How important is regular hacking for the Physical and Mental Health of a Ridden Horse?

[PeterNatt]

How often should a horse be hacked out and for how long?

 

[Highmileagecob]

I used to hack out daily, for at least an hour. 14hh piebald cob, hated ground work and would do his best to unseat you if made to do school work. He would happily hack all day, and saw it as his job.

 

[ihatework]

Depends if it’s sound
Depends how old it is
Depends how fit it is
Depends how much it enjoys hacking
Depends in part on riders enjoyment
Depends in part on safety of available hacking.

So in short there is t an answer to your very broad question. But I do think, for the majority, hacking is good for their physical health and mental health

 

[ycbm]

How long is a piece of string?
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[mini-eventer]

I think it is more important than a lot of people realise/or admit. I think the skill in teaching horses to hack has been lost to a degree. Safe access to the country side is also an issue. Not hacking is often justified by "my horse doesn't enjoy it" in reality it is gaps in training or horses that are managed incorrectly - too much feed - not enough work / turnout.

IMO it is important for the majority of horses mental wellbeing. Vital for long term soundness and fitness

 

[starbucker]

I try to hack out 2 short hacks midweek and a longer one at weekend (hour - hour and half) less in winter due to light

 

[NR88]

Ingrid Klimke has a new book releasing at the start of next month covering this very subject.

I believe it is named "Riding Out" and it is specifically about training outside of an arena. It might answer some questions for you.

 

[ycbm]

Peter you are an older and immensely experienced person heavily involved with the BHS, why the very precise question?
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[cauda equina]

I think it is more important than a lot of people realise/or admit. I think the skill in teaching horses to hack has been lost to a degree. Safe access to the country side is also an issue. Not hacking is often justified by "my horse doesn't enjoy it" in reality it is gaps in training or horses that are managed incorrectly - too much feed - not enough work / turnout.

IMO it is important for the majority of horses mental wellbeing. Vital for long term soundness and fitness

I agree, and wonder if people thinking 'My horse doesn't hack/enjoy hacking' is because they don't regard hacking as a skill that needs to be taught, just like everything else we expect horses to do for us

 

[ihatework]

I agree, and wonder if people thinking 'My horse doesn't hack/enjoy hacking' is because they don't regard hacking as a skill that needs to be taught, just like everything else we expect horses to do for us

Agree.
Plus many of those people are scared riders.

But there is the odd horse that despite confident and capable pro-hacking rider, just doesn’t hack safely enough

 

[ycbm]

But there is the odd horse that despite confident and capable pro-hacking rider, just doesn’t hack safely enough

I had one 15 years ago. I forced taught him to hack but he always hated it. In retrospect, I wish I'd just agreed with him that he didn't have to do it if he didn't want to. After 6 years he still thought every single change (a daffodil where there wasn't one last week) was frightening.
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[sbloom]

Ingrid Klimke has a new book releasing at the start of next month covering this very subject.

I believe it is named "Riding Out" and it is specifically about training outside of an arena. It might answer some questions for you.

Kate Sandel, Soft and Sound is her business name, brings hacking into the realms of "training" too. I think there are too many variables, for starters, what proportion of your work would be a better question, if you're only riding 3-4 times a week (which many argue is better for progress) then hacking once a week is probably plenty, especially if it's good varied hacking with some fast work. If it's a drudge of roadwork then is it necessary? If you can ride in field, do groundwork, ride in company, have fun in an arena, could that be at least if not more valuable? Varied footing is always a good thing so SOME roadwork is useful for all horses/feet.

 

[Fieldlife]

How often should a horse be hacked out and for how long?

that is a bit of philisophical question, along with should horses be ridden at all.

I do think ideally if a horse is being ridden regularly some of that work should involve hacking. It is well known that a horse is more likely to stay sound if worked on a variety of surfaces and types of ground, and if the workload is varied.

Ideally a horse would hack at least the same number of times and duration that it works on an artificial surface for. The contrast of a firmer surface versus an artificial surface is beneficial. And a senior vet suggested the more of a horses workload is done on grass the better (allowing for not very hard / very muddy conditions).

The challenge is not everyone has a horse that is safe to ride outside the arena, nor does everyone have local hacking environment that is safe to hack it.

I keep my horse further away from home to enable access to really good hacking. But it does mean more driving every day.

 

[mini-eventer]

that is a bit of philisophical question, along with should horses be ridden at all.

I do think ideally if a horse is being ridden regularly some of that work should involve hacking. It is well known that a horse is more likely to stay sound if worked on a variety of surfaces and types of ground, and if the workload is varied.

Ideally a horse would hack at least the same number of times and duration that it works on an artificial surface for. The contrast of a firmer surface versus an artificial surface is beneficial. And a senior vet suggested the more of a horses workload is done on grass the better (allowing for not very hard / very muddy conditions).

The challenge is not everyone has a horse that is safe to ride outside the arena, nor does everyone have local hacking environment that is safe to hack it.

I keep my horse further away from home to enable access to really good hacking. But it does mean more driving every day.

^ this. I don't school two days in a row - well I might in mid winter when i physically cant get our due to weather/light.

But generally I don't, my horse finds schooling hard, he is naturally a little down hill. He tries hard for me and he deserves the down time - even though our hacks are working hacks not just a little walk/trot. I am happy to hack 2, 3, 4 times in a row.

He actually feel better for not schooling too often. In winter when I am forced to school more, even though he generally has more energy form less turnout he actually gets stuffy

 

[scats]

All horses are different. Millie prefers to pootle out hacking most days, and then is much more enthusiastic in the school on schooling days (1-2 a week).
We are fortunate to have off road hacking all year. She has mild navicular so lots of circle work every day wouldn’t suit her.

 

[First Frost]

Both of my horses hack as part of their work. They only go in the school twice a week and normally hack or go to the gallops on the other 3 days that they work. I am lucky to have access to good off road riding in the summer, although I have to deal with a short section of busy road and a roundabout to get there! I believe it is very important for a horses soundness to work on a variety of surfaces. Both of my horses enjoy hacking, it defintely freshens them up for their school work.

 

[MuddyMonster]

How long is a piece of string?

I personally hack mine 4-5 times a week. He doesn't enjoy schooling mentally and so I've always made sure we have access to good hacking.

In terms of length, a short hack would be under 10km which we do a couple of times a week. Our medium hacks are probably up to 20km, again a couple of times a week. At the weekends we go up to 25-30km regularly. We've done up to 40-45km but I wouldn't say it's so regularly.

For fitness (EMS pony needs to kept slim) I try to do a mix of interval work out hacking, aiming for a constant speed for set lengths & hill work. Then just moochy, fun hacks - picnic hacks, pub rides etc.

I'm lucky we have so many options so hacking so regularly doesn't become boring - I'm not sure how interesting plodding around the same few roads or bridlepaths would be!

 

[humblepie]

Have always done a lot of hacking as think it is good for them - I did say to mine this morning whilst trotting up a hill track that he needed to go on the bit and not bimble along, given that we do so little arena schooling. I always think it is slightly chicken and egg - out hacking they see lots of things which helps them when they compete, then when they compete they see things that help then when hacking. I would probably school a bit more but the arena where I keep him is hit and miss depending on the weather but I compromise that for better hacking. He hacks 5 times a week, between 50 minutes and 1 hour 30. He may go in the arena for 10 minutes at the end of a shorter hack.

 

[maya2008]

It’s the one thing that makes my ferals catchable, tame and happy. In hand first, then under saddle. They literally change hugely once we can walk them out, and start becoming as keen to be caught as everyone else. It gives youngsters a good start physically too - I get to watch them become stronger and move straighter in that initial time post backing when they just hack for months.

We mostly hack, with one flat schooling session and one jumping session per week. Seems to keep everyone happy.

 

[Cortez]

Depends, on the horse, on the work it is asked to do, on the availability of a place to hack. I haven’t hacked on the road for more than 20 years, but all of my horses (mainly dressage competition horses for the first half of my horsey life) would have worked outside of an arena for part of every session.

 

[Highmileagecob]

It's probably as important for the mental wellbeing of the rider too. Many, many stressful days at work were banished by an hour out with Old Dobbin. I miss riding him, now he is retired.

 

[SEL]

I do think even a short change of scenery can make a horse feel more enthusiastic. I have a 30 min out and back route next to my yard which I often use to cool off after schooling, to just stretch their legs in winter or to lead the non-ridden one down. I found when it was out of action flooded over winter and they were all doing more at home they started to feel stale and everyone perked up with even just a plod down the road and back.

I think for fitness and sure footedness it is essential.

Schooling 5-7 days a week cannot be good for mind or body - even top level dressage riders have introduced hacking into their routines.

 

[honetpot]

If you are a horse fit for work I think its really important, because going round in circles wears the joints and the horse is constantly rebalancing themselves.
I find horse a bit thick generally and seem more able to cope with repetition, and hacking is more about exercise, and personally me not getting bored.
I gave up riding because the hacking where we are livery, it had everything you could as for facility wise and I needed that for my daughter, but it was virtually impossible to avoid doing a lot of road work.
Ponies a whole different matter, do something more than two days running and they learn quickly the riders weak spots, and take the line of least resistance, and if the rider is not capable your end up with a whole lot of problems.

 

[Jellymoon]

I find this a bit of an odd question! Probably they should only be hacked out if that’s what their owner wants/needs them to do.

 

[Equi]

Depends on the horse. If they are anxious out hacking then I think it’s next to useless for mental health.

I hop onto my boy in the yard and let him decide. Sometimes he takes me up the lane to the road, some times he takes me to the fields for a blast.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I try yo ride 4 x a week so 2 schooling sessions and 2 hacks. Usually ends up 3 hacks though as my current hacking is fabulous!!

 

[Chiffy]

In sixty years of riding , I never had a horse who didn’t enjoy hacking. In fact I am surprised that you tell me that some horses don’t like it!
It’s a wonderful way to break up the schooling and training although we did use it for fittening work. Our horses, when in work would be ridden usually 6 days a week with a day off per week. Occasionally 5 out of 7. Schooling , jumping and hacking mixed up.
I have stopped riding now but my family still follow this regime.

 

[Jellymoon]

Ah, sorry, I just read the question the top here, not the title…
How important is it to their mental health? I think there are three things that are good for their mental health: forage, freedom, friends.
Hacking is good for fitness and can be good for keeping them calm for their ridden work. But not sure it’s for their mental health, think they would rather be left in the field with their mates if they could choose.
I suppose if they were stabled 24/7 then it could be.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

My Louis hardly ever hacks he doesn't like it the most we do is an amble with the dogs and oh and I hack to the menage next which is 5 minutes.

He much prefers schooling he loves it the more horses the better that's why his so good at show.

We do hack around the school quite a bit with a friend when we are feeling lazy and having a chat.

 

[rara007]

One of mine barely hacks. All our mental health is better for not doing it and the road work doesn’t do his feet much good anyway. He does 75% of his work in summer not competing on fields, but ends up arena based over winter. He definitely doesn’t want for variety as we train all 3 phases of HDT, ridden dressage (AM) plus long rein.