How far do you hack?

[SEH]

One of my horses is out of action at the minute so I have had time to plan hacks for my others and for when he's back in work. It's surprised me how far we usually go! How far do you hack on your horse? Also, how long do you normally ride for? Obviously it is dependent on your horse and fitness, but I am just curious!

 

[Mule]

Atm I hack for about 1hr- 1.5 hrs. I'm getting him fit after a long time off though, so we're in walk for most of the hack.

We've always spent a lot of time in walk when hacking on the road. He has very thin soles and the farrier isn't keen on my trotting him on the roads.

 

[F for Fidget]

1-1.5 hours usually. If they are fit we do a fair amount of trot and canter in that time. maybe walk 30 min and the rest trot and canter if the ground is good.

 

[hobo]

By this time of year I will do anything from 45mins to 4 hours but because of C19 I am staying quite close so under the hour but did have a lovely 2 hour one last week in the lovely calm weather. I do a lot of walking, some trotting and a few bursts of canter anything from 3 - 15 miles.

 

[Surbie]

Normally hack for 2-3.5 hours at a time, and usually 3 times a week, but once lockdown I'll have to start slow again. Our shortest loop is an hour, which is 40 mins of roadwork.

 

[Sarahkinks]

The hacking round us isn’t that great as no bridleways for miles we can only do road work so 45 mins - 1hr for us but would love love love to have access to off road hacking and go further.

 

[Muddywellies]

Not much. I really don't enjoy it so do between 20 and 45 mins. Just enough to get the pony out for a leg stretch out of the arena.

 

[rara007]

The cob can spend an hour plodding around 4km ? Are we doing time or distance?

 

[Pippity]

Distance-wise, a standard hack is about 4 miles. Depending on traffic on the TPT, that'll be anywhere from mostly walk with a bit of trot, to mostly trot with a bit of canter. The standard longer route is about two miles on the TPT (with the same restrictions regarding gait) plus about four miles of walk on the roads.

 

[SEH]

The hacking round us isn’t that great as no bridleways for miles we can only do road work so 45 mins - 1hr for us but would love love love to have access to off road hacking and go further.

I am the same, luckily only about 20 mins to the nearest bridlepaths either way but both require crossing super busy 60 mph roads, so I have to get someone to meet me there who can watch one direction of the traffic for me! (Luckily the horse I mainly ride out is perfect in traffic!) Also because the path through the fields behind me is a public footpath I am not allowed to ride on it, so I have to go through a busy town in one direction or a less busy 60 mph road in the other. I don't have a school either so I have to ride out to get to a riding school/x-country course! A few more bridleways in each area would make such a difference to people!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Round here we have a LOT of circular routes which whilst its 99% roadwork is helpful in that you don't ever have to go out and turn round, you can keep going.

We've got a 10-mins flip-round-the-block jobbie, then after that there's a 20 mins ride where you've got a bit of hill work and some canter opportunity; then there's a whole load of rides which are about 1 hr round trip. If you want to get up to the local common for a spritz its a 3 hr round trip, knackering but just about do-able, unless you box up there.

We do have a new bridle path which is usable 365 days of the year as its on harder standing than most, which was put in when they built a new dual carriageway, so that is a very handy little spot all year round. However, the main route which used to be used by everyone to get up to the local open land is no longer open; it was never designated as a proper bridlepath and now its fallen into disuse. Yes I've tried, and others have tried, to get it established as a ROW - but frankly you can't do this on your own as you need to compile a lot of evidence and the County Hall ROW lot make a snail seem speedy by the pace they move! The BHS were involved but just told the person who'd asked them to go and compile evidence! This was a few years ago. So not a lot of use!

 

[HappyHollyDays]

Between 1-2 hours at the moment. We walk, trot up our many hills and now the ground is better canter where we can. In summer we go further and longer because the bridlepaths are more accessible.

 

[Gloi]

Usually about 1 1/2 to 3 hours mainly at slow paces, sometimes further in summer.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We are very fortunate in that we have lots of circular/triangular routes which can take from 10 min to 5 hours, mostly quiet road work to get to bridle paths/tracks but very few places that are suitable for canter, even in the best weather. All routes involve hills. We laugh at ourselves sometimes, when we look across the valleys at the routes that we consider to be 'flat' and realise just how steep they really are!

 

[scruffyponies]

Usual routes are 8-12 miles, so up to a couple of hours depending what mood the kids are in.
We have a 2-3 mile 'town' ride, which is just a loop around our lovely local town and surrounding suburban streets. We use that for poor weather, or when we're in a hurry, but it's also great for socialising young or nervous horses.

 

[Snowfilly]

When daylight allows, I rarely go out for less than two hours unless it’s an unfit horse or the weather’s bad. I average 10 miles in that time.

Weekend hacks, anything up to 8 hours although that includes lunch break and some lazing around rather than keeping going at a steady trot. Longest in a day was about 45 miles.

I don’t mind doing an hour loop in cold weather but really hacking is the reason I have horses!

 

[phizz4]

One of my horses is out of action at the minute so I have had time to plan hacks for my others and for when he's back in work. It's surprised me how far we usually go! How far do you hack on your horse? Also, how long do you normally ride for? Obviously it is dependent on your horse and fitness, but I am just curious!

Hacking? Oh yes, I remember that. 60 to 120 minutes usually, I think. Last time was 6 weeks ago. Haven't ridden, or even seen, the horses since then, except from a distance. Yard is in lock down, to protect the owners who are also farmers. Travel to see them through binoculars doesn't count as an essential journey. Some people are just very lucky, or being very risky.

 

[Pippity]

Hacking? Oh yes, I remember that. 60 to 120 minutes usually, I think. Last time was 6 weeks ago. Haven't ridden, or even seen, the horses since then, except from a distance. Yard is in lock down, to protect the owners who are also farmers. Travel to see them through binoculars doesn't count as an essential journey. Some people are just very lucky, or being very risky.

I didn't say that's what I hack at the moment. My yard is also in lockdown. I'm lucky enough to be able to see my horse but, because she's on full livery, I have to fit in around the people on DIY, which means I don't get to see her very often.

 

[phizz4]

I didn't say that's what I hack at the moment. My yard is also in lockdown. I'm lucky enough to be able to see my horse but, because she's on full livery, I have to fit in around the people on DIY, which means I don't get to see her very often.

My comment was to the OP, not the people replying.

 

[SEH]

My comment was to the OP, not the people replying.

I have my horses on my own land now (I moved some of them out of livery before lockdown) and hack entirely on my own land and the local area. I only ride the horses that 100% need it and that I am entirely confident that I am safe on. Not worth the risk putting any strain on the NHS.

At the start of lockdown however I got some awful glares and people deliberately speeding past my horses despite me using roads that people don't walk on to isolate us. Seems an odd thing to do if their concern was truly strain on the NHS! I avoid roads now.

Edit: Also I only go out once a day max when necessary (eg only three times a week) as my daily exercise. I haven't left my home in 8 weeks otherwise due to being a vulnerable person. Also being unable to hire people to ride them is a factor.

 

[Ceriann]

I hack up to an hour. We’re now out of injury rehab but we remain limitd in our route options because of feet. I took her bare foot, booted in front but bare behind and still struggles with stoney ground. She’s doing a lot more in that time as we have some good trots. Her continued need to strengthen and get fit are the reasons I continue riding - that and the fact i get to switch off from the craziness of the current situation.

 

[PoniesRock]

We are very lucky where we are on the Devon/Somerset border. Surrounded by plenty of hill work, bridleways and tracks. I’m hacking out from anything from a hour to three depending on the weather and where I fancy going.

 

[MuddyMonster]

At the moment, I'm just riding on the farm land so my shortest ride is just over 3 miles and my longest ride is about 10 miles.

Was hoping to go further afield this summer using the local bridlepaths, so not sure whether we'll manage that or not. Always next year

 

[Friesianfoal1999]

Longest ride I’ve done is like 6 hours with a tie up in the middle

 

[skint1]

I was just "happy hacker" most of the time trying to ride before work in the mornings so it was usually 35-45 mins, longest hack I ever did was around 4hrs, that was too long for me but the horse enjoyed it immensely

 

[JFTDWS]

At this time of year, routinely 10-20km depending on how many I'm riding that day and how much time I have. I have many options here - short road routes for winter, long off road routes for summer, short off road routes if needed. Currently not hitting the top end of that as certain routes aren't very practical for social distancing / are busier, but the ponies need the work, so they're getting it.

Longest I've ever done was 9 hours, in the snow. Bloody cold it was too!

 

[crazyandme]

Old Sec D, regularly 20-30km. Needed her 40km fit for PC endurance. CB x arab I backed myself and had for a year, normally only about 10km, maybe the odd ride of 20-30 at a slower pace! R, after he had been retired from FEI, regularly about 30km in about 3 hours, depending on the road work! Spent many hours exploring the local bridleways with him

 

[Kat]

I don't think it is worth tacking up for less than an hour. Most hacks are around 1.5 hours, but we go further fairly often, more than 4 hours is rare though. Our hacking is almost entirely roads with some very steep hills so we don't go very fast.

 

[DD]

not hacking out at the moment but when we do its up to 4 hours or so. minimum an hour.

 

[TotalMadgeness]

Outside of lockdown & weather depending, I aim for about 2 hours in walk 3 times a week (I think around 6 - 8 miles a trip). Both horses have joint problems so hacking is preferable and the vets recommendation. Currently I have no riders able to help me so my non riding husband has to be drafted in to lead one of the horses. Because he's really busy we can only manage to fit in a 45 minutes walk, maybe twice a week. The rest of the time they're worked in the school. Better than nothing though and I consider myself extremely lucky not to be at livery like I used to be. I'd be very very stressed if I was unable to exercise my horses - especially at this time of year with the spectre of laminitis looming over us.