Would you hack 4 miles road work to a jumping or flatwork lesson?

[exracehorse]

I HAVE to hack for an hour to my clinics as no transport. So last month it was three hours in the saddle as an hour lesson.

 

[Orchard14]

I think it's a great idea if said horse was up for it. Much rather do/see someone ride a good warm up and cool down than turn up, take the horse off the box and start cantering circles within 15 minutes.

 

[Tihamandturkey]

when i was young ,rather a long time ago, no one had transport so we all hacked everywhere to shows and lessons. our horses were pretty fit and all were fine, we all hacked for hours up and down hills, jumping all the logs we could find and none of our horses seemed to be tired at the end...

This 😁

 

[Auslander]

Wouldn't think twice!
We hacked to a local showjumping competition last year, similar distance - and the spotty idiot did 3 classes. He was still an idiot on the way home!
Only mistake we made was to take Alf as his hacking buddy - poor chap had to hide behind a horsebox for several hours, because Spotty had a meltdown every time he saw him!

 

[Carrottom]

Why?! Would make no difference whatsoever to the horse.

Just a chance to loosen the girth after a jumping lesson and for me to stretch my legs a bit.

 

[scats]

As kids we would hack 5 miles to a local show, spend the day at the show doing all sorts- jumping, showing, gymkhanas- with the ponies and hack back.
The ponies were fit, never sick or sorry, and interestingly, none of us ever had problems with things like lami or metabolic issues, despite a wide range of types such as cobs and natives.

I look at my mollycoddled two girls now, who get transported to a venue to do one dressage test and then transported back and given the next day off, and I feel quite ridiculous!

 

[Follysmum]

This was the normal when I was a kid
We hacked everywhere to get to anything, regularly rode 10 miles on a Sunday to a show.

 

[SpringArising]

But it would help the rider recover after the lesson .

Ha! For me it's easier to stay on. Once I'm off that's when the legs start to wobble

 

[hollyandivy123]

if you think about it this is a good way to warm up for the lesson and also cool relax down again, as long as the horse is fit then this is not a problem

but i think this also highlights what we use to think of as heavy work and that which was light work.

i never had a transport so hacking to the show pony club etc was the only way to go, for some reason some of my friends now think a 40 min walk trot hack is hard work and are feeding to this

not meant to hi jack your post OP

 

[Pippity]

I hacked my only moderately-fit horse three miles to a dressage test and three miles back. She had plenty of energy to thoroughly misbehave at the dressage, and continue doing so on the way home!

 

[Leam_Carrie]

Every week I hack two miles for a lesson or to compete. My horse is fit and she finds it easy.
I used to hack 5 miles each way to a show with a fit horse. We were both a bit knackered by the end of the day.

 

[Suechoccy]

Yes. I did 2 miles each way road hack this morning to take part in a pole work lesson.