Hacking in an outline

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Penguin_Toes

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Hi Everyone

Just a very quick question - do you hack in an outline?

My boy hacks out with his head up and ears pricked on a lose contact, and I like it that way, its more relaxing for both of us. He isn't hollow, but I don't want to be building up muscle in the incorrect places.

I hack several miles at a time mainly to fitten and live in a very hilly area, so often trot up steep hills when his head does go down as he powers himself up the hill, however even then I tend to have a loose contact.

Am I being lazy? Is he going to end up with huge under neck muscles?

Thanks! :)
 
I vary it a bit, i just like mine engaged and in a nice working contact most of the way, although i let him have a gaze around as he enjoys his hacking, i dont ride on a loose contact though as he cant be trusted that much lol!
 
I hack on the bit , and in a low and deep and a long and low position and on a completely loose rien .
I practise riding walk in medium collected and extended and moving between them , and doing medium ,free rien and back to medium .
But I also do lots of completely loose rien walking.
When I trot they are being worked into the postion I what them .
 
Yes, nowadays. We have very hilly hacking so it makes sense to make the most of it. I've come to the conclusion that my horse has 23 hours of the day to do whatever he likes so he can work for the 1 hour he's being ridden :)

I do let him have a loose rein at times and I always start off that way, but I do get him working properly too. Always when we trot, and always when we are walking up and down hills. Sometimes he works long and low, other times a bit more up and then sometimes a completely loose rein. I also vary the pace so I slow down the walk/trot then push it on etc. And I do lateral work. We have lots of off road hacking, or very quiet lanes, so I do bits of leg yield and shoulder fore. Also transitions up and down walk to trot, and back.

He can be quite sharp and cheeky so if he doesn't work when he hacks then he finds other things to think about... working properly (all of the above) keeps him mind occupied and on me.
 
It depends, if we're preparing for upcoming dressage competitions then I tend to hack in an outline and get her doing bits of leg-yield and shoulder-in from time to time, with breaks to let her stretch her neck. Otherwise, I usually vary between being in an outline to being in a contact but not an outline to being on the buckle end at various points in the ride, depending on what we're doing. And then there are the days where I just think 'h*ll with it' and hack on a loose rein to chill out!
 
It really varies. On my horse, rarely. He is very hard work to make work out hacking but he has excellent muscle tone and works beautifully in the school or at events so I'm lazy and cba.

Majority of my clients horses i work for a bit, then chill for a bit, although a couple i work all the time. It depends on the horse and what the owner wants me to do. Anything sharp is worked more in order to keep its attention on me
 
Depends, if we're fittening and trying to strengthen muscles, then yes, interspaced with relaxing.

If we're out adventuring and enjoying the day, then not really, although they do have periods when they are walking, trotting actively or when going down steep banks they work into the contact more.

On busy roads, I let them have their heads because they hear the traffic before ever I do and take appropriate action before I've even registered what's coming, especially on windy days.
 
wyrdsister said:
It depends, if we're preparing for upcoming dressage competitions then I tend to hack in an outline and get her doing bits of leg-yield and shoulder-in from time to time, with breaks to let her stretch her neck. Otherwise, I usually vary between being in an outline to being in a contact but not an outline to being on the buckle end at various points in the ride, depending on what we're doing. And then there are the days where I just think 'h*ll with it' and hack on a loose rein to chill out!
Click to expand...

I could've written the above myself :)
 
I do try too but am slightly lazy about it sometimes. I find that firstly it helps me be a little more in control as my horse is a bit spooky and nervous hacking alone and I never have anyone too ride with secondly he's 15 and im finding he looses muscle quickly especially being semi retired and due to the fact I don't really school him as he wont travel and I have no where close enough.
 
Like others have said it would depend :) when we did hack out before the tart decided she was going to have a baby :rolleyes: we would vary the days we would ride in an outline. Tess is quite good and it really doesn't take a lot to get her going in an outline a novice could take her to small dressage comps and she would do all the work. But then there are days when i really couldnt give two what either of us look like and would rather go for a quiet canter on the stubble and let her stretch out, no contact on the buckle :D
 
I'm like a lot of people who have written here, a bit of both. With no school i do all my training on the road but I do like him to be able to relax and have fun at times.
 
Never :eek: with loose reins! ASBO would never stop grazing. In fact he can get his neck into a lovely shape but it's just so he can get enough loose rein to shoot his head down! I'm on to that trick now though :p
 
I am with you OP! I only hack out and we ride with a long rein, head up, ears pricked, etc. I have often had to suddenly grab my reins when he has spooked at something, but that just makes me laugh - so all in all, everything is much more relaxed.

I am often told we should be working harder in an outline - and often wonder the same thing as you!!
 
Thank you for all the replies! He is excellent when I can get him to a school, he goes really well, so I think that is why I'm being a soft touch!

Must try harder, at least for some of the time, after all I have to work for upwards of 8 hours a day, why shouldn't he for 1 hour :cool:
 
At walk, I vary between slopping on a loose rein and asking for an outline. At trot and canter, I have contact and sometimes ask for an outline but as long as the contact is soft (not stiff, hollow, and horrible feeling), I'm usually not bothered with where she puts her nose.

If she gets spooky at something, into the deep outline she goes.
 
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