Why do we 'Hack' out?

[Winklepoker]

Where has the word Hacking come from?

Im sure some of you more intelligent folk can tell me

 

[Pedantic]

I would imagine since the invention of the cancer emitting machine, oh sorry I mean the motor car, it comes from having a hacking cough from all the fumes we breath in being forced to ride on the roads with the fumes, because our Bridleways are broken up by, errrrr let me guess, roads.......

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've always thought that it was because before the cancer emitting machine's were invented, posh folks would doll themselves up and take their beautiful, well mannered horses (show hack types) to places like Hyde Park so that they could plod about the park sneering at everybody and gossiping. Therefore riding about slowly (and not hunting) was 'hacking' as you ride a hack to do it.

Please correct me if that's codswollop.

 

[Kenzo]

I was told (not sure if it's true though) that back in the day, horses had a use (farming/industrial/war/hunting etc) but ladies enjoyed using them for their leisure, riding out in groups, known as hacking as the ladies would have a good hack (talk) amongst themselves, hence why the perfect ladies riding horse is known as a hack.

 

[Winklepoker]

Both good theories, but was then, Hack or perhaps, Hack-ney(the breed/type) around before hacking out? who knows... Wikipedia doesnt help me either!

 

[pixie]

In South Africa, we call them outrides

 

[Winklepoker]

Kenzo, that sounds a perfectly acceptable reasoning, I will astound everyone at the yard tonight with my new found knowledge be it wrong or right, it sounds great

 

[Steorra]

Okay, deep breath

The term originates from the word 'Hackney'. A hackney carriage (possibly 17th century onwards, definitely 18th) was a horsedrawn carriage that was available for hire.

This seems to have evolved to mean any horse hired for the purpose of getting about, including rentable riding horses. So a horse that one used to get from place to place became a hack, shortened from hackney. So 'hacking out' is riding from place to place on a general purpose riding horse.

The meaning of hackney has diverged meanwhile to refer to the high-stepping showy horses of that name today, which are particularly suitable for driving.

*wanders off, burbling happily about etymology*

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Oooh, you learn something everyday on here!

 

[SusannaF]

I dug out Foals of Epona by Anthony Dent and Daphne Machin Goodall because they are the dog's *******s on words.

"hakenay" was a medieval English term taken from the French "haquenée" which originally meant a bog-standard, cheap riding horse. The Canon in Chaucer's Tales rides a "hakenay". "It was a country bred horse that trotted" as opposed to "ambled" or "racked" (a horse that did that would be a nice, upmarket, smooth ride).

 

[Azmar]

I understood it from french haque-née and meant work worn?? General riding horse

 

[Pedantic]

Blimey, we got it from the Frenchies, we'll be eating frogs legs next

 

[lisab]

I am 39 and started riding when I was 4. I gave up when I was 15 and discovered boys. We called hacking out "going for a ride".

I started riding again at 31 and, all of a sudden, "going for a ride" was called "hacking out". And they had these strange things called half-chaps. And haylage. And Warmbloods.

It was going for a ride, joddy boots, hay and the only warmbloods were Thoroughbreds in my day.

I have half chaps, haylage AND a Belgian warmblood now

 

[Toffee44]

"hakenay" was a medieval English term taken from the French "haquenée" which originally meant a bog-standard, cheap riding horse


I have a Hackney x and she was a cheap riding horse, but I wouldnt call her bog standard or suitable for a lady really hence why I have her, hahahahahaha