VERY happy Hackers!!

leskaneen

leskaneen

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Just read thread about happy hackers & couldn t resist adding my own!My sister and I are more "mature"ladies(we re 49 & 50),I have a sec D and Sis has a fell.We went out "hacking"yesterday morning.Both ponies are fairly well schooled and have done bits of dressage & showing& can jump, they re both forward going,quite strong,V excitable and,to be honest make each other worse.Mine is a typical D who doesn t mind big tractors but hates daffodils!
So off we went.Hacked fairly sedately round the roads-lots of people on "posh" horses doing the same-then we went on the tracks/gallops for some fun-had 2 good canters jumped a log,had an interesting moment when a deer ran across our path,then had a bloody good gallop on rubber track-(well,as fast as a welsh & fell can gallop!!)-we did nt see any of the "posh" horses go faster than a walk(I hasten to add we dont go galloping past people)-and there were only 2 teenagers on ponies going at it like us!
Anyway-the upshot of this ramble is that we are competent riders,ponies are NOT plods-anything but-and we have a very nice time re-living our mis-spent youth on a Sunday morning-and we re proud to be VERY happy hackers!!!
 
I am a very happy hacker too. Went out at the weekend and acted a bit like an excitable teenager as our horses really stretched their legs....had a fab time.
 
Well put,particularly after some of the comments about "happy hackers" on the snobbery thread.I have to stress that hacking is potentially more hazardous than riding in the arena due to a huge number of factors and risks associated with hacking.Thus a good standard of riding and experience is needed before embarking on a hack.The people who seem to believe happy hackers are bad riders are making huge assumptions.Hacking is a great training and schooling exercise and a necessary part of the horses development.It also gives horses and ponies something more exciting to do other than going in the arena.Carry on hacking.
 
i loved that post!! i would love to be able to do that again, my old horse and my pony were like this and i still go ride my pony occasionally and take him for a good gallop on the fields.
However my ex racer is a loony tune and we are just walking and small bits of trot on hacks hoping to bget more hackin in winter with company and hopefully he will relax and be happy!! i cant wait to let him have nice long relaxed hacks and good leg stretches although doubt ill ever let him go full throttle as dont know if he would stop!!
 
leskaneen said:
we did nt see any of the "posh" horses go faster than a walkQUOTE]

Right, now YOU sound totally up your own arse!!!!!
To me what you did was bloody stupid! I compete, I have 4 small, quirky TB type horses and I play polocrosse (youtube it, it's lacrosse on a horse, it's fast furious and dangerous), I'm a national champion for the second year running in my grade, I also picked up a best player award at the national champs this year, I hold a european title and one of my ponies has a world championship title under his belt. I would consider myself experienced, competant and confident. I would NEVER go out on a hack and do this unless I'm on my livery farm and the horses can only go back to the yard and not get out onto the roads.
If I got decked out on a hack I've got a horse loose on the roads that could do £thousands in damage to itself or other peoples property or even kill somebody!
I don't know what you're trying to prove by saying you rode on the roads then went for a gallop? You've made yourself sound like the snob. You let your horse have a run on a hack, congratulations, some people take a bit more care with their horses wellbeing.
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Super_Kat said:
leskaneen said:
we did nt see any of the "posh" horses go faster than a walkQUOTE]

Right, now YOU sound totally up your own arse!!!!!
To me what you did was bloody stupid! I compete, I have 4 small, quirky TB type horses and I play polocrosse (youtube it, it's lacrosse on a horse, it's fast furious and dangerous), I'm a national champion for the second year running in my grade, I also picked up a best player award at the national champs this year, I hold a european title and one of my ponies has a world championship title under his belt. I would consider myself experienced, competant and confident. I would NEVER go out on a hack and do this unless I'm on my livery farm and the horses can only go back to the yard and not get out onto the roads.
If I got decked out on a hack I've got a horse loose on the roads that could do £thousands in damage to itself or other peoples property or even kill somebody!
I don't know what you're trying to prove by saying you rode on the roads then went for a gallop? You've made yourself sound like the snob. You let your horse have a run on a hack, congratulations, some people take a bit more care with their horses wellbeing.
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Are you really being serious?
:confused:
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@Super_Kat
Wow and you don't?
& you're suggesting those who hack out or have a good gallop care less about their horses well being? uh okay then.
 
midi said:
@Super_Kat
Wow and you don't?
& you're suggesting those who hack out or have a good gallop care less about their horses well being?.
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Not always, in a secure area, yes, fine, but imagine your horse through somebodys windscreen if you get decked and then they do one back to the yard....
 
Oh FFS. WHY does this have to get nasty???

There's a showing yard near us and they regularly hack theirs out; likewise us numpty riders who don't have the pressure and/or expense of a professional yard can likewise enjoy a good hoon!!!

It matters not. Equestrianism is open to all - pro's and amateurs alike. That's the joy of horses innit :)

Recently myself and two other "grown up" friends: one of whom I was at school with, went out on an absolutely vile, grey, afternoon. Went up into the woods on the hills around where my friend lives - we were so high we were up in the mist and it was chucking it down with rain in the valley. And there we were - three middle aged women hooning around on our ponies just like we used to do when we were kids. Nothing changes! But we were still having fun and enjoying ourselves riding. Which is what its all about.
 
Now and again il take the horse i ride for a good gallop while out on a hack along the bridle path if there is no one around and if the ground is good, and they apsolutely love it. I dont see why thats a big deal :confused:
 
highlandponygirl said:
Now and again il take the horse i ride for a good gallop while out on a hack along the bridle path if there is no one around and if the ground is good, and they apsolutely love it. I dont see why thats a big deal :confused:
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I always think of the 'what if's'. Having seen the aftermath of a yard friend going out for a canter on a hack, horse spooked, she came off, horse was loose and ran across a busy road and got taken out by a car doing 60mph. The canter was not worth the dead horse or the injured driver.
 
Super_Kat said:
I always think of the 'what if's'. Having seen the aftermath of a yard friend going out for a canter on a hack, horse spooked, she came off, horse was loose and ran across a busy road and got taken out by a car doing 60mph. The canter was not worth the dead horse or the injured driver.
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To live life based on 'what ifs' seems very parochial and fearful IMO. What if you left the house, crossed the street and were hit by a bus. Is that a reason to not leave the house?
 
highlandponygirl said:
Now and again il take the horse i ride for a good gallop while out on a hack along the bridle path if there is no one around and if the ground is good, and they apsolutely love it. I dont see why thats a big deal :confused:
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Ditto this.
Absolutely ridiculous to suggest you should be fenced in at all times!
People can fall off in walk & trot too given the right situation, youtube can show you that!
In an ideal world no one would fall off and accidents wouldn't happen but i'm afraid we can't wrap horses & people up in cotton wool and fenced in at all times.
 
Super_Kat said:
I always think of the 'what if's'. Having seen the aftermath of a yard friend going out for a canter on a hack, horse spooked, she came off, horse was loose and ran across a busy road and got taken out by a car doing 60mph. The canter was not worth the dead horse or the injured driver.
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We have no roads next to our bridle paths, so i think we are quite lucky there. Just lots of fields now and again we will have a race in one of the big fields with some of the other hacks.
 
Serephin said:
To live life based on 'what ifs' seems very parochial and fearful IMO. What if you left the house, crossed the street and were hit by a bus. Is that a reason to not leave the house?
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If my horse got injured on the roads because I wanted a blast I'd never forgive myself. My horses are my everything and given how dangerous the roads are I don't understand how people can make things more risky then they already are, it's insane in my eyes.
 
Super_Kat said:
No, I'm just sensible.
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You sound like a right barrel of laughs.

Theres nothing I love better than hacking out and exploring the country side and woods ( which certaintly don't all have gates and fencing) I would ride for miles if I could, through forests, up mountains! ( though sadly slightly lacking those where I live ha)
But unfortunately there's alot of road I have to get through to get to offroad paths and to be fair as of yet I've never had trouble with drivers, they have always been considerate.
No life to be questioning "What if?" or staying in a fenced school, how dull.

Like someone else said, might as well stay indoors, lock up your kids! obviously don't care about yourself enough or others if you're taking such risks *gassp* :O
 
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Super_Kat said:
If my horse got injured on the roads because I wanted a blast I'd never forgive myself. My horses are my everything and given how dangerous the roads are I don't understand how people can make things more risky then they already are, it's insane in my eyes.
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Im sure their are risks in polo and showjumping too - dont you travel there in a lorry - omg on the roads ???
How very very dangerous!!!! :eek::eek:
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
Oh FFS. WHY does this have to get nasty???

There's a showing yard near us and they regularly hack theirs out; likewise us numpty riders who don't have the pressure and/or expense of a professional yard can likewise enjoy a good hoon!!!

It matters not. Equestrianism is open to all - pro's and amateurs alike. That's the joy of horses innit :)

Recently myself and two other "grown up" friends: one of whom I was at school with, went out on an absolutely vile, grey, afternoon. Went up into the woods on the hills around where my friend lives - we were so high we were up in the mist and it was chucking it down with rain in the valley. And there we were - three middle aged women hooning around on our ponies just like we used to do when we were kids. Nothing changes! But we were still having fun and enjoying ourselves riding. Which is what its all about.
Click to expand...
Thats exactly the point I was trying to make-we all enjoy our horses for different reasons -I can well understand people not wanting to gallop an expensive show horse on the tracks round our way-and -to be fair-near us people don t tend to be that snobby anyway-Im actually quite proud of the fact that I can "off road" my horse and have fun like we did as kids!!As for safety issues(a) my horse would be bored witless if he had to stay in the school all week and(b)The place where we gallop is specially designated for horses,on a rubber track,and is 2 (closed) gates from the nearest road.Maybe there should be a clique for middle -aged riders who remember the days when we were ALLOWED to have fun!!!
 
Super_Kat said:
If my horse got injured on the roads because I wanted a blast I'd never forgive myself. My horses are my everything and given how dangerous the roads are I don't understand how people can make things more risky then they already are, it's insane in my eyes.
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I think you are at crossed purposes. No one has suggested galloping along a road.
 
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