Would you pay a lot for a happy hacker

Penny Less

Penny Less

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I am pondering another horse, need a fairly bombproof type, just for hacking. i have seen several dressage horses which sound suitable, but are of course expensive. Would you pay for a type like this just for hacking if it otherwise seemed what you wanted. Must admit that 2 cobs I have had have been quite spooky and a not altogether suitable, but two warmblood types have been excellent. although these were v cheap as they were oldies.
 
Interesting question.

My mare was bought for me to show jump - we didnt pay that much for her but within a year we were offered , but after 4 years competing we had a bad fall and I decided to give up jumping - so essentially now she is an expensive happy hacker! Mum and I were discussing this the other day and the fact is, if I were looking for a horse now I would still buy an Ellie-type - it doesnt matter that she has far more scope than I could ever want, or that she could still have a great competition future. The fact is she is wonderful to hack (and she loves it too, which helps!) and is everything I could ever want in a horse - I certainly wouldnt NOT buy something because I felt it should be doing more, if that makes sense?

So yes, if you find a nice warmblood that will do the job and you can afford it, who cares if you dont want to jump it or do dressage?
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The "right" horse for you is something very unique and special. How much you spend is based very much on what sort of riding you're doing. i.e. how often do you intend to hack; and also more importantly WHERE do you intend to hack? If you're in the blessed situation of having loads of open country around you where you never ever see a motor vehicle, your choice of horse can be a tad more adventurous, however, if you're like me and have to hack along a rat-run before you can get anywhere, you need summat bombproof. Although when I was out the other day on a bridle path, I met four blinking yobs on trials bikes. Bloody nightmare! But thankfully horse was fine. But you can't put a price on safety can you. If you're hacking on busy roads, you need something sensible and bombproof, not some skitty thing that's gonna put you under a lorry or whatever and you just can't put a price on that.

I personally would pay a good price for a good horse. Happy hacking is mainly what I do as I don't compete or do anything much apart from the occasional pleasure ride/hunt sometimes, so bearing in mind my own safety I am quite prepared to give a good price for something that will suit me - however there are a lot of horses out there advertised as bombproof which will jump over the hedge at nothing so you have to so careful.
 
The important bits--soundness, temperament, comfortable to ride, does not boil in company, not nappy on its own, good in traffic and actually these are qualities worth paying for. An endurance horse looking for quieter life might suit or one not up to riders aspirations.
Bloodlines count for nothing its ability to do the job you want that matters.
If you pay peanuts ............................
 
If that is the horse you like and feel most secure on it doesn't really matter that it is 'meant to be doing dressage.' If the horse likes hacking I'm sure it doesn't lose any sleep for the fact that it could be out competing and winning.
 
I think a safe hack is worth their weight in gold.

I have an ID x Cob, coloured, 7 years, 16.2hh and he is a fabulous safe hack. He is brilliant on the ground and is suitable for a confident novice. Lives out 24/7/365 and, touch wood, has never been ill or lame. Good doer. He has not got a bad bone in his body, does not bite, kick, rear and is a joy to own. He has been hacked on country roads with a fair amount of traffic, encountering large lorries, tractors, motor bikes, bicycles and so on. I am able to ride him on his own and in company and we love nothing more than going out by ourselves and exploring the surround forest, lanes and bridleways. To buy one like him I would expect to pay between £4500 and £4995 and if I got what he is would think I had done very well for myself.
 
The other thing is, although the two warmblood types were the best ride, they both had foot problems, one with navicular the other with ringbone ! The two cobs had behavioural problems but were sound ! Would have vetted, but some things not picked up I know. Perhaps I should hang fire for a bit, may be panicking a bit as got nothing to ride, also horses probably cheaper in winter. Have tried to get something on loan but no luck at all. Am a bit of an impulse buyer, If I see something that looks OK I go for it, but not always the best policy! I suppose there is always another horse.
 
^^^^^Echo that.

I ended up paying more for my boy than I felt he was really worth as he was very green but he ticked all the boxes, I clicked with him and 1 year on I wouldn't swap him for the world.
 
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If that is the horse you like and feel most secure on it doesn't really matter that it is 'meant to be doing dressage.' If the horse likes hacking I'm sure it doesn't lose any sleep for the fact that it could be out competing and winning.

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Absolutely agree. If you can afford a nice horse to hack on and the horse is likely to be happy and content with the life you are offering, then it's doesn't matter about the breed etc.
 
The irony i often found was the loony, hot blooded, talented but would kill you as soon as you looked at them types were really cheap (comparatively)yet the steady non world beating, happy hacker types were expensive.
hubby upped my budget in the end to get me hovis and i'm glad he did. If you find someting that ticks the boxes for you i'd pay whatever i needed to.
 
if you can afford it and feel happy with the horse, i don't really think it matters how much you pay for it.

i got my older eventer very cheaply compared to the market and paid a lot for one of mine as a foal and everyone thought i was mad but he was/is just what i wanted so i was happy to pay the price.

imo, if you have the money, i don't think you can put a price on safety and enjoyment of your horse
 
What you want is a nice plodding trecking type that will go out by itself or first or last and be totally bombproof/spookproof in the heviest of traffic or quietest of country lanes.


I would not go near a dresage horse as their joints are probably well on the way to being destroyed and in any event they won't stand up to hacking long term.

Forget the warmbloods/tb's as well as they won't stand up to it long term.

What you need to find is a nice native type/cob/gypsy which has the temprement to happily hack in all situations and go first or last.

I would tend to put the word around and also put some notices up in the local tack shops/feed merchants and have a word with local farriers/vets and instructors. That way something will come appear that will probably prove ideal for your purposes. Be prepared to wait some time till the right one appears!
 
I'd pay more for a happy hacker than pretty much anything else quite honesty. So many things come into play when you are out and about that a horse who is good hacking is worth his or her weight in gold.
 
I am with Archiesmummy regarding price. I too would expect to pay up to 5 grand for something rock solid on the roads, would hack alone or in company, go first or last and be good to handle.

I love my girl to bits, but she doesn't like farm machinery, and is the first horse I have ever owned that isn't traffic proof. This means that at certain times of the year I have to be careful when and where I ride as I keep her in a highly active farming area, and although I always have to do some roadwork to get onto the local bridlepaths, I never venture out for a "proper" road ride apart from Sundays.

If I were in your position I would not discount the oldies either as long as they passed a vetting. If they have had a dressage career and their joints are still ok, they're only at as much risk as anything else of having problems later on.
 
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What you want is a nice plodding trecking type that will go out by itself or first or last and be totally bombproof/spookproof in the heviest of traffic or quietest of country lanes.


I would not go near a dresage horse as their joints are probably well on the way to being destroyed and in any event they won't stand up to hacking long term.

Forget the warmbloods/tb's as well as they won't stand up to it long term.

What you need to find is a nice native type/cob/gypsy which has the temprement to happily hack in all situations and go first or last.



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I dont like to jump on anybody but I think that's a load of tosh - I know plenty of warmblood/TB types who have done nothing but hack and have never had a day's lameness - how on earth can you pigeonhole a particular breed or type and say it will 'never stand up to it in the long term'???
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I agree that the temperament has to be right, but to say that the only type of horse who can be a good hacker is a cob or a native is very, very narrow minded. I know some very pig headed, stubborn and totally un-bombproof cobs; likewise I know some very dopey, unshockable TBs! Horses for courses!

And your comments about dressage horses.....well
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I have no affinity to the dressage world - nor, if I am honest, to any particular discipline - but again, that comment has just astounded me
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OWLIE185 - Sorry, I agree with _MizElz_

Yes, a cob/native type tends to be the "norm" for hacking types purely because IMO they can be cheaper to look after etc. Any other breed can hack, as can a dressage horse.

Personally though I wouldnt buy a dressage horse for hacking just because you're paying too much. There are perfectly good "bargain" hacking horses out there, you just have to search
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I would never pay more than £2k for a purely hacking horse... but then again I dont hack
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lol.
 
OWLIE185 - Sorry, I agree with _MizElz_

Yes, a cob/native type tends to be the "norm" for hacking types purely because IMO they can be cheaper to look after etc. Any other breed can hack, as can a dressage horse.

Personally though I wouldnt buy a dressage horse for hacking just because you're paying too much. There are perfectly good "bargain" hacking horses out there, you just have to search
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Actually, you may be right about dressage horses joints, my lad was retired from dressage because of navicular and also has arthritis in his hock. I know you cant generalise and a horse that has always been hacked about and crashed about could have same problem. I suppose its a bit like dogs, the crossbreeds tend to be hardier than the pedigrees. ALso, when I take into consideration vetting and a saddle I would be getting up to £5000 which is a lot for a horse to ride two or three times a week. I think I need to go and sit in a dark room for a while and think !!
 
I fully agree with Hovis Mum.Pay what you need to. Your health, safety and pleasure after all. I paid nearly £5000 for a welsh cob. Somesaid he was overpriced but so far his temperament has been to die for.
 
If the horse is safe, you feel confident on it and it does what you want then go for it, regardless of type etc. Safe hacking horses seem to be worth up to £5000 these days.
 
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