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

[Fieldlife]

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.

Have you never hacked a confident horse who enjoys hacking and thinks the purpose of the hack is for him to explore and be nosy about what is going on all the way along the hack? One who doesnt chose the turning for home if offered a choice? A number of horses really enjoy hacking.

 

[Needtoretire]

All of mine have hacked in the 47 years I have had horses. How do you raise a well rounded sensible horse without hacking him and letting him see the world. I am sure horses were a lot sounder than they are now for the simple reason they got miles in their legs on a straight line.

Regular hacking for my current horses is vitally important, they bounce out of the yard and march along with pricked ears enjoying every moment.

 

[SEL]

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.

Just the one - but actually I think it was pain related (my PSSM mare) and being away from home just increased her anxiety levels. She was better with other horses but never completely happy.

Every other horse I've had has loved it. My little microcob loves new routes and exploring.

 

[nagblagger]

It depends on where the horse is kept, in a tiny individual paddock /stable most of the time they probably enjoy it more because they are bored. My field ornament herd, who have 20+ acres of fields and hills to wander around, probably wouldn't need the mental wellbeing being side of it so much.

Edited, I think I need it more than the mule.

 

[Jenko109]

As a gold standard, I personally prefer to see horses doing far more hacking than schooling.

That said, there are too many variables.

Youngsters for instance, I would expect to be hacking the majority of their ridden time.

Older horses, again I would expect to be doing more hacking and less schooling.

But then what is the rider's ambition?

If you are into your dressage, then you probably want more time in the school.

Is it safe to hack where you are?

If not, then it may only be suitable to box out to hacking on the weekends.

So yes. Lots of hacking if you can. Don't beat yourself up if you can't.

 

[HopOnTrot]

I love hacking, especially on my own and it would be the only real non-negotiable for my next horse.

 

[HopOnTrot]

Also we don’t have a school at home so £20 a pop to hire one adds up quickly!

 

[Jellymoon]

Have you never hacked a confident horse who enjoys hacking and thinks the purpose of the hack is for him to explore and be nosy about what is going on all the way along the hack? One who doesnt chose the turning for home if offered a choice? A number of horses really enjoy hacking.

oh yes, I completely agree, I love hacking and do lots of it, and the horses seem to like it more than being schooled, but the question was about whether it’s necessary for their mental health. And I think that’s anthropomorphic…I don’t think it’s necessary for their mental health…

 

[Wishfilly]

I try to hack at least once a week, although it can be tricky in winter, but I am lucky to have access to safe hacking on quiet lanes and tracks. Even on off road routes, there are hazards, e.g. loose dogs, which can make hacking dangerous. I think it's very good for fitness (we have lots of hills too), balance and proprioception. I'm not totally sure about mental health- I think the most important thing for my pony's mental health is company, I think he enjoys hacking on familiar routes, but finds going hacking on new routes a bit nerve wracking, even with a confident friend- although perhaps it's good for him to build his confidence in this way?

I would say he enjoys jumping and polework in the school more than he does hacking on unfamiliar routes, but I don't think anyone would suggest a horse should do polework regularly for their mental health (maybe physical health)?

Obviously his favourite thing by far is eating grass in the field with his mates, but regular exercise does mean he can do this and not become overweight, so there is that?

 

[Fieldlife]

oh yes, I completely agree, I love hacking and do lots of it, and the horses seem to like it more than being schooled, but the question was about whether it’s necessary for their mental health. And I think that’s anthropomorphic…I don’t think it’s necessary for their mental health…

My horse likes to grumble he works too hard. But after a few days off he’s keen to do something / go somewhere. He’s not a dressage fan though. Yes some of it is whilst he has grass and variety he’s not got a huge acreage to roam at home.

I’d maybe say horses don’t need to be ridden at all for their mental health. But if they are ridden regularly maybe most benefit mentally from a proportion of that work being hacking.

 

[nagblagger]

Are you researching something @PeterNatt ?

 

[Tarragon]

I am going to say hacking is very important to the health and well-being of the horse, because as a self-professed happy hacker it is just as important to my health and well-being!
But to me the key thing is variety and stimulation, so it may be that a competition horse can have more varied and stimulated life than a horse that is ridden round the same block twice a week.
For people who have nappy horses who won’t hack, my advice is try going further and explore and build the partnership up.

 

[ycbm]

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!

I believed that every single horse in the world could be taught to enjoy hacking ........ until I owned one that really, really couldn't.
.

 

[ycbm]

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

@PeterNatt could you please come back and tell us what you started this thread for, or at least participate in it? With your huge experience with over 40 years with the BHS, it wasn't a question you needed to ask for yourself and, forgive me, I have a personal dislike of being used for research without being told about it up front.
.

 

[Peglo]

Another who thinks it totally depends on the horse.
My old haffie loved hacking. She wasn’t a social pony so had no care about staying at home with pony pals and liked hacking alone. She noticed all the changes on our routes and enjoyed getting out. It was good for her mental health.
Current haffie is a total social butterfly. She wouldn’t care what we were doing as long as she was meeting friends. She’d self load in a box if a friend was in it. So hacking itself isn’t that important but she is happy when hacking with friends.

 

[Orangehorse]

I used to exercise a horse once a week kept at a local livery yard. He had been an eventer (although like the YO I wouldn't have liked to try) but he was a good dressage horse and his owner did quite a lot of competitions but liked that he could go out for a hack once a week, so it suited us both.

It was murder. He simply would not walk out, he was obviously just waiting for the halfway point when we started to go back. He wasn't nappy or naughty, he was quiet in traffic, he didn't shy or spook, he just wouldn't go. "This is supposed to be a dressage horse, answering to light aids."

One day I turned up and he had lost a shoe, so the YO said to go and ride him the arena. Different horse. Trotting out, pointy toes, light aids, a different horse.

Now, looking back, there may have been a physical reason (although both owner and YO were very aware of everything affecting their horses), but I think he just didn't like going out, he liked the arena.

 

[dorsetladette]

It really depends on the horse and the set up.

I'm on my own place and have no one to regularly hack with so mine learn from being young to go out alone.

Unfortunately, Mr B arrived at mine with issues already ingrained. He has severe separation anxiety which means he really doesn't enjoy going out away from his field mates. He settles quickly in a lorry with a haynet, but to walk out in hand (he's not ridden) isn't fun for him or me, so we don't. I move their paddocks regularly and put tracks with electric fencing to keep him as active as I can but most of his exercise is done on the end of a lunge line unfortunately. It's not ideal, but then having a handsome 12 year old perfectly sound horse you can't ride isn't ideal either really.

My other two will definitely hack as part of there education. I think it's part of having a well rounded animal. Although I'm not looking forward to hacking Reggie with his crazy legs when he gets excited

 

[lme]

I think hacking and / or spending time out in fields (not postage stamp paddocks) with friends are important for a horse's physical / mental health. I wouldn't keep horses somewhere where neither is possible. Our 'in work' horses hack 3-4 times a week, school at most once a week and are out 8h plus a day (more in summer) in decent sized fields.

 

[PeterNatt]

ycbm! Someone said to me this week that horse riding would die out over the next few years, which I thought was a bit sad especially as I have been hacking out for many years. I have been meeting less and less ridden and driven horses when I have been hacking out. Where I am at present we have miles and miles off off road riding and although I meet walkers and cyclists daily, I rarely meet other horse riders or carriage drivers. I spend a lot of my spare time doing Access and Road Safety work as a volunteer for the British Horse Society and I started to wonder if it would only be walkers and cyclists that would benefit from my work in the future.

 

[TwyfordM]

I much prefer hacking and I think most horses do too!

The varied terrain, hill work, getting to see the world etc is very very valuable

 

[Blurr]

I think it should be the first discipline once a horse is started, part of training. It's in the nature of the horse to travel and explore, it's what they do. Mine hack, and they're allowed stopping places for snacks too, what discipline could be more horse-like?

 

[Cortez]

I think it should be the first discipline once a horse is started, part of training. It's in the nature of the horse to travel and explore, it's what they do. Mine hack, and they're allowed stopping places for snacks too, what discipline could be more horse-like?

No discipline is horse-like, and horses in the wild rarely travel outside their well defined range areas unless chased.

 

[HopOnTrot]

I am going to say hacking is very important to the health and well-being of the horse, because as a self-professed happy hacker

My brain read this as “semi professional happy hacker” and I fully support that!

 

[Fieldlife]

ycbm! Someone said to me this week that horse riding would die out over the next few years, which I thought was a bit sad especially as I have been hacking out for many years. I have been meeting less and less ridden and driven horses when I have been hacking out. Where I am at present we have miles and miles off off road riding and although I meet walkers and cyclists daily, I rarely meet other horse riders or carriage drivers. I spend a lot of my spare time doing Access and Road Safety work as a volunteer for the British Horse Society and I started to wonder if it would only be walkers and cyclists that would benefit from my work in the future.

I certainly know of more and more riders that dont hack / dont go on roads / dont have horses that are pretty safe to hazards etc. I have had too many close encounters on a number of roads in past locations. I am now in a race horse training location where roads are pretty good.

 

[Birker2020]

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

I used to hack out two or three times a week for usually 40 mins to an hour and used to do a 10 or 15 mile fun ride once a week in the summer too.

If I couldn't hack out a horse I'd not want it, hacking is very important as is riding on different surfaces, I.e grass, chippings, grit, tarmac, soil, surfaces.

 

[ycbm]

ycbm! Someone said to me this week that horse riding would die out over the next few years, which I thought was a bit sad especially as I have been hacking out for many years. I have been meeting less and less ridden and driven horses when I have been hacking out. Where I am at present we have miles and miles off off road riding and although I meet walkers and cyclists daily, I rarely meet other horse riders or carriage drivers. I spend a lot of my spare time doing Access and Road Safety work as a volunteer for the British Horse Society and I started to wonder if it would only be walkers and cyclists that would benefit from my work in the future.

I see. I know you have done great service for the BHS and horse riders. Yes I think hacking is dying out. Sadly you would need to pay me to ever hack out on a road again, it simply isn't safe.
.

 

[maya2008]

ycbm! Someone said to me this week that horse riding would die out over the next few years, which I thought was a bit sad especially as I have been hacking out for many years. I have been meeting less and less ridden and driven horses when I have been hacking out. Where I am at present we have miles and miles off off road riding and although I meet walkers and cyclists daily, I rarely meet other horse riders or carriage drivers. I spend a lot of my spare time doing Access and Road Safety work as a volunteer for the British Horse Society and I started to wonder if it would only be walkers and cyclists that would benefit from my work in the future.

There aren’t many horses near us, but all the ones there are have no arena so we all hack. Further away there is a livery yard that advertises the forest hacking as its selling point (no roadwork). I found that moving away from busy urban areas gave me kinder, more understanding motorists. Our local council estate here is so lovely to hack through - no matter who we meet, they are kind and considerate. Where I used to be, closer to London in a more affluent area, the drivers were frankly terrifying.

 

[lizziebell]

ycbm! Someone said to me this week that horse riding would die out over the next few years, which I thought was a bit sad especially as I have been hacking out for many years. I have been meeting less and less ridden and driven horses when I have been hacking out. Where I am at present we have miles and miles off off road riding and although I meet walkers and cyclists daily, I rarely meet other horse riders or carriage drivers. I spend a lot of my spare time doing Access and Road Safety work as a volunteer for the British Horse Society and I started to wonder if it would only be walkers and cyclists that would benefit from my work in the future.

Perhaps your experience of meeting less horses being hacked, is lack of livery facilities in the area with direct access to the off-road riding. A lot of people no longer feel it safe to ride on the roads. Some people will box to hack, but places to park a lorry/ trailer near a network of bridleways is far and few between, and then there is the rising cost of transport. Lack of bridleways and unsafe roads makes hacking for many people inaccessible.

 

[Fieldlife]

Perhaps your experience of meeting less horses being hacked, is lack of livery facilities in the area with direct access to the off-road riding. A lot of people no longer feel it safe to ride on the roads. Some people will box to hack, but places to park a lorry/ trailer near a network of bridleways is far and few between, and then there is the rising cost of transport. Lack of bridleways and unsafe roads makes hacking for many people inaccessible.

I think you maybe have to chose to live and keep horses in an area with access to safe off road riding, if doing so is a priority to you.

 

[Fieldlife]

I see. I know you have done great service for the BHS and horse riders. Yes I think hacking is dying out. Sadly you would need to pay me to ever hack out on a road again, it simply isn't safe.
.

Does that mean you dont hack? Or you can hack without needing to go on the road?