Schooling vs Hacking

Hack vs schooling

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blitznbobs

blitznbobs

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Which do you prefer?

As I have said I prefer schooling... in fact if it wasn't for the sanity of my pony I wouldn't do anything else. I love the fact that a really simple exercise can improve the way of going and all of a sudden a problem isn't a problem any more... and the fact that horses can learn so much and seem to be so happy about doing so... it's fab I love it... Hacking = boring and dangerous as far as I can see... walking round lanes = yawn... walking round fields is OK but just doesn't compare...

Ho hum... I'd like to hear your views.
 
I dont mind schooling and am a nervous hacker but I do prefer hacking, far more varied exercise but thats partly as we live in the wild and woollies so have lots of nice tracks...lucky me but we did used to have money and gave that up to move here partly because of the good outriding!

We dont have a school as such here, horses are at home, but the Orange Pony never took to it anyway (even tho broke her in and did early schooling with her in manege), shes more of a point and shoot type!
 
I prefer schooling, although I feel guilty if I don't take a horse out for a hack at least once a week! But I do find it boring pottering around fields and I don't have the guts to go for a nice gallop, (I lost my stirrups when I was out galloping a green pony and fell off!) I often feel thankful when I get back to the yard that I've managed to hack out and come back in one piece!
 
Hate schooling, it's tedious and boring. I can hack out over acres of fields, to a mulitude of fabulous sandy beaches and quiet country lanes...why on earth would I pick going round in circles in a dirt school over that??? I hate this time of year because I'm forced inside in the weekday evenings. :mad:
 
But schooling is surely to train and prepare the horse for OTHER activities/disciplines? It's not an activity in its own right. Even riding school horses/ponies - that go round and round and round in the school for weeks and weeks on end - usually have a hack now and then or a jumping session or something! Hacking boring? You're not doing it right. Why not try your hand at dressage or Trec or Mounted Games or scurry driving or the many, many other ways there are to have fun yourself and ensure your horse does not become school sour.
 
I love both, schooling is when we work hard and have aims. Hacking is our bonding chill out time. Jumping is our fun time. My horse however will pick hacking and jumping over schooling any day.
 
I too hate going around in circles, schooling is tedious and boring for me. I don't normally have access to a school but sometimes do school maybe once a week/fortnight. Really only use a school if I have a dressage or showjumping competition coming up! I school a bit on hacks anyway.

I much prefer hacking although I guess it depends on what your hacking is like. I get to canter and gallop around long grass valleys, jump logs in the woods, walk through the fords etc. It's amazing feeling that free and exploring places with your horse!
 
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Box of frogs - I think OP meant, which do you prefer - schooling (as in being in the school) or hacking.
I prefer schooling, I go in the school probably 3 times a week, sometimes practising for a DR test, sometimes lunging, sometimes jumping, doing pole work, pony games, lateral work, doing lots of canter, just walking, riding without reins etc etc, I hack once (i'm scared so glad when it's over) and go round the gallop tracks once.
 
I definatley prefer hacking! Especially at new yard with miles of grass tracks to pootle around. I think hacking has done way more for my riding than schooling has really. However, generally I dont let horse wander on a long rein, he is asked to accept a contact and use himself correctly. So I suppose at times I school when I'm out.
I do use a school maybe once a week - and will do more over winter when its dark. But I dont often ride in there. I usually lunge him and do some pole work and some fun exercises, mainly because I feel more effective on the ground and like to see how he is going.
I can't stand it when all people do is school, and wonder why their horses become stale and bored. I understand people dont always enjoy hacking especially on horses who are not used to it, but I do think horses need variety in their excercise - for their sanity more than anything.
 
I'm no lover of hacking... I hate hacking in company because I like to go at my own pace and do my own thing, I don't think I'd mind it as much if it wasn't all roads and if it wasn't like suicide!
Doesn't help that Dante isn't exactly sane to hack.... On Koora we used to go out for a few hours at a time and she was always very fit, so could vary the pace and she was relatively brave which helped!
 
Hacking is my fav but i school on hacks so picked both!!!
Once you pass the 5 minute road ride the hacking where I am is AMAZING! Miles of forestry and lots of gallops :D tend to have one blast each hack.
I do lots of transitions hon hacks and leg yielding on the lanes (quite very very few cars :) )
I school through the wk only for about twenty minutes maybe twice a week...and sometimes I`ll school on a sunday morning before a hack with a couple of jumps popped in ...nothing too exciting.... find schooling really boring but love jumping and i`m not going to get much jumping done unless the flat work is there :rolleyes::p
 
I much prefer hacking to schooling although wouldn’t have a horse if that’s all I did! I’m more interested in competing/hunting really. I’m really not interested in flatwork/dressage at all to be honest!! I’m sure it’s nice to get your horse going all nicely but it’s not really what it’s all about for me (and I think my horse is quite glad I feel like that!!)… I just find schooling boring and kind of irritating.. I bet horses do!! We do quite a lot of school work though especially not it’s dark.. but we don’t think it’s much fun!!! Hacking can be boring too I guess, but boring in a relaxing way! There are some nice fields about 2/3 miles away from the yard so we normally tootle over there, have a canter around and then tootle back again. Badger is quite nice to hack so it’s quite enjoyable really.
 
Ive chosen both, as i enjoy a good schooling session, but other days i want to go out and play :D I love going out hacking looking for things to jump & fields to hooley round in :D im a bit of a speed freak and love my gallops, however, i will ask him to work correctly when hacking out, but not all the time as we like to have some chill time - everyone is different , thats what makes the world go round :)
 
Both is best :D

I have found that a horse can easily become stale if all it does is schooling. We are lucky and live in an area with lots of hills, so I do most of my fittening work out hacking.
 
We do a bit of both.

The schooling is a chore unless she goes really well, then I love it and get quite a high afterwards!
 
I love hacking , I go fast on hacks, I do schooling on hacks, and sometimes we plob along like a pit pony on hacks , its our time together to do whatever and chill and have fun :)
 
I voted for both, I do enjoy both.

Some horses prefer the comfort of the school, where as others it would bore them to death.

Bit of both as they say :D
 
Hmm i love both, hacking i love, howeverr, if my horse isnt in the right frame of mind...its like riding the devil, it isnt enjoyable at all! If shes being good i love it!

She hasnt been out for ages due to shes learnt to bronc & i fear she may do it out fi she doesnt wnt to do something...however i will be taking her out tomorrow :).
 
I really enjoy both but depends on what horse!

Chum was great out hacking, we went for miles and had fab gallops, he never batted an eye at anything, could plod along on the buckle or go for it across a field. However, he hated schooling and it usually made us both fed up - it got better when I found a very good instructor but he is now retired due to Bone Spavin.

Toby is fab at schooling/jumping - he is a lower level school master type, if you ask correctly he will do it and I've enjoyed every lesson I've had on him, all my instructors love him. He seems very at home in an arena. However he is spooky out hacking on our own and I can't relax properly like I could with Chum.

It's a really hard decision but if I had to make a choice it would be hacking on Chumley.
 
After my disasterous schooling session this evening - Definatley Hacking!!!!

But then im lucky, I do have a sensible bod (most of the time) - and lots of fields.

Oh she can canter in a field in 10m circles,. But ask her to trot in a straight line in the school and your asking for trouble!!! (just this evening - RANT!!!)
 
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