Is seven miles a long ride?

[SecretAgentBilly]

In your opinion, do you think seven miles is a long ride for a pony that is worked usually worked 6 x a week, 3 hacks and 3 schooling sessions(including two lessons)? Only walk and trot no cantering. Just wondering as me and my friend are divided in our views!

 

[Goldenstar]

No I don't .

 

[{97702}]

No, not at all

 

[NZJenny]

No - they should cope fine. On the work you are doing they should be fine to do 20 km (12.5 miles).

Have fun!

 

[JenTaz]

I wouldnt say so, as long as you listen to the pony and give enough walking rest breaks from trotting then she should be fine, I don't get to hack very often, very fussy in terms of ground conditions as believe we are lucky to have such good bridlepaths they aren't worth ruining when too wet, so only hack when its dry, shortest hack is about 7 miles including a few fields to canter through and the rest is road work, and i'd quite happily do this on my horse when he's only ridden 3/4 times a week in the school, but i take it at his pace.

 

[ElleSkywalker]

That's a shortist ride for me and my nearly 22 year old pone! :biggrin3:

 

[Kikke]

no that should be a walk in the park!

 

[9tails]

It's an average hack. Definitely not long.

 

[Annagain]

Bearing in mind horses walk at about 4-5mph, that's probably only about an hour and 20 mins by the time you add a bit of trot in.

 

[wench]

Not long at all.

If horse been out of work, then yes it would be, but on a generally fit horse, no!

 

[AmyMay]

It's an average hack. Definitely not long.

This.

 

[MileAMinute]

Lol not at all. That would consist of a 'round the block' hack when I kept my horse by the local forest. Hours of fun.

 

[SecretAgentBilly]

Thank you for your replies, pony has gone lame after that length hack yesterday, my friend/instructor is convinced it's because she went out for too long - but to me it, like stated, felt like an average sort of ride. Interesting to hear other people's opinions.

 

[Dave's Mam]

Lol not at all. That would consist of a 'round the block' hack when I kept my horse by the local forest. Hours of fun.

Yup. Just listen to your neddy. Take it easy & warm up & down gently.

 

[BSL]

In your opinion, do you think seven miles is a long ride for a pony that is worked usually worked 6 x a week, 3 hacks and 3 schooling sessions(including two lessons)? Only walk and trot no cantering. Just wondering as me and my friend are divided in our views!

As long as tack is well fitting, rider of suitable size and mount healthy, definitely not.

 

[flaxen]

My pony did over 10miles in under 2 hrs before he had a fall and he did that 6 days 1 week and 5 days the next and all roadwork or grass verge beside road.

 

[be positive]

Thank you for your replies, pony has gone lame after that length hack yesterday, my friend/instructor is convinced it's because she went out for too long - but to me it, like stated, felt like an average sort of ride. Interesting to hear other people's opinions.

Pony may well be lame due to doing something on the hack, treading on a stone and bruising his foot, knocking himself somewhere but it will not be because he was out for too long, that 7 mile ride would be less work than the average lesson and you say you have 2 lessons a week, it sounds like an easy day with just an unlucky outcome.

 

[Smurf's Gran]

Pony may well be lame due to doing something on the hack, treading on a stone and bruising his foot, knocking himself somewhere but it will not be because he was out for too long, that 7 mile ride would be less work than the average lesson and you say you have 2 lessons a week, it sounds like an easy day with just an unlucky outcome.

Agree - also is your pony barefoot? if so it may have been unused to the surfaces on your hack?

Its also worth double checking your tack and its fit

 

[rara007]

My hacks are often 7 miles+, yet rarely all day epics, so no.

 

[SecretAgentBilly]

No she's shod in front, I thought she might have stood on a stone and bruised her sole. The vet is coming tomorrow anyway but I've been feeling guilty all evening thinking Id been out for far too long like my friend said - I'm reassured now it was probably something on the hack that caused it not the hack itself!

 

[Pigeon]

No, that's what I would consider a good solid hack though. We do that once or twice a week and my pone's not even very fit. A long ride would be like what we used to do as a kid on sundays, and be out for five hours!

 

[Midlifecrisis]

Nope...as many have said before me.

 

[Kat]

No. Short side of average for me, as it would be under 2hrs.

 

[flirtygerty]

No it's a walk in the park, I can pull any of my couch potatoes in from the field and do that distance at a walk/trot, it's me that can't take the distance not my everready neds

 

[Irish gal]

I wouldn't think so...I brought a similar query up with a farmer friend recently and his answer was along the following lines: 'My grandfather would tell me that he often drove the horse ten miles to mass and back, pulling the family in a trap, and then he took her out from under it and went hunting.' It's what they're designed to do

 

[cava14una]

My horse wouldn't box so I often rode him about 9 miles to a show competed and hacked home

 

[Gloi]

No, it's what we do on a 'round the block' hack. Only seems long if you have to lead the Shetland

 

[Merrymoles]

Our standard "round the block" is four miles so I'm another one who agrees that seven isn't much at all.

At my old yard, which had better hacking, we would probably do that twice every weekend and some of our hacks were much longer - up to 14 miles.

 

[pennyturner]

Good grief. My Section A would do twice that, carrying an adult, at a non-stop trot, without losing his sparkle... and he's only pulled out of a field once a week.

 

[amandaco2]

Sounds fine