When is it too windy / weather too bad to hack?

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dilbert

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Just wondering as I need to get cracking with hacking but the weather is still not good here. Do people hack in any weather or do you have a cut off ?

I don't ride if its foggy or very wet / windy at moment but I'm wondering whether I need to just wrap up in hi viz and get out more?
 
Don't hack if it is...
Foggy
Really windy
Really wet
Snow
Ice
Getting dark

Always have hi viz on, at least a tabard, breast plate and leg wraps on horse. If cold Fluro exercise sheet, and I got lights for Xmas!! :)

If you have to think twice about if hacking is a good idea or not, then that's when it usually isn't.
 
Probably depends where you hack and what your horse is like. We are in a very exposed hilltop location so if really sleeting it down may wimp out partly as much as it is a pain to dry off horses and tack etc though that said have been out recently in some pretty wet weather.
 
Echo above reply I don't hack out if it is icy. With regard to rain and wind etc, generally tend to work on the basis that if we were at competition horse and I would just have to get on with it. Horse of mine won a big class a number of years ago as he was the only horse to behave in hail as he was used to being ridden out in it.
 
Not if it is raining horizontal as i cannot stand wet tack and one of mine objects rather strongly to anything that rustles so waterproof trousers are a complete 'no no' on him, but if just a drizzle then off we go, tabards, leg wraps, breastplates, hat bands, lights and flo sheets, we look like the light brigade but you can see us for miles.
 
If its low visibility, i.e. cars have lights on, I won't go on roads, whether that's fog or heavy rain.
Wind I only avoid hacking in if its strong enough to be blowing large objects about. However if there's stuff like bags blowing everywhere across paths etc, then it would depend on the horse. A bombproof older horse yes, a 4yr olds first lone hack, definitely not.
Rain depends on how bad it is, assuming visibility isn't an issue. If its just wet I'll hack, if its the type of rain both horse & I want to turn our faces from, then no.
 
Just to add, we will hack in wind and rain, just not if it is dangerous. I wouldn't hack on my own if it was really windy though, horse can spin in the road and I like to be able to hear the traffic before I see it.

Humblepie, I understand the point you're making re: competition, but they are two rather different environments. I've ridden in howling rain for dressage before, but wouldn't have dreamed of hacking in it!! Horse behaved due to being ridden in the arena at home in it, not from the experience of hacking in it.
 
RiderLizzie said:
Don't hack if it is...
Foggy
Really windy
Really wet
Snow
Ice
Getting dark

Always have hi viz on, at least a tabard, breast plate and leg wraps on horse. If cold Fluro exercise sheet, and I got lights for Xmas!! :)

If you have to think twice about if hacking is a good idea or not, then that's when it usually isn't.
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this!! if youre thinking twice about it being dangerous dont go
 
For me it's the wind that puts me off. I'll ride in a school in wind or rain but out hacking it's completely different. If I know I'm going to go out and have problems then I think it's silly to not only put me and my horse in danger but other road users. Cars get sooo close regardless of weather and I don't like the thought of the jumping sideways/spinning when something makes her spook.

Rain I don't mind and will just put an exercise sheet on the horse to keep her dry. Have ridden out when it's been a little icy at the sides of the road but then just walked. Wouldn't do it if the whole road was icy as again I'm putting everyone in danger and I'm just an unneeded hazard for other road users who have enough to think about in those conditions than trying to pass a horse before another car comes.
 
Sme good points thank you :)

I don't ride if its icy . My hacking can be a bit of a pain tbh as the easy little bridlepath starts with a slope which get very slippy and deep and all our other routes involve crossing or riding along an A road.

I have to be careful as sometimes I use the weather as an excuse when my confidence isn't so good and then I get stuck in a cycle of avoiding. I do like the idea of lights though :) very snazzy!
 
I used to hack in all weather apart from Icy conditions but I was 100% off road with direct access to a forest so as long as trees weren't blowing down I'd go out or ride in outdoor. Now I have moved and only have road hacking which has really changed my views. I now consider fog, drivers visibility in rain and bad light. Don't hack on roads in snow or ice as not only do u not know what conditions are under foot you need to consider stopping distances for drivers etc. My roads are single track with ditches either side so no-where to go if a driver doesn't drive with care. If you drive yourself put yourself in a drivers position meeting a horse in those conditions would you be surprised/panic or think it was perfectly acceptable and you'd have had full visability. I echo what others say if you have to ask the question then it's likely not hacking conditions but it is 100% dependant on where you are hacking if off-road or not. Do u have any fields you can ride around for 30 mins etc just to get horse going?
 
If it's off road, then nothing would stop me if horse needs to be hacked but will not hack on roads if windy (F5 or above); very wet or of course icy.
 
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