Would you buy a horse that didn't hack out alone?

I would say it totally depends on what you're planing to do! If you know you'll want to be doing alot of hacking out alone - or even any, look at whether you think it's an insummountable issue - which I guess you can only do by seeing the horse and how it reacts / what the issues are. I went to see a gelding that wouldn't hack alone - turned out it was just a little bit stubborn when it reached the gate, and the then-owner wasn't brave enough to argue - he was fine.
 
depends how bad it is. having one who won't go out is a real pain as i have to lead him to meet up with a friend to go out riding unless you are based at the same yard
 
not if i was wanting it for competitions as hackings not a big part but if it was just a general riding club horse then no i wouldn't
 
Depends how bad it is but if it was then I wouldn't as you never know when you will need to hack alone eg. go out with someone and they fall off and horse goes off, lorry/trailer brakes down and you need to hack somewhere etc.
 
I wouldn't - purely cos I have miles of beach hacking on my doorstep and it would be a pain to not be able to use it
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I might if hacking wasn't a big priority for me and the horse was perfect in every other way, or if I knew I would always have someone else around to go with me (which most people can't always guarantee) - but since these conditions don't apply to me personally, I wouldn't.
 
Agree with whats been said already,it totally depends on what you want to do!

Personally it would be an issue for me because I like to be able to go out and about on my own if I want and the person I hack out with doesnt want her horse to be super fit whereas I do so I do interval training on my own
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I would also want to know what happens when it objects as it may be something minor you could handle or it could be something horrendous...
 
If the horse was everything I wanted in every other way, then yes I would buy it. I have had horses that have been nappy alone to start with, then as you build a relationship and bond, this nappiness often changes and then the horse trusts you enough to go alone.

This would not put me off at all as long as it wasn't nappy anywhere else only the hacking.
 
Personally no, because I would hate having to be reliant on what other people are doing all the time, but as long as you have plenty of companions to hack out with (and this situation is not likely to change) and it won't mean that the horse does nothing but school work then the only issue I can see is the re-sale one.
 
No, principally because I would wonder when this trait was going to rear its ugly head out competing - will the horse decide it doesn't want to leave the others in the warm up and go into the ring alone for example......
 
I think if I were selling my boy I'd put that he doesn't hack alone but he does, he just argues the whole way out and is an angel on the way home! In contrast he is an angel the whole time in company. I think I'd investigate further what they mean by doesn't hack out alone as they may just mean they are confident enough to get him to as S14tobin said eariler.
 
It really does depend.

No offence but some people who *say* their horse will not hack out alone are either not strong enough and the horse is taking the p1ss or they are too scared and are passing down bad vibes.

I have had two horses who tried me out not hacking out alone, the first one lasted for about a week worth of arguments then he started realising it wasn't worth it and the second one didn't even bother farting about because he could feel the fact I wasn't going to take any sh1t off him!

However if it was a genuine, non hacking out alone horse. No - I wouldn't want it personally, for me within reason, they are meant to do what they're told, if they don't - what use are they?

LOL harsh but thats my opinion.
 
what does it do if you try to take it out alone?

personally i wouldn't as it means the horse is liable to nap elsewhere and as i event it would have to be out on the xc course by itself.

i need a bold and confident horse, not one that needs a lead
 
I have one horse who prefers to hack in company (he will go out alone but no one enjoys the experience!) but it is not a problem for me as I have someone to hack out with most days, so it really depends on your circumstances.
 
me personally no, but if you not bothered about hacking out and just want a competition horse etc then I guess it would never be an issue, but if I was paying good money for a horse that does as you describle, I'd want it to at least hack out, its not like your asking a lot from a horse with such talant.
 
It depends what you really want to do. On a personal note I probably wouldn't because I tend to do a lot on my own and hacking does tend to feature as a fittening excercise
 
Again, it depends on what it does. It could be spooky by itself or just a bit beligerent about going out (in which case I would and would work on it) or it could be a total loon, rearing, throwing itself about etc in which case I wouldn't.

My boy tried it on if I took him out alone when I first got him, just trying to turn round to go home now and again or spooking at stupid things on the way out but never on the way home, and he soon learnt where the turns for shortcuts home were and tried to use them, so one day I took him out with a schooling whip in each hand and chose a route where he had plenty of opportunity to nap and not a dickie bird. Has never tried it since!
 
definetly, but i am not a huge hacking lover!!! and if I go then I go with others so wouldnt be an issue for me

I think that you just need to think what is your priority with riding?
 
Hmmmm
My current horse doesn't hack alone.... and it's not really any bother, we are at a big yard and there is always someone to hack with, we also have tracks and an xc course at my yard and she will do both of these alone. She will go on small hacks alone but gets REALLY genuinly worried when we go too far, to the point where she is dripping with sweat, but she is absoluty fine if I'm walking or cycling with her and a friend is on board, so thats what we do if I want to hack to a local show. So really it's not a prob.

I love hacking but much prefer to go with people.

I think it depends on how much of a priority hacking is for you.
With horse you are describing it wouldn't bother me at all
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Hmm, thanks guys.

Horse in question CAN be hacked out alone by me, but could not ever be sold as safe to hack, so therein lies the problem.

He is nappy. I cannot guarantee that it wouldn't happen at a show either, though he is rideable through it if you are confident.

food for thought I guess.

ETA - Horse is fine XC and will go away form others. He has evented to Novice level. Jsut he solo hacking that winds him up.
 
Absolutely Not. What is it going to say it won't do next. And if you cant make it hack in my view - how can you make it go forward round a sj course if it says no.

Mine was a serious napper when I bought him, he wouldn't be worked in the manage and he wouldn't hack down the road. It took me about 3 months to sort but now he will go anywhere. Infact, he is better on his own now.
 
QR, no I wouldn't partly because I enjoy hacking on my own and partly because my situation wouldn't allow it (no school)

I would also be concerned that the insecurities that the horse has which prevent it from hacking alone and would probably assume it was too much for me.
 
NO.

Been there, done that, waste of time and money for what I do. Said horse is now very happy being a nose to tail plod for 4 hours a day.
 
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