2025 Hacking and Inhand Thread

[newforest]

To keep myself motivated.

 

[Doodle92]

Robin will hopefully get his special
Shoes on tomorrow and so Inhand walking will start. Twice a day for 5mins for 2 weeks.

 

[Trewsers]

What a good idea for a thread. Once the snow and wind is gone I'm hoping to set a few things up in the school and do some in hand as well as on board pootling with Fuzzy

 

[newforest]

First hack of the year. She's not been ridden for a month.
I hope to get her out most days, ridden or not from a fitness point of view.

 

[GaryB]

I was lucky (with the recent weather) to get a decent start to 2025. On New Year's Day Harvey and I managed a nice 5 mile hack - We'd have gone a bit further but I was getting cold. The roads were frozen on Friday but the school was ok so we had a quick play. Saturday brought a hard frost so even the school was frozen and then Sunday brought snow

I've never liked snow, but now I have a horse I like it even less!

Hacking
1 hour 20
5 miles

Schooling
20 minutes

 

[Trewsers]

I was lucky (with the recent weather) to get a decent start to 2025. On New Year's Day Harvey and I managed a nice 5 mile hack - We'd have gone a bit further but I was getting cold. The roads were frozen on Friday but the school was ok so we had a quick play. Saturday brought a hard frost so even the school was frozen and then Sunday brought snow

I've never liked snow, but now I have a horse I like it even less!

Hacking
1 hour 20
5 miles

Schooling
20 minutes

Oooh that looks so cold and bleak. I'm glad ours has gone, we just have a weeny bit of frost and ice left.

 

[Trewsers]

I had another lovely little potter about in the school. The path leading to it is very boggy though. We've never had so much rain as this winter. Fuz picked her way carefully and now I know why. When I'd turned her back out, I had a walk myself on foot and it almost sucked my boots off it's that bad. Come on spring and dry weather.......................

 

[newforest]

Managed to get her out inhand today. I have changed to the Old Trails and they are so much easier to put on. The new ones don't stay opened up as you can see in the photos. Old ones easier to keep clean as well.
Brief trot up the hill again.

 

[newforest]

Got the cob out inhand. She's come into season so we just did a short route. Lots of things for her to look at though, other horses, horse box. Traffic.

I think this is going to turn into a Just do what you can Jan.

 

[Trewsers]

Got the cob out inhand. She's come into season so we just did a short route. Lots of things for her to look at though, other horses, horse box. Traffic.

I think this is going to turn into a Just do what you can Jan.

Yes just do what you can Jan - like that!

 

[newforest]

Popped out again, all ready to go bit further but the lane was closed due to gas leak.
That's fine as it's a leg stretch for her.
I trimmed her feathers so they don't stick to the velcro and put her back in the New Trails. They are awkward by comparison, but I will get used to them again.

 

[Trewsers]

Well turns out "do what you can Jan" is going great for me so far! Hehehe. I had another lovely little potter about today and instead of hopping off when we'd finished in the sandschool I rode her back (big thing for me at this point those who know me will know I am not the most confident). Anyway she was brilliant as always and was happy to trundle back up the yard with me on her, through the mud and stood patiently waiting for her gingernut biscuit. She earned it, she's so good for me.

 

[GaryB]

Its definitely do what you can Jan
Thursday was very cold everything frozen solid and slippy and the horses kept in as it was just too dangerous. The school was just about usable so I went for a walk and trot, but Harvey was just too excitable so I had to give up. On Friday and Saturday the temperature didn't even get above freezing so no riding. It had started to thaw on Sunday so I did manage a walk and trot in the school.

2 hours of hand grazing to make up for no turn out

Schooling
30 minutes

Hacking
1 hour 20
5 miles

Schooling
50 minutes

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Another grand day out yesterday. Again, Sid was a slow poke along the lane to the Heath, but the moment he set hoof to sand he was raring to go and we cantered and even had another gallop all over the shop. I felt stronger than last week, and managed without the grab strap even though he got a teeny bit strong on one of the straights!

I expect Sid's gallop is about as fast as a Thoroughbred's trot, but to lame me it feels like flying.

 

[Trewsers]

Its definitely do what you can Jan
Thursday was very cold everything frozen solid and slippy and the horses kept in as it was just too dangerous. The school was just about usable so I went for a walk and trot, but Harvey was just too excitable so I had to give up. On Friday and Saturday the temperature didn't even get above freezing so no riding. It had started to thaw on Sunday so I did manage a walk and trot in the school.

2 hours of hand grazing to make up for no turn out

Schooling
30 minutes

Hacking
1 hour 20
5 miles

Schooling
50 minutes

That's kind of you in hand grazing him. I know how hard it can be. I used to in hand graze Storm every morning before breakfast for an hour - and it felt like four! Lol. She has small paddocks now, but I won't forget how difficult it can be. Harvey is luck to have you do that for him.

 

[Doodle92]

Yay, we upped to 10mins today. He was so happy but slightly disappointed when we turned to come back. Definitely marching faster on the way out than on the way back (no bad thing for me as the bill back up is steep!!)

He then had to go and tell buddy what he had just done during their daily groom session, followed by a quick snack then a nap!

Best boy. Excuse the poo stained neck, he also puts 100% into sleeping overnight

 

[newforest]

Popped her out and actually did the usual route. It was flipping cold!!!

I must make sure I put her boots on by the gate so I can have her fairly flat to see what I am doing.

 

[Trewsers]

Another one for Do What you Can Jan! Gorgeous day and a lovely potter in the school (fields are soggy and boggy still). She definitely understands the word home. Say it and as if by magic we go back and park up at the back door You can see even the school surface has taken a beating this winter. Frost and ice. But still the weeds come! It has lots of drains and never floods though which is fab when the fields are so awful.

 

[newforest]

I have daffodils that are growing all the greenery already. They are in a sheltered spot and they don't get eaten or trod on.

 

[Trewsers]

Another short potter about today. The sun was really bright and the cats were lurking but she didn't mind - Zi hates the school when the sun is blinding and low, but Fuzzy didn't seem so bothered. She does tickle me though, she knows when we are going back up the yard and suddenly develops a really jaunty active walk Its been so nice though to just pootle around, especially with it being January which is normally one of my worst months for not getting on board. And it's so calm here, someone must have switched our weather around. Or the weather gods have all been asleep since Christmas...............................