hacking out

[Tiarella]

do you enjoy it? or does it make you nervous?
do you prefer hacking out alone or with company?

i love hacking out, its a good way to relax and have some good bonding time

i hacked out today by myself, and my pony is much better by himself, but i do get nervous & tense though but doug doesnt seem to mind to much. i do like the company of others though, it feels much safer.

what are your opinions?

 

[barbaraNcolin]

I love hacking out. Sometimes I prefer to go on my own, maybe to have a mind-blowing gallop without having to worry about anyone else or just for some "us" time with either one of my two. But sometimes it's also great to hack out with someone else to have a good old chinwag and down time. Pros and Cons either way for me.

 

[StefDua]

I am a self confessed happy hacker. Love it to bits. At the mo we have no choice but to hack out alone as only 1 horse and 2 riders

I do enjoy hacking alone but would be nice to have someone along to talk to sometimes - also I'd prefer to go 'exploring' with someone along too

 

[Hippona]

Both really- I usually hack out on my own, and I enjoy it- , I can dictate the pace and do some schooling whilst I'm out if I want to.

Yesterday I rode out with a friend, and it was nice- had a good gallop - plus it was windy- leaves everywhere so horses were a bit spooky and the company helped. Also, if I want to go somewhere a bit different then I like to go out with someone else too

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
I love hacking out. Sometimes I prefer to go on my own, maybe to have a mind-blowing gallop without having to worry about anyone else

[/ QUOTE ]
i wish i could have a good gallop! i would end up dead if i tried to gallop my mad thing!

 

[Hullabaloo]

I enjoy my hacking. At my old yard I had lots of people to hack with if I wanted so it was quite a social thing. I only have one person to ride with where I am now and we don't go together that often as we tend to like doing differenet things. I do enjoy hacking by myself, but I did like having the choice of company when I fancied it. I probably hack a bit less now than I used to, mainly because I need to go out for well over an hour to do anything decent and I don't often have time during the week.

 

[TheresaW]

I love hacking, and we have the whole of Epping Forest to do it in!

My mare is lame at the moment, but on Saturday I borrowed my friends pony so that I could go out with my sharer and Mac. We had a lovely 3 hour hack. Lots of walking, trotting and cantering. Was fab.

I am a bit sad that I won't be doing much hacking in the dark this winter with Dolly off work.

 

[ihatework]

I enjoy it sometimes. I'm not nervous to hack out, I just get a bit bored by it.
When the weather and ground is good and you can go for a nice fast hack then it's fun, otherwise I find it a required chore to keep fitness for the fun stuff.
As for alone or in company, a bit of both depending on my mood!

 

[barbaraNcolin]

It's great, although I have to be a bit more careful with my boy than my girl as he is more spooky but we still give it a go!

 

[HenryandPeta]

I am such a happy hacker! Henry and I go out alone most of the time (due to lack of available companion riders!), we like ambling or speeding as the mood takes us! I love it as it gets us out in the fresh air, Henry enjoys looking at things and especially rolling his eye and "breaking wind" whenever people walk past... We tend to do a bit of schooling out in the open or along tracks if and when I feel he needs it, but nope, in general I would be fantastically happy to hack for ever more without setting foot in a school ever again!

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
I great, although I have to be a bit more careful with my boy than my girl as he is more spooky but we still give it a go!

[/ QUOTE ]

doug isnt at all spooky. just very very naughty, bronks and stuff, so a bit dangerous! im sure he will be better as he gets older though

 

[ladyt25]

Have hacked out ever since I was a kid so do enjoy it although i can get a bit bored these days as always the same old routes. However, have often been reminded by another horsey friend how lucky i am to have such great hacking round me so i will stop moaning about it! Love having a good gallop on the stubble fields!

 

[mrdarcy]

I don't get people who don't hack out... but then I compete endurance so it's part of the sport!

If I hack with other people it's purely for pleasure and I prefer to amble and gossip - which is what I can do this time of year. During the endurance season hacking is part of getting and keeping the horses fit - and I go at a much faster speed and much further than most people hack, so tend to do that on my own.

 

[Bugly]

I love hacking: but the traffic makes me nervous; I just wish folk would slow down even though I look like a Christmas tree in all my fluorescent gear!

On Saturday I went for a 3 hour ride and made it longer just to stay off the road as much as poss. On the short bit of busy rode I had to do one woman slowed down, and dropped down a gear as she went past, the car revved so loud it made poor pony spook and then she cut in tight and nearly took her nose off: kinda pointless manoeuvre I thought!

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I love hacking but also love competing so all my horses (the ones that can be ridden!) do both.. i generally have to hack alone but if i can grab company then i will always take up the offer but i find we get less done with company and some days we're (me and horsey) in one of those moods for just a nice quiet hack alone.
I dont generally get nervous, and my current boy can be nappy and nervous so i suppose it pushes me to remain calm as he will nap badly if allowed but only on our own- in company he allows the other horse to take lead.
Its when he has to lead he wimps out!

 

[Tiarella]

[ QUOTE ]
even though I look like a Christmas tree in all my fluorescent gear!


[/ QUOTE ]

LMAO!

 

[JoBo]

I love hacking, I like hacking out on my own but Bodey is definately slower on his own then in company. I think hacking in company is a great chance for a good natter, wish I could find more people to hack out with.
I don’t get nervous at all but then I’m riding Bodey and he isn’t really a spooky horse, can get a bit strong going fast in company but nothing I can’t handle.

 

[brighthair]

I used to love it but now it frightens me :-(
I want to start hacking out again

 

[aimeeq94]

love it
on my own and in company, sometimes i feel like going with people.. sometimes i feel like going on my own so i can decided where to go and what to do

xx

 

[ladyt25]

I don't understand people who don't enjoy/are scared to hack out either. I do question why they own a horse as surely it can't be that enjoyable just toddling round a school (for horse or rider!). I don't think we've ever had a horse/pony that wasn't safe to hack - they all have their moments but that's horses isn't it.

The worst thing is the traffic sure but i think you just have to be aware of what's coming, where your 'escape routes' are etc. I actually prefer hacking on busy main roads sometimes to country lanes as people can see you from further away generally and seem less likely to treat the roads as racetracks.

Still, i don't think you can live your life thinking what may happen can you, you just need to get out and enjoy yourself!

 

[merlinsquest]

Hacking is the favourite part of riding for me!!! Just as well, as Merlins not supposed to do schooling

I love going out in company, but am happy to go it alone too

I went both days at the weekend, to Frensham Common in the trailer, where it is sand, sand and more sand..... as opposed to Farnham Common which I can hack to in five mins, which is stones, stones and.... yep, more stones

When I first got merlin I didnt like hacking on my own but now I dont mind..... prefer company though as I get funny looks talking to myself

There was a Breast Cancer sponsored walk on sunday, with lots of pink balloons etc...... Merlin waited till the main walkers were coming towards us, before dropping his entire digestive tract on the path!!!! Got some smartarse comments about picking it up too....... I just rode on and pretended I was deaf!!!

 

[burtie]

Well I keep my horse in the New Forest so I'd be mad not to enjoy hacking out!

I have one friend I hack with most Monday's who likes to go just the same pace as me, so those are my favourite hacks (we go fairyl fast!)

 

[Coffee_Bean]

I love hacking, always try to go at least twice a week, in winter that's all but in summer its more often

I love hacking on my own for a)bonding time b) if I cba to talk and c) I can make it a schooling hack, doing loads of transitions and lateral work along paths etc, which you can't really do in company, d)I can choose my own route and go whereever the hell I like

But I love to have company sometimes too

Someone else to bribe into jumping the park benches with you, and flying over fallen down trees

 

[Hanz]

My old mare was extremely nappy, even worse when she was with certain horses, almost as if she was 'showing off', she was an absolute nightmare, 90 minutes to get round a 15 minute ride, and no chance of a trot let alone a gallop, unless other horses were infront then she panic about being left behind, after a few weeks of taking her out by herself everyday and a LOT of willpower, she was OK by herself, but still a total loser with other horses, so I had to hack by myself with her, still you couldn't relax and have a bit of a chill out as she would shot a buck in every now and again too.

Scribbles however is easy going, jogs quite a bit on the way home and hets himself up after a gallop but nothing too bad, the only time I would have problems with him is when a certain three of us all went out together - all lead horses when teamchasing

I do enjoy it but it has been a while since I could relax when out riding.

 

[ajn1610]

Like hacking

Hate traffic
The lanes are fine but our drive comes out onto a ludicrously busy A road. Our horses are brilliant as close to bombproof as you can get we go out covered in florescent gear but that doesn't stop an idiot driving into you does it?

 

[brighthair]

I lost my TB who was great to hack and I now share 2 - one is a baby and unpredictable, the other spooks and likes to spin round

 

[YorksG]

Hacking is my main horsey activity, the current Appy is fine in company or alone and I enjoy both. We also both enjoy the big social rides of our RC, the mare particularly enjoys fancy dress rides