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Post by nightwish on Apr 25, 2012 20:24:42 GMT
hi all.
what do you do with your horses that dont hack, i dont hack as i dont like it, and dont want to risk my animal getting hurt cus it will be just my luck, any ideas, i ride my 5 year old about 4-5 times a week, what else can i do? other then practise my dressage stuff?
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Post by piaffe on Apr 25, 2012 20:32:17 GMT
Without being disrespectful I think your horse would benifit from the odd hack out. They really enjoy it. If you are sensible there is no reason he/she should get hurt. I hack out and just go for a lovely long stress free walk on the country lanes. Keeps the horse fresh and is relaxing for us both.
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Post by desktop on Apr 25, 2012 20:51:13 GMT
I dont particularly like hacking out either, my mare is very excitable so it makes hacking quite hard work, we have to start our hacks on a busy country lane with a tip just up the road from our yard. However there is nothing better than boxing up and taking your horse somewhere safer to hack out, like the beach or a country park. I agree with Sidni, horses need variety and a change of scenery  |
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Post by xxshowponyxx on Apr 25, 2012 20:58:22 GMT
Im another hacking fan - dont do it for you - do it for your horse, and as desktop suggests, if you dont have great hacking on your doorstep then box up and go to the beach or wherever else you fancy! Variety is the spice of life!
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snowflake
Happy to help....a lot
Posts: 13,399
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Post by snowflake on Apr 25, 2012 21:05:33 GMT
We have to hack! Flooded field. I prefer road hacking but ours is rubbish but we do have a bridleway - ours are pretty wild first time down it, but they love it! My SHP goes for 13 mile hacks each weekend & then there's small areas to school, & then a place to let them have a good stretch for a canter/gallop. Every horse should benefit from hacking, its extremely beneficial for showing & schooling, dressage, XC, SJing - whatever discipline you do! If you don't like hacking but enjoy jumping try maybe a fun ride? Or box up & go somewhere quieter for a hack. Ours love it, does them the world of good. Schooling all the time would do ours head in, they'd soon try napping & hacking helps them learn to go forward. Will also help them go round in a big ring & not be phased!
Try & hack even just for 15/20minutes to start with.
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Post by showingfanatic on Apr 25, 2012 21:09:47 GMT
I used to have a pony that was naughty to hack and consequently, until maybe last year, it was one big stress. Alternatives are schooling in your fields when the grounds okay, we have a couple of smaller stallion paddocks which are really useful to ride/jump in during the summer. Or maybe box up and go the beach or to a farm ride/the gallops.  |
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Post by nightwish on Apr 25, 2012 21:13:56 GMT
Hi all, thanks i might just get my trainer to take her lol, as im quite nervous myself. your right tho shes needs variety |
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ewj
Full Member
Posts: 265
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Post by ewj on Apr 25, 2012 21:20:11 GMT
I was nervous when I first took both my children out for a hack (age 7 & 8 when they first started) - but they both love it! (better than boring trotting in circles!!)
We are very lucky because we live in the middle of no where and the roads are very quiet - I would never take them on a main road.
I do think the ponies enjoy it and it's a nice way to chat to the kids with out the TV/Computer games!!
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Post by helle on Apr 25, 2012 21:38:25 GMT
Without being disrespectful I think your horse would benifit from the odd hack out. They really enjoy it. If you are sensible there is no reason he/she should get hurt. I hack out and just go for a lovely long stress free walk on the country lanes. Keeps the horse fresh and is relaxing for us both. I am sorry, but have to dissagree very stongly with this statement! Our C HATES hacking and in fact when we have taken her out it is a constant battle to stop her from running home, regardless of wether we take her in company or not. It is a very stressfull experience for the rider and the pony, and having her running backwards down the busy country lanes is not relaxing. So not ALL horse enjoy it, let alone benefit from it! In fact our PB is very much the same opinion as his stable mate......... |
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Post by FF on Apr 25, 2012 21:39:53 GMT
We are so lucky were we are, loads of hacking on the road or off it. Lots of bridleways which the horses love and it's a nice change from schooling. They need to have a good run. I hack one day school the next, my horses would school very well if I didn't hack them. My friends horse doesn't hack alone she says but she's broken her leg so i've been hacking him out, Alone. He's a bit jumpy to start but I take no nonsense and we've been out a few times now no problems and he's starting to enjoy it.
I think it would be a good idea to ask your instructor to ride him out because if your worried he will be too.
What about some farm rides, beach or even a horsey holiday.
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Post by thecremellosociety on Apr 25, 2012 21:55:45 GMT
i hate road work, as a non driver i worry, but i do box up and get towed to nearby country parks and enjoy off road or minimal road hacking, its some of the numpties that have no respect for riders or any horse sense and with a young horse find it stressful, Also the nupty riders that are unpolite, not sensible and dont wear flouresents are as bad, you get all horse folk a bad name. You dont have to wave a polite nod is enough to say thank you x
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Post by GinaGeo on Apr 25, 2012 22:04:57 GMT
I love hacking, far prefer it to schooling and so do my boys. Unfortunatly, I have very limited hacking at home, straight onto a busy road and my boy's not the safest in traffic, the other's only a baby. So we trailer up to hack, try to go about twice a week. We tend to go to local forestry commision land which is a blast. We're also lucky to have access to an all weather exercise track which I'm very grateful for. I use it for most of my schooling and fittening work.
Mine school, in a school, a maximum of twice a week. One a lesson and one either jumping or schooling.
I went through a schooling only phase. Me and my horse were hit by a car when hacking on the road and it seriously shook me up. Think shaking, feeling physically sick at the site of a car when on horse back. Horse was bored out of his brain and was making things up to occupy himself which just resulted in us argueing. His schooling was gong rapidly backwards and we werent getting on at all. It wasn't being out of a school as I was fine in fields and X-countrying, just roads.
Luckily last year a friend very kindly started taking us both out in her trailer off road hacking and this year mum has a horse she can ride she's taking us both out now. We're both a lot happier for it!
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Post by watchbank on Apr 26, 2012 15:14:58 GMT
I like it but only so much, one of my mares is a bit spooky on her own and gets quite nervous without company, my other quite likes it alone or in company but they do benefit from it, they get so bored seeing same thing all the time
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Post by beachbum12 on Apr 26, 2012 15:50:44 GMT
I have to say I hate hate hate hacking on the roads however quiet they may be .. for that reason I purposely chose a yard with off road hacking , we are lucky my bridleway starts about 15 yards from the back of my stable block...I have been on yards for years with off road hacks and havent hacked on a road for a while now it just scares me how disrespectful some drivers can be and how fast they go . But hacking out on safe bridleways its my favorite thing , we do shows now and again but mainly jumping , but its fair to say we are mostlyhappy hackers these days and the horses and ponies love it , I am also able to safelylead from another my old mare who loves a little jaunt out now and again she is retired now from riding , and on the back bridleway I can sometimes let her just follow loose if no one else is out hacking at the time as she cant get out of there only back to her stable block .Its all closed off to roads etc
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Post by piaffe on Apr 26, 2012 15:54:14 GMT
helle,sorry, it was just a general comment. I understand that all horses are different and there is always an exception to the rule.
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Post by rubydoo on Apr 26, 2012 17:45:33 GMT
we come out on to a busy main road and my boys not keen on the speed of the traffic , but its just something that has to be done , im not a huge fan of road work but i love bridleways.
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Post by FF on Apr 26, 2012 20:20:39 GMT
I think that hacking is something that needs to be done from a young age. Too many people concentrate on backing them and schooling them and then when it comes to hacking the horse is terrified because they've never done it before. I walked my youngster out before backing her then when I did finally get on her I took her out for a hack the next day no problem. I walk my 10 month old foal down the road to her field on her own. She could have a field at the yard but I wanted her by the road so she sees and hears traffic. She doesn't bat an eye lid. |
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Post by Kaseyleigh on Apr 27, 2012 9:40:24 GMT
Hacking is the way forward to a better schooled horse a couple of years back i was on a yard where a man schooled his horses everyday and i just hacked mine as he was only four so i didnt want to make him sick it was very rare that we went in the school i would find a nice field and school on there we all went to a one day event and when it came to the dressage i got a bigger percentage with my pony that had been hacked than the horses that had been hammered in the school.
I very rarely school mine as i find they preform much better i hate when you see youngsters hammered in the school and then people wonder why the go rotten and start miss behaving
Dont shelter your horse from whats out the because one day you will be out or have to hack out or go on roads and she going to be dangerous and your going to end up with problems being out in open spaces rather do it now than when she older and it harder to get her out of it.
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Post by jo1992 on Apr 27, 2012 14:07:21 GMT
I totally agree dubhshee!
Ive got 3 who are all hacked at least 5 times a week. We have fab hacking, and can ride out for hours but unfortunatly a small school that we can only use in winter so i have to school out hacking. To be honest don't know who enjoys hacking more me or the horses ;D
I really think they come on more when they are hacked because they enjoy it. I backed my youngster last year who was very quiet, but responsive, at first. All we have done since last May is hack hack hack and he is the most fun forward going ride you could ever imagine now!!!
Just my opinion but I think hacking is best ;D
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Post by Kaseyleigh on Apr 27, 2012 16:21:56 GMT
Jo1992 I think your horse to bonds better with you and want to work for you than rather u forcing them to work my bsja horse rarely seen as school and is jumping hoys new comers now because I didn't sicken him with it
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Post by nightwish on Apr 27, 2012 20:48:30 GMT
Dont shelter your horse from whats out the because one day you will be out or have to hack out or go on roads and she going to be dangerous and your going to end up with problems being out in open spaces rather do it now than when she older and it harder to get her out of it. i dont have to go on the roads, and my horse isnt dangerous, shes quite sensible for her age shes only 5 this year, im gonna get my trainer to take her out. and see what happens cus i hate roads full stop, and i dont just go and hammer her in the school, she loves it, vary it so shes having a good time and not boring her going round all the time. |
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Post by nici on Apr 28, 2012 9:05:16 GMT
I do wish we could hack from our yard, especially in these conditions when our fields are too wet to ride in. However we are on a very busy main road. We did try going out with the ponies once, but even visible from space with our hi-viz there were still idiots in cars and vans shooting past us. Ponies were fine but the kids were terrified  We do love to take the ponies out to our local Forestry Commission land, or further afield on farm rides or beach rides. The kids and ponies really enjoy getting out somewhere different - and safe! It's just our road we hate. |
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Post by iluvmyponies on Apr 28, 2012 9:37:04 GMT
I have 2 very tempermental mares who hate hacking, one runs backwards & the other spins round & jumps onto the road! & we have no off road hacking so we have no choice but to not hack out. We also have no school to ride in atm so if the ground is like it is now, we can't do anything. But when it is ok to ride on, we just have to ride in different fields & in different parts so they don't start to anticipate anything.
If you have safe roads/off road hacking I would definitley get your mare out.
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Post by carrie17491 on Apr 28, 2012 11:46:39 GMT
I backed my 3 year old and attempted to start her in the school to get her balanced before anything. She had no idea on what I wanted, she didn't repond to my leg aids or anything.
So I hacked her out, she was perfect. She hates being schooled and so do I, it's boring for them in my eyes. I would rather school whilst on a hack and not go round and round in circles boring them to death. Hacking is the best thing in my eyes, it's relaxing and far more enjoyable than being in a school with nothing to look at!!
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Post by nightwish on Apr 28, 2012 16:56:57 GMT
i do agree that hacking is good but it scares the life out of me, so think its best to put my trainer on her and see from there, as her horses are perfect at hacking so hopefully she will get mine like that and maybe ill have a go lol xx |
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Post by chunkymad on Apr 28, 2012 17:20:39 GMT
I don't particularly enjoy hacking unless it's on bridleways but I do go out every now and again as I realise the importance of hacking |
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Post by clair0611 on Apr 28, 2012 17:41:11 GMT
How about taking your horse out hacking but in-hand instead? I am right by Heathrow airport and have to contend with 18tonne trucks, motorbikes at speed and planes overhead!! I always take mine out in-hand a few times a month at the moment as they are both learning and new to heavy traffic, I take them for an hour just on the road as it feels much safer and they seem happier having someone on the ground and it gives me a nice walk too :0) Just another option instead of riding. I always use a bridle and take a schooling whip in case we have to confront any road works which is quite frequent or skips!! It's very good for them to learn to trust their handler and I find it very rewarding  ) |
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Post by piaffe on Apr 28, 2012 18:43:48 GMT
I agree the problem with hacking in high traffic areas is the total lack of respect from practically all traffic. I myself had a very nasty experience while walking my 2 year old out on the road, when a stupid woman who was on her mobile nearly ran in to the back of him and also just missed my daughter who was walking near his quarters. Then swerved into on coming traffic to avoid us and nearly took them out too. I can say the air was blue and she didnt even have the manners to say sorry for scaring all 3 of us witless !!
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Post by nightwish on Apr 28, 2012 19:31:02 GMT
good idea walking in hand i might try it, as she is well behaved she isnt rude or bargy thanks everyone |
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snowflake
Happy to help....a lot
Posts: 13,399
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Post by snowflake on Apr 28, 2012 20:14:02 GMT
I have 2 very tempermental mares who hate hacking, one runs backwards & the other spins round & jumps onto the road! & we have no off road hacking so we have no choice but to not hack out. We also have no school to ride in atm so if the ground is like it is now, we can't do anything. But when it is ok to ride on, we just have to ride in different fields & in different parts so they don't start to anticipate anything. If you have safe roads/off road hacking I would definitley get your mare out. Our old Mare did this at first too - didn't get the concept you kept going forward. She whipped round, was a general nutcase out hacking. We told someone who came to ride her 'She hates hacking' - this woman being a rider of racers for a local race stud, said, let me have a go. She took her on longer hacks as a suppose to 15min ones, & did things to keep her interested, took other horses with her, led her up the road some times, some times rode her, etc. Took a while (over a month, being hacked several times a week) but eventually she got better & better. It taught her a lot & it helped her go forward, etc & looking back in the end she far more enjoyed hacking. Just do keep trying! I 100% agree some just do not hack - but if they haven't previously been taught to hack properly then thats the reason they don't want to hack out. |
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