Little hack before or after lesson?

[Riding2020]

There’s a short hack from where I’m currently at. includes 5/10 mins of roadwork and an off road stretch to trot and have a good canter. Not enough to be a full hack by any form but today my boy liked it after our lesson to stretch his legs. He hates the school!

Can it be done before a lesson or best not to and leave it for after?
He was a bit sleepy and not very engaged in the lesson. But that was likely the both of us to be honest!

 

[milliepops]

Depends on your horse and how strenuous your lessons are I'd say.

When I take my horses for lessons they work their socks off for 45+ mins and are tired afterwards so we just walk off then box home. If its not that intense then I'm sure a short hack to cool off would be fine.

 

[Riding2020]

Thanks, ok. lessons aren’t too strenuous as of now so will stick with something little after the lesson so he can have fun. He really just hates the school, but so do I. seeing as we both need schooling it’s nessassary

 

[criso]

One place I was at had little loop that finished across a field and I used to do this before a jumping lesson as my warm up having a nice gallop across the field to get him forward. Other times I have hacked up the road on a loose rein to cool off, especially if there is another lesson right after so I can free the school for the next person. In both cases this was instead of the warm up/cool down part of the lesson and was only about 10/15 mins

 

[JFTDWS]

If the horse is fit enough, there's no reason not to warm up and cool down on a hack if it works out well for horse / rider to do so. It would mean that the 45 minute lesson is solid work rather than warm up / cool down - unless they're already outside of that time period, in which case the workload isn't higher, it's just in a different place.

I do wonder though, when you say you both hate the arena - are you projecting a bit there?!

 

[JennBags]

Thanks, ok. lessons aren’t too strenuous as of now so will stick with something little after the lesson so he can have fun. He really just hates the school, but so do I. seeing as we both need schooling it’s nessassary

He's never going to love the schooling if you don't. Best recommendation would be to find some exercises and focus to your schooling to really enjoy it, set yourself some small achievable goals which you can work towards to make you both enjoy your time in the school. Otherwise you're both going to resent it and you won't get anywhere.

 

[Riding2020]

new instructor said at new place. He hasn’t really been schooled all that much. And as I’m coming back into riding and always only been a happy hacker prior. We both are going back to basics to refine our skills.
he said would have been easier if he was more schooled or I was before we came together. But we’ll get there.
So it’s a power struggle when my boy doesn’t want to be told what to do in the school and I’m having to be firm. Apparently need to be more firmer. He’s lovely out on hacks. And to be honest much better behaved than an ex racer I used to ride out before him. All a learning curve. We’ll get there.

 

[Muddywellies]

I would do it afterwards as a cool off and reward ?

 

[Somewhat Off The Way]

I would do it afterwards as a cool off and reward ?

Yup, I agree, I often do this!

 

[9tails]

Above all, remember that this is meant to be fun for both of you. I'm not keen on schooling at all, but my horse seems to really enjoy it so we do it occasionally. Transitions are excellent fun for sharpening up a horse in the school, I find that lateral work is best done on hacks then brought into a schooling session rather than drilling a particular move.

 

[scats]

I regularly take my girls around our farms tracks to cool off. If I do the short route, it’s about 10-15 minutes. Gives them a change of scenery to chill out and have a walk.
If we’ve not had a particularly strenuous session, we might go out and have a trot or canter (or a blast!)

 

[oldie48]

I have a 10/15 minute circuit round the lanes which I often used to do before I went in with my older horse. He was in at night and a bit stiff behind so a walk round the lanes was a good way of working him in. Mr B was always keen to get home on a hack so I'd take him into the arena at the end of a hack to do some work and that helped to settle him out on hacks when we were homeward bound. Rose I'd hack after a session to cool her down. I think it depends on your horse.

 

[Hallo2012]

i regularly hack 45 min to my lessons as it takes the edge off my firecracker!!!

walk only and lessons are 45 min. my OH meets me there and we box him home

 

[Reacher]

I didn’t enjoy flatwork lessons ....I finally (after trying several and it took quite a long time) found an instructor who makes me feel we are improving and I get enjoyment and satisfaction from that. I’d try a few different instructors and see if you enjoy it more. One tip is my instructor keeps horse’s brain busy so he doesn’t have time to get bored and fed up!

(We are shattered after our lessons - too shattered to go for a hack!)

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wuld use the hack as a warm-up session to see if he is more responsive in the lesson - you can always do the hack again, maybe in the opposite direction, to cool down afterwards.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I often hack before schooling I find it helps both of mine go a lot better, there more supple and relaxed so schooling is easier.

 

[Snowfilly]

For years, my jumping instructor was a half hour hack away. We’d walk the first bit, do a few trots and transitions and just need a quick canter in the school before we started. No cool down as the ride home took care of that.

In your case, I’d use it as a warm up and get him into a positive frame of mind.

 

[Riding2020]

I didn’t enjoy flatwork lessons ....I finally (after trying several and it took quite a long time) found an instructor who makes me feel we are improving and I get enjoyment and satisfaction from that. I’d try a few different instructors and see if you enjoy it more. One tip is my instructor keeps horse’s brain busy so he doesn’t have time to get bored and fed up!

(We are shattered after our lessons - too shattered to go for a hack!)

Good advice, thank you.

going to try a few that teach at the yard have moved to and see what feels best

 

[maximoo]

Either a hack or schooling don't do both same day can you not school on your hack practice your transition leg yield etc gives horse a break fro an arena yet still doing abit on both your hack mine enjoy thd variety even jump a log or two

 

[Red-1]

When I was younger I would hack an hour there and back for a lesson. Just in walk, and would dismount and walk on foot the last mile before having a short break, drink etc.

That was back in the days when we would also walk to shows, stay all day (taking turns to hold horses) and hack home too.

I actually think it is more healthy.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Either a hack or schooling don't do both same day can you not school on your hack practice your transition leg yield etc gives horse a break fro an arena yet still doing abit on both your hack mine enjoy thd variety even jump a log or two

Whyever not?

 

[DressageCob]

Either a hack or schooling don't do both same day can you not school on your hack practice your transition leg yield etc gives horse a break fro an arena yet still doing abit on both your hack mine enjoy thd variety even jump a log or two

I'm interested to know why you say "don't do both same day". I sometimes have a quiet walk after my lessons as a cool off. I also sometimes take out a hack for 1.5 hours, walk, trot and canter. Although when I do that we do bear it in mind when deciding how hard to work the horse in the lesson.

I've never heard of a problem doing both the same day. So I'm interested to know why you say it shouldn't be done.

 

[dorsetladette]

We used to have lots of people hack to our yard have a 30 min lesson and then hack home again. I can't see any harm if your horse is healthy. I will help him get fitter too. Maybe even a quick hack out before if there is a canter strip to get him more forward before the lesson, you may enjoy the schooling more if he is more active.

 

[criso]

Also if you're having a 30 min lesson and someone is having a lesson right before or after, then you can't go in before to warm up or after to cool off.

 

[Lanky Loll]

My trainer is a 10 minute hack away, we walk/trot on the way there and walk on the way home. Works well and means lesson time can be more concentrated.

 

[alexomahony]

I often warm up and cook down using a little hack out before and after lesson