Should you school your hacking horse?

[popcorn1]

I guess it depends what you mean by 'schooling'

If you mean working correctly from behind, on a contact blah blah blah then I don't see it as necessary. That is assuming your horse doesn't have his head in your lap and that you are able to safely stop. I cant see that much harm can be done from allowing a horse to slog along on a long rein, I would much rather see this than one of them riders who rides an entire two hour hack with the horses head stuck to its chest.

 

[Nudibranch]

I ride with a light contact and do prefer mine to use their hind ends properly, as carrying a rider puts demands on the body that trundling along on their own doesn't. So I like mine to be fit for hacking and hopefully less likely to develop physical issues. And slopping along on the forehand doesn't really work for rough terrain, or hills, or logs, lots of spooky things...you get the picture.

Hence as posted earlier I don't use an arena but do like mine to do some schooling while we are out and about. I also think the art of a proper walk has been lost to many. It's the base for everything.