then let them through. Manners cost nothing!
 
I'd find it rude and odd. I'd expect them to walk but I'd also expect them to say hello! I've only ever met another rider on a hack once in 20 years and she slowed down and we had a chat - if she'd zoomed past I'd have been baffled. Just manners same as saying good morning to walkers when you pass.
 
I had a cob that would nap to other horses and the only way to get him to go past in any form of control was in a spanking trot... Otherwise if you walked you'd end up having a huge fight with bucking and spinning to follow other horses - there is always 2 sides to every story!
 
blitznbobs said:
I had a cob that would nap to other horses and the only way to get him to go past in any form of control was in a spanking trot... Otherwise if you walked you'd end up having a huge fight with bucking and spinning to follow other horses - there is always 2 sides to every story!
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But you'd have time to call out to the other rider, though. Something like 'Sorry, can't stop, got a naughty horse!'.

I always pass at a walk. Its just good manners.
 
I really don't think it matters whether your horse give two hoots or not - they don't know how your horse is going to react and should always slow to a walk, unless they're completely out of control!!

Like car drivers I guess, some horse riders are just ignorant.
 
We always walk,and have never had anyone trot past us without asking.Mind you,ours are children riding ponies and well known locally,so that might make people be a bit more considerate.I always thank them and let them know it's ok to trot past us though,especially if they have a young or excitable horses.

I didn't know it was the correct etiquette,but it just seemed good manners.
 
ive always been taught to slow down and pass at a walk and to ask if its ok to pass. this is the same where it be other horses, pedestrians or cars. that being said i did have an incident where my horse had some time off from injury and first time out hacking in nearly 3 months got spooked by a pheasent...he bolted down the road with me an we did overtake some dog walkers at speed...i shouted out an apology and was trying my best to stop. eventually stopped and did go back and apologise to the dog walkers. they were fine about it thankfully. and luckily we were on a bridlepath and not the road!!

i think that aslong as you can see that the other rider is trying to slow down/walk then i wouldnt mind, but if they were being ignorent and rude then my horse "may" just start going sideways blocking the way...by accident of course.

also i would also say that good etiquette for hacking would include saying a simple hello or morning to people you pass...
 
PaddyMonty said:
If coming up behind another horse and you slow to walk then ask if OK to pass and the other rider says "NO". What would you do then? Curious as this has happened to me.
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One of the first times I rode my horse out alone I heard another horse coming up behind me at a trot, I had no idea how M would react but to the other riders credit she slowed down, asked if it was OK to pass and carry on at a trot. I said I had no idea but maybe if she heard me yell she could look back to see what was happening! Needless to say M got quite upset at being left behind and I had no choice but to let him catch up, he was bucking and cat leaping and I didnt want to come off on the road. Once we caught up we trotted on together until we went separate ways at the next junction with no hysterics from M. I think basic good manners and common sense would dictate that as a horse is a herd animal it is quite likely to cause upset if others go shooting past so slowing down and checking is good practise in order to avoid potential accidents.
 
PaddyMonty said:
If coming up behind another horse and you slow to walk then ask if OK to pass and the other rider says "NO". What would you do then? Curious as this has happened to me.
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Awkward situation, I would be interested to hear other's views. It happened to me the riders in front proceeded to wander along slowly, chatting to each other. There were places they could have left the path and let us pass safely, but they chose not to. We waited behind them for a good 15 mins before they turned off the path. I felt it was very rude of them, no thanks, no explanation...
 
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