Hacking to shows

stormox

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Does anyone ever hack to shows these days? I know there seems to be a lot less local shows than there were, we used to hack to a gymkhana almost every week back in the 60s/70s.
If there was a show about 3 or 4 miles from you, would you hack there, or put your horse in a box or trailer and drive??
 
Does anyone ever hack to shows these days? I know there seems to be a lot less local shows than there were, we used to hack to a gymkhana almost every week back in the 60s/70s.
If there was a show about 3 or 4 miles from you, would you hack there, or put your horse in a box or trailer and drive??

I hacked to a lot and when I had the Clydesdale who wasn’t the biggest fan of being ridden, I’d walk him if it was less than 5 miles or so but I lost him just before the plague years.

It’s a lot harder now, I’ve been to shows which had no provision for people riding there - no shade, no water, and on two occasions, people on the gate who didn’t want to let me in!

The gymkhanas when I was a kid normally had a trough and a dipping bucket, and often a tie line or two or at least a few other people willing to trade horse holding duties while we did our entries.

But the shows here have condensed to 3/4 equestrian centres rather than village shows on grass at random farms so the entire layout is different.
 
I used to hack to shows, still would if I didn't have transport but it's a lot easier using transport and having all the kit and spares, haynet and water with you.
 
I used to hack to local shows, as a teenager, now in my 50's, even ones quite far afield which involved crossing an A road. Don't think I would do that now. Went to a local show this summer, boxed up but still managed to get there too late for my class, as they had very few entries all day !! Decided it would be fun to hack home to at least get something out of the day. Horse was totally wired and cantered sideways most of the way home, normally a good hacker and is 18. We were supposed to be doing the veterans.
 
Does anyone ever hack to shows these days? I know there seems to be a lot less local shows than there were, we used to hack to a gymkhana almost every week back in the 60s/70s.
If there was a show about 3 or 4 miles from you, would you hack there, or put your horse in a box or trailer and drive??
Typically hacked between 5 - 8 miles to Pony Club rallies (dependent who was hosting), and at least 6 miles for half a day’s hunting.
Had to be a short day, because you had to ride back home! That was fairly standard for local kids, most of whom had no trailers, honestly, our parents would be locked up today!
 
Typically hacked between 5 - 8 miles to Pony Club rallies (dependent who was hosting), and at least 6 miles for half a day’s hunting.
Had to be a short day, because you had to ride back home! That was fairly standard for local kids, most of whom had no trailers, honestly, our parents would be locked up today!
Yes we used to hack several miles to meets, hunt till about 3pm then hack home - probably a lot further than the hack out!
 
Yes we used to hack several miles to meets, hunt till about 3pm then hack home - probably a lot further than the hack out!
Yes, we never quite knew where the hunt might finish up, either! No set trails, pre Ban.
Our curfew was 2.00pm, absolute max - no lights or fluorescent clothes, short winter days....lucky there was far less traffic. Gymkhanas and shows were easier in summer.
However, don’t remember many with laminitis or allergies or behavioural ‘issues’: “Take it hunting for a few weeks”, “keep it trotting for a couple of hours” seemed be the basic advice, including from the vet.
Riding ponies were pretty fit, often lived for years. Been a mixed bag, has progress.
 
Yes, I still do - I don't compete hugely but have often hacked to shows and more recently clinics, arena hire etc.

To be fair, mine doesn't travel well but for something like arena hire hacking there is brilliant as it's a decent warm up so you can crack straight on when you get there :)
Agreed, and often find the horse is a lot more settled than straight off the box into a strange place.
Ponies at today’s shows being worked in, by Mother, draw reins / whatever, before child is even allowed on - not pretty.
 
Hacked my horse to BD and showing which was about 5 minutes down the road. Placed closed last year so nothing else hacking distance. I had all my tidying up grooming kit for the showing so had to lead him but for dressage would go for a longer hack that came back past the venue.
 
Hardly anyone I knew had a horsebox or trailer so we had to hack to shows when we were kids. It did help if a parent turned up to assist, but not usually 🙄
 
Hardly anyone I knew had a horsebox or trailer so we had to hack to shows when we were kids. It did help if a parent turned up to assist, but not usually 🙄
Sounds familiar!
With hindsight, parents were extraordinarily slack! Everyone assumed you’d manage, would get back on following a fall, turn up eventually....which is usually what happened.
A friend’s pony once fell jumping, broken wrist, so DC took her to casualty. I led pony back from mine and informed her Mother - that was in our last year at junior school - unbelievable, today we’d all be in care!
 
I probably still would be if I hadn't moved yards 4yrs ago! It included a very sketchy bridge crossing and a scary road, but it was fun! Several from the yard would hack over, it was great!
We have little shows on site now and if I was seriously interested in competing I would hack, it's 6 miles to the bigger venue but I don't really have that competitive streak anymore.
 
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I'm not paying £100 to hire a box when the show is only a couple of miles away! If I had my own transport, I probably would, just because it's nice to have a haynet, water, mounting block, grooming kit, etc. with you, rather than flinging the essentials in a backpack and hoping the showground can provide the rest. It'd also be nice to have somewhere to tie my horse up, especially as my local show (sensibly) doesn't allow horses in the line for the secretary's tent, so you're kind of screwed if you're on your own.
 
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Most of my friends used to hack to shows. I was the spoilt kid with a trailer whose dad drove me everywhere 😅 But my friends would all congregate around my trailer with their ponies once they’d arrived and my mum used to feed everyone (we towed with a motorhome so we had everything at hand!). Those were some of the happiest days of my life. Then they’d all hack home again after a days competing.
 
Sadly there's nothing in hacking distance apart from an annual agricultural show which has no suitable classes.
In my teens I used to find a show to hack to every Sunday in summer. I got stopped by the police a couple of times with them wondering why I was out at 4;30 am on my bike with it piled up with gear. One of the monthly shows was 12 miles away. I was crackers, but fit and so was my pony.
 
I used to hack if it was on the same road or anything less than a 10 minute hack away on quiet roads.

I do prefer to box though I'll box them tacked up if it's not far to go (i.e, to the beach) because then I can do more with them without saving energy for the hack home.
 
I hacked up to our local agricultural show last year, well, one ridden and 2 led youngsters. Had a bit of trouble getting into the venue, they wanted us to go round the far side to the lorry entracne, on a quite busy road, rather than just coming in the main entrance. They let us in the end!

When the evenings are light enough again i'll probably hack my pony to riding club, 5 miles away, might try and beg a lift back though or it's a very long evening! All roads unfortunately but fairly quiet.
 
Very lucky to have a county showground and a local show centre within hacking distance (ie under 30 mins at a walk), great in summer and arrive mostly warmed in and should probably make more use of it than I actually do!
 
spent a lot of my teen years in the 1980's hacking up to ten miles each way to local shows, we didn't have any major competitive aspirations and just did the games and the minimus/ clear round jumping. We still live in the same area and there is no way I would let me daughter ride on the majority of the roads we went on a as a child
 
I used to hack to shows, still would if I didn't have transport but it's a lot easier using transport and having all the kit and spares, haynet and water with you.
Maybe a silly question but what do you do when you want to go to the loo/walk a course/ get a coffee if you don't have anywhere to tie the horse up?
 
Maybe a silly question but what do you do when you want to go to the loo/walk a course/ get a coffee if you don't have anywhere to tie the horse up?

Ask the nearest friendly looking person in horsy gear to hold the horse, or, as I often used to, ride up to the secretary’s tent and tea tent and make your entries and pay without getting off!

Course walking you can normally beg a steward to help.

If all else fails, I’d ask someone with a lorry if I could tie up on their spare ring.

Tbh, you used to know most people at local shows, maybe not by name but certainly you’d get to recognise people and ponies so it wasn’t like asking complete strangers.
 
Maybe a silly question but what do you do when you want to go to the loo/walk a course/ get a coffee if you don't have anywhere to tie the horse up?

If I've gone to a show or it'll be an event with a lot of waiting around, I try to persuade my OH or family member to meet me in a car so I can take water, a haynet and extras I might need plus someone to hold..

Pony is a pro at doing coffee and food stalls though as we've had a few on our hacking routes over the years. You just have to watch he doesn't try to snaffle the food or drink himself 🤣

If not, I find most people are so surprised you've hacked there, they are more than happy to help.

If it's a clinic, it's fairly easy as I've on occassion asked the instructor if they will hold if I need a wee or whatever.

It does help I have a friendly pony who is happy to held by random people in return for attention, if need be.
 
I used to hack to some shows and hunting, probably further for hunting, thinking about it. And Pony Club rallies. They used to give a rosette to those who had hacked the furthest to a rally.

I went through the middle of the local city once, over a big river bridge, and back again to a show.

I used to hack sometimes to a local dressage competition, but it was a faff as there was no where suitable to tie up a horse and I had no one to help, so although the time of hitching the trailer, etc. wasn't much different, it was easier to have somewhere to put the horse.

No wonder ponies didn't get laminitis in those days and were generally pretty well behaved. Much more work!
 
girl on my yard hacks to our local show, i have actually offered to take him with mine but she likes to get there and him be warmed up, and slightly less energetic😂

i think im going to hack down next season even though ive got the box, i think im just going for dressage so my mum can ride one whilst i ride the other, then they’re both warmed up and set to go! less faff i think, for the sake of 1 dressage test each it’s not worth putting boots tail guards etc on!
 
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