Hacking on his own

[hairycob]

I should have known better, but last week when Pickle lost her shoe younger son went out for a short hack on Bobby with me walking beside him. Bobby was an angel & now O wants to go out hacking by himself (gulp!). He's 14 & there is one route he can do from the farm without touching a road. It's a go along & then turn round & come back type route, but he can go out for up to 1.5 hours so worth doing. Pony is as safe & sensible as any pony is ever going to be.
Plan is to hack out that way a couple of times so they are both used to the route. Then at half term he will go & get Bobby ready by himself, call me when they are ready & I will go the same route on foot so I am close by if there are problems, but not actually "with" them.Once we are both happy I have set rules as follows:
Must let me know when & he is going & when he gets back.
Must also leave a copy of route & expected time back at farm (I might be at work).
Must have mobile - with credit!
Must carry ID with contact & GP details in his pocket.
Must have contact details on tag attached to saddle.
Anything I have forgotten.
I would prefer that he hacked out with other youngsters, but although there are loads of riders in our village, all the others are adults.

 

[Weezy]

Ach he will be fine! Youngest owner on my yard is 10 and she hacks round the farm herself - she always ensures someone knows she is going and away she goes

By 14 I was taking people out hacking at the yard I worked at!

Cut those apron strings and let him enjoy his independence

 

[Irishcobs]

I'm sure he will be fine. Bobby will look after him.
My dad is still like it now, he tells me to ring when I leave and get back and I'm 19 and have been hacking alone for nearly 10 years!

 

[hairycob]

I know he'll be fine really - as long as he doesn't go on the road - I don't think that's fair on drivers LOL. When we come back through the village I make him go in front to try & make him think about turnings & passing parked cars etc. He thinks nothing of starting a conversation & turning round to talk to me either as we approach the turning to the farm or as we approach a line of parked cars. He is just the same on his bike & on foot.
If you ask what he should do in any situation he knows - just doesn't put it into practise

 

[beh]

he will be fine, if he is sensible and understands that he has to be more careful if out by himself, then he should be fine, but do make sure he carries his mobile, they are a necessitie (sp)he will have to start hacking out by himself soon so let it be now.

 

[hairycob]

Reckon if he falls off the ground will be softer than in the summer!

 

[merlins-mum]

My daughter has been hacking out alone since she was 12. This includes roads as well as trails. She *has* to take her phone, but otherwise I let her get on with it. The first couple of times I worried, but she has to go it alone sooner or later.

 

[hairycob]

I guess the first time is the worst. He's very young for his age - people always think he's about 12 when they see him, but he has to grow up sometime. Glad everybody else's kids seem to hack out alone. I rarey see kids hacking around here even with adults. I don't know why as we have really good hacking.

 

[sevenoceans]

Every parents nightmare but i know a friend who let her 8 year old girl go (as non parent i was more worried than her mum!!!!) she tells us where she's going and when to be expect back.... she got mine and her mum's number in case she can't get to one of us... Gotta let them go sometime!! She loves it!!

 

[Theresa_F]

Provided the pony is sensible he should be fine. You have taken all precautions.

I used to hack out for miles when I was 8, though this was 35 years ago, but there was still traffic etc.

I had probably the most bombproof Dartmoor known to mankind - worth twice her weight in gold.

I am more than happy to let my cousin hack Cairo out - and he is a 16.3 clydie with a tiny stick insect of a girl on top and she was doing this at 13 and is a fairly novice rider. Again, Cairo is nearly 100% trustworthy and for me, it is the horse being sensible that is the most important factor.

 

[Bex7]

....Must have high viz

even if not on the roads it helps spot them in an emergency situation.

My friends daughter is 14 and hacks out all the time on her own, I must admit she is very grown up for 14 and can go for hours! I am a big wuss and at 28 like to hack out with her "to keep her company"!!!!