hacking young horses question

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joanne1920

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Would you trot home from a hack up a grassy track on horse just coming back into light work after being turnt away for winter? horse in question is 3.5 yrs old.
infact would you trot home from hack full stop?
horse is on loan, and not a fan of all loanees antics with my horse! loanee says its fine to trot home, in my opinion it can teach a horse to rush home at best, worst bolt home???

what do you all think?? xxx
 
I'm sorry, that wouldn't bother me at all. A hell-for-leather gallop would concern me, but I would expect my youngster to learn that he goes at the pace I wish whatever direction I'm going in. Depends on the horse I guess, my ex-racer 4yo is fairly sensible/biddable so I think perhaps I'm lucky.

ETS: I assumed that she is walking the last 10-15 mins to the yard, and not over-tiring the horse during the hack!
 
I have always been taught not to trot home but I suppose it is all personal opinion but if she is riding your horse she must go with what you say
 
I dont think trotting home is going to teach the horse to bolt.
Depends a lot on circumstances but I dont see much of a problem tbh, we always trot home up a steep hill, esp on babies as it starts to build up a base level of fitness. Obviously short and sweet is good, you dont want to trot for 15 odd minutes
 
What's happened to the rule that was drummed into us - you always walk the last mile home to allow the horse to cool off and wind down?
I would not want a youngster of that age to do more than trot 250 yards on the road at any time least of all when it could be tired from earlier work and more likely to pull something or trip.
 
I don't go faster than a trot when I'm definately heading in the direction of home for the reasons you have said above and always allow about 15 minutes of walk at the end of a hack to allow horse to cool down. If she was trotting my youngster home like that I wouldn't be happy.

it always riles me when I see girls at our yard trotting into the yard and shoving a feedbowl under their horse's noses before they've even untacked too!
 
i don't thin kit really matters as long as you don't go any faster otherwise the horse may get silly. but i don't see why trot would be a problem.
 
I always trot most of the last mile home from the village because its all uphill, it has never encouraged rushing home or napping, not even on our nappy horse.

Your horse should be taught to stay at whatever pace you ask him to stay at, towards and away from home.
 
I would not trot a 3 1/2 yr old on the road except for traffic/safety reasons
Trotting up a grassy track is good, but I would not trot along the last stretch home on any horse (except to get round a blind road bend , past a spooky patch etc)
We always finish a schooling session with walk on a free rein, so it nice to do the same on hack.

If you are not a fan of what a loanee is doing with your rising 4 horse , then make alterative arrangements for his training, as what he does in the next three to six months will make or break him for life.
Or have a disucssion with her as to what his work and schooling plan is, and any 'rules' you wouldlike her to follow.
 
[ QUOTE ]

Your horse should be taught to stay at whatever pace you ask him to stay at, towards and away from home.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree!
I personally would trot home, sometimes walk/trot past home or sometimes just walk home, either way my horse should act the same and shouldn't nap home.
 
No problem with trotting as such, but always like to walk the last half mile home. Also always follow the rule fast out, steady home, so I always go steadier on the way home in comparison to the speed I went out
 
Going slightly against the grain here but no I would not trot a horse home (unless it was nappy/sharp/traffic issues). Not sure whether your post means the loanee trotted the horse all the way home practically into the yard or not. I would trot a youngster up a grassy incline no probs or canter an older horse. But I would never do this if they were too near home, going in the direction of home and hadn't done much hacking.
 
Why loan a horse this young & uneducated to someone you don't trust? I don't know how good or bad her riding actually is, but- at risk of sounding like my own mother- if you really think her riding / handling amounts to "antics" then you've only yourself to blame if something does go wrong.
 
I have actually ended the loan/share, which has resulted in them ignoring me in part.
Loanee was walking out and walking most the way home (only bout a half hour hack so not far) then approx 200 yards from home would trot back. Horse is very green, has only been hacked a handful of times and was not any any company of other horses this particular time. Loanee had only infact ridden him 2 or 3 times.
This person was also gining him treats when was asked not to, sparyed his feet even though he hates spray bottle and i had bought special stuff to 'paint' on for his thrush. Mucked out once or twice a week taking 3-4 barrows out (i take 1 maybe 2 on a bad day) putting in 1 or 2 bales each time (i use 1-2 bales per week!)
We are just completely different and have different ways of doing things and i just wasnt happy. and seeing as i was sharing to help her out ( giving her something to ride) rather than helping me out i ended it yesterday.
Her horse is off work for another year due to ligament damage, and she is a good rider and has done well on her horse in the past at shows and pony club etc... but she does things her way and thinks everyone should do things her way which i wasnt happy with her doing with my horse!
I spoke to an instructer who i have actually booked a lesson with this morning and i asked her opinion of trotting home on a young horse and she disagreed. I m surprised how opinions vary! I trot my older pony back home with no problems shes 7 this year, so im not against trotting home at all, i just dont agree with trotting a young green horse home thats all! x
 
I think you've done the right thing.

Apart from anything else you know your horse. The really worrying thing isn't so much what she was actually doing as that she had decided- on short acquaintance- that she knew better than you and was going to ignore you, and thats a real danger signal.

Sorry if I sounded rude- fact is, I've been there & done that- my friends' daughter who used to ride my horse & use my facilities decided, as she became more competent, that she could safely ignore all the safety rules I had put in place because I was just a boring old fart wittering on about safety and not a Real Rider. Maybe she was right; or maybe she would have eventually have injured herself or my horse; but I decided not to find out the hard way ( Parents didn't speak to me for years).
 
Thanks Alleycat, the atmosphere at the yard isnt pleasant and these people are grown ups! You dont sound rude at all, i know im over safety concsious but then im a nervous rider and should my horse start to pull and jog where he's been rushed home before then i probably wouldnt or be very loath to hack out on him again.... thanks for understanding x
 
[ QUOTE ]
What's happened to the rule that was drummed into us - you always walk the last mile home to allow the horse to cool off and wind down?
I would not want a youngster of that age to do more than trot 250 yards on the road at any time least of all when it could be tired from earlier work and more likely to pull something or trip.

[/ QUOTE ] In total agreement with you.
 
if she was doing it all the time, it would bother me. I think she should vary it. trot 2 days, walk 3 days or just do short bursts of trot
 
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