Starting a youngster hacking? How long? How often?

[ShadowFlame]

General question, really. No right / wrong answer, just looking for opinions. We're talking 4 years old, first lot of real ridden work he's done, but doing really well and taking it all in his stride. How long and often is reasonable to hack out for? All off road and with other confidence givers.

 

[alex2]

Hacking out is brilliant experience for a youngster, just don't let them get tired.
Try first just 10 mins round a very short route and increase the time out as long as they are taking it all in their stride you can take longer routes and daily is fine.

 

[Foxhunter49]

I ride my youngsters away straight out on the roads and tracks, never in the arena. They are by the time they are ready to be ridden fairly fit in that they have been lunged, long reined and led out from another horse for three weeks minimum.
I ride them out for at least 45 minutes, giving them a short canter and a fair amount of trotting but walking home.

It depends on how much work the animal has been doing and how much 'go' he has. Some find being ridden hard work, others easy. Play it by feel, if he is enjoying it and is going well them 45 - 90 minutes, steady work, steady trotting, a couple of short canters and plenty of walking, he will be fine.

To me 10 minutes is nothing, they have barely got to the bottom of the drive and would have to turn around and go back, I always make my rides circular so they do not get into the habit of reaching one point and turning to go home.

I will do this five times a week and only take them in the arena when they are A) much fitter, B) balanced with a rider and C) confident in what they are being asked.

 

[MrsMozart]

As F49 says, it depends on the horse and it's own level of fitness.

Don't have it so short that the horse has had no time to see or learn anything. Make it long enough the horse has had chance to relax and to stretch down, but not so long that he is tired and achey.

Walking the last mile or so should mean your horse is cooled off nicely.

I very often walk mine past the entrance to the drive/yard. It stops them from trying to tank the last bit, gets them listening more to me, and has reduced jogging home with more established horses.

 

[Waffles]

My horse is 6, had been backed then ridden a bit (in the school and a field) but had never been out hacking when I had him 4 months ago. I spent 4 weeks leading him out in hand (he had absolutely no experience of traffic at all!) - when I felt he was confident enough (am that I was too!) we walked out with someone on foot a couple of times just for about half an hour, then we started going out with a couple of very quiet horses, just walking for about an hour or so (there are lots of hills where we are so it's always hard work, even in a walk!). We progressed gradually to cantering for short stretches and so on. We can now do gates fairly easily (I showed him whilst I was leading him - go him used to the clanging of the catches and so on). We haven't done any "traditional" schooling yet but plan to in the spring - though he will do things like rein back and shoulder in whilst we are out hacking. We plan to take things very gradually until we thoroughly know all the routes around where we are. Eventually I will venture out with just me and him.

 

[figgy]

General question, really. No right / wrong answer, just looking for opinions. We're talking 4 years old, first lot of real ridden work he's done, but doing really well and taking it all in his stride. How long and often is reasonable to hack out for? All off road and with other confidence givers.

Hi, i have a 4 year old he is very good boy , i hack him every other day started of at 20mins , but it does depend on your horse fitness , I now box him up and take him to the park as i just have roads to hack at home . x good luck xx

 

[Waffles]

We have lots of off road riding but I like to do roads as well to make sure we continue to reinforce the traffic proofing. I ride out 3 times per week - I'd go every day if time allowed!