Working "in an outline" whilst hacking?

F

Foaling Around

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 December 2010
Messages
156
Visit site
I've always had a debate in my head whether to hack a horse "in an outline" or not.

Part of me thinks yes, to back up the work I'm encouraging in the school, and part of me no as its "chill out time" for me and the horse.

I tend to end up letting the horse just do its thing, but get it working more "correctly" into and out of transitions so they don't get too sloppy.


I've read many articles avocating "schooling whilst hacking", and there are of course many aspects of hacking you can apply this too (i.e. opening and closing gates), but if you go out for several hours surely its better to let the horse have its head, have a bit of a razz around where you can and make not all work strict and regemented (which I think I possibly get more tired of than the horse!!)

Just wondered what other peoples views were/what people did? :)
 
depends what mood im in tbh :p we dont have regular access to a school, so most of my work is done out hacking, but every so often i just like to go out for a ride on the buckle and chill :)
 
I tend to do most of it in a nice relaxed outline/buckle end, just making sure she's striding out and tracking up and then do short bits of 'schooling' just to mix it up and keep her listening.
 
This is hotly debated amongst people i know! I tend to let my older boy relax and work on a long rein in walk, but whenever trotting or cantering he does need towork in a bit of a correct shape. The youngster we are working towards the same theory but at the moment we do also do bits of work in walk more correctly and I also do bits and pieces of things like leg yield and shoulder in sometimes!
 
I have days that I will hack for a change of scenery but it's still work as usual. Ill work on contact, and still expect a responsive, supple horse and I still consider it a training session and quality ride. Then there are days (at least once a week) that I let my horse out on the buckle, look about, have a gallop, etc, but they are still expected to listen and behave. Horses need to just have fun sometimes and "hang out" with us:.:) My mares start getting sour if I don't change it up often and make things fun and challenging.
 
When riding on the roads I like them to have a contact and be between hand and leg (for quick reactions!) but not working in an "outline".

When we're hacking through fields I tend to ride on the buckle and chill right out.
 
yeah i always wonder about this, my lad absolutely loves hacking and has his head up and looks round at everything, not in a spooky way, just cause hes super curious. he always looks like hes enjoying himself so much, so i generally just let him chill.
 
Working in a correct outline, with the back raised and the head on the bit, increases control (as bit then on fleshy bars and not against the back teeth), and more importantly is better for the horse's back. Doesn't mean you can't have quite a long, loose outline for hacking. Unless we're going any distance, mine school on hacks as it's part of their learning to go correctly no matter what the distractions. For longer distance stuff, I tend to go for a loose outline, with head lowered and back more horizontal, horse striding out, and head just in front of the vertical. My TB, who is the main one I take longer distance, drops into this without even needing any contact, from long experience she knows it's comfier for her too!
 
For me it so depends on the horse. I ride one at the moment that is a little hollow by conformation and he doesn't naturally engage his hind legs. It is better for him (and his back) to go in a correct shape. This doesn't need to entail any pressure, so he can be relaxed and comfortable. However others are better left to their own devices - if the rider is unable to keep the horse round and soft without using too much hand because the horse is too inattentive and needs exercises to produce the outline, then don't ask, then the horse is not being disobedient! There are other horses that it really doesn't make the slightest difference what you do, in which case, just enjoy.
 
I have a few hacks that are treated as schooling for me (have no school :p ) so the whole hack (20-30 mins) he is working, well with maybe a couple of stretches. So lots of transitions, and my attempts and shoulder in and leg yield to make him listen and use his back legs.

Some hacks are fast hacks, where all that is expected is to be going forwards (a challenge some days :rolleyes: ) and do lots of hilly trotting and cantering if theres somewhere we can :)
 
Hmm...interesting topic. Guess it depends what you feel comfortable with. Some horses get a bit cheeky in the big wide world, so it's better in a sense to keep an outline and keep them concentrating on something? And some riders see hacking as relaxing/downtime so no outline is asked for...

I don't ask for a full on schooling outline from Bruce. Hacks require less demand from me for Bruce I guess, whereas schooling is 'serious time'. I don't let him slob along with his head up in the air like a giraffe or with his nose poking out in front of him. xoxo
 
Hacking out is chill out time for me and my share pony. Makes a nice break for her from working in the school.
She has to go forward, and be listening to me, and i dont ride on the buckle, but I'm not that fussed about an outline.
 
I don't have a school so hacking out is schooling time, plus my lot are fruit loops so when they're schooling, they're listening and working, which makes it (slightly) nicer to hack. They do get a longish rein to stretch out on the way home though and get short breaks when I'm out.
 
Wish i could! My pony is far too interested in every single blade of grass that is different from the ones in the field to work whilst hacking, she will happily shoulder in and leg yield etc but only whilst having a good look at all the new exciting things out and about !
 
I don't have a school so in winter the only place I can 'school' is out on a hack. So I do ask them to work nicely for me but we do go on fun hacks where I do let them chill and relax.

But then again, with my little pony she's very fizzy and if I asked her to work in an 'outline' I would just never get any nice work from her anyway. So with her it's much better just to get down with work in an arena or field (when their dry enough that is)!
 
I hack my tb in a slightly lower and longer outline. I have had trouble with her being tense in an outline in the school and since i have been doing it, she has gained so much muscle along her topline and finds it much easier. Only really hack in walk as she gets tense when trotting or cantering on a hack.
I think for a long hack with the horse hollow and not soft and round, its a lot of pressure on the spine. with a horse in the correct rounded shape (not false outline or over bent) it allows him to carry our weight better and so not putting more pressure than necessary on the spine.
 
I do a bit of both,have gone down to 2 from 4 horses to exercise so bit easier to get through them! It depends what mood i'm in and if i'm riding with a friend or not. I generally always try to ride them in a outline for some of the ride at least and then let them have their chill time on the buckle and then when heading home again i'll collect up and ask for a outline again. We have very open hacking so when it comes to trot and canter you have to have control at all times,mine are used to it but others can get very silly! I collect up for both unless i'm having a gallop of course. If i ride out with friends i tend to be busy chatting so they get away with a very chilled hack! Some hacks i go on i go out intending on doing some proper school work inc leg yield,shoulder in etc so i will spend most of that one schooling,we have fab hacking so i tend to choose that option as me and the horses prefer it,i do however need to get back into the school more as i'm intending on doing some DR comps soon and have had a break from competing.
 
i do a bit of both really- as i would in the school. wouldn't expect a horse to hack for hours in an outline tho- but i never hack for hours anyway :D
 
It is always a difficult one to say do i don't i.

I don't have access to a school so I have to school on hacks which then leads me to working in an outline. However at least once a week we go for a hack on the buckle and just have fun, FH is very good now at knowing when to work and when to have fun.

Also a couple of years ago he went on a bout of rearing whilst hacking. To have his head down in an outline was the only way I could keep control of him!
 
I'd love to hack my lad out on the buckle, but hes far too spooky and silly, if something spooked him and i had no reins god nose what would happen, I do try to let him have hes head though, but he normally ruins it by putting me into a tree if he see's a bird! x
 
Personally I see hacking as a bit of a rest from schooling but do take up a contact trotting or for fast work, have groomed for an eventer in Oz and they were obsessed with the horses being round all the time, they did very little hacking just walked up the road after schooling really, which amazed me anyway, the horses didn't do fast work until they were competing at CIC level.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top