Should you school your hacking horse?

[Ellietotz]

I have been pondering on this and wondered what everyone thinks about whether a horse that solely hacks should be schooled or not. A friend said that her vet told her you should school your horse at least once a month as going in straight lines out hacking all the time isn't completely beneficial for the horse.

What are your thoughts?

 

[ihatework]

Define school.

Do you mean going in an all weather arena or do you mean educate your horse?

For me the former isn’t essential.
The latter I believe is very beneficial to create a nice balanced responsive ride.

ETA - a happy hacker that just slopped along, wouldn’t miraculously improve their horse by going in an arena once a month 😜
But if, for a portion of most of their hacks, they focused on their transitions, flexions, some lateral suppling movements etc then they would improve their horse.

 

[pansymouse]

I do schooling exercises whilst I'm out hacking; neither of us are temperamentally suited to schooling in a school.

 

[Tiddlypom]

You can school a horse without taking it in an arena and riding it in circles. Leg yielding, transitions, changing the diagonal at every telegraph pole etc can all be done out hacking, even when you are on the road.

I’d be changing vet...

 

[Carrottom]

A well schooled horse is more pleasant to ride and should use itself better. This doesn't mean you have to go in a school though, you can ride the exercises out hacking, and ground work can be used to help posture.

ETA Seems we are all singing off the same hymn sheet🙂

 

[Nudibranch]

In what way not beneficial? I school mine while hacking as we don't have an arena. It's important in terms of response to aids, lateral movement, getting them listening and so on but in fitness terms there's nothing better than hacking.

As for straight lines, that's a bit of an assumption. Round here we ride up and down hills and banks, through streams, over logs, across a range of terrain, and you need to be able to open gates...which is an excellent exercise in itself.

 

[Tarragon]

Edited to add that I misread the post, so here is a different answer.
I backed the pony I ride now and, in my ignorance, to me "backed" meant can be tacked up and ridden, and together we have ridden miles and miles. He is a very good hacking pony in that he will go anywhere and is reasonably well behaved. However, we were unable to do a decent walk, trot and canter in a school!
Now, with him aged 14 (and me nearly 57!), I have got a good instructor and we have gone right back to basics and I am actually schooling him (along Philippe Karl principles) and it is an eye opener. I am getting glimpses of a completely different pony and it is very exciting!
I do not have access to an arena so all my "schooling" is done out and about, whether in the corner of a field, in the farm yard (in hand mostly), or on a quiet road.
I only wish I had done it years ago!

 

[dogatemysalad]

I watched a documentary about an American rancher. The horses were essential and the man's two children aged about 7 and 8 years spent all day in the saddle working the cattle. I was surprised to see how important he viewed schooling those horses. You'd think, they got all the schooling they needed through working and that he couldn't afford the time and energy to school them, but the opposite is true.

 

[Ellietotz]

I was thinking the vet meant for balance? Not 100%!

 

[be positive]

It depends on the horse and rider, once a month being 'schooled' by a poorly educated rider cannot be of any real use and may be detrimental if too much is expected, a session with a good balanced rider working the horse appropriately can be useful but there is no reason they cannot 'school' out hacking, some vets have ideas that they do not substantiate and may not be appropriate, if there is a good reason they want the horse schooled then they need to clarify why and what is required, an instructor may need to be involved to gain any real benefit.

 

[The Trooper]

Thus far Bonnie has been in an arena less than 5 times. I do intend to take her to a bigger one that ours and do some jumping and polework in time but thus far we haven't.

She moves over off the leg and steps back on instruction etc to allow us to open and close gates without getting off which really is all I need at this time, we'll pop the odd log or ditch when needed when we're out which she does just fine.

 

[catkin]

Riding a well-schooled horse anywhere is a joy, and if they know how to move properly under a rider then it can help with their soundness too.

Schooling and hacking are not actually mutually exclusive - we are 'schooling' every time we ride - every time we turn a corner, change pace, legyield round a car - even straight lines are schooling. If you have a suitable place just try keeping a plumb-straight line along the middle of a lane (it ain't easy!)

My pony enjoys going out and about but also gets very interested in learning things in a school such as pole work.

Doing both is the best

 

[flying_high]

I suspect what the vet really meant, is that it wasn't great for a horse to only be ridden out hacking, on little contact, and no work being done to build good postural back muscle and lateral flexibility. I doubt the vet meant horse must go in the school. More that riding with no consideration of horse's posture / back muscle / suppleness is detrimental to them staying sound. Don't think it would be meant as black and white.

 

[hopscotch bandit]

I have been pondering on this and wondered what everyone thinks about whether a horse that solely hacks should be schooled or not. A friend said that her vet told her you should school your horse at least once a month as going in straight lines out hacking all the time isn't completely beneficial for the horse.

What are your thoughts?

No I don't bother now as she is slightly ataxic when leg yielding so counterproductive in my horses case. Previous to this yes I used to do a little. I see it as their fun time out as well as my own and often let my mare pick at grass en route so I'm probably a soft touch

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Riding a well-schooled horse anywhere is a joy, and if they know how to move properly under a rider then it can help with their soundness too.

Schooling and hacking are not actually mutually exclusive - we are 'schooling' every time we ride - every time we turn a corner, change pace, legyield round a car - even straight lines are schooling. If you have a suitable place just try keeping a plumb-straight line along the middle of a lane (it ain't easy!)

Something I have said on here previously but got shot down for!

If you substitute the word 'training' for schooling, it might help some people to understand. Every time you get on a horse you are training it, whether that is that you are training it to slop along taking no notice of the person on top, or to be a well-mannered, responsive ride. I know which I prefer when hacking on the road with a tractor coming up the road behind me and a motor-bike speeding towards me on a narrow lane. I do wonder what people thought happened in the centuries when people rode before artificial surfaces werre invented.

 

[be positive]

Something I have said on here previously but got shot down for!
Read more at https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...our-hacking-horse.780962/#6vuF2ekALDKpC41L.99

I don't know why you should have.

I definitely think every day is a school day, even bringing them in from the field is done with some thought as to whether they are being attentive, I see horses that are badly mannered on the ground and the owner wonders why they are often similar to ride, lessons with me tend to also include a bit of groundwork.
I like a well educated hack but as I said earlier they can only be as good as the rider is capable of making them so schooling for schoolings sake may be detrimental if the rider really has no idea of what they are trying to achieve.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Something I have said on here previously but got shot down for!
Read more at https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/...our-hacking-horse.780962/#6vuF2ekALDKpC41L.99

I don't know why you should have.

I definitely think every day is a school day, even bringing them in from the field is done with some thought as to whether they are being attentive, I see horses that are badly mannered on the ground and the owner wonders why they are often similar to ride, lessons with me tend to also include a bit of groundwork.
I like a well educated hack but as I said earlier they can only be as good as the rider is capable of making them so schooling for schoolings sake may be detrimental if the rider really has no idea of what they are trying to achieve.

Needless to say, you weren't one of the nay-sayers!

 

[milliepops]

I know we have had disagreements in the past about whether schooling can be done out hacking PAS but that was about schooling (as I would use the word for dressage flatwork) rather than general training to make a nicely educated horse to ride. I agree with your para in post 15.

 

[oldie48]

One of my friends hunts and hacks to keep her horse fit. she is very dismissive of "dressage" However, she now has regular flatwork lessons in a school and has found her horse to be a much nicer ride. When she bought her horse it was an experienced hunter but it was incapable of cantering a 20m circle and was as stiff as a board. I totally agree you can school on a hack but having the discipline of an arena helps enormously

 

[catkin]

I suspect what the vet really meant, is that it wasn't great for a horse to only be ridden out hacking, on little contact, and no work being done to build good postural back muscle and lateral flexibility. I doubt the vet meant horse must go in the school. More that riding with no consideration of horse's posture / back muscle / suppleness is detrimental to them staying sound. Don't think it would be meant as black and white.

Would agree that this is the nub of the matter.
It's to do with one's mindset whilst riding wherever you happen to be,

 

[ihatework]

One of my friends hunts and hacks to keep her horse fit. she is very dismissive of "dressage" However, she now has regular flatwork lessons in a school and has found her horse to be a much nicer ride. When she bought her horse it was an experienced hunter but it was incapable of cantering a 20m circle and was as stiff as a board. I totally agree you can school on a hack but having the discipline of an arena helps enormously

As much as to educate the rider probably.

I think formal dressage schooling does help but it’s as much developing the riders feel as anything else. If all you have ever known is hacking and hunting and had no formal ‘dressage’ training, then you you probably aren’t going to have the skill set required for the subtleties.

But in the context of the OP, going in the school with a happy hack once a month probably isn’t going to change the path that horse is headed on, whatever that may be. Once a week under instruction then yes.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It is going to be easier to school your horse out hacking if you yourself have a background of correct arena work.

I would love to be able to school my current mare in the arena, but she is a bit wonky so I have to do it out hacking instead. I do know what I’m aiming, for though. Not being run away with at a walk, for one, as mentioned on another thread recently. ETA I also ask her to halt and wait calmly for a couple of seconds at junctions, even if it would have been clear to cross straight away.

 

[ycbm]

My thoughts are that the horse world seems to be developing a whole new area of snobbery and criticism of what others do with their horses, and that there's absolutely nothing wrong with pootling around admiring the scenery if that's what makes you happy and your horse is sound and happily carries your weight.


I think there have probably been more horses ruined by 'schooling' in its various guises than have ever been ruined by never doing anything but casual hacking.

.

 

[flying_high]

My thoughts are that the horse world seems to be developing a whole new area of snobbery and criticism of what others do with their horses, and that there's absolutely nothing wrong with pootling around admiring the scenery if that's what makes you happy and your horse is sound and happily carries your weight.


I think there have probably been more horses ruined by 'schooling' in its various guises than have ever been ruined by never doing anything but casual hacking.

.

Both true. Though I do also see horses ridden regularly, and not schooled out hacking or in arena that are stiff, and badly muscled for carrying a rider. A spectrum I think.

 

[Casey76]

OMG yes, I’ve had absolutely hideous rides on « hacking horses » which could only follow their noses, and couldn’t move over sideways to e.g. Avoid a grate or allow a car to pass.

General training of a horse to make it a sensitive and responsive ride doesn’t need to be done in a school. All basic flat work skills can be taught out and about, and are often more fun for the horse when done in context with life, rather than just in a school.

 

[scruffyponies]

Working in circles on a soft surface is terrible for the horse. If you don't believe me, go down to the beach and run in tight circles, and see how long you last before you pull up with a ligament or muscle injury. That's not to say that training in suppleness and responsiveness won't improve your horse, done in an arena or not - but arenas are for our convenience, not because they are 'better' for the horse, so the vet is dead wrong.

We lost a pony last year, well into his late 30s. He was written off aged 4, and would pull up lame within an hour if worked on a surface, but he could go all day hunting, and was sound to his dying day, so long as you didn't take him into a school.

 

[catkin]

All basic flat work skills can be taught out and about, and are often more fun for the horse when done in context with life, rather than just in a school.

The Native pony mindset to a 'T'

 

[Micky]

For what it’s worth, I’ve been schooling my old boy for the last 12 years, anything from 2 to 3 times a week, hacking twice a week, going to riding clubs, pleasure rides etc, lovely built up muscles, all the basics leg yield etc all beneficial for opening gates, moving away from traffic etc..now I have no school to work in and only severely steep hills with hardly any flat parts to hack on, I’ve noticed quite a difference in muscle tone/build, very difficult to school on hills believe me I’ve tried! I generally think you can school whilst hacking but there’s only so much you can do on a tarmac road, it’s beneficial for the horse to carry itself correctly and build muscle and gain balance.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I think some people were taught to ride very differently from the way I was taught.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

maybe the vet was in despair at the one-sidedness of the horse or something. I do all my schooling on hacks including roads, forest tracks and grass occasionally I school in the field for 10mins and then go and do something more interesting instead although I do pole work in hand as well. hacking a one sided, uneducated, hollow horse is very uncomfortable! its not about snobbery, I only hack-I find dressage interminably dull, but the horse ideally needs to be able to carry a rider comfortably-for both their sakes and the rider should also do their bit wrt to not being one sided etc if possible.