Hacking- where to start?

[PinkGlamourGurl]

I'm itching to hack out. I know this is stupid, I wont even ride in an outdoor arena!

Anyway, when I do feel ready to start hacking J, how do I go about it? Alone with people on foot or with a nice quiet horse? Baring in mind will be difficult for me to find a bombproof horse to go with...

She's never been hacked before so obviously I need to start short and slow.

Thanks

 

[Pink's lady]

I would start in hand, with you leading, forgetting about a rider for a while. She will trust you most and should be happy to follow you out. I would keep leading her out in hand until she seems totally happy, then go ridden with a calm horse she likes.

 

[Palomino Mare]

i would go with what PL has said. i would try and get her to pass tractors etc also and obviously reward her when she does - basically get her used to everything that she may find scary!

Amz x

 

[Jessey]

I just took Jess out last weekend for the first time, I tried with someone on foot before but she didn't take much confidance from it and almost ran her over when she spooked Last week I rode her out with 3 other horses, 2 very quiet and one mostly quiet and Jess was super confident, striding out and even took the lead of the ride I like them to be good in the arena before hacking them out

 

[Teehee]

I started mine out like everyone else has suggested, first we went down the road at hand, so they could check out all the cookie monsters

They were a bit nervous about it all, but coming home they were really calm with the new adventure!!!

So the next time we did it again, but with us on top, we only walked, no trot or canter... and very good too!

The best is to get them to go along where you want, nice and calm at hand, then try riding...

 

[Joyscarer]

I'll go along with all of that.

I got Joy in December 06 and although I had hacked out before at her old yard on farmland (she was a scaredy cat and spooked at practically everything only really being used to the schools) I didn't know how she would be in traffic. She was ok in the car park and with the tractor but that's as much as I could do there as it was on a busy road.

When I moved to the new yard where all hacking is roadwork I took her out in hand first, I allowed some grazing too to settle Joy down and make her think going out. was worth it.

Then out and about minus the grazing as I didn't want her to have an expectation of being able to graze everytime we were out.

Then loads of hacking in company with people who were happy to take things at our pace and be supportive. Joy was perfect although you could tell she would sometime get uptight and tense and she would heavy breathe.

Then after a while I had a go at hacking out solo which didn't work as she didn't want to leave the lane that led from the yard and was downright dangerous in her nappyness so went back to some in hand solo work again to take the pressure off us both.

Then a while later after a particulary good schooling session and knowing Joy was completely chilled I decided to try solo. I didn't plan it but it seemed right. Joy was good so cut it short and headed back to the yard.

From then on kept going out and extending the ride and changing the route. Realised the schooling was going downhill and had to get her back in the school again.

Now totally 100% ok hacking solo and practice lateral work out hacking on quite single track lanes. I hate the confines of our school and the surface sand is so soft that Joy has trouble balancing and I hate it even more so the school is only used for in hand stuff



Incidentally I had some friendly advice from a lady whose breaking and schooling yard is off the private lane our yard is on who saw me having trouble the first time I tried Joy solo and told me I HAD to get her out solo at all costs and ride her through it to make her respect me and look to follow my lead. Not a view I suscribe to!