Hacking out in the dark

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mrblue

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Do lots do this or is it generally frowned upon, i hack out both my horses usually on there own often in total darkness, nobody else at my yard does this and i think they look at me like i am mad, maybe i am but my horses need a change from schooling and work means no daylight. i did clip a torch to one of my boys bridles once but it kept falling off!
 
No, never. I am lucky enough to normally be able to fit in riding in daylight hours, but when I have been more pressed for time I have stayed in the school after dark. Around here it would be suicide to go out after dark (single lane roads, no street lighting, no visibility because of hedge rows), no matter how much hi-viz someone might wear.
 
we have tons of offroad hacking in the woods but i still think its pretty unsafe? I often come back just as sun is going down but wouldnt dream of hacking in the dark..
 
Hacking is limited to weekends only now for me as it is dark when i finish work, i personally wouldn't want to ride on the roads or fields in the dark.
 
We have only a very short bit of road to get into the woods, so yes, I hack in the dark. Especially since I need to hack in order to get to the school!
 
I would never hack in the dark or half light/dark. Its just too dangerous - thinking as a rider and driver. The chances of spooking, stumbling etc in the pitch dark is high and I would need to go on the roads - as a driver and a rider I would never expect to see a horse and rider on the road in the pitch dark.
 
Would certainly never hack on the roads in the dark. Car drivers just don't expect to see a horse in the dark and I think you could be risking an awful lot just to have a short hack.
 
I would never go out on the roads in the dark. It think it would be stupid! However we have fields straight of the back of the yard and I have once been out with 2 friends and not realised how quicky it gets dark at this time of the year and we arrived back at the yard in the dark. But it was just fields so it didn't really matter and we were only walking, it was actually quite fun!
 
I would never ever ever hack in the dark. It is far too dangerous. I have ridden in a poorly lit school in the dark though. Could you not ask someone else to take them out during the day if they need the hacking work?
 
I would not hack out on the roads after dark because of visibilty issues, but I have often ridden in the dark across fields/ down mountains etc.

Remeber that horses have far better night vision, and can cope very well with walking and trotting in the dark, I would be wary of riding in woods as you cannot see tree branches at head height....
I have in the past, at midnight in the pitch black (no moon,or light pollution) in the middle of no where in NZ, had a horse take me across the last field home at an inhand gallop and he didn't stumble once and avoided stuff on his own. All I could see was the stars...

If you want a light get one on a strap that can go over your hard hat, doesn't bother the horse and means you can see tree branches/gates/ the ground.
 
I have had to hack out on roads in the dark before in order to keep mine in work although I do agree that it certainly isn't ideal and can be rather a stupid choice but it is sometimes unavoidable. I always stuck to the same route which is more of a housing estate and only a few minutes long so I could repeat as many times as I wished and generally meant the horses were more relaxed as it was so familiar. The route has some street lights and has a very wide pavement all the way around, so I stuck to the pavement if I ever needed to. I also went out as early as possible as there aren't many cars out and about at 5am ish. Put on as much hi-viz, reflectives and flashing lights as possible also why not invest in a miners lamp that you can attach to your hat.

Is there anyway you can work around this to avoid having to hack out in the dark?
Although I have had to do it before I wouldn't recommend it but if you do be careful.
 
I think going out on the roads is a bit unfair to drivers TBH, and there's always the risk in the early morning that someone is still half asleep or rushing to get to work and might run into you.
But if you've got fields or bridlepaths you can ride on you should be OK - my friend trained 2 ptp horses one winter by riding them in the fields at 5am before setting off for a 2hr commute!
 
Around my yard there is no street lighting, little country roads and big woods/park areas. I wouldnt be able to see where i was going and im sure my horsie would go banana's if some spooked him in the dark
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I used to but the rodes were private ones round an estate so the only cars you met with other people coming to the yard. I had a stirrup light. Horse funnily enough used to be less spooky in the dark. Don't think I would do it on the public highways as car drivers wouldn't be expecting to see a horse that time of day and would be concerned that if you came off there would be a horse with no lights on running around the roads.
 
i have 4 lights on me front and back, all the reflective gear in in the world and venture out in semi-darkness as it is getting light in the morn, as there is just no other alternative. Been doing this for 10 years and had no probs or angry drivers.
 
i go out in the dark dressed up like an xmas tree - high viz rug, boots, breastplate, jackat, hat cover, and flashing lights if on roads (but i generally only cross roads
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but i turn the lights off when in the fields as they wreck my night vision

and yup i do fitness work in the dark - canter work if a light night (ie full moon) as i know the fields/tracks v well.

TBH i've hacked back from a hunt in pitch darkness before on roads and that's far more scary! but i do tend to take off my back jacket and wear a v bright thermatex wasitcoat (v cosy!) to give drivers a little pre-warning - but i hate doing it! i've not done that for years but nowdays i'd prob take a highviz tabbard in my pocket for if i got in that situation again
 
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I think going out on the roads is a bit unfair to drivers TBH, and there's always the risk in the early morning that someone is still half asleep or rushing to get to work and might run into you.

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Whilst I do agree with the dangers but I wouldn't say it was unfair to drivers. I agree that there is more risk involved having a horse on the roads but some do go out more suitably dressed than most dog walkers or cyclists, IMO they are being more unfair to the drivers by not giving the driver more of a chance to see them.
 
I hack in the dark off road, but would never go on road in the dark. I often did my fitness cantering round a field in the dark, no problem. Current yard has off-road access to woods, and yes I would hack round them in the dark.
 
I do with both of mine, we have a path around our farm that spans 2 miles, no one on their but riders and th eocasional dog walker, both of mine hack out round there in the dark, they have to or they woul dbe schooled 5 days a week and im not doing that!
 
I do in the mornings, I have high vis coat, lights on my body and one on each ankle. Mick has flourescent on his bridle and 2 outside legs. I go out down the grass verge and come home along the road, but its getting light by then.

If you go at the same time every day the cars become familiar with you as they are the same people going to work every day.

I also found it better through the village where there are street lights. Mick takes about a week to get used to it again, but he actually hacks out better in the dark than daylight.
 
Well considering they used to ride and pull carriages in the dark, then there shouldnt really be a problem (horse-wise anyway!)
 
I've come back in the dark a few times, and the horses have never had a problem with finding their footing & that's going through the woods not on the roads. As long as you wear hi-viz/lights, I can't really see a problem with it if that's the only time you can ride.
 
I used to hack around the estates on my pony, never on my own and always fully kitted out in fluorescents. If i wanted to keep my horse fit, working full time with no arena and no transport it wasn't an option I had to do it. I would never do it with the horse i have now, but i am at a different yard which has an arena so don't need to.
 
I can't imagine it to be honest, purely because if you happen to come off, your horse escapes from you, then your pretty much up sh*t street if you pardon my French
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I suppose if you have your own farm land and if your your horse did happen to do something out of the ordinary and you took sharp exit out of the side door and your horse could not get on to the roads, run a cattle grid or into some fencing then I'd probably give it ago.

I can understand how difficult it can be though, nobody wants to send their horses sour with too much mid week schooling/lunging or loosing the fitness, but I think I'd rather live with that than take the risks to be honest.
 
i'd hack out in the dark-ish if it was all totally off-road, but not if there was any roadwork involved at all.
even when i did live somewhere with totally off-road hacking though, i only went out at dusk a few times, and never in the absolute dark. too frightening, i'm frightened of the dark anyway!
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drivers do not expect to see a rider on the roads in the dark, horses might well spook at the lights, and the consequences could be horrific.
 
Wow it is not something i had thought about - TBH i am struggling with daylight hours work and riding at the mo I live on a large grassland estate so would never meet cars so i suppose there is no reason why i shouldnt ride ............ certainly wouldnt ride on the roads though .

Sharonxx
 
OMG noway,i may see ghosts if i rode in the dark as my yard backs onto woods(scary stuff).
Mr p enjoying getting ridden 3 times a wk now,its all i have time to do and i seem to spend most my eves poo picking in the dark(i HATE this time of yr):p
 
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