Happy hacking, WASTE OFF A HORSE.

T

thatsmygirl

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 May 2010
Messages
4,341
Visit site
My friend went to see a race horse still in a race yard which was coming out off training and wanted a new home. When asked what she would use thhe horse for she reply hacking. Just wants to hack around and enjoy a horse. She's a very experienced rider and really liked the horse which was up for £1400. Stupid money I feel but she was perpaired to pay it. The yard would let her have the horse as a " happy hacker" is a total waste off a horse and don't see the point in keeping a horse for that. What the hell!!!!! And shouldn't they be lucky to be able to home the horse to a bloody. Good home for that kind off money. Oh well she has more to look at for far less money so their lost.
 
Poor horse, sounds like he has missed out on a lovely home.
They will probably end up not able to get rid of him and he'll end up passed on from pillar to post :(
 
How strange. Is it possible that the horse was known to need a lot of hard work to stay sane/manageable and so they didn't feel a hacking home would suit his needs maybe? Bizarre that they would turn down a good home for no real reason like that.
 
If it was a judgement on hacking then that is idiotic. Horses can have a wonderful life hacking around the countryside. The only thing I can imagine that makes more sense is LauraBR's suggestion that they thought the horse would not be suitable for hacking.
 
That's ridiculous. Horses are generally at their happiest hacking out. If the horse wasn't suitable for the job, then that's different. Maybe it wasn't, but they didn't want to admit that?

I think everyone likes to think a horse they have owned/trained could do it all one day, but a good home should be more important than what the horse could 'achieve' in a home. I feel it's entirely selfish on the owners part not to allow horse to go to good home for that reason (but that's just my opinion.)
 
I reckon (hope) it may be because they know the horse and know that it wouldnt settle hacking.

Still, poor thing will probably end up on a wagon to europe
 
I am a happy hacker...and I went and bought Ted who is very well bred Hanoverian who was supposed to go out and jump to a high level or do dressage...I have no interest in competeing...Ted loves hacking and so would one say that he is a waste of a horse??
 
Thats just ridiculous! i feel me and my horse are at our happiest when we are just hacking about
 
I don't see what the problem is with "just hacking" Some of the fittest, happiest horses I know (including ex racers) are mainly happy hackers with the odd local show/fun ride thrown in. And I am sure the horses don't stand about in their fields saying "I'm just not reaching my full potential you know...." Poor horse, sounds like he missed out on a good home.
 
I would hope the sellers were thinking of the horses temperament and what it will be happy doing. Perhaps they know happy hacking would not be fulfilling enough for this particular horse. If she really likes the horse perhaps she could ring them up for a chat to fully understand their reasons for not wanting a hacking home.

If their reasoning is for the good of the horse then it is very commendable they are not willing to sell to a home other than one that is totally suitable and they are to be admired, in my opinion.

Too many horses are sold to incompatible homes and it is a recipe for disaster.
 
Perhaps it was a kind way of saying she wasn't suitable.

For many years all I did was hack, 1 1/2 hours a day five days a week,up hill down dale. Then I hacked to the meet, cub hunted and hacked home.
Racehorse's do loads of hacking only they call it road work and then they hack up to the gallops.
I suppose happy hacker give an impression someone who slobs along, loose riens with no intent and sometime has no apparent regard for themselves or others, we've all seen them. Perhaps commited hacker or doing endurance perparation would make seem more glamourous. Not everyone needs or wants to compete.
 
oh poor horse :( missed out on a good home, god knows where he will end up now, cant you go view the horse and say you want it for competeting and then buy it on her behalf ?? the owners will be none the wiser :rolleyes:
but most importantly the horse will have a good home
 
Absolutely nothing against hacking at all but as the owner of two ex racers - mine need to do a mixture of work. They need the discipline of being schooled (esp the older one grrrr!!!) and also ex racers do tend to be a bit anxious at hacking alone as they have gone out in a string. That also does seem alot of money for a racer if she has her heartset on one - you can get them at Ascot,Doncaster etc for alot less. My ex racer finds hacking alone unsettling and doesn't appear to enjoy it - rears,spooks,bucks etc but stick him in a group and you will have the nicest hack ever.
 
I think that is stupid. The horse would have had a good home, being ridden etc. The horse couldn't care less if it's just being hacked.
 
That is the biggest load of rubbish I've heard in a long time. Hacking is a brilliant way to get horses fit and for them to get out and about. Most of the horses I know are happiest when out mooching around the fields and roads on a hack. Shouldn't young horses spend 60-70% of their time being educated OUTSIDE of the school/menage?! If hacking isn't the perfect way to do this then what is?! I should imagine an ex-racer that is just coming off of the tracks would particularly benefit from this too. The mind boggles with some people...

Anyway, sorry your friend didn't get the horse, I'm sure something even better will come along soon. :)
 
Me and my happy hacking horse went out today. Some road work, a bit of problem solving (i.e. opening a couple of gates without getting off), a few good long gallops, practised leg yielding (sp?) and all with a good contact! Came home 2 hrs later both a little sweaty. Washed her down and gave her a wee feed. Returned her to the field she lives in 24/7 actually it's probably more like 21/7 given the time she spends with me. A couple of hours later I was checking on another horse in the field and went to give her a wee pat. She was totally chilled out and sunbathing pricked up her ears and took a couple of lazy steps towards me. Now I'm racked with guilt about how wasted she is!!! NOT!
 
What a load of rubbish!!
We hack the majority of the time to keep our girls fit - say we hack 4 days a week one week, school twice and have one day off - 2 of those hacks will be used working Pebs into an outline whilst we're out, the other two will be just mooches.

I agree though, I really hope that the horse just wasn't suitable for hacking...but to say it was a waste of a horse I think was a bit harsh, especially as the horse had a chance of a caring home with a lovely owner.
IMO the only horses wasted are the rideable lovely natured beasts that are put in the field and not seen to or checked in about 5 months.. :( sadly seen far too much.
 
My friend has a highly strung horse who, when schooled in a field is barmy to be perfectly hoest. Therefore she hacks him out.

Whilst "happy hacking" she schools him and in quiet areas (such as setaside) even gets him to do passage. He is quiet as a lamb and really enjoys it. Yes, he spooks occasionally, but is sooo much more manageable than when schooled in the "official" schooling environment!

Her happy hacker is fitter, more settled and better school than the vast majority of event horses around this area ;)
 
Horses just arn't allowed to be horses anymore, they have to proove theirselves all the time, and shock horror if they go out in the field and get muddy. There is a livery on my yard who never seems to groom her horse, she baths him. She's been with us for a couple of months now and in that time has bathed him at least a dozen times. She wanted him for showing, but has asked everyone else on the yard if she would show him for her! Now thats pointless and a waste of time having a horse! Let our horses enjoy their time with us, let them roll in mud, let them have fun on hacks, LET HORSES BE HORSES!!!!!! :)
 
Monsters said:
My friend went to see a race horse still in a race yard which was coming out off training and wanted a new home. When asked what she would use thhe horse for she reply hacking. Just wants to hack around and enjoy a horse. She's a very experienced rider and really liked the horse which was up for £1400. Stupid money I feel but she was perpaired to pay it. The yard would let her have the horse as a " happy hacker" is a total waste off a horse and don't see the point in keeping a horse for that. What the hell!!!!! And shouldn't they be lucky to be able to home the horse to a bloody. Good home for that kind off money. Oh well she has more to look at for far less money so their lost.
Click to expand...

I presume if he's coming out of training then he's not good enough to race which is what hacking is really but at a more leisurely pace:p Although I have to admit I've seen more Ex-racers in novice hands who really don't know what to do with them. Before anyone jumps up and down saying mine's an ex-racer I did say I'VE SEEN THEM NOT YOURS:p:D
 
Ted's mum said:
I am a happy hacker...and I went and bought Ted who is very well bred Hanoverian who was supposed to go out and jump to a high level or do dressage...I have no interest in competeing...Ted loves hacking and so would one say that he is a waste of a horse??
Click to expand...

nope hes happy right?

your happy?

isnt that the point of a horse?

ted is not a waste of a horse
 
Very silly and rude comment to make I'll agree, possibly better wording such as saying they don't think it would be suitable etc they could have used instead.

However, I've never sold a horse as a happy hacker either nor would two of the one's at home which are for sale be sold to happy hacking homes either if I'm honest. They're both extremely well bred, spot on conformation and born and bred competition horses. I wouldn't want to see them go to do a lifetime of hacking only, especially the youngster one as he could go insanely far in jumping and to me, it would be criminal to not let him go to a home where his full potential could be reached.

Yes, I'm sure he'd be happy living out being a horse etc etc, but that's not what he was bred or bought for. :)

Nothing offensive meant. I love my hacking as much as anyone, however, they do also have careers to fulfill and upkeep to earn as well. :)
 
Oh boy - don't get me started on this one! Now, I appreciate that some horses who have been used to working in a particular routine and being cared for in a particular way have difficulty in adjusting to a different way of doing and this may well be the case with this particular ex-racer. If the current owners genuinely know that the horse requires something the prospective buyer cannot give then fine.
To say, however, that a horse is wasted as a hack is ludicrous. I am old enough to remember when horses were advertised as hacks and a well-mannered hack was seen as a desirable horse and would fetch a good price without having to have competed or 'have potential' to be something else. Hack classes at shows were well supported and the term 'happy hacker' had never been heard of. When did hacking become some lesser form of activity? I'm not sure, but somewhere along the line it happened.
Hacking is stimulating for horse and rider (sometimes a little too stimulating!) and gives the horse variety and experience of different environments and situations. They learn to cope with varied terrain, meet other animals and can be schooled every bit as well as in an arena.
Many competition horses are taken out for a hack to relax and refresh them. Is this a waste?
Horses are quite happy being horses. They don't know they 'have potential'. Any horse that is being well cared for and is healthy and happy is not being wasted whatever it is doing.
I told you not to get me started!
 
fireflymac said:
Oh boy - don't get me started on this one! Now, I appreciate that some horses who have been used to working in a particular routine and being cared for in a particular way have difficulty in adjusting to a different way of doing and this may well be the case with this particular ex-racer. If the current owners genuinely know that the horse requires something the prospective buyer cannot give then fine.
To say, however, that a horse is wasted as a hack is ludicrous. I am old enough to remember when horses were advertised as hacks and a well-mannered hack was seen as a desirable horse and would fetch a good price without having to have competed or 'have potential' to be something else. Hack classes at shows were well supported and the term 'happy hacker' had never been heard of. When did hacking become some lesser form of activity? I'm not sure, but somewhere along the line it happened.
Hacking is stimulating for horse and rider (sometimes a little too stimulating!) and gives the horse variety and experience of different environments and situations. They learn to cope with varied terrain, meet other animals and can be schooled every bit as well as in an arena.
Many competition horses are taken out for a hack to relax and refresh them. Is this a waste?
Horses are quite happy being horses. They don't know they 'have potential'. Any horse that is being well cared for and is healthy and happy is not being wasted whatever it is doing.
I told you not to get me started!
Click to expand...


Yep!What they said!:0)
If some of the horses at work learnt more skills "happy hacking"instead of being stuck in a stable all day between going round and round in circles on the walker before going round and round in circles on a track and then stuck back in the stable again,they wouldn't spend their time cribbing,weaving and getting frustrated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top