to ride or not to ride???

[Crugeran Celt]

I have not ridden my horse since Christmas and to be honest not much before that either even though I have owned him for nearly eight years. I just didn't seem to have the energy to do anything with him except ensure him and my four others were loved and cared for. One is a retired oldie the other three are minis so not ridden anyway. It turns out that I had a pretty bad infection that resulted in pneumonia and septicaemia and I ended up in hospital for nine days on iv antibiotics which explains my lack of energy and enthusiasm. Now I feel better and am thinking of getting back into riding again. I hate schooling but know he needs to be schooled more but I enjoy hacking so I suppose my question is it ok just to hack him and enjoy him knowing he needs to be schooled to get him more balanced or should I have lessons again which I really hate to get him going better fo me?

 

[XxCoriexX]

I would say just do what you enjoy! There is no harm in being a happy hacker and there are many exercises that you can do while out on a hack to help with suppleness and fitness! Hills are great and you can easily do leg yield or shoulder in on a hack to help with suppleness!
Just start with hacking if that's what you think you enjoy, you might find that later on you want to have lessons again so just play it by ear!

 

[Annagain]

I'm glad you're feeling better. I'm not surprised you've been lacking energy and motivation if you've been feeling that rough.

There are no rules. Just enjoy him. If you want to hack, go for it, if you want to school do that. Doing neither is fine too as long as your horse is cared for and it certainly sounds like he is. Why do you need to have him more balanced and going better for you if all you want to do is hack?

The other option is little schooling exercises out hacking. My boy hates the school but will leg yield, do shoulder in, turn on the forehand etc while out hacking.

 

[Elsbells]

So pleased your feeling better, it must of been a horrible time for you. Your through it now and you just need to build yourself back up slowly to full fitness....just like he does too.

So go on, chuck on a saddle and get out there! A poodle around the bridlepaths and lanes during the last of the Autumn sunshine can only do you both the power of good. Best time of year is now for hacking.

 

[nato]

Horses are there to be enjoyed... and I'm sure he'd love hacking more than schooling (I know mine would!).

I don't always enjoy schooling but love producing results, and lessons are amazing for that for me. Is there a reason you hate them? Maybe if you knew why you hated them it might help you address that

But above all else, do what you love! Maybe give him a quick lunge to get the woohoo's out of him though!

 

[madlady]

There is no reason why you can't 'school' while hacking - leg yield around obstacles, bits of shoulder in, lots and lots of transitions. The main thing is to get out and enjoy!

 

[Crugeran Celt]

I don't really know why I don't like schooling but the nerves set in the moment I set foot in a school. Last summer he was ridden by an instructor and I did eventually get on him myself in the school but with a racing heart and sweaty hands!! Bless him he hasn't done anything to make me so anxious about it. I used to school a lot on my first pony and quite enjoyed it but that was a very long time ago. Just got to bite the bullet and get on him.

 

[madlady]

I don't like schooling as such - as in I don't like being in an enclosed area doing 'school' movements. I find it boring and because I'm bored I find the horse switches off and therefore neither of us enjoy it. I also feel that I don't ride to the best of my ability in a school so it's just not something I do very often (if at all)

I manage to do most things while out hacking which is much more fun