Trying to buy a horse that hacks

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BigRed

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I am trying to buy a new horse. I am finding it really hard to find a horse that hacks happily on it's own and has seen a bit of traffic. When I call people, it is really common to hear that "they don't hack alone - it's not safe" and when you question the type of hacking, they don't go on roads, or their roads are single track and very quiet.

What has happened to people hacking out ? I live on a bridlepath and people used to ride past my house every day and the weekends were a procession of horses.

If you dare mention the words hacking and "a bit of dressage", you hit a brick wall.

I am very frustrated. I don't ride in bonkers traffic, but I do ride alone and need the horse to have seen some traffic actually over-take it.
 
Dunno, I know that both mine fit that bill - I'm damned if I'm going to have a horse that won't do what I need it to (rarely have hacking buddies since am on my own place and there's no solely off road hacking round here). When I bought them, they wouldn't have been described as hackable alone - one was unbroken, the other kicked out of an RS for bad behaviour :p The unbroken one hadn't seen traffic beyond standing at the bottom of the breeder's drive and watching it whizz past. Whilst he's sharp to hack alone, he's utterly traffic proof and absolutely fine to take out. The older one is a saint in any weather, situation or environment. I have literally hacked him up the verge of A roads at dusk and had ambulances with sirens going beside him (yes, stupid in every way, but it was a long time ago!)

I guess what I mean is, pick something that seems sane and sensible and you think you can work with then get it going out yourself?
 
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Hope you find a cracker, they are still out there.

My hanoverian xTB mare is probably the best hacker outerer I've owned, although looking at her, you'd think she'd be the opposite.
However, at 2 nd viewing, I did ask to see her hacked out alone in freezing driving sleet, while I stood hanging on to a hot coffee, she trotted off down a main road with lorries whizzing round the roundabout.
 
Mine hacks. You might have seen my pictures of what he deals with (pretty scary by most people's standards)

Don't give up. What you're after will be out there somewhere :)
 
Mine hacks alone/in company/in front/behind/in the middle/off to the side and she'll do a bit of dressage for you, what are you after?
 
I bought a youngster that had only hacked once before we tried her. She hacks very sensibly alone or in company on the roads and off. You may be better making your own sensible hacker.....

Alternatively I know someone who is trying to find a home for a veteren that is bombproof in the heaviest traffic. He is an ex driving horse, most that drive will have been in heavy traffic so might be an angle to explore.
 
I bought my horse last August. He'd never seen traffic and had never been hacked out. I took it slowly, leading out in traffic in hand for a month. Now we have faced some really busy roads, ridden over motorway bridges etc. I haven't hacked out on my own yet (basically, at our yard, there's always someone to ride with!) but I have been going in front, behind and in the middle of 3 so we're doing well!
 
Mine was broken but not schooled at all (he was 6 when I got him) - late cut gelding who'd been at stud so he had a total change of lifestyle! I think he likes the news one!
 
My youngster has just started hacking alone, no problem so far, even had a bus pass us!!! Oh and he'd do a bit of dressage too!!! They are out there.....
 
When i backed my gelding, he was asked to hack on his own in a safe environment, (i had woodland hacking directly off yard before asking him to hack with others), so he was comfortable hacking on his own. I did hack in company on the roads to begin with though, but as he was in a field next to traffic, he was really quite good. Sadly i think that the roads are now so busy and people are more intolerant in general, that riders no longer feel safe so avoid it.
 
I think a lot of problems have come from the way a lot of people handle their horses. The last yard I was on had around 30+ horses but only three of us ever rode outside of the school despite miles of safe off road hacking. At my current yard most people compete and all of them hack out, even if it is just round the farm. When I tried my current horse I rode him out on his own to see what he was like and as he was not nappy I knew he would be ok. There are a hell of a lot of nappy horses out there, this is more of problem than 10 years or so ago (IMO). Most them just need a bit of firm handling and then they are fine but people seem less inclined to even try.
 
My horse fits the bill! She's not for sale though :P When she was in full work she was capable of dressage to a decent level and she is fab to hack out in traffic!
As long as the horses behaviour is not really dangerous, a bit of work on hacking alone wouldn't put me off if it was right in other ways. I'm sure there will be horses out there to suit, but safe horses are often expensive! We were offered thousands more than what my old horse was for sale for because of how safe and sane he was.
 
Mine will go out alone happily and is OK in light traffic. Unfortunately after a very close call with an artic a few years back he isn't great in heavy traffic. Haven't really tested the mare out yet as there isn't much in the way of traffic by my yard.
 
Funnily enough I'm in the process of buying a horse that a friend told me to stear clear of because - 'all he can do is hack'. I laughed because this friend knows me well and in all the time she has known me i have only ever set foot on a show ground as a spectator - all i want to do is hack! I agree with Laafet that a lot fo the time the problem is the people rather than the horse.

I hope you find what you are looking for, they must be out there!
 
I've got an ex-race/hunt horse and he's unbelievably good on the roads - lorries, towed caravans, buses, low flying aircraft, anything! He doesn't bat an eyelid.
He prefers to be near the front but he doesn't object too much if I make him hang back a bit.
Hunt horses have to behave themselves and have seen a bit, so maybe that's what you should go for?
 
I have never had a horse that doesn't hack out, for me it's the 3rd most important thing on my list.
Must be broken
Must load/travel quietly
Must hack.

For me, saying a horse wont hack alone is like saying a dog won't bark :)
 
Have you considered a reputable dealer? They usually ensure that the horses hack out alone before sold, and take this task off the table so to speak so that when you buy you know the horse hacks alone. I have always bought this way and always get a horse who hacks out alone, is used to traffic, etc. You could do what the others have suggested and train your horse to hack alone, but this can be a bit risky as you don't know how difficult it will be. Some easy to train, some a real trial. Do avoid a nappy horse as those more likely to be difficult. Good luck!
 
Hope you find something soon, keep looking as I know plenty that hack alone and in traffic fine :)

My two horses I purchased backed where difficult from day 1. I now hack them alone, the arab I share with my mum for over 3 years is now finally a fun hack. The ex racer is hit and miss but on a good day, I'd put anyone on her. Neither of them would I advertise as good to hack alone though, even if they are with me.

I think it's how we approach it from day 1. I notice with my youngster, she is in love with anything that should be off putting, she will be doing mostly hacking alone in her early years too as it's so important to work on their bone when getting a horse fit and hacking is ignored by many riders. Maybe this is where we go wrong? People get a job in their head and sometimes forget hacking is essential, just because they didn't purchase the horse to hack.

Keep searching though because I can assure you there's plenty out there!
 
it's crazy but seems to become increasingly a problem! I have a ploddy 17.1hh clydie who hacks alone and in company, as well as happily doing a bit of low level SJ/Dressage. However our 15.1hh TB x also hacks alone/company, he can be spooky at silly things like birds! However he is solid with tractors, traffic etc. Find it madness that so many people avoid hacking!
 
The problem is, I don't have anyone to hack with if I have a problem, so I really need to know that from day 1. I can get on and GO. I don't have any neighbours to help me out of a hole. I keep mine at home, so it's just me on my lonesome. I have found dealers to be next to useless. On the phone they promise it hacks brilliantly, but when you get there they admit they tried it hacking once and they don't have the time to do it regularly, so they just go in the school or put it on the walker. This is the most common theme, promises made on the phone are broken when you arrive on the yard and the actual truth comes out.
 
I have bought privately and from dealers and have always found the horses as described.
When trying a horse I ask the seller to ride for me, then the first thing I will do is take them out for a hack. I'm not interested how the horse goes in a school, if it doesn't hack :)
 
A horse either has temprement/genetics to cope with being hacked out by itself or not. They are either laid back and will happily plod along or will not. You can't change that.
What I normally do is put up 'Wanted notices' in the local tack shops/feed merchants as that way one can try them out several times and see how good they really are!
 
I am also amazed how many people dont hack. Its part of routine at our yard as its the only way to get them really fit for hunting/competitions etc. However i would say it depends on your budget something that good to hack is hard to find and not necessarily cheap as you would expect for a horse which falls into the happy hacker/low level allrounder catagory.
 
What kind of horses are you ringing up?

I have had 4 lovely horses who are perfect to hack out (few had never been before I had ridden them, including an 8yo!) but they are all polo ponies and pretty chilled out anyway. The only nightmare I've had was my puny 12hh dartmoor who bolted and bucked the whole time!

Maybe its the temperament of the horse? I agree with what someone else said on here though - easier to teach a baby to be good than correct and older horse!
 
both mine do :)
i backed my main horse myself and he first hacking out was done on his own as i didn't have much choice
the other one is a project horse that will eventually be for sale so i think its important to hack him alone at least once a week even though i'd rather play in an arena ,i think they also need a break from schooling all the time
 
madiz123. I try calling horses advertised as Allrounders initially. I want to hack and to do some BD. I try to be open minded about breed and age. I need a big horse and I am willing to pay good money, but it is increasingly hard to find something straightforward that ticks the boxes. I don't have the facilities for a real baby horse. I tried wanted ads and all I get are people calling me with horses way smaller, or way older than I ask for, who all seem to be suffering from some lameness issue. I must be cursed.
 
Ours have always hacked fine, out alone and in traffic. My horse goes out around twice a week in general, more in the summer. I like hacking. Ours do BD and mine events and does RC and a million other things.
Most horses should hack IMO! :)
 
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