I HATE hacking

LEC

LEC

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I hate it, hate it, hate it. :mad:

The only reason I do it is because I know its so good for the horse. But you try explaining this to a 17.2hh only been broken for 3 months warmblood who decides its going to spin round on the bridge going over the motorway as it has seen the massive white bag of grit left in preparation for the winter. You do begin to fear for your life when you see HGV lorries flashing underneath you and the side rails are approximately 3ft high.

Even if I was in a lovely part of the countryside you would not convince me that hacking was anything other than dull and very boring.

No wonder Andrew Nicholson does not hack, he makes some rubbish excuse about it causing horses to nap but actually its because its hideous and dull and you spend your life worrying about your safety.

Guess what I am doing this afternoon. Yep more sodding hacking. Hopefully today we will get over the motorway bridge with less hassle than yesterday.
 
I know what you mean! It has just become so dangerous! Its ok on a happy hacker but on competition horses its a nightmare!
 
Aw I love hacking! Most of the time! I like going out chatting with friends, looking at the countryside and feeling the freedom. Even a canter across a field in the dark with the rain in my face and the sound of hooves makes me feel alive!

Saying that I don't particularly enjoy it when 'it's one of those days!', we have a few of them here in the overcrowded south east! The days when the horse is fresh and spooky, when a pheasant or deer runs out the hedge, it's rush hour, the roads are wet and slippery, kids screaming, loose dogs that can't be controlled ect ect! Those days when you feel that you have only managed to cling on by the skin of your teeth and you have your heart in your mouth! Those days when it feels as if it's not one thing, it's another!

Luckily the bad days don't overpower the good days for me, Id be so upset if I couldn't hack anymore. I think it builds such a close bond between you and the horse. Good for the horse too I think :)
 
Hurrah, more people seeing the light!

I hate hacking too, unless the majority is fast work or you're in truely stunning scenery then it just bores me to tears. Or are completely off-road with no yappy dogs or mountain bikers...
 
I have always hated it but hate it even more than normal at the moment!
 
I think the only thing you can do to relieve hacking boredom is to go out with a group of friends. Hours just fly by and before you know it, youv'e done a solid 3 hour hack!
Those motorway bridges are terrifying I hate them!
 
I used to love it, disapearing for a few hours with my pony. Now I can't relax at all. Would love it again if therre was no other traffic!!
 
Tollfarm said:
I know what you mean! It has just become so dangerous! Its ok on a happy hacker but on competition horses its a nightmare!
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Scuse me tollfarm!!:p:D

I have a discontinued IDxSF sportshorse mare who was used only as a competition jumper at at a high level for several years, until it blew her brains.

She was very green and frightened out, but she loves it now and can't wait to get going. She's turned into a fab hacker ears forward and noseing through windows. We're having fun together, she is one of the best hackers on the yard and I must say, she does it with flair and with umph!!!:p:D

I guess it depends what you do, who with and where?
 
I must say you wouldn't get me on a motorway bridge! Apparently my horse used to cross one fine b4 I got him but knowing how he can spook and spin too (typical young tb) I just don't think I could bring myself to do it!
Same with my old horses! I used to ride a longer way to use the underpass instead.. Much safer :)
 
i love hacking but then again i am lucky as i have miles of off road hacking.

to be honest i would never go over a road bridge but i love just being out on my own it the country side bonding with my horse and facing new challenges

if you have some transport for your horse go to different places to hack
 
I love it IF it's in a safe-ish area.
I used to have to hack over a motorway bridge, and I'd lurk at the edge of it till there were no lorries coming along the motorway, and no traffic on the road I was on, and then trot along the middle of the road. Hated every second of being in such a dangerous place.
I like hacking if the bridleways are nice and the roads are quiet, it's good for horse's brains imho and a nice, low-pressure way to teach them things.
 
i hate it too but unfortunately with no school i have no choice through the winter. One of my horses feels like he's one leaf away from a heart attack most times we hack apart from the very rare days that it's still and sunny rather than wet and windy. My 4 year old has so far been amazing to hack but i still find it boring and the traffic makes it feel so unsafe sometimes.
 
i can totally understand why people would hate hacking when it poses a lot of risks, stress and fear.

I do think a few people tend to say they dont like hacking, find it boring etc because they dont want to admit it scares them. Not anyone thats posted here - just something i had already thought prior to this thread cropping up;)
 
i love it! But that's probably because my hacking is mostly off road. I do agreeing that riding on the road is the most unnerving thing one can do on a horse. It's so nice to not to have to talk or think just sit on the horse and relax.....until you get to a big stubble field :D :D And when I go with someone else it's nice just to have a chat! And over the winter my mum hacks my horse and does interval work with her - keeps her fit without an arena or lights! But with my old nutcase pony I was terrified of the roads, now they just make me uneasy :\
 
I am now of the mindset that hacking is brilliant if you are off the roads and safe. But whatever benefit it brings the young horse in terms life experience has got to be off set by the risk to life and limb that going on busy roads entails. Basically, I would rather not hack unless it's properly safe. The horses don't care that much if they get a lot of turnout anyway.
 
Sorry to hijack this thread, but there's not much point starting a new thread on nearly the same subject:

i believe that you shouldn't try to school or teach out hacking, as its the horses down time. Unless it was very young and you were doing more hacking than schooling, IMVVHO I just don't think it's fair on the horse to be concentrating all the time they're ridden... opinion anyone?
 
I loved hacking as a kid and would go out all day, but then the traffic was no way near as bad and drivers were more aware and careful around horses, Yes I am old!
These days we hack for fitness and tend to confine our activities to our own farm. We are on the side of a hill so great for fitness. Sometimes we box over to the local woods that has great wide long sand tracks for fast work, most people go there and meander around for hours, we are there and back in no time at all as we go for a purpose not pleasure. Sad really.
 
Used to totally hate hacking too.. even then we had really quiet lanes and lovely fields to ride in. Still found it really boring!

Now, however.. alot of the time i go out with other people, your lucky if you see one car, we have all of the woods to ride around, amazing gallops, and its really enjoyable. Ive had Rocky for ages now aswell so we know each other inside out and its really rare that we ever have a problem with anything so i think that makes it more enjoyable. I dont know my way around all the woods yet so alot of the time we have to go for 'adventures' if im on my own, and that makes it a bit more exciting :)
 
I really enjoy hacking but as others have said HATE those days!! I had my first hack on newbie today and he was a super star but it is a worry I think, even if you only go on country roads that aren't busy. I'm much happier off the road tbh. We were almost run off the road by a Horsebox today - *******s should have known much better.

However I would be completely bored if all I could do was hack......
 
MerryMAL said:
i believe that you shouldn't try to school or teach out hacking, as its the horses down time. Unless it was very young and you were doing more hacking than schooling, IMVVHO I just don't think it's fair on the horse to be concentrating all the time they're ridden... opinion anyone?
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Personally I like horses to be concentrating whilst hacking, especially if they are a bit spooky, it makes them much more likely to listen to the rider. My horses have lots of turnout so have plenty of downtime in the field, so doesn't do them any harm to do a bit of schooling out hacking, interpersed with some more relaxed and fun work. Might be different if you are using hacking to make up for lack of turnout time though.
 
hacking on my own is often a bit of a chore as although Fleur will now hack on her own we normally still get a few spooks/naps here and there.

But in good company can happily go off for hours. It is helped by fantastic scenery (exmoor) and loads of offroad areas for fast work. I couldn't by any means hack every day and I will never be a happy hacker but I do like to go out every so often just for a chill and nice change of scenery.

Went out this morning with friend from yard and was lovely. We were out good hour and half which flew past. Just what I needed as was feeling knackered from yesterday so didn't have the energy to school!
 
I hate hacking and only did it today coz couldn't get in the schooled - booked by someone who didnt turn up grrrrrr. Went up the woods having a pootle saw a GS looking at me then saw its mate with a muzzle and before I asked the woman if the dog would be ok it was trying to chew on my horses back leg. Thank god it was muzzled and by the time I'd finished, the owner probably wished I was. On the way back to the yard some stupid bint revved her engine and my poor hossy shat herself again. After shouting my best 'french' language at her she decided to wind her window down and have a go. She changed her mind when she saw my head spinning 360 degrees at 100 mph. To top it all the yard is full of idiots. Luckily I found a new yard away from these morons.
 
I love hacking... but i am at a yard where you can go out for 2 hours and be unlucky if you see more than 3 cars.

we also have miles and miles of offroad riding so i can still hack for over an hour by myslef with my car-shy horse.

I wouldn't enjoy hacking if i was at a yard with busier roads and more traffic though, as having been hit by a car out riding i am a little cautious!
 
HA HA, I took Coco out for his first solo road hack today. I wouldn't have the nerve to hack along busy roads on a youngster & am lucky enough to have some nice quiet lanes. We still had a 'moment' where he was convinced the sheep in a field alongside a narrow lane were waiting in ambush, but he was fantastic otherwise.

I think horses should be allowed to relax and enjoy their hacks, although if I take up a contact I expect them to respond & go nicely. I think it's indispensible with young horses, it gives them self confidence, encourages them to trust you and be obedient and you can do some basic schooling without them getting sour in the arena.

I would however give anything to have some lovely off road hacking, Coco would love it & it would really give him a taste of forward & fun.

Lec - I will happily meet you somewhere to go off road & have some less stressful hacks.
 
I love hacking, especially on Harry the adventure pony.

Some of the local hacking can be a bit dull, but I try and make it interesting by varying the pace, so that we don't always walk on this bit and always canter on this bit etc. We also have some excellent riding a short trailer haul away, so that adds to the fun.

I'd prefer to be hacking than in the school any day.
 
I love hacking :). plus I school out hacking to, so pretty much always on a contact working from behind and usually get better work out hacking as he is far more forward thinking out hacking also. Luckily I have quiet lanes and woods, fields, to ride through so I don't have to worry too much about cars, most are polite aswell. So when I hack I school aswell as have a blast aswell :).
 
I always feel like I SHOULD hack at weekends as for 8 months of the year I don't have any choice but to ride in the school during the week as its too dark after work to do anything else.

I must admit I've always done it for fitness reasons or for a change rather than because I've particularly enjoyed it. I've always done bits of schooling on the hack as I thought hillwork would do more good if they were working on a contact (would love someone to tell me whether this is actually true) And, having had extremely nappy horses, I was (somewhat) less likely to have to sit through a mega-tantrum if I had them between my hand and leg.
 
Hahaha nobody in SA hacks ever, because we have crazy drivers who NEVER slow down, and..I don't know..just very very very few people hack. I find it quite boring too, the few times I've done it, I tend to find myself ambling along on a long rein doing nothing productive. OR, I find myself on a horse that's going sideways, upwards, backwards, spinning and freaking out in general.

So..I avoid it :P
 
I used to adore hacking, from being about 7 or 8 years old I would hack out alone and also when I used work in London I would ride out in the Surrey hills where you could go for 2-4 hours or more pretty much all on bridleways. Heaven. (Having said that if you did go on a road in the Surrey area there was absolutely no respect for riders, it was terrifying at times and I have been hit before).

However, now I am "back home" I absolutely loathe it. We have a large farm but being all arable there is only really one track around it and it gets really boring and frustrating (esp when I come accross loads of people walking and running their dogs (and horses) on the crops where they shouldn't be etc)! To get off the farm I have to use a major-ish B road and it's just really scary, especially when so few drivers attempt to slow down. I have recently purchased a hi-viz top with a big bold "young horse, please pass wide and slow" (slight lie but like they'd know) and people do slow down a lot more with it on, but I still don't feel very safe.

Such a shame, if this were cycling I can't help but feel the government would be launching ongoing campaigns to raise driver awareness etc, but horses just don't seem to hit their radar.

As for schooling whilst hacking, I have to say I tend to ride in an outline etc whilst hacking. As my trainer says, your horse has 21-23 hours a day to relax, if it can't give you one or two hours effort, then it's not really pulling its weight is it?! And esp as mine are turned out all daylight hours and I work my butt off to keep them in the manner to which they have become accustomed, I tend to agree with that sentiment! :D
 
I just don't think it's fair on the horse to be concentrating all the time they're ridden... opinion anyone?
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I disagree - most horses are only ridden for maybe an hour a day. That's 23 hours of downtime that they get in the field and stable!

Though having said that, sometimes I want horses to work properly and sometimes chill out - but I think either is fine.

I quite enjoy hacking, but I hate road work, it makes me nervous because there are so many things that can go wrong. I also get bored if I'm alone, unless its a short hack with lots of fast work. But hacking with friends is good fun and I do enjoy that, particularly if there is little to no roads involved.
 
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