Does anyone else hack to shows?

mad mare1 · #1 4th Mar 2006, 04:35 PM

I hack to shows, with a friend, and I found that if I say this to anyone, I get really funny looks, as though they are thinking that I am deliberately being cruel!! My mare is 20, and still sound and fit, it only takes 1hr and 15mins to get to the showground, at a walk, and I have found that Crystal is more relaxed and a lot calmer than if she arrived in a trailer. Added to this, she refuses to travel in a double trailer, and it is expensive to hire trailers, so I hack to shows. I did with my first pony, I was just wondering if anyone else does, or do you all have trailers and boxes???

stephanie bay · #2 4th Mar 2006, 04:45 PM

I don't now as I have a trailer, but when I was young and poor - If I couldn't hitch a lift and event was not to far then I would hack along to it.

I have hacked to xc in the past also - got a friend to follow in the car with all our bits and bobs.

as long as you horse is fit enough and you give yourself plenty time then why not.

Daffy Dilly · #3 4th Mar 2006, 04:53 PM

I normally hack to shows. Will hack for up to 1hr30mins, but then it limits what I get to do at the actual show, as obviously have to hack home!

This year I'll only be hacking to the one up the road, will be trailering to the rest I hope, and then it's just a fun show with novelty classes and a gymkana

Kanuma · #4 4th Mar 2006, 04:54 PM

only ever hack to shows if they are within 20 mins ride from me. the rest i box to. we have a trailer at the moment but soon to be a box. Rian gets hacked everywhere now since the last trailer we put him in he went out the jockey door. he may be moveing to summer grazeing this year which will require at least 6 hours!
however i hate hacking to shows as you cant take all your stuff and you dont have anywhere to tie horsey, so i usualy get mum to follow in the car with all the stuff then find a friend on the field who i can tie up with!

Daffy Dilly · #5 4th Mar 2006, 05:14 PM

I can't tie Daffy up anyway, have to either put him back in the trailer or keep him moving. He gets bored, and then he starts dragging me around. I always had Mum in the car with all my junk, except at one show last year, where I was only doing two riddens one after the other. Got ready on the yard, rode the 15 mins to the show, entered and did everything by myself, and still won both. Was gutted that they missed it, but nevermind.

I think if I actually could tow myself/drive a box and had one I'd box a lot more. Unfortunately only recently got the towbar fitted, and before then my instructor wasn't always free to tow.

They used to hack to competitions before boxes/trailers anyway, so I don't see why we shouldn't now. It just means you have to have a fitter horse, which I don't suppose is a bad thing.

jowyles · #6 4th Mar 2006, 05:19 PM

I hack because i have to, i hate doing it and means i cant do very well at shows but it does make dexter behave better at the showground but now its just too much effort to get him there!

Kanuma · #7 4th Mar 2006, 05:22 PM

cant tie pride up as he snaps the rope then goes walkies, but stan and harvey will stand tied to the back of the trailer all day.

except for one show the nearest shows are 45 mins in the trailer so far too far to hack.
i normaly take 2 to shows anyway so need somewhere to tie one to whilst getting the other ready

time2groom · #8 4th Mar 2006, 05:42 PM

My local showground is a twenty minute/walk trot hack from my yard. I don't have a trailer, so I drive over two hours before my class and pick up my number and class time-table. Then, I aim to leave the yard 40mns before I'm due in the ring. I warm up on the way over, then do 15 minutes in the collecting ring/practice jumps. I love it!

mad mare1 · #9 4th Mar 2006, 05:44 PM

I have my hubby take the stuff in his trailer for his push bike, and he meets me at the showground, but Crystal enjoys hacking to shows, and it gives us both time to warm up, and relax. I know she is 20 years old, but she is fit, sound and extremely happy, so it just gives her the chance to stretch her legs before we get to the show, and she is so much calmer. I'm only doing 2 classes this year anyway, ridden veteran, and ridden arab, so I don't have to be on the showground before lunchtime!

Daffy Dilly · #10 4th Mar 2006, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad mare1

I'm only doing 2 classes this year anyway, ridden veteran, and ridden arab, so I don't have to be on the showground before lunchtime!

Alright for some!

I don't like hacking if I'm planning on doing a T&T class, which is always the first class of the day anyway. It just means he's filthy before we get there, and sometimes sweaty as he gets really hot in summer.

I know a horse that is definately county standard, but she will not go in a box or trailer, no matter what has been tried. So she's just hacked to the local shows and competed there. It must be really disappointing to not even have the option to try anything bigger

Horsesarelife · #11 4th Mar 2006, 06:44 PM

We always box to shows, either in our trailer or y/o's box if shes going to the same show with a space free. My mare is a really good traveler though, and will stad quitely on the box untill your ready for her

mad mare1 · #12 5th Mar 2006, 09:40 AM

I can do bigger shows, Hubby doesn't mind paying to hire a trailer for that, so I can do those, but I just think that hiring a trailer for a short journey up the road is a total waste of money, so I don't do it!!!!

Kanuma · #13 5th Mar 2006, 09:41 AM

oh how i love haveing my own transport!!

Ross · #14 5th Mar 2006, 10:50 AM

I used to hack to shows and RC rallies all the time - no choice really, as I didn't have transport available

Rohan was very fit at the time anyway - I was out of work so he was doing 3 hour hacks regularly, so it just wasn't a problem...

Once I'd got my own transport, I didn't hack to things unless they were very close

Ross

atillathefun · #15 6th Mar 2006, 03:18 PM

I read somewhere that travelling a horse is like a human trying to stand up travelling (not sure how true that is as they have 4 legs to balance on) but its still not really natural for them so I dont think you would find theres much difference in the work they do hacking or balancing!

sidesaddlelady1 · #16 7th Mar 2006, 06:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mad mare1

I hack to shows, with a friend, and I found that if I say this to anyone, I get really funny looks, as though they are thinking that I am deliberately being cruel!! My mare is 20, and still sound and fit, it only takes 1hr and 15mins to get to the showground, at a walk, and I have found that Crystal is more relaxed and a lot calmer than if she arrived in a trailer. Added to this, she refuses to travel in a double trailer, and it is expensive to hire trailers, so I hack to shows. I did with my first pony, I was just wondering if anyone else does, or do you all have trailers and boxes???

Lots of people round here hack to local shows. Apart from anything else you avoid all that queueing to park. No doubt someone will contradict me though.

Kanuma · #17 7th Mar 2006, 07:02 PM

nope no contradictions here, but we only have one local show, all the rest are 45mins to an hour minimum in the trailer so way out of the range of hacking. incidently ive never had to queue to park at a local show

Cochise · #18 7th Mar 2006, 07:10 PM

Aw the only place I could safely hack to is Windsor Pony Club, but they're closing down because of all the housing go up around there! The roads are becoming too busy now too.

Plus the city is undergoing a huge suburban sprawl in recent years, so most of the venues around here are miles and miles away. The place where I compete mostly, is the South Island Equestrian Centre (like all my competition photos are there) is a 20 minute drive. I remember being stranded there one year, everyone was too busy to pick us up, there were no floats etc, in the pouring down torrential rain-the show had been postponed, so I locked my car up, saddled him up and began riding home! We were met about 6 kms down the road by my friend in their float who had come out to pick us up!

LouHarvey · #19 8th Mar 2006, 01:54 PM

I always trailer to shows, makes life so much easier. I'd hate not to have somewhere to dump horsie between classes. Plus where do you put all your stuff?

Daffy Dilly · #20 8th Mar 2006, 04:04 PM

In the boot?

I'm having to cut down what I take this year, it's getting a bit excessive! Almost two completely different kits for ridden and inhand, plus brushes, water, food, rugs.