What's or Wheres The Fun in Just Riding Then?

Elsbells

Elsbells

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There are so many posts on here lately where the focus seems to be on perfecting both horse and rider to such level, that it can appear that no-one seems to get out of the school and just have fun anymore?

........Or am I wrong?
 
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You can do both you know! Our horses do quite a bit of schooling and competing, but they still go out for lots of relaxed hacking and have fun too!
 
TGM said:
And 'just riding' is much more enjoyable when the horse is well-schooled, obeys your aids and doesn't have his ears in your face!
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That's exactly what I think! Plus it's better for the horse. I have come back to riding after a break of ten years and I am desperate to school my new pony. Don't think I used to be this keen to school but I can see the benefits and understand better what I want to achieve. :cool:
 
I mostly hack with my TB ex racer, never done any showing or competing. Occasionally we'll do a few groundwork games or low level schooling in the field as she's very clever and trainable - however she's at the limit of what I can teach her now and although she could learn more I'm not ambitious and I doubt my horsey has any concept of ambition :-) We both love our hacks though and I reckon she deserves a pleasant life after her racing career
 
I'm also a happy hacker. My riding consists of 2 or 3 two hour hacks a week in a forest. I find riding in a school very dull and so does my horse.
 
I compete (Aff BD) & hack. Hacking is being one with your horse, knowing his mood & actions so well when he can be himself. The thrill to both of you in the long gallops & the relaxation of the walk with this nose nearly on the floor & the feet kicked out of the stirrups. Love it & so do the boys.:)
 
I rarely go in the school - I am a hacker and proud of it! I cannot school a horse to save my life and I'm dreading winter and dark evenings as that curtails hacking. I am not a morning person so not good at getting up early to ride. If I do go in the school I am in there for literally 10mins then I get bored and go for a hack instead!
I will probably get shot down here, but I cannot see the attraction in just riding in a school, round and round! I also put the fact that my youngster is so chilled and happy in his work is due to the plentiful hacking we do with him!
 
I loath hacking with a passion and only do it because it's good for the horse I keep horses because I enjoy training them for me it's as simple as that.
 
Don't have a manege where I am, so mostly hack out and go for the occasional lesson, but I school whilst out hacking as well. When we did have a manege, horsey seemed to prefer schooling to going out, but I think that was more because he knew schooling would be done with quicker!!! (he's a bit lazy, bless him!)
 
In order for it to be fun I believe a horse has to be respectful, obedient and safe- this comes from good schooling. Correct schooling also means your horse will use itself properly & build the correct muscle which helps keep the horse in good shape rather than banging along on the forehand out on hacks etc.

EDA: Also, I really enjoy schooling. I think if you know what your doing- it can be alot of fun. If you are just going round in circles you really need to get yourself an instructor! :D
 
I have terrible feelings of guilt at the moment as my 13 yo professionally produced iberian x has just been happy hacking for the past year or so! I have had a baby in that time, so I do have an excuse, but I feel my horse is being wasted, he should be at least elementary level by now... However he is about as happy as he could be, living out, going for a blast on the beach or in the stubble fields! He DOES enjoy schooling as we hack though, I think it's his spanish ego taking over when we flounce down the high street. It's much more enjoyable to ride a light, balanced and sensitive horse so I feel a bit of schooling is necessary, especially when the horse enjoys it.
 
I also loathe schooling and Bree isn't that impressed either. I'm very naughty because I've got someone else to do it, but my riding isn't up to teaching her properly. I just want to scrungy round the countryside for hours and maybe jump the odd cross country fence. I was thinking of taking up BHS trec when she's a bit older.

Paula
 
I have recently come round to the idea that just hacking is ok - because I have no choice! Alf may not ever be sound enough to dressage again (although I'm doing my level best to get him to a point where he is!) - but I would hate hacking a horse who wasn't well schooled. I like to know that my aids will be listened to and acted upon, and that if I choose to work him in good form, leg yield into a gap, or play about with some fancy moves in the field, that he will happily do so.
 
I really enjoy training & schooling. However, even when I have a school, I rarely use it. I do the vast majority of schooling on hacks, combined with riding in fields, either ours or ones ok to ride on while out. And I have managed to get good results from it. Schooling isn't going round in circles, anymore than hacking is dawdling about on the buckle. As for fun, I get a sense of satisfaction from being able to either improve, or maintain a horses training. Even when I'm in the mood to just blast about like a kid, its far more fun on a schooled horse, not to mention easier.
 
littlelegs said:
Schooling isn't going round in circles, anymore than hacking is dawdling about on the buckle. As for fun, I get a sense of satisfaction from being able to either improve, or maintain a horses training. Even when I'm in the mood to just blast about like a kid, its far more fun on a schooled horse, not to mention easier.
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Well said!
 
I event my horse at novice/1*, hope to move up next year but we both love going on mad fast hacks 2 or 3 times a week too! :)
 
Horses for courses!

I have some that do both, one that just hacks, although she used to hunt, event etc, and one away competing just now, who also hacks occasionally.

I am with little legs here, hacking can also involve schooling, and should.
 
I like hacking, but I prefer it when I'm going off in places I don't know with a map - standard local routes get very repetitive when you've been in an area a while. This is why I like BHS TREC I guess, not that I get to do a lot of it while Fergs is still such an unreliable wally. I also enjoy schooling, jumping, training and other disciplines. I love jumping on for a bareback play in the school, or doing TREC practice obstacles, mounted games, trick training - all of which normally take place in a field or a school, but none of which can be considered joyless perfectionism.
 
My own horses and all of my liveries hack more than they school, but all of them are competition horses or hunters. I adore a good long gallop on a cold, sunny autumn morning, but I find it very difficult to motivate myself to ride if I don't feel I have a "purpose".

I hack to keep the horses (and myself) happy and to get their fitness up, but I think I would struggle to do so if the horses I was riding were just hacking horses. I worked on a livery yard for a year or so which was filled with happy hackers, and found it a real struggle to motivate myself to exercise horses for people who weren't aiming them at anything.

I'm a verrry competitive and goal-oriented person, so I think that's where it comes from. I like to have something to work towards with a horse - be it getting them fit for hunting, eventing, or schooling for dressage, or even just (as I am doing at the moment with a schooling livery) teaching a horse to stand by the mounting block without cantering off as soon as the rider is in the air!

As Littlelegs said, hacking isn't just about shlepping along on the buckle. All our hacks involve periods of "proper" work. So, for instance, the hunters will be asked to do lots of transitions into and out of a collected canter across a large stretch of grass. This helps to keep them responsive, supple, and is fabulous for when they're out hunting. So many hunters see grass and go, all the hunters in my care know that they walk until asked to do otherwise. The eventers and dressage horses will do some leg yielding back and forth across the road in trot, and even some shoulder in or travers to get them listening and thinking. It's all about variety.
 
maisie06 said:
I rarely go in the school - I am a hacker and proud of it! I cannot school a horse to save my life and I'm dreading winter and dark evenings as that curtails hacking. I am not a morning person so not good at getting up early to ride. If I do go in the school I am in there for literally 10mins then I get bored and go for a hack instead!
I will probably get shot down here, but I cannot see the attraction in just riding in a school, round and round! I also put the fact that my youngster is so chilled and happy in his work is due to the plentiful hacking we do with him!
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I like this post as I used to hate schooling, I still do to be honest, and love hacking but had the perfect balance with a dressage rider schooling him 3 x a week (she has resigned) and I do have lessons with him to ensure he keeps it up (as should I) although I dont really enjoy them. I have been told to ride into the arena like I mean it because my boy is doing really well & has started to really enjoy it so I must too!!!!

I have been learning to jump but whilst love it, I am seemingly pretty rubbish as I have no confidence....so back to hacking and hooning in fields and woods it is for me and luckily enough we have lots of both!

Just do what you enjoy and dont pressure yourself to do what you dont - it's meant to be a pleasure not a chore.
 
I do both but with different horses. As a rider there is such a feeling of accomplishment when the horse you're riding responds to your aids and works with you. I ride my friend's horses who have only ever been used to hack out have had very little schooling and whilst its fun its just not the same degree of accomplishment that i have after a good lesson.
Schooling is not just going around in circles. I believe that its a necessary discipline which benefits both horse and rider. And well schooled horses are a lot more fun to ride just as good riding technique is important to the horse. So mutual benefits to learning.
 
Our hacking is naff due to dangerous roads severely restricting the routes we can use, so I'm quite used to schooling now. I do try and get out - and I need to, to keep challenging the youngster and giving him new experiences, but the area doesn't make it much fun at all. I used to hack for hours as a kid!
 
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