Is it really that bad that I haven't.....

[Quartz]

hacked my horse out for the last month? I have schooled him as usual but in this weather I really don't enjoy hacking out alone. I am starting to stress myself out about it. I know come the spring and summer I will look forward hacking with or without someone with me. But I just don't feel confident when its cold and windy. My horse is quite happy to go out alone, however he doens't like the wind and spooks quite easily with it, nothing major but then I tense up and it just goes down hill and is not enjoyable. At the moment I have really started to build a lot of confidence with him and don't want to ruin it. However, I feel really guilty not taking him out and am worried it will make him really spooky when we do go out? I do take him for a 5 - 10 min walk around the block after schooling him, where I tend to sing to him to distract from wind in bushes and to take my mind off it. Anway question being is it really that bad or should I chill out?

 

[Nic]

Chill out! Some folk never hack. I don't have a school, so I don't have a choice. But I no longer enjoy hacking where we live. Cars pass us much quicker & far more frequently now than they did 10 years ago.

What I wouldn't do for some off road hacking on my doorstep!

 

[Honey08]

I think that hacking is good for a horse. Its not nice to just school. I'm prsuming you're only just schooling once or twice a week, not every day? That would be too much.

Is the horse getting turnout - that would relieve the boredom.

Could you hack out with someone else that has a steady horse, to help you keep your confidence up? I understand where you are coming from. Try not to let it build up into a big issue. Singing is good - keeps you breathing regularly!

 

[Quartz]

I think that hacking is good for a horse. Its not nice to just school. I'm prsuming you're only just schooling once or twice a week, not every day? That would be too much.

Is the horse getting turnout - that would relieve the boredom.

Could you hack out with someone else that has a steady horse, to help you keep your confidence up? I understand where you are coming from. Try not to let it build up into a big issue. Singing is good - keeps you breathing regularly!

I school him 4 times a week, Mon (with morning turnout), Tues (same as mon), then Wed he is turned out all day, schooled again Thurs and Fri same as mon and tues, turn out all day Sat. Then turned out Sunday am.

I have a friend coming out next week with me, her on bike and me on the horse.

 

[Tickles]

Well, you know you are fine for 10min. So, one day when you feel brave try 11min. Seriously. Just go in tiny, tiny stages so neither your nor the horse get stressed. Pretty soon you should get frustrated with how tiny the extra bit of hacking is and just go for it. Unless you have some kind of competition/sale in mind there is no need to rush. Sympathies on the spooking, I first hacked alone on an Arab. You'll learn that to feel how yours does it and accommodate.

Plenty of Hi-viz for both of you, and let someone know where you're going.

Good luck!