Ok, DRESSAGE RIders/horses and Hacking???

[wednesdayadams]

So all of these hacking threads are interesting, Eventers I understand hacking is in your work plans, however DRESSAGE riders how often do you hack??? Mine is hacked once a week at but this is an amble round the block (45mins or so country lanes) no gallops as it is all farmers land- he is jumped fortnightly or every 3 weeks, but weekly we have lessons once or twice, one lunge/longline I also try and school in our fields once per week too he is turned out all year round 8 hours per day (except in the snow) from some of the posts I've seen once a week-fortnightly hacks or hacks that do not involve gallops are not acceptable??? I believe variety within work and turnout are very important for horses, but I have also worked at a serious dressage yard where there horses were out only a few hours a day hacked once month (IF that) although its not something for me personally it didn't seem to be as detrimental to them as people are making out- dressage riders what do you do??

 

[rowy]

Mine get hacked twice a week for between 45mins and 1 hour 15mins ish. It has really helped get mine fit and we usually walk on the roads and then trot and canter on the bridle way.
On top of this they get jumped, usually grid work, every other week and they get lunged every week ish.

 

[Charlie007]

I suppose you could call my horse a dressage horse as this is what we compete at but not to any great level (nov/ele). I try to hack twice a week, especially in summer but due to work and dark nights etc, I only get to hack once a week in winter. He is out 24/7 most of the summer and out during the day in winter. I have weekly lessons, do pole work, and lunge every now and then. We also compete as much as possible. Can;t jump due to old injury. He seems very happy and settled.

 

[ChloeC418]

Dela finds hacking very stressful, and jumping even more so. She only gets hacked in nice weather and on a day that my sister rides her pony, she hasn't been hacked in ages, possibly twice this year so far. There's no point me taking for a canter in a field because she really doesn't want to go fast in an open space, she's very well behaved though. We haven't done that in a while either because of the ground being too hard or hay being made from it. So Dela does dressage in an arena 5/6 days a week. She's not worked *really* hard but she usually needs hosing off afterwards. She's working a smidge below PSG. We were competing Medium before our lorry went off to be sold. She's turned out from 6.30am to 1.30pm or 11.30am if the weather's bad.

 

[TheoryX1]

Sorry, no comprendez. I do always fail to understand why 'Dressage Horses' are treated in any different way to any other horses because they are 'Dressage Horses'. My daughter has an event and dressage horse. It goes out 24/7, it gets hacked out very regularily, um its a horse and is treated like a horse. Its not wrapped in cotton wool, bandaged up to within an inch of its life (she doesnt even use boots unless she is jumping) and treated with kid gloves.

I also fail to see the distinction between eventers and dressage riders, although as an eventing mummy I am aware that a lot of fittening work is done out hacking, ie hill work, cantering, interval training etc. However, as dressage horses need to be fit as well, why are they so different, and not hacked etc. What I am trying to convey is why are people so bl**dy precious about 'Dressage Horses'. We own one, and its treated as the horse that it actually is, and oh yes, its quite valuable before anyone shoots me down in flames.

 

[Captain Bridget]

I used to work for a dressage young rider and her horses were usually hacked once or twice a week depending on the weather etc. They only got an hour or two turnout a day though and an hour on the walker. And most of them didn't jump at all. But I think a lot of them needed more variety as I saw them go mental quite a few times!

 

[caterpillar]

Sorry, no comprendez. I do always fail to understand why 'Dressage Horses' are treated in any different way to any other horses because they are 'Dressage Horses'.

I agree.

 

[wednesdayadams]

ChloeC4 Your routine sounds pretty much like the PSG, Inter horses that were at the yard I used to work at- does Dela go out etc??

 

[ChloeC418]

ChloeC4 Your routine sounds pretty much like the PSG, Inter horses that were at the yard I used to work at- does Dela go out etc??

Yes, she goes out from 6.30am until 1.30pm every day. If the weather's bad then she'll come in early about 11.30am.

 

[wednesdayadams]

TheoryX1 nobody said dressage horses were any different to other horses- re read my post, I am a dressage rider (I like to think lol) so was interested in what other people do with their DRessage horses. If you read the replys so far you will see all the 'dressage' horses are hacked out, turned out and doing a nice large variety of work- um you are the on stereotyping...

 

[wednesdayadams]

One*

 

[wednesdayadams]

Thanks for all replys, I am very interested in dressage and have seen/heard everything from no turnout to turnout 24/7, never been hacked, never jumped, sometimes hacked sometimes jumped etc hence the reason for the post/interest/curiosity

We know nothing is set in stone for a particular type of horse...

 

[noodle_]

im mabey not qualified to comment but i want to do novice BD with mine in a few months.. she goes out 12 hours a day, worked 4/5 days a week - schooling/lunging/long reigning as she is borderline dangerous to hack.

Shes happy. Even if she was just a "pet"... nothing would change. Shes a horse. they are designed to eat - and eat she does - winter and summer - 12 hours a day

 

[wednesdayadams]

Noodle thanks for the reply, good luck with your novice

 

[Worried1]

As someone who is selling a 'dressage' horse we have been a bit frustrated by people wanting a horse that they can hack out on their own for hours at a time and be competitive at Advanced Medium!

ALL (except Arthur but he is an exceptional case.) of ours hack including the stallion, it is good for them mentally and physically as it is good to condition their lower limbs and do some concussion work.

I have got a bit tired of explaining that yes the horse for sale does hack in company without any issues and yes he will hack on his own but it would not be pleasurable for either him or you as a rider!

 

[rhino]

It's not just dressage horses - when I was at Uni I kept my horse at a showjumping yard (rider competed internationally). Horses were only turned out for 3 - 4 hours maximum in solitary paddocks and were NEVER hacked (despite yard being immediately adjacent to miles and miles of forest tracks with no roads. I hacked out daily and didn't stay too long at the yard!

 

[Pachamama]

As someone who is selling a 'dressage' horse we have been a bit frustrated by people wanting a horse that they can hack out on their own for hours at a time and be competitive at Advanced Medium!

ALL (except Arthur but he is an exceptional case.) of ours hack including the stallion, it is good for them mentally and physically as it is good to condition their lower limbs and do some concussion work.

I have got a bit tired of explaining that yes the horse for sale does hack in company without any issues and yes he will hack on his own but it would not be pleasurable for either him or you as a rider!

I'm confused... your comments seem to contradict themselves. They do or don't hack out? If it's beneficial, why is it not pleasurable?

 

[trendybraincell]

Well I don't really class mine as a dressage horse, although we only really compete at dressage. He's my first horse, a Welsh Cob...so not your typical dressage horse.

He hacks usually twice a week. Mostly road work at a brisk walk with some access to have a reasonable canter. Last week we went on our first fun ride where, despite never doing XC he popped all the fences.

My last yard was a competition yard (GP dressage rider & 4* eventer) all their horses where hacked and would be taken in the local NT park for a good blast. Yes they were precious competition horses, but they certainly weren't wrapped in cotton wool

 

[noodle_]

Noodle thanks for the reply, good luck with your novice

thanks distant dream but we will get there - shes coming along nicely - just a shame shes an absolute idiot to take anywhere else except the school and the field (and even thats sometimes taking it a bit far depending on her mood lol!)

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

mine is 6yo, competing med/adv med and working PSG...........no longer hacks (hasnt hacked in nearly a year i think) as he finds it stressful, he gets incredibly wound up (white foam sweat passaging for miles wound up), and once he's been set off, he wont calm down. its not safe for me or him and wont do his legs any good, so we dont do it.

he is also not good with farm traffic so it always was a bit of a lottery as to whether we had to keep diving in to gateways etc to keep away from tractors/combines.

since not hacking he has been SO much more settled in the warm up at shows, and to me the proof is in that pudding.

TheoryX-i find some of what you say a bit holier than thou. im really glad your daughters horse is that well behaved and good in traffic/sensible etc. Mine isnt, its not at all safe to force him to go out on the public highway, its not being pretentious, its being a realist!

 

[nikkimariet]

I personally, don't enjoy hacking/gain anything from it so I don't out of choice partake very often. Usually I only hack the second day (after a day off) following a show. He is not too 'precious' to take for a pootle round the fields, although we don't do gallop hacks AT ALL due to a previous double front suspensory injury.

For some horses/riders....variety is the spice of life. For some horse/riders....variety is the key to quick and certain death.

Having previously had a DR pony that liked to bolt, nap and hedge dive (please take literally) whilst on the roads and fields, hacking for some people is not worth the potential price of horse/rider/road user life.

 

[coreteam1]

We hack about twice a week, for about 40 min around the land belonging to the stable yard. Some trotting and a canter or two if the ground isn't like concreate which ours is at the moment.

I only go out in company as he is an assissin on his own with my name on his bullet

I lunge once, maybe twice a week depending on my work load. I have a lesson once a week and school him one or two times, again depending on my work load. My lessons are 45 min and I normally school him for 35/40 min.
I only lunge for approx 20 min at the most.

He goes out everyday and at the moment (from about April) has been out 24/7 apart from in for breakfast and tea or in if the weather has been hot. It settles his mind if he's out but now it's starting to get cooler at nights he will probably be coming in during the next couple of weeks.

I do jump occasionally but I'm less enthusiastic about it now that I use to be

We also did the Eland Lodge pleasure ride a few weeks ago which boiled his brain for the first 20 min but we survived
Some dressage horses just aren't at their best when going out to try different things for a more varied life style, some horses like to stick to routine which mine does.
We only have to move fields after worming and he's the devil again

 

[millimoo]

I think when it comes to dressage horses, some need to remember that a good proportion of them come from producers in Europe.
They are not managed or ridden in the same way as UK sourced horses.
We have one purchased at 4yrs, who turns out all day and is regularly hacked out.
The other horse was imported rising 9yrs. He will not turn out for more than a couple of hours (trust me we've tried and it's just not worth it). And as for hacking, well OK'ish in company and a nappy sod if he's that way out in his own... This is because he is not used to it, and will never be brilliant at it.
Put it this way, we have an Eventer on the yard where the later Imported horse is kept. He is utterly fearless (& ridden for England), he has been offered tinkering the horse to hack out with his wife. He was going to, but they like to have a bit of a blast and he actually declined the offer as he said it would blow his head for days if not weeks.
So for me, yes I think imported horses are different, and the majority of these happen to be Dressage horses from Germany & Holland where they are usually produced and kept in a professional set up I.e big yard, zero to an hours turnout and worked for a set period everyday.
Just my opinion for those that scoff at the way these horses are sometimes kept.

 

[millimoo]

To add, warmoods are at times just plain stupid ... It's in the genes, and I truly believe Irish, TBs etc have a very different personality trait ... And on that basis its a combination of nature and nurture. Obviously there are exceptions to every rule

 

[TheoryX1]

TheoryX-i find some of what you say a bit holier than thou. im really glad your daughters horse is that well behaved and good in traffic/sensible etc. Mine isnt, its not at all safe to force him to go out on the public highway, its not being pretentious, its being a realist!

OP - my apologies for what comes next.

PS - have you heard of the phrase 'The pot calling the kettle black'. If not, I suggest you google its precise meaning. By the way, this thread is not all about you (again).

Back to the subject, inteesting as we have a mix on our yard of eventers, dressage riders and happy hackers, plus fab hacking. We all hack. We all have different sorts of temperaments of horses from nutters to quiet laid back ones. We have owned our mare since she was 5 and Mini TX was 13, and she hacked her out on her own quite confidently from pretty much day one. We are fortunate to have her. I am not referring to stereotypes as I do know some eventers who grit their teeth when they hack and will do it as little as possible.

 

[Garfield1537]

Has a hack three times a week! I find out hacking I can still school and work on his medium trot and medium canter as well as lots of lateral exercises, he loves it!

 

[PaddyMonty]

OH's dressage horse (well pony really) hacks out as much if not more than she schools. Also pops round a small course of fences with my daughter. Horse competes Adv Med (BD).

 

[Prince33Sp4rkle]

jesus wept! apologies for using personal experience as an example!

all im saying is-great that you can do it, but consider that there are very valid reasons other people cant, i cant be the only person in the world with a horse either not reliable in traffic, or lacking in common sense/ self preservation.

i dont think its confined only to dressage horses, i know plenty of SJ'ers that cant/wont/dont hack too....rarely is its about being to precious, usually its a safety issue.

 

[Worried1]

Pachamama they do hack but not on their own.

They all hack except Arthur in the company of Finn an older steady Eddie type who will go past anything and gives them confidence.

Their will always be exceptions to the rule but it is unusual to find a horse confident and happy to hack solo competing as a 'dressage' horse.

 

[nikkimariet]

Their will always be exceptions to the rule but it is unusual to find a horse confident and happy to hack solo competing as a 'dressage' horse.

Indeed.