What is your definition of good hacking?

[Fools Motto]

Two months ago I moved my mare to a new 'home'. (rented field).
Due to being busy with work, she has been off work longer than I had planned. Anyway, last week, got her shod, and hopped on.
We had a wonderful time exploring a few short rides. So many bridleways and forest trails!! Never knew such heaven!! (happy to get lost too) lol
Obviously will have to give it time for her to get fitter to go out for longer, but I seriously can't wait. Haven't been this enthusiastic to ride for a very long time.
I class it as good hacking.

Then I get to work (work with horses) and my heart sinks when I know I have to go hacking. It is terrible, all roads, and fast industrial traffic. I now wonder why I put myself through this as I get so nervous. It really is a matter of time before a horse or rider get hit. Seriously thinking of giving up, as I have spoken to my boss about my concerns and I don't think it has sunk in. This is bad hacking, but against my good hacking on my mare, it is actually beyond bad hacking.

Seeing the light and all..!

 

[budley95]

Hacking at the yard I'm on is brilliant, direct access onto TROT rides, did 11 miles with only crossing 1 very quiet lane across a bridge in the middle. Can do 8 miles without touching a road - I love good hacking - especially when I have a good hacking horse!

 

[Malibu_Stacy]

Lots of off road bridle paths/ byways preferably through either woods or crop land!

I'd class my current hacking as ok - quite a few bridle paths around but I have to do 2-3 miles of road work to get to/ from the nearest paths, along mostly quiet roads though they are used as rat runs. The paths are also fairly isolated, where I am they don't join up in a coherent network. My shortest two loops (about 4 miles) are also a bit of a pain because the bridle paths are through lots of little (stock) fields which equals lots of gates so very stop-start and no places for a good stretch out canter. A few gates are fine but 14 in under 1.5 miles does get a bit annoying for both me and pony!

The livery yard I moved from had great hacking. It was near Peterborough (predominantly crop land) so lots of really long tracks round the edges of large fields that just bled into each other. Nice gentle hills, enough to do some good fittening work but not super steep like where I am now (Yorkshire). The area of land behind where the yard was crossed by half a dozen paths so 10 mins roadwork on a dead quiet lane and you had numerous options of loop rides that were 1-1.5hours.

Sometimes I think it is *very* location specific as oppose to generic area if you see what I mean ie if I was now about 3 miles SW I would have easy access to a wooded area with several bridle paths and more through the surrounding fields. I can technically get to those paths but it involves a fair amount of roadwork to get to so horse needs to be fitter and I could only do that on days when I have 2-3 hours to spare! Similarly, if my last yard was 3 miles west i would probably have a very different opinion of the hacking as bridle paths were sparse that way and you would've had to hack mostly on the road to get to ones I used.

 

[Greylegs]

This is a good question. I recently moved my boy to a yard which was much nearer home (and a bit cheaper) but where the hacking was more road based, thinking it would be ok. Very long story short and I'm now back on my old yard which has direct access to lots of excellent forest tracks and where we can hack for a couple of hours without ever touching a road. The local lanes are quiet and rideable too if I fancy some roadwork, so I'd say we have very good hacking.

 

[wills_91]

The hacking the my house is IMP fan bloody tastic. I live in West coast Scotland in a small village there is miles upon miles of forestry & a beach . You don't have to ride on the road to access it but if you choose to we seem.to be fortunate enough that bus,tractors, lorries etc accept that we are out and about and usually very courteous. I wouldn't hack on a busy road.

 

[Tern]

My ideal hacking is off road with places for a good canter possibly some logs and enclosed ish.

OR

Very quiet lanes.

 

[irishdraft]

No road work and able to have a decent trot and canter, I am very lucky as I have access to a mixed farm where I can have a decent canter plus beautiful scenery and wildlife along the river although the ducks and swans flying up as I go past don't help my spooky horses, I wouldn't hack on busy roads don't trust drivers

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

Access to off road riding, of which I have plenty.

 

[rowan666]

miles off road with varied terrain

 

[lhotse]

I keep my horse on the fringe of some fantastic hacking, just have to do a little bit of roadwork to get there. Once you hit the bridleways, you can ride a 20 mile loop without really touching a road. I'm lucky to live on the edge of the Cotswolds, which has a wealth of bridleways and by-ways. However, I really think that the Marlborough Downs take some beating for hacking, and I would love to explore Mid-Wales too.

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

Any hack I go on from my yard I have to go over, under or alongside the M5!

 

[Caol Ila]

Not where I am. Some crappy tracks you can't ride faster than walk because they are too rutted or filled with loose sharp rocks and some roads. It sucks.

 

[Shooting Star]

I think the definition of good hacking would depend for me on where I lived.

If it was rural then good would mean next to zero road work and having a choice of 2hr plus hacking routes that wouldn't lead to me having to cross my tracks.

For somewhere urban good hacking would be minimal road work with at least a couple of routes and several chances for a good long trot or canter off road.

I can pretty much read the serial numbers of the planes taking off from Heathrow where I'm stabled but consider myself to have good hacking as I only have 5 mins of bad road work followed by 10 mins of quiet roads to have multiple hacking routes and am generally out for 1.5 to 2 hrs including the roadwork, so to me that's good and the best I could expect to have without relocating.

 

[Boulty]

I class it as a variety of different bridleways / networks of bridleways going in different directions across different terrain. Some good canters (either on straight bridlepaths with a good surface or across fields, preferably with a few hills) are a must for good hacking. A few nice views to look at help too! I don't mind a bit of roadwork as long as the drivers tend to be courteous (mine needs it to keep his feet in check so I'd be seeking it out for its own sake anyway). Oh and most of the hacks should be able to be made into loops as I hate doubling back on myself!

I was very spoilt where I kept my pony as a teenager as you could go for absolutely miles in any direction you chose and there was some stunning scenery and some decent places for galloping. Never quite found anywhere to measure up since

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

We have to do 99% roadwork here.

But having said that it IS possible to "do" the local common and from thence access bridle paths but to get there takes at least half an hour/forty minutes and this takes time away from being on open country. There used to be a track which was never put on the bridlepaths proper but we used to use it, but not accessible anymore. The local authority are total pants at opening anything up or doing anything other than sweet FA TBH.

We do have riding alongside the dual carriageway - quite a nice little bridlepath which opened up when the new road was built and its something which can be used even in winter as its a good surface, but not nearly enough of it for a really really good canter, but still better than nothing.

The roads here are busy, and getting increasingly more so We have to deal with everything, and be prepared to sit it out - luckily both horses are OK with most things. We also get planes flying in to the local regional airport - there's a little road where we hack practically along the end of the runway; quite an interesting situation when the Red Arrows decided to fly in just as we were on that bit!!!! Both horses were fine in fact as they're so used to stuff flying over the field.

We are lucky though in that all the rides we do are circular routes: going from a 5 minute trot round the block, going up to 40 minutes (quick flip) going through an industrial/working quarry!!; then going up to other rides which are about an hour; then the longer routes which are two-hours or more and would include tracks and/or open ground.

So really we could do a lot better, but TBH it could be a lot lot worse.

 

[flirtygerty]

Playing devils advocate here, I'm lucky to have 900 acres to ride in and not far from the coast, so best of both worlds, but to keep my lot bombproof in traffic, this is not the best place for them, yes they see lots of farm vehicles, but I love a memory of a mare we had exploring the inside of a HGV trailer on an industrial estate we had to pass through to get home, which she initally spooked at, would I change where we live, not by choice

 

[Myloubylou]

The best hacking I've had was in Surrey. Lots of riding on commons but even better was sandy soil which meant perfect ground all year round. Also had hills to gallop up. Now in Northants which is very flat and ground is clay so only few days when the ground is just right.

 

[acorn92x]

The best hacking I've had was in Surrey. Lots of riding on commons but even better was sandy soil which meant perfect ground all year round. Also had hills to gallop up. Now in Northants which is very flat and ground is clay so only few days when the ground is just right.

I'm lucky enough to live in Surrey and the hacking we have near my yard is nothing short of amazing. Yes, I do have to do some road work (On a 30mph or 40mph road so it could be worse) but I then have access to miles of wonderful bridlepaths and off road hacking. I'm lucky to live very close to Epsom Downs, Wimbledon Common and Richmond Park so there are 3 iconic places to ride on my doorstep. This is without even considering the areas of woodland, other small downs and commons that we have.

I used to live near Chelmsford in Essex and must say, it was excellent round there too. I am predominently a happy hacker so cannot imagine living in a place that doesn't have fantastic hacking. Everyone obviously has a different definition of this, undoubtably sculpted by where they live and what they expect from hacking but I'd say if you have the ability to only spend a small percentage of your hack on the road and have several routes where it is possible to go for a long trot, canter or even gallop, you don't have it too bad

 

[pennyturner]

Good hacking is where you can all have a canter.
Great hacking is where you can canter 5-abreast.

I do also like riding through our small, busy village, where there's lots of traffic, pedestrians, rubbish bins and lorries, bunting, garden machinery, vintage vehicles etc... You never know what you're going to meet, and it makes for interesting riding.

 

[Kezzabell2]

Where I live the hacking is pretty naff. Lots of country lanes that get used as rat runs. But I'm lucky that I have about 300 acres of land at the yard to hack around. There are so great rides in a near by village but means crossing an a road and going over a motorway bridge. Was fine on my mare but not tried with my youngster yet

 

[pansymouse]

I ride on Salisbury Plain which is the ultimate hacking and I can access without touching a public highway - bliss. I could ride everyday and never go exactly the same route and there so much scope for safe fast riding which very much my thing.

 

[MagicMelon]

After 10 years, I have only just started hacking again. I gave up for 10 years as I had a run of nasty incidents out hacking so my confidence was ruined - I'd gallop round XC and SJ courses etc. but hacking sent shivers through me! However, where I am there is really good off-road hacking within about a 1/2 mile from my house so I really had to give it another go. Have spent a while just going a little way down the road and back on my mare (who is very new to it as well) then forced myself yesterday to go for a hack down the road and to the end of a track - this was my aim for months and I never thought I'd ever do it. She behaved beautifully and it was a lovely, relaxed hack! Only passed one car however, my worry is that although a rural road there's quite a few farm lorries and tractors around, if I came across one of those I'd likely get off! But generally, I think any off-road hacking amongst forestry etc. is good. I used to think rural roads were good but not anymore, less traffic but they go so much faster and you get tractors with massive equipment things hanging off them... My next house will have a gate at the end of the garden going straight into miles of forest hacking!!

 

[Merrymoles]

I moved areas a couple of years ago and bridlepaths are few and far between. To be fair, we are in arable country now and the farmers seem relaxed about us using field tracks and, indeed, fields, once the crops are off.

But it is terribly flat and there are loads of huge dikes, often full of herons and ducks waiting to take off under our noses, loads of bird scarer gas guns for three or four months of the year and most of the tracks are pretty stony.

I miss the hills and the distances off road I used to be able to do - although the roads are quieter here and I don't have to ride as far to reach a bridlepath. My aim this summer is to hire a box and take me and my riding mate to my old stamping ground

 

[pennyturner]

I really don't mind big tractors, flighty pheasants or indeed huge groups of vintage motorbikes... We're pretty much bombproof, and anything new keeps them that way and adds a bit of interest.
Not sure I could spook mine without using live pigs as jump fillers.

 

[Kati*89]

Ours isn't bad but it does involve a short stretch of road which narrows and gets quite busy - sometimes lorries taking cut through from motorway to a5, so I pick my times wisely - once through that though we have a choice of woods to explore, some great sandy tracks for good canters.
I do miss a good open field to really blast along but the woods is nice, once has good steep hills, the other is bigger but busier. If I had the hours, I could perhaps go further, perhaps I need to sit down on the ordnance survey and do some planning!

 

[Firefly9410]

I find the phrase Road Hacking to be a contradiction in terms! Hacking to me is off road tracks with no more than 20min road work at walk to get there, otherwise I consider it unavailable to me. Good hacking is somewhere with numerous places suitable for a canter and enough tracks to make up at least an hour long loop. By suitable to canter I mean not an over used poorly maintained bog, not surfaced with something hard so as to accommodate walkers and cyclists and not overcrowded. It does not matter how wonderfully a path is surfaced if it is so full of ramblers, cyclists, dogs and other riders that there is no chance of cantering along it or of ambling along with the reins on the buckle admiring the scenery. Overcrowded paths feel like doing road work, only without the motorised traffic. The best hacking is relaxing, beautiful views and a chance to have fun.

 

[oldie48]

some years ago was lucky enough to keep my horses at a farm on the edge of the Quantocks. That was wonderful hacking country! Bridleways that went up on the Quantocks, lovely tracks and very quiet lanes. I also rode on Exmoor which was also fantastic. It was absolute bliss. My hacking now is mainly on the road but I could get onto a common quite easily with miles of off road riding and there's also a TROT within 30 minutes easy road work. However, my focus now is more on schooling and competing so TBH I rarely make the effort to get on the better hacking routes!

 

[burtie]

The New Forest, preferably directly off the farm with no road work!

 

[laura_nash]

As a teenager I worked at several places that had what I would class as great hacking. The best two were East Nolton in pembrokeshire where we had easy access to several beaches along some quiet roads, a 50 acre valley maintained by the RS specifically for hacking, and access to about 100 acres of fields along the coast with amazing views. The other was Bryanston School in Dorset which had large estate grounds (about 400 acres I think!) and then from there direct access onto open farmland. Together they spoilt me completely, never had anything I would really consider good since.

The worst hacking I had was also as a teenager, in Wales (near Carmarthen). I had to ride down a narrow, busy A road with lots of bends and then could come back along an old railway line with a poor surface. The only bridleway in the area had a sign erected (by the parish council) at the start of it saying "unsuitable for horses". One of the local farmers did kindly agree I could ride in their fields, but their sheep kept hiding in the hedges and jumping out under our feet, after my third fall I gave up on the whole thing. Luckily I was at equine college at the time so still had plenty of riding, just not on my mare.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

good views, quiet roads (I quite like road work but it is very quiet here). We have a mix of moorland with a drove road, forestry and estate tracks-everywhere has a great view so very happy. If I could get the council to get rid of the kissing gate on the hill I would be more so! I do have a 15min ride on road to get anywhere but that's fine.