Would you hack your horse to his new livery yard?

I did it when my mare was 22 and it was about 6 miles because in order to stay safe, it wasn't the most direct route. I didn't have any choice as my horse wouldn't load, end-of. She clearly liked being able to stay out 24/7 but spent many of first days gazing down the road in the direction of "home" where she had been for 9 years. I'm quite sure if I had let her out, she would have found her way back there again.
 
windand rain said:
No never I only did it once and my horse paid with his life He jumped out of his new home over a 6ft fence and ran back to the old one and was killed by a car the car driver was killed too I even used the lorry to move fields after that and would never ever hack a horse to a new home again
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windand rain, I'm so sorry to hear about your horse, but I really don't feel that hacking there had anything to do with that. Moving to a new place is the same for a horse no matter how you get there so we take measures to be sure that our horses are as settled as possible.
 
Gah pressed enter too soon!

What happened to your boy was a horrible, horrible accident, but an accident is what it was. Realistically, there was nothing you could have done.
 
I hacked to a new yard on Saturday, horse was absolutely fine! Just untacked, rugged up and put straight in with her new field buddies. No fuss no drama. I know every horse is different but I do think you are over thinking it.
 
We hacked a horse that we bought home, she settled as soon as she realised that we had grass. We led another mare from one yard to another - about 4 miles. We had only had her weeks, she was very nappy and difficult but easier to lead than ride. It took 3 of us and we seriously considered abandoning her in one of the fields that we passed! About halfway, she settled down and led very sensibly along a bridleway, then across a busy road and she was never as badly behaved again (although never easy). She was rather pleased to find that an Anglo-Arab stallion was resident at her new home.
 
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