How long before your first hack

[sammi_j]

not sure if this is the best place maybe should have put under New Riders but anyway:

I started riding Novemeber 2008 and have a 45min private lesson every week when possible, I can walk, trot (sitting or rising) and hault to a reasonable standard I believe not tried canter, gallop or anything though...

So my question is how long do you think it will take me to be able to go out on a hack not alone obviously but with a more experienced rider...

how long was it before you had your first hack?

I enjoy my lessons but just can't wait to reach that day when I can go out with another rider and just go with the flow....

do RS usually do hacks with an RI when your of a good enough standard I never thought to ask them?

[Lot1983]

I used to go for lead rein hacks from the age of about five, was probably about six when I was allowed to hack off the lead rein... that's when my super glue seat was developed!

[No_Angel]

It may be in a couple of weeks for you

[Hammie]

I learnt to ride on hacks! After a couple of times they let me off the lead rein. (Of course this was *many* years ago...).

I'm sure you'd be fine to go out on a hack now, but it really depends on the policy of your riding school - everyone's so risk averse these days!

[xloopylozzax]

Originally Posted by Hammie

I learnt to ride on hacks! After a couple of times they let me off the lead rein. (Of course this was *many* years ago...).

I'm sure you'd be fine to go out on a hack now, but it really depends on the policy of your riding school - everyone's so risk averse these days!

so did i, bet im younger than you though

i learnt to canter in an open field with my mum leading first then she just unclipped up and off we went. cantered on every grass verge and field i could find for a while (who'm i kidding still do )

[Joyscarer]

Originally Posted by xloopylozzax

so did i, bet im younger than you though

cantered on every grass verge and field i could find for a while (who'm i kidding still do )

You sound like me

I learnt to ride on hacks round town.

I did walk and trot on the lead rein and then learnt to canter on a quiet roadside verge off the lead rein because nobody could run fast enough!

There was no school and no enclosed areas.

I wouldn't have my daughter learn to ride a canter like that but my goodness I can stay on most things thanks to that. Joy has been known to go from a lovely gallop to running backwards and I don't shift!

[x-Marmite-x]

A couple of months after i started riding - but i was being led from another horse .

[xloopylozzax]

this is me when i was little (must have been 9/10) hacking our fresh broken (about a year i guess no longer certainly) 6 year old welsh sec D mare out on my own round all the major routes (A63 to mention the worst)

went everywhere and saw everything (and cantered on far too many grass verges where we shouldnt )


the martingale was a safety net for me i think, the pelham because she wore it to show and school in and couldnt be arsed changing her bridle. she was fighting to go in that picture looking at the leg!

she taught (teaches) me so much, and we both have bags of confidence.

love her to pieces

(i was tall for my age, but have levelled out now thankfully) shes only 14.2

[Lolly-lu]

I learnt to ride by hacking out with a friend and her horses. Learnt to walk, trot, canter and had my very first (mini, uphill) gallop today! Ask at you're riding school, most of the time they do group hacks and they will know of your ability as to when your ready. I find riding when out of a school environment is so much easier and enjoyable. Can't wait to get my own horse!

[x-Marmite-x]

I feel very envious of you lot who learnt to ride out hacking!

[Joyscarer]

Originally Posted by x-Marmite-x

I feel very envious of you lot who learnt to ride out hacking!

Trouble with that is that I am now very anxious when riding in enclosed areas and avoid it like the plague

[Lolly-lu]

Yeah, i'm not into riding schools/ having lessons tbh. I think after learning the way i did it makes picking up the correct way to ride more difficult. I much prefer just hacking out. I never seem to learn anything new on lessons and come away feeling crap! Although when i do get mine i will be trying to have a lesson on him/her once a week/ fortnight, but i think (hope) privately owned horses will be a little more enjoyable than riding rs horses.

[palmerlover52]

Probably like 5 years after I started!

I sent the first four years of my riding at an awful school and didn't learn anything excep a fabulous chair seat and how to ride like a dead sheep. Then I changed, and my new school took us out on a hack....hooked from there on!

Ask at your RS...may be one of the best things you ever did

[Bella & Tessa]

Me too!! I learnt all my stuff hacking and schooling!! but more on a hack!! My first canter was a slight uphill grass verge!! more fun than on a lunge rope which I believe some RS do now as all these health and safety procedures have come in force!!! crazy!!

[candypony]

It was probably about 6-8 months after I started riding. However, I seemed to find riding quite easy and picked it up quickly. I cantered on my 3rd lesson!

But most riding schools that I have seen or been to (including the one I learnt at) had a policy that you had to be confident cantering in the school before you could go on a hack

[Clava]

I hacked out as a eight year old (I think), used to take my pony across the village to play with a friend, riding along a road that now makes me a bit nervous (increased traffic over 34 years)

[EmmaArr]

I hacked out on my first time ever on a horse :P Was leadrein though, walking and trotting a wee bit.
I was taught to ride both hacking and schooling, although hacking has always seemed more effective for me

Most RS do hacks as well as lessons




ETA: I started riding when i was about 8