Hacking to Showjumping - a question

[Gorgeous George]

I really want to go to a local jumping show at the beginning of December but haven't been able to beg, borrow or bribe a lift!! So I am seriously considering hacking there but I'm not sure if I am asking too much of George - I am hopeless about knowing how much work a horse can do!

He isn't mega fit, but he is reasonably fit and is ridden 5-6 times a week if that helps. The thing is the show is 4 miles away, when I got there I was planning on doing the 2ft 6 class

(gulp!) and then obviously hacking back, would this be ok? If I wasn't hacking that far I would probably do 2 jumping classes but I thought that might be rather unfair.

Mind you if the weather is foul I will be staying tucked up in bed!!

 

[miss_c]

He would be fine in my opinion. I've hacked Genie 4 miles then done a cross country schooling session and then hacked home again. Go and enjoy yourself!

 

[SecretSquirrell379]

4 miles is fine, I would do it

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

He will be absolutely fine - consider it his warm up and his cool down. When we hack to the local dressage we find it really helps them as they don't get excited going in a box and they are relaxed and warmed up when you arrive so you really only have to do a bit of maybe canter work before your class and then its a nice relaxed mooch home for them.

 

[Ziggy_]

Agree with the others, he will be fine.

 

[Shipley]

Yu willo be fine have you aske Quarrybank if she thinks he can do it as she knows the hacking routes

 

[LadyRascasse]

i have hacked 4 mile to a gymkanna did all 6 classes then hacked back again and he defiantly wasn't fit but he was fine.

 

[louisevictoria]

I'm sure that would be fine

Go for it

 

[WelshD]

It will be fine - in the 'old days' this was standard stuff just ensure you get there nice and early

If you can get someone to bring your stuff in a car it helps

 

[hoorayhenry]

i'm sure he would be fine i hacked my pony to a meet about the same distance away got there he still had plenty of energy to be rearing and messing around then we hacked home after 2 hours.

 

[ladyt25]

God yeah I am sure he'll do fine, we used to always hack our ponies to shows when I was a kid. We'd do numerous SJing classes and sometimes if going XC we'd do a novice class and a pairs then hack home!

4 miles isn't a lot for a horse really.

 

[freyaandrogue]

i would and have hacked to local shows before. my pony never suffered any whorst for it, he was nicely warmed up when we got there

 

[chestnut cob]

I would. I've hacked mine 3 miles to a hunt meet, hunted for 3 hours, then hacked home again. The hack there warms him up, hack home cools him down.

 

[Theresa_F]

When Breeze was in her late 20s I would hack 7 miles to an event, do the dressage, XC and SJ and then 7 miles back - most of them trottig and cantering.

On getting back to the stables, she would come in sideways and still on her toes and I would collapse in a heap.

I often hack to HPF with Stinky, consider it to be a warm up, do a few minutes before I go in and then ride home. Only problem is that I am often the most muddiest hairy beast in the class, but for SJ am not bothered about looking a bit of a mess as the only thing that matters is that he clears the fences in a good time - looks don't count in SJ (though I do like to be reasonable well presented).

 

[Faro]

4 miles each way and one showjumping class should be absolutely nothing to a horse that's ridden 5 or 6 times a week.

I'd also actually consider doing the second class too.

Go for it - and please let us know how you get on!

 

[Kat]

4 miles is a brisk hours walk for a human.

So less if you do some trotting to warm up on the way there.

He will be fine, especially if you only do the one class!