Caol Ila
Well-Known Member
I used to love hacking/trail riding; going up and down hills, exploring, cantering, galloping, the lot. I grew up spoiled, at a barn in Colorado with 90+ acres of mountains to ride on in addition to bordering open space (county maintained) trails. Since moving to the UK, it's not been quite like that but barns I've boarded at have had something reasonable to ride on. The last stable had access to forestry tracks that were well maintained and had some good gallop trails.
At my current barn, the hacking consists of roads and some limited forestry. Liveries who have been there for years say the usable forestry trails used to be extensive and you used to have some good gallop runs, but whoever owns that land has stopped maintaining the tracks, and the quad bikes and dirt bikes trash them, so only a handful of tracks are even ridable now. At a walk, maybe a trot or slow canter if it's dry-ish. At this time of year I have to avoid it anyway, as the Clegg flies drive my horse bananas, and it's rubbish for all parties; she's miserable because she's getting bit and I'm miserable because I'm trying to stop her from turning into a rodeo bronc. My Colorado girl just cannot handle British insects!
So mostly it's roads. Narrow country roads or riding through the village. My horse is good in traffic, but I always find it a bit worrying, as there are huge hedges along all the roads and cars pop out suddenly, surprised to see you there. The village is full of cars, barking dogs, and worst of all, children who are drawn like magnets to the rear end of the horse. They'll run right up to her, or race up to her on the bikes, or chase us on their bikes. Always aiming for her rear end. She's awesome. Doesn't flinch. Still, doesn't stop me from flinching when I suddenly see a kid charging towards the back end of my horse! I've said to them more than once not to run around the horse but it's like they speak a different language. I even tried the PR tactic once and let them come pet her. I said "you have to walk up to the horse very quietly." They did. They patted her on the neck and shoulder, as instructed. Then they darted away, running right under her neck. She didn't care, but Christ. Last time I ever do that! I don't mind them, really, so long as they're not acting like kamikazes. It's just when they race up my horse's bum that it sets off every alarm bell I've acquired for the last 20 years around horses! I've been caught between kids on bikes barreling towards me on one side and a white van (who had no interest in slowing down, even though he was in the village and it had a 30mph limit) barreling along on the other. Told the horse to stand. It was all we could do. She didn't move a muscle.
It's all very stressful, and these days I go out hacking out of duty, on the basis that it's probably unhealthy to be drilling the dressage in the school all the time. The horse needs to get out of the arena at least once or twice per week. But I don't enjoy it anymore. And that makes me sad.
At my current barn, the hacking consists of roads and some limited forestry. Liveries who have been there for years say the usable forestry trails used to be extensive and you used to have some good gallop runs, but whoever owns that land has stopped maintaining the tracks, and the quad bikes and dirt bikes trash them, so only a handful of tracks are even ridable now. At a walk, maybe a trot or slow canter if it's dry-ish. At this time of year I have to avoid it anyway, as the Clegg flies drive my horse bananas, and it's rubbish for all parties; she's miserable because she's getting bit and I'm miserable because I'm trying to stop her from turning into a rodeo bronc. My Colorado girl just cannot handle British insects!
So mostly it's roads. Narrow country roads or riding through the village. My horse is good in traffic, but I always find it a bit worrying, as there are huge hedges along all the roads and cars pop out suddenly, surprised to see you there. The village is full of cars, barking dogs, and worst of all, children who are drawn like magnets to the rear end of the horse. They'll run right up to her, or race up to her on the bikes, or chase us on their bikes. Always aiming for her rear end. She's awesome. Doesn't flinch. Still, doesn't stop me from flinching when I suddenly see a kid charging towards the back end of my horse! I've said to them more than once not to run around the horse but it's like they speak a different language. I even tried the PR tactic once and let them come pet her. I said "you have to walk up to the horse very quietly." They did. They patted her on the neck and shoulder, as instructed. Then they darted away, running right under her neck. She didn't care, but Christ. Last time I ever do that! I don't mind them, really, so long as they're not acting like kamikazes. It's just when they race up my horse's bum that it sets off every alarm bell I've acquired for the last 20 years around horses! I've been caught between kids on bikes barreling towards me on one side and a white van (who had no interest in slowing down, even though he was in the village and it had a 30mph limit) barreling along on the other. Told the horse to stand. It was all we could do. She didn't move a muscle.
It's all very stressful, and these days I go out hacking out of duty, on the basis that it's probably unhealthy to be drilling the dressage in the school all the time. The horse needs to get out of the arena at least once or twice per week. But I don't enjoy it anymore. And that makes me sad.
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The picture looks lovely. I would love to ride there...
