when you hack out do you...?

[MandyMoo]

it depends on a few things really;

-what horse im riding (bugsy i always have to hack on the bit, otherwise he is a t*t...lol...whereas monty and dani i ride on the buckle)
-what mood im in (if feeling very hungover

or just have a bit of cant be arsed, then i ride buckle

lol)

but sometimes i do just vary it...sometimes i will do LY, Shoulder in and keep them on the bit out hacking...but sometimes i just let them 'plod' along xxx

 

[emmanash]

I don't let her pootle along at her own pace (which tends to be like a snail going out and a greyhound on the way home!) so I get her walking out nicely but not working like she would in the school. I like to keep it fun and enjoyable for her.

 

[kirstyl]

I think it depends on what sort of rider you are and what you are aiming to achieve with your horse. If your horse is a 'happy hacker' that seldom spooks and is happy to walk on the buckle end, then great! If you want to actually work your horse whilst out and about, he will need to work in an outlinefor at least some of the time. Mine is quite spooky and can be unexpectedly sharp at the strangest things so I would probably be on the deck if I were too relaxed!! That said, I hate to see people riding out hacking with their horses heads tucked in for ages and never allowing them to stretch. There must be a balance and there is no reason why you can't practise many of your dressage movements away from the school. Tend to get much more impulsion on hacks!

 

[MissSBird]

On our busy roads I tend to work them into an outline to keep their attention focused on me and not the traffic. Quiet roads I allow a little looser rein and let them stretch/look around, but always regulating the speed.

Very little cantering around my area. We've only really got one track and my old tb was prone to racing a bit much so I used to sit deep and use the outline to stop it.

In the fields though, its another matter entirely.

 

[FinkleyGladiator]

This winter I've started asking for a bit of roundness from Finn as our school is too wet to do anything in

but not all the way.
In the summer, however, I rarely pick up my reins (unless im on the road) as he is good with voice commands