How long is too long for a hack?

[Charmin]

As title really.

What's the maximum length hack you'd take time wise?

Hack is all roadwork but flat. Mainly walking, good ground covering walk seeking contact. Horse in question 15hh native x TB low level eventing fit.

 

[L&M]

A 'maintenance' hack for mine is between 45 mins and 1hr 30. A longer hack would be 2/3 hrs but done on a less regular basis, say once a fortnight. However we do fun rides and hunt weekly in the winter, so will often be in the saddle for longer on those occasions, so hacking for us is just to keep them fit more than a discipline.

How long is too long depends on many factors, such as horses fitness, ground conditions etc.

 

[Dancing_Diva]

I have a light weight coloured cob who I've built fitness up slowly over the past year and I go on 9 - 16 mile hacks twice a week all being road work. Then one day a week do probably a 7 - 8 mile hack. She comes home looking like she did before we left.

I guess each horse is different though in what they'd cope with.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

Most rides around here are about an hour'ish, and that's all circular routes, which is lovely. We have got a quick trot round the block which is literally 10 mins; then up from that a 20 min trot; 40 mins; and everything after that upwards of an hour.

If we want to go to any open land its about forty mins there, forty mins back. If we want to go to the nearest common its a 3hr round trip - very possible but bum starts complaining after the first hour-and-a-half

Don't know that there is such a thing as a "too long" hack???? Depends on the horse, the rider, the terrain (and the weather!!!).

 

[fattylumpkin]

I hack between an hour and two hours most often a too long hack for me is something that would leave the horse too sore or unfit to work the next day.

 

[chestnut cob]

Mine is a 15hh native (prob Connemara maybe with a bit of cob in there), 8yo, also low level eventing fit. If you pick the right routes our hacking is v hilly. My shortest hack is about 40-45 min if you walk it all, which is what I do either as a cool down after schooling/ lesson or if I'm short of time. The next biggest loop is all hills up and down, takes about 1hr15 min depending on if I trot up all of the hills. Having moved from somewhere that was totally flat, that loop achieves in just over an hour what it would have taken me 2hrs or more to achieve on a flat hack. There are also a few bridleways running through fields but less hilly and more roadwork, which take maybe 1hr20 to 1hr45 depending on route taken. Those are all hacks I'd do in the week if I have time (ie on a nice evening) but TBH it tends to be mainly schooling with a 20 min quick hack to cool off, or maybe the longer 45 min one on its own. If I do a longer weekend one it might be 2 hours but it's rare I do more than that, especially as the longer ones are so hilly.

 

[dogatemysalad]

Depends on the horse's fitness, terrain, temperature and pace. I've taken youngsters out all day but we'd stop at a pub or by a river periodically. 20 miles is nothing to a healthy horse.

Welsh cobs used to tested by trotting 35 miles at the same pace which would take less than 3 hours. My old vet practice orginally used to do visits 24 miles away and back on horse back in an afternoon.

Still not as impressive as the Tevis Cup. 100 miles in a day. The fastest winner did it in 10 hours and 46 minutes. On an Arab.

 

[ArabianGem78]

Completely depends! My novice-but-soon-to-be open endurance arab is 12 years old and very fit so will happily do 4 hours at an average speed of 12kph - 14 kph at a ride, maybe 10kph in training at home. Our terrain is mostly off-road commons with a lot of hills.

 

[claribella]

I think it depends on the fitness level of the horse. We could go all day if we wanted when my mare is at her fittest but at the moment we do about an hour or two. Shes been off for a couple of weeks due to injury so I will be building her up again as of today. The hacking around here is quite hard so her fitness levels go up fairly quick.

 

[ArabianGem78]

Still not as impressive as the Tevis Cup. 100 miles in a day. The fastest winner did it in 10 hours and 46 minutes. On an Arab.

Top of my bucket list

 

[SpringArising]

We have got a quick trot round the block which is literally 10 mins; then up from that a 20 min trot; 40 mins; and everything after that upwards of an hour.

You trot for 40 mins on the road?

 

[ihatework]

How long is a piece of string?!!! Depends on so many factors.

I'm currently competing at a reasonable level of dressage.
Once a week - Mine gets a 40 minute 'quiet day', which is a pootle round the block. I also do one 'proper' hack a week that would be 1hr30 approx. but then her work schedule is defined more by her discipline and my lack of enthusiasm for proper long hacks!!

 

[chestnut cob]

and my lack of enthusiasm for proper long hacks!!

I occasionally get the urge for long hacks so I get all gee'd up, go off on said long hack and after 1hr 45 min I start getting a sore bum, am bored and wish I was nearer to home! I can't cope for any longer than 2 hours now, despite my initial enthusiasm for it!

 

[Brightbay]

Three hours is probably our longest. That's regardless of distance covered - so he is happy enough doing an intro endurance ride that's mainly trotting/cantering, as well as a long hack in walk/some trot along the roads and lanes - both taking up to the three hour mark. Any longer than that, I would be getting off for regular spells to give his back a break.

Our normal circular road hacking routes are all minimum 1 hour 45. There are two short there-and-back-again routes of an hour. We would do the 1 hour 45 maybe twice a week, the three hour maybe once every two weeks, and then a hack of a minimum of an hour on the other days. We don't have an arena, so that's our fitness programme

 

[Gloi]

If it's gone dark by the time you get back it's too far.
I rarely go out for longer than 4 hours these days, my knees complain if I ride for too long. Day to day rides are 1 1/2 to 2 hours. In my youth I'd be out all day with a picnic whenever I got the chance.

 

[Gloi]

Welsh cobs used to tested by trotting 35 miles at the same pace which would take less than 3 hours. My old vet practice orginally used to do visits 24 miles away and back on horse back in an afternoon.

Still not as impressive as the Tevis Cup. 100 miles in a day. The fastest winner did it in 10 hours and 46 minutes. On an Arab.

The work most horses do these days is nothing to when they had to work for their keep. A breeder of Fell ponies told me about one of his ancestors stock that had been driven taking the mail from Kendal to Barrow and back, a distance of around 60 miles, daily for 20 years.

 

[Crabby]

And so far not one person has said they'd take their unfit and slightly overweight black horse on a 15 mile hack on a hot day when it'd already had a long outing on the day before. No need to comment..I didn't. .

 

[SpringArising]

And so far not one person has said they'd take their unfit and slightly overweight black horse on a 15 mile hack on a hot day when it'd already had a long outing on the day before. No need to comment..I didn't. .

Context?

 

[rowan666]

Completely depends on your horse and you! My anglo would go all day without breaking a sweat and would litterally go untill he dropped if allowed (typical arab!) my cobs and sec A, well a 15min hack round the block has them sweating and panting! They are all on the same work load so just shows some are naturally fitter than others. Personally my bum and legs feel like falling off after an hour and a half so on really long hacks im generally found walking rather than riding! Lol

 

[rara007]

Until you get bored or it's too dark? I don't think my pony would sweat up walking on the flat all day! Same for our driving mice, though they'd get bored walking quite quick!

Shockingly they also manage around 2 hours of trot, on road (riding I walk down hills and every 30min for 10 min)

My normal hack is 7.5 miles which takes us around 45min, my long one is 15 miles but I don't have the patience to do those at the walk, my walk route is more like 2.5 miles I don't expect him to tire over 15 miles continuous trot.

 

[Cortez]

"And so far not one person has said they'd take their unfit and slightly overweight black horse on a 15 mile hack on a hot day when it'd already had a long outing on the day before. No need to comment..I didn't. ."

Huh? What are you on about?

And for the record, 15 miles at a steady pace is not very far.

 

[tiga71]

If it was just roadwork I wouldn't do more than about 3 hours as it would be pretty boring just walking and trotting. For a proper hack we go out for hours. My cob and I go up on the Downs for about 4 hours at least once a week. If we do more than about 4.5 hours we will find somewhere for a drink stop or take a snack and have a grass/snack break where I get off for a little bit. 6 hours is about our longest but my friend and I did get a bit lost but had a great time anyway.

 

[Kat]

There's no such thing as too long!

I generally don't think it is worth bothering for less than an hour. A weekend hack for me is normally 2-3 hours a long one 4hrs plus. Our hacking is mainly roads with some tracks and lots of hills. My mare always finishes pretty fresh.

 

[Fides]

When I back it's normally 2-3 hours, any less than an hour will be a cool down after a schooling session (we both hate cool down in the school). If I get lost I can be out 6-8 hours

 

[PeterNatt]

I have happily hacked out for 7 hours but my horses are used to it!

 

[Blythe Spirit]

I too have ridden my fit horse 'all day' as in 5/6 hours with occasional breaks. Cover about 20/40 miles in that time depending on horses natural paces and terrain etc. My best hacker could easily do 30 miles several days in a row with no sign of stress/tiredness etc

 

[Mince Pie]

Following on from this how long do you think it would take to hack 32 miles in walk and trot? Obviously pony would have to be very fit but thinking of hacking the camel trail when I get to Cornwall.

ETA: that would be 16 miles out, stop at a pub then 16 miles back home!

 

[Fides]

Following on from this how long do you think it would take to hack 32 miles in walk and trot? Obviously pony would have to be very fit but thinking of hacking the camel trail when I get to Cornwall.

ETA: that would be 16 miles out, stop at a pub then 16 miles back home!

I've found about 4 miles an hour so 9 hours with a lunch break

 

[LessThanPerfect]

It's directly proportionate to the thickness of padding in your knickers and/or how good your seatsaver is!

 

[Mince Pie]

It's directly proportionate to the thickness of padding in your knickers and/or how good your seatsaver is!

*sniggers*