Who doesn't hack (also in CR)

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superpony

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I have a 14.1hh welsh x who i do dressage with and who i'm quite happy to hack out both alone and in company.

I also have a 16hh TB 8 year old ex racer who i'm bringing on. Hes been to a couple of parties and is doing really well. The only problem is boy can he nap out hacking!!!!! He is a real pain out hacking on his own, and i struggle to find anyone to hack out in company with.

I'm quite happy not hacking him as after a couple of nasty accidents (not with him) i'm not keen on it anymore at all now. Instead hes schooled 2-3 times a week, lunged 1-2 and jumped once. I worry that he will get bored of the school all the time, but i can't take him out and he seems quite happy with his routine at the minute. Does anyone else just school/jump and don't hack?
 
I dont hack. Im terrified of it. I've got a huge fear of open spaces, and worry I'll be tanked off with.

Its something I'm trying to overcome, but if it doesnt happen, so be it!

School work wont get boring if you keep mixing things up =] xxxx
 
I don't hack one of my horses if I can avoid it - she has been a competition horse all her life and just is not cut out for hacking at all, she will go xcountry, but taking her round the lanes is an absolute nightmare! I haven't noticed her being bored at all:)
 
We very rarely hack. My mare can be extremely nappy, and the road outside our yard has heavy traffic on it most of the time so it's not really worth the risk. She's a bit better in company, but not much, and most of the horses at our yard are fit competition horses so not exactly a calming influence. On a very quiet Sunday afternoon I'll walk alongside her to the farm up the road as my OH rides, so she does go out occasionally.
At our old yard, there was quite a bit of off road hacking, and if I needed to have a row with her I could without the risk of getting run over!
We school, lunge and work over poles. When the weather is decent I'll ride her in the field.
We go to shows and clinics and to our instructor's yard for lessons, and she's turned out every day so she gets plenty of variety.
It does challenge your ingenuity a bit to keep them entertained, but with some horses in some situations its better to be safe than sorry.
 
From the other side of the fence, I couldn't live without my hacking and I would worry that my coblet would get bored of the school.

I hack out 4/5 times per week, lesson on a Friday and have 1/2 days off (usually weather driven).

I try to vary my routes so that he continues to behave in traffic, we get hill work and also a bit of random jumping in the woods. We mostly hack out on our own but sometimes I box up to my sisters as she has fantastic hacking.

I think the variation keeps him interested and I try to hack out to a different place each time. Its also helps my riding as I can practice doing little things while we are out without the monotony of the four sides of a school.

Horses for courses though, we don't really compete and we aim to hunt this winter.
 
Personally, I think a lot of the soundness issues horses have today is to do with riding on a ‘surface’, and I don’t think you can beat hacking for fitness work.

HOWEVER

My new horse is a bugger to hack on his own, so I avoid it. I go out 3 or 4 times a week with people, and do lots of trotting/fittening work. One of these hacks is always at least an hour of walk, and I usually hack in draw reins (never school in them)
 
I don't hack on the roads anymore, just too many nutty drivers about for my spooky horses - it just wouldn't be enjoyable or safe, I do a fair bit of off road riding and round the fields though
 
R2R said:
Personally, I think a lot of the soundness issues horses have today is to do with riding on a ‘surface’, and I don’t think you can beat hacking for fitness work.
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Ditto this completely - for all people worry about trotting on roads etc, I am a great believer in road and hill work being great for fitness and soundness in body and mind. I almost think its a responsibility that horses should be able to hack - its the one thing mostly that a broken down comp horse can do - light hacking. And for all those who say they will never sell their horse - maybe not - but you never know what life might throw at you and your circumstances change.

Plus I don't know how people don't find school work boring - so cannot believe that horses don't get stale either :)
 
Stencilface said:
Ditto this completely - for all people worry about trotting on roads etc, I am a great believer in road and hill work being great for fitness and soundness in body and mind. I almost think its a responsibility that horses should be able to hack - its the one thing mostly that a broken down comp horse can do - light hacking. And for all those who say they will never sell their horse - maybe not - but you never know what life might throw at you and your circumstances change.

Plus I don't know how people don't find school work boring - so cannot believe that horses don't get stale either :)
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The fact that I don't hack Grace doesn't mean that she is ridden only on a 'surface' - I have 40 acres of fields and tracks to ride around on, admittedly, just 200 yards of tarmac, but plenty of hardcore and dirt tracks, grassland etc.
 
Martlin - sorry, surely riding around 40 acres of pastureland counts as a hack? If not, what on earth is it?

I hack around my landlords farm (with permission) and have the same situation - 50 acres of pastureland, 200m up tarmac to get to it - as far as I am aware that is a hack?

Confused.com!!!
 
I am also a great believer that hacking is good for the body & the brain. My ex racer used to be horrendous to hack but loves it now. Perseverance & patience were all that were needed to convince him that in fact it can be quite relaxing!
I have a couple of friends at the yard up from me who very rarely hack. They both compete regularly in dressage & the horses work is solely in preparation for this. They consider hacking a waste of time.
They have complained often that the horses seem stale & lacking in enthusiasm. Every time I say, well they are probably bored our of their brains doing the same thing day in, day out. So I suggest, maybe a hack or take them a canter round the field - let them stretch out & relax for a while. Eventually they often do & the results are always visible. So they dont do it again! For another few months anyway! Crazy!
However I can see peoples points re horses who just wouldnt be safe on roads. It is then up to the owner to provide them with an alternative stimulating routine which keeps them enthusiastic about their work.
 
I am trying to get my confidence back hacking after an accident on the road last year. It is happening slowly - horse is young, tense and liable to balloon about - but I know he'll never get better if he doesn't do it and I'm already seeing a big improvement. I'm only going out in company but he is starting to do stretches in front now so getting there!

I think its important for them to be able to hack out.
 
doris2008 said:
However I can see peoples points re horses who just wouldnt be safe on roads. It is then up to the owner to provide them with an alternative stimulating routine which keeps them enthusiastic about their work.
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Do you think living out 24/7 is enough stimulus to compensate for not hacking?

My younger horse is fine to go round people's fields but can be silly on the road and I just don't think the public roads is the place to deal with it.

TBH he just doesn't seem to grasp the concept of going for a walk as yet and would probably be fine if we went a couple of times a week but my job doesn't allow the time for this, I have to box him out as were on a horrible road. Also, I deal with numpty motorists for a living so am all too aware of how prolific they are these days and just don't really enjoy it anymore.

He either goes to a clinic, competition, or to another yard to hack a couple of times a month on average so no, I don't think he's bored but wondered what others thought about turnout. He keeps himself quite fit BTW messing about in his field !
 
I genuinely can't imagine not hacking, or buying a horse who doesn't love it too. I'd quite happily spend hours pottering round the countryside on my own with my mare, popping over some logs and having a good gallop. She enjoys it a hell of a lot more than schooling, and well, it's just fun isn't it?

Having moved her to a central London yard I find the 2/3 fields we can 'hack' around really rather restrictive and need to start plotting some weekend trips to the countryside!

Finding the challenge of fittening without hacking and hills rather hard to tackle. I agree with others too that it's just good for her/my sanity.
 
martlin said:
A hack for me involves leaving ones property:D
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:D Are you the queen?! TBH, if I had miles of off road hacking then I wouldn't bother going on the roads I don't think - but I would class hacking as most things that don't involve being in a school fwiw. :)

But then, much as motorists are idiots, there are some roads near me where I feel it is almost my duty to ride on - the less people see horses on the roads, the less they will expect to see them imho :)
 
OP, I don't know how experienced you are but if you're bringing on the ex-racer I'm guessing you know a bit :-) So, how would you feel about ride (ex racer) and lead (Welshie)? That way you'd have company for the TB to help with the napping and for you to remind you you can hack very well with the Welshie.

Obviously something to try off-road and ideally with human company (on foot/nanny horse to take over the leading if necessary) first and only if the two animals get on reasonably well. You'd get loads of advice from people on here about how to get started though.

Agree with the others that hacking is important for TB's education if at all possible.
 
Thank you everyone for the advice, I really appreciate it. Very interesting to hear everyones views. :)

Tickles i have never even thought of that!!!! That is a brilliant idea, i'm gonna give it ago and get someone to come with me. They love each other so hopefully it will work quite well. Anyone any tips?

After reading everyones thoughts i'd definately going to work on the issue, the plan is to event him eventually so it would make life alot easier if he would.

Thanks. :)
 
Custard - I guess it really depends on the horse. My TB is living out now 24/7 but I dont think it is enough for him. If I bring him in & school him every day he soon stops being caught! He will just leg it when he sees the headcollar. He's not a particularly stressy horse but obviously likes his hacks!
If you are struggling with roadwork, can you box to some quiet lanes or similar where you can practice? We have a few roads round here which are now gated. Perfect for long rein practice, which really helps confidence in my experience.
 
I would be bored s*** if i just went in the school day in day out, so would my horses. For me hacking in the countryside is what it is all about, just me and my horse. I love riding for hours with or without company. All of mine have to be able to hack out, with or without company too. I personally would not buy a horse that wouldnt.
 
I too would be bored stiff in a school, let alone the horse! I would not buy a horse that did not hack, however I do have experience with successfully hacking out serial nappers!

Although I don't have a school, I will school in the field when it is dry maybe once a week/fortnight. In the summer I will hack to the nearest school probably once a month, and that is only as they have interesting jumps!
 
I think hacking helps horses become braver and to cope with things like birds flying out of bushes and I also think that varying hill work and terrain helps build fitness, strength and flexibility. I guess for those just interested in serious dressage hacking doesnt add much other than something different for the horse but for those that event, I would have thought hacking encompassed a large part of the horses training to get it used to different environments e.g. jumping and moving at speed through shadows, round trees etc to cope with XC element.

I hack mostly but I have a fantastic mare who is bombproof in traffic and never naps or does anything silly so I find it very relaxing now and we amble about all over the place and enjoy brilliant gallops and canters and see some amazing wildlife and I think it has really helped me form a bond with her and I truly believe that she really enjoys going out.
I did however have a mare who spooked and jogged constantly and it really put me off hacking out as it wasnt a relaxing event, hence I quickly decided that we werent the perfect partnership! So I completely understand why some people just dont do it especially if on busy roads
 
I'd prefer not to hack, but Danny gets bored of schooling easily, so we limit schooling now of any sort (x2 comps, x2 lessons) and hack at least once a week. Plus, I want to get him used to hacking, simply because if he does need to be sold in the future, it's another plus point for him.
I find it boring though... unless I'm riding /to/ somewhere!
 
foo said:
I would be bored s*** if i just went in the school day in day out, so would my horses. For me hacking in the countryside is what it is all about, just me and my horse. I love riding for hours with or without company. All of mine have to be able to hack out, with or without company too. I personally would not buy a horse that wouldnt.
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Same here......mine love going out and about, popping the odd log and having a good old gallop. Plus its a great stress-buster for me too.....

Also.....I like riding through housing estates....you can check out your reflection in conservatories and patio doors:D
 
poppymoo said:
Same here......mine love going out and about, popping the odd log and having a good old gallop. Plus its a great stress-buster for me too.....

Also.....I like riding through housing estates....you can check out your reflection in conservatories and patio doors:D
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:D I love doing that, and having a nosey over peoples fences, when you wouldn't be able to if you were on foot :D
 
Stencilface said:
:D I love doing that, and having a nosey over peoples fences, when you wouldn't be able to if you were on foot :D
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Yay, its not just me that does this. I'm always checking myself out in windows. Its great over here as well as nobody ever shuts their curtains (or even has any). I think its a Dutch thing but its great for nosey riders :)
 
I love hacking out and wouldn't be without it. Very lucky though as have a few options and most do not involve much road work, if any. I also think it's a great way of getting a horse to work I think it's slightly less intense and more stimulating than going around in the school and can usually get my horse to go better on a hack:) That's something I picked up from hacking with my instructor.

However, I'm not a seriously competitive rider and I don't condem anyone who doesn't hack. At the end of the day some people like to and some people don't and the same will go for some horses. If a horse is bored with whatever it's doing you'll know about it equally if it's engaged in it's work you'll feel it too.
 
Tbh I'd be bored stiff I didnt hack at least once a week. There is nothing better than seeing things from up on a horse, nosying(sp?) on things that you cant on foot and its great for fittening up your horse.
I dont think I would hack if the horse was badly behaved, as I just wouldn't enjoy it and probably wouldnt feel safe.
:)
 
I quite enjoy hacking, although Paddy doesnt (alone) :-( although we get to ride with others sometimes so its not so bad.
The hacking isnt that great where we are all roadwork on narrow country lanes! We wish there was a lot more off road stuff around!
 
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