ihatework
Well-Known Member
This morning I’ve decided it’s over rated. Wet through to my underwear now
How important is hacking as part of training/ fittening
- Thread starter Ambers Echo
- Start date
Meredith
riding reluctantly into the sunset
This morning hacking is abandoned.
If I was a champion hang glider however..........
Good luck with hacking Ambers Echo but possibly wait for more congenial weather.
If I was a champion hang glider however..........
Good luck with hacking Ambers Echo but possibly wait for more congenial weather.
SpringArising
Well-Known Member
As a child and teen I LOVED hacking because it was still exciting to go out on my own and pretend I was in Black Beauty!
As an adult I find it super boring
I have absolutely beautiful hacking on my doorstep but rarely make use of it. I find working on things in the school much more interesting and fun.
I do make an effort to go out once a month or so just for a change of scene for my horse/s, and I also take them out in the box a lot to clinics/XC/SJ etc. so it's not like they only ever go in the arena and that's it. If I didn't take them anywhere off the yard I'd hack more for sure for their own sanity.
As an adult I find it super boring
I have absolutely beautiful hacking on my doorstep but rarely make use of it. I find working on things in the school much more interesting and fun. I do make an effort to go out once a month or so just for a change of scene for my horse/s, and I also take them out in the box a lot to clinics/XC/SJ etc. so it's not like they only ever go in the arena and that's it. If I didn't take them anywhere off the yard I'd hack more for sure for their own sanity.
Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
I know that if I don't hack (or jump) for a few weeks then the nerves come back and then I start avoiding it which maintains the anxiety. So the solution really is to crack on and just get on with it. Hopefully in a few weeks time I'll be feeling more confident.
Ambers Echo
Still wittering on
I am out and about quite a lot as well but I am never sure whether that gives them the same sort of mental break as a chilled hack? They are travelling and then working hard usually doing something that stretches them mentally as well as physically. But I don't know. I am sure the variety must help.
be positive
Well-Known Member
They have 23 hours a day to chill so I am not sure hacking is essential from that point of view but I do believe it has many other benefits not least the conditioning effect of exercising on a variety of surfaces and over varied terrain, also the time they spend taking in the world while they go.
I would not underestimate the fitness that can be gained from having hills to go up and down, I certainly would want a horse that is going eventing to be hacking as a routine part of it's training as well as fitness, going off alone exploring can really help the xc phase for anything that is a bit backward thinking.
Gloi
Too little time, too much to read.
Hacking is my first choice of activity. The indoor school is only inviting to me when the weather is foul. I used to compete in various things but rarely bother these days. I love the countryside, I like watching all the changes in the hedgerow, keeping an eye open for things to forage, watching the lambs born and growing up, looking for birds etc. We are in a beautiful area but sadly without much off road riding bit plenty of country lanes and hills. I try to do at least three two hour plus rides a week at the moment with shorter rides on the other days. In the spring I'll up it a bit. Rarely get chance for much fast work but beastie is fit enough to go up a local hill with 600 feet of ascent without breaking sweat after doing it at least twice a week. I occasionally have an hours lesson and it's then that I realise just how fit he is becoming. If my knees and ankles can cope maybe we'll get back into doing some endurance in the summer.
NinjaPony
Well-Known Member
I feel your pain. I don't particularly enjoy hacking-often end up going alone which forces me to be very brave but to get to decent off road hacking I have to cross a motor way bridge which I don't fancy alone!
My pony loves hacking and is safe as houses, and I would feel extremely guilty if I didn't try and get him out.
It's much trickier in winter with the lack of daylight hours. The normally quiet roads are much busier at the weekend which is a bit of a liability, and my lorry isn't currently being kept at my yard, plus I'm not insured to drive it (too young).
So at the moment we compromise. I am lucky enough to have a huge 20 acre field to hack around. Currently the ground is too uneven and the grass far too long to go at more than a walk, but its up and down hills, really makes him use his hndquarters and the 'wading' through the grass seems to tire him out, plus it makes a nice change for him.
When the ground is better, I also canter him round the grazing fields and do some interval training which he really enjoys. Terrible muddy conditions has put a temporary halt to that though.
So currently I'm road hacking if I can do in the week, and going round the fields at weekends plus some pole work, and inhand sessions, to break things up.
I'm looking to move to Gloucestershire this autumn and top of my list is excellent off road hacking so I can build up my confidence safely and my pony can get the hacking he loves.
My pony loves hacking and is safe as houses, and I would feel extremely guilty if I didn't try and get him out.
It's much trickier in winter with the lack of daylight hours. The normally quiet roads are much busier at the weekend which is a bit of a liability, and my lorry isn't currently being kept at my yard, plus I'm not insured to drive it (too young).
So at the moment we compromise. I am lucky enough to have a huge 20 acre field to hack around. Currently the ground is too uneven and the grass far too long to go at more than a walk, but its up and down hills, really makes him use his hndquarters and the 'wading' through the grass seems to tire him out, plus it makes a nice change for him.
When the ground is better, I also canter him round the grazing fields and do some interval training which he really enjoys. Terrible muddy conditions has put a temporary halt to that though.
So currently I'm road hacking if I can do in the week, and going round the fields at weekends plus some pole work, and inhand sessions, to break things up.
I'm looking to move to Gloucestershire this autumn and top of my list is excellent off road hacking so I can build up my confidence safely and my pony can get the hacking he loves.
Mule
Well-Known Member
I love hacking but I tend to drive to quieter areas. The main road near me is like a racetrack and the beast is still a bit nappy at times.
He doesn't nap by walking straight backwards either, he naps horizontally backwards so we end up walking backwards on the wrong side of the road 🙄 It's amusing when we're off road, but less so when there's traffic bearing down on us.
I'm planning new routes at the moment. There's some nice mountainous, forest trails nearby. I have to be careful though because of my woeful sense of direction.. Even if we did get lost he'd probably be able to nap his way back home
He doesn't nap by walking straight backwards either, he naps horizontally backwards so we end up walking backwards on the wrong side of the road 🙄 It's amusing when we're off road, but less so when there's traffic bearing down on us.
I'm planning new routes at the moment. There's some nice mountainous, forest trails nearby. I have to be careful though because of my woeful sense of direction.. Even if we did get lost he'd probably be able to nap his way back home
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MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
I think it depends a lot on the horse. Some horses are much easier to keep themselves naturally fit. My last horse was a dream, he kept himself fit and increased fitness so easily - I stopped hacking him early on as unfortunately after a few incidents it became too dangerous so never hacked him again, yet he evented round BE Novices and CIC*'s, and 1.20 BSJA tracks all day no problem. But I also had a Welsh Cob who obviously was built totally differently and was very difficult to get properly fit especially schooling wise as he got bored so hacking definately helped for him and his low level eventing.