Hacking to a Show

fidleyspromise

fidleyspromise

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I know ther was a thread a couple of months ago regarding someone wanting to know if it was a good idea etc.

Well, yesterday I rode my Highland 8.5 miles to a show jumping comp. She is fit and perfectly healthy. I made sure to get there in plenty of time so she had a couple of hours to rest, chill and munch hay.

She went into her first comp, full of beans.
The second round I took her into, we knocked two poles down but had great fun.

I then gave her another hour or so to rest, before hacking her home again. She effectively bounced all the way home.

When we got home, she was a little warm and sweaty but some horses at the competition were worse than she was when she got home! She had a roll and a trot and canter around the field.

This morning she munched her food and went cantering around the field again - the most energetic I've seen her in the field for a while.

I did make sure I gave them extra hay the days leading up to it and also last night for energy - most of it wasn't eaten but she had the option.

I would highly recommend it to those that are thinking about it but are unsure whether to or not. As long as you and the pony are fit enough!! I enjoyed myself and at the show, I was looking forward to a couple of quiet hours with my pony. ALL of it was road work.
 
If I have the two going to a show I hack one and lead the other if its in hacking distance :)

I think as long as the horses have a chance to rest then I dont see the bother :)
 
I know I am showing my age, but when I was a child we had no transport and the only way to get to a show was to hack, we easily hacked 5-10 miles each way. It is not a problem for the average horse/pony.
 
BigRead: I totally agree! It just seems to be the attitude these days of, wouldn't hack more than 5 miles there!
NikNKia: I'm hoping to do this, if my youngster shows she'll be calm /confident enough to be led! My OH is proving difficult as I brought it up yesterday and he reckons I can't possibly do more than a half hour hack with 2 as it's too dangerous! :(

Speaking to my farrier, and he said that so few people actually even hack. So many of his clients stay within the four walls of the arena and with a lot of them, it's not because that's where they're happy but because of nerves.

My pony personally, would be extremely unbearable to cope with if I didn't hack out. That's what keeps her sane. I was on one yard where due to hours I was working, it was too dark to hack and she was an absolute nutter!
 
BigRed said:
I know I am showing my age, but when I was a child we had no transport and the only way to get to a show was to hack, we easily hacked 5-10 miles each way. It is not a problem for the average horse/pony.
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Absolutely, but there was less traffic then and much less on Sundays as the shops weren't open.

And, um, have we forgotten horses used to be used for transport so hacking a few miles shouldn't be a problem!
 
I have only hacked my baby to shows as he needs the time to get his brain in gear and ready. I think he would lose the plot if he was to get striaght out of the box there and be expected to staty still. He will have to get used to doing it but for now i think its a nice way to build him up. Also i have no transport as he is huge nad no one has a lorry big enough or a trailer suitable at my yard.

On th esubject of hacking. He was a wimp when i got him as he hadnt been hacked- now he is bold and brave and will go past, round or over most things this has been so valuable with the xc and sj aspects. he also doesnt hot up when hacking to a hunt meet as he thinks we are just off as normal x
 
I don't see a problem with hacking to shows. I hack my horse to shows, though only half an hour hack. He is a lot looser and warmed up when we get there than if we were to go in a trailer or lorry.
Just need somebody on foot to help when i get there. Also hack an hour for lessons and find he goes much better as warmed up nicely than if just go in school straight away.
 
I will on occasion hack to shows (I have transport now so I tend to trailer, but when it's nearby/nice/not possible to trailer I still do). Most I've done is 9 miles each way with 2 sj classes when we were there - my cob loved it and wasn't bothered by the interruption to his hack ;)

And this is the second time I've read this thread, but in a different place before, with pretty pictures and videos :P You have a lovely pony!
 
I think that was my thread about whether hacking 10 miles to a show and 10 miles back was a good idea! :D

The said show is in May and I'm really looking forward to our 3 hour hack there and have been collecting bits of pink hi-viz that I've come across on sale as we have to go on an A road and wanted to make sure we are visible!

Looking so forward to it now!
 
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