Need some enthusiasm/something to aim for

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Pc2003

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When I purchased my horse 8 yrs ago he was to be that one in a life time fulfill all your dreams type of horse. Things never panned out that way as he developed hock spavins aged 7. After much expense and retirements we barefoot rehabbed him and for the past 3 years he has been hacking sound. Which is a miracle tbh!
Anyway, recently, I find myself lacking motivation to ride. We have nothing to aim for, nothing planned. He is just a hack now and a great one too. I am careful with the ground and with him. I don't school him as such as don't want to put any added pressure on him. I have considered a fun ride but im not sure if that would be too much for him? Esp as he isn't used to it.
Basically we have crap hacking esp in the winter and it's either left or right up a straight road then turn back when you have had enough.
It wouldn't be cost effective for me to get transport as where would I go?
He is 14 this year and I feel I should be making the most of him but it's hard to get motivated when I have nothing to aim for?
Any ideas as to what I could plan or aim for?
 
Why don't you save up some pennies and take him on holiday somewhere that you can ride over exmoor or something. Or the Ridgeway. I don't know, but I'm sure there are some pretty famous places to go and ride for like a weekend or a week. Snowdonia? Peak District ? You could get sponsorship and raise money for charity perhaps. I think that would be amazing !
 
Arzada said:
We used to have hacking like that. We moved. Are you able to move to a better hacking area?
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Well I moved to this yard as there were others that hacked out and where I was previously I always had to hack on my own, which was fine for a while as wasn't sure how sound he would be. I then moved to this yard as I had friends that hack and thought that would be nice. Which it is, but again there is a limit as to how many times you can go up a road!!!
The hacking is better in summer as farmer allows us to ride round all his fields.
 
Notimetoride said:
Why don't you save up some pennies and take him on holiday somewhere that you can ride over exmoor or something. Or the Ridgeway. I don't know, but I'm sure there are some pretty famous places to go and ride for like a weekend or a week. Snowdonia? Peak District ? You could get sponsorship and raise money for charity perhaps. I think that would be amazing !
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That would be amazing ye! Good idea
 
Horse agility might be the better option as it isn't ridden. OP's horse might not stand up to Trec. The BHS do a good book on horse agility if you wanted to get started.


I really don't mean to be brutal - but OP this horse could have as much as 15 - 20 years of life yet. These are very expensive animals, and it costs just as much, if not more if you count vets bills, to keep a broken one as not. It is OK to think about things like retirement livery, blood banks if he is the right type or another solution. I am absolutely not saying it to be mean and you must make your own choices. I only want to say that it is OK to think.
 
Shay said:
Horse agility might be the better option as it isn't ridden. OP's horse might not stand up to Trec. The BHS do a good book on horse agility if you wanted to get started.


I really don't mean to be brutal - but OP this horse could have as much as 15 - 20 years of life yet. These are very expensive animals, and it costs just as much, if not more if you count vets bills, to keep a broken one as not. It is OK to think about things like retirement livery, blood banks if he is the right type or another solution. I am absolutely not saying it to be mean and you must make your own choices. I only want to say that it is OK to think.
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I think OP says she hacks him out
 
With trec, you can miss out bits you can't/don't want to do, and just lose points on those things. The hacking part is more orienteering I think so something to interest the rider perhaps. I wasn't suggessting the OP get competitive with it, just do some of the training at home, or enter some competitions just for a day out. I competed not to win (couldn't care less) but just to give focus to my schooling, I was more motivated if I had a dressage or jumping competition coming up. It meant I bothered to teach my horse things in training that he really didn't need to know in order to be a good hack (my favourite thing), which made life more interesting for us when at yards with limited hacking. I did showing too, mainly because I liked grooming and always kept the horse tidy anyway, and I knew he appreciated a day out.

OP you mentioned fun rides too, if your horse can hack he can do these. There are often short routes for novices which you could use if he's not fit and if there's one you've entered you might be more motivated to increase your hacking beforehand. There's nothing to say you can't do a fun ride mostly at walk, just make sure you ask for an early start time. It might not be suitable if your horse has no brakes in company though, because you will find people canter past you in open spaces or ask to overtake on tracks before cantering off when they're a few meters ahead.

In your shoes though, I'd look to move yards. If your main thing is hacking and you have only 2 road routes which don't go anywhere, it's no wonder you're dying of boredom and losing motivation to ride.

Thanks for saying about the book on horse agility Shay, I might get that. I thought it was a bit pointless, just another thing for people to do who are too scared to ride their horses, until I read an article on it. It might cheer up a retired horse.

ETA: the only downside I can think to getting out and about is if the OPs horse is upto travelling? I'm not sure how much of a strain that puts on the legs.
 
Don't get me wrong, he lives a fairly useful life as a hack and he loves getting out. I mostly hack him out 3-5 times a week so he is quite fit...but for what!!!
In hand showing may be an option as he is a pure bred conni so plenty of m and m classes.
I did also wonder about trec or similar. From about now till October we can get round all the fields so much nicer then.
I did think about getting a sharer or rider for him so I could get something else but it seems a lot of hassle! And I'm not sure he would be top of anyone's list as only hacks
 
There is a really good pleasure ride near us that happens once a year on private land that is opened up just for this purpose. They also have a Trec course at the end of it (optional) with a qualified instructor giving advice. Its really popular and money goes to charity - you can go as fast or slow as you want. Look for things like this.
 
Kaylum said:
There is a really good pleasure ride near us that happens once a year on private land that is opened up just for this purpose. They also have a Trec course at the end of it (optional) with a qualified instructor giving advice. Its really popular and money goes to charity - you can go as fast or slow as you want. Look for things like this.
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See something like that would suit us perfectly
 
I'm in a similar position and was thinking the very same thing recently. I've found a local sponsored ride (less than 20 minutes in the lorry) running the usual 11 mile ride but also a 3 mile lead-rein ride. It's a shame I have to have someone on foot/remain in walk and trot but around here shorter sponsored rides don't seem to exist so I'm not going to grumble! Also planning to go to the beach at some point and possibly do some in hand novelty showing classes (prettiest mare etc) just for the sake of getting out and about. In your shoes with hacking being your main thing, I have to say I think I'd be inclined to move as just doing the same ride all the time (even wih company) sounds very soul destroying.
 
You say you don't want to get transport as you have nowhere to go, but you don't need to be competing to justify transport. With transport you could do the fun rides other have mentioned, go to the beach or other nice spots locally, or just drive to friend's to go for a hack with them - even roads are more fun when you can have a goss with a friend at the same time. Even just driving 15 minutes away can give you a whole new set of places to hack.
 
Love doing bits of horse agility & clicker with my older boy, as well as heaps of NH type groundwork. He's "just a hack" at 19, but still fit & well. He gets so into it! He's still up for fun rides too, though we only ever manage one a year.
 
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