2020 Hacking & Riding Thread

[Huggy]

I love reading about your hacks with Hogan, something always happens! You two do so well, I'm envious of your confidence and the fact you keep on!!!

Thank you - that's nice of you. I had a lot to prove to a lot of people when I got Hogan, they thought I was nuts, because he'd not been ridden for 2 years, before that in a riding school for 2 years and before that- well who knows? I think he just needed one to one, and my, ahem, "lax" attitude suited him. I love how he's turning out (slowly) into a rather sweet little lad. I'm not brave though - if I was he'd have come a lot farther in a lot less time! 2 years and still trotting lol!

 

[Trewsers]

It all sounds good. I agree with the routine thing - there's a happy medium I think - not being a slave to it, but having a relaxed routine never hurts. Spot on too, with the leading - certainly worked with Hogan. It's all softly softly catchee monkey, isn't it?!

Yes, I'm not in a hurry but I feel better knowing we're working towards something - glad it worked with Hogan leading too.

 

[chunky monkey]

I'm not brave though - if I was he'd have come a lot farther in a lot less time! 2 years and still trotting lol!

Will you stop putting yourself down @Huggy. Your doing just fine. We dont care if its all at walk. If your happy and enjoying getting out there thats what counts.

 

[GaryB]

Will you stop putting yourself down @Huggy. Your doing just fine. We dont care if its all at walk. If your happy and enjoying getting out there thats what counts.

This ^^^^ in spades. The whole point of it all is to have fun - if you are having fun you are successful!

 

[GaryB]

Such a hot weekend! I rode as early as my lazy self would allow and on Saturday we just had a nice quiet hack round in walk. On Sunday we did the same but I borrowed the yard veteran so our weekend groom could come too.

I'd booked Monday off to go for a long hack but it was just too hot so instead I arrived early and had a little jumping practice. I had 2 jumps at 95 and a widish spread at 90cm. Harvey went really well and I was very pleased with him.

Warm up (as if I needed to be any warmer!)

Plank at 95

Vertical at 95

Spread at 90

Hacking
2 hours 15
8.1 miles

Schooling
25 minutes

Totals
Schooling
22 hours 30

Hacking
47 hours 45
169.1 miles

 

[Huggy]

Such a hot weekend! I rode as early as my lazy self would allow and on Saturday we just had a nice quiet hack round in walk. On Sunday we did the same but I borrowed the yard veteran so our weekend groom could come too.

I'd booked Monday off to go for a long hack but it was just too hot so instead I arrived early and had a little jumping practice. I had 2 jumps at 95 and a widish spread at 90cm. Harvey went really well and I was very pleased with him.

Warm up (as if I needed to be any warmer!)

Plank at 95

Vertical at 95

Spread at 90

Hacking
2 hours 15
8.1 miles

Schooling
25 minutes

Totals
Schooling
22 hours 30

Hacking
47 hours 45
169.1 miles

Could'nt help but smile at photo "spread at 90" - I almost read it as "spread at 90 - mph" ?. Super pics - he loves his job.

 

[GaryB]

Could'nt help but smile at photo "spread at 90" - I almost read it as "spread at 90 - mph" ?. Super pics - he loves his job.

Thats definitely how it used to be - with me hanging on tight!

 

[Huggy]

Thats definitely how it used to be - with me hanging on tight!

I didn't realise how lucky I was with Ramsey. He virtually took me round a course, and did all the work. Never pulled or tanked round. All I had to do was sit there, and make sure I didn't pull on his mouth. We got through to every jump off, but never got placed - he was just too chilled! I remember one commentator at a local show saying " And another steady round from Ramsey - R for Ramsey and R for relaxed!" We became quite well known - just not for the right reasons!

 

[Trewsers]

Such a hot weekend! I rode as early as my lazy self would allow and on Saturday we just had a nice quiet hack round in walk. On Sunday we did the same but I borrowed the yard veteran so our weekend groom could come too.

I'd booked Monday off to go for a long hack but it was just too hot so instead I arrived early and had a little jumping practice. I had 2 jumps at 95 and a widish spread at 90cm. Harvey went really well and I was very pleased with him.

Warm up (as if I needed to be any warmer!)

Plank at 95

Vertical at 95

Spread at 90

Hacking
2 hours 15
8.1 miles

Schooling
25 minutes

Totals
Schooling
22 hours 30

Hacking
47 hours 45
169.1 miles

You both look so relaxed - yet like you're having a great time! I am envious (just a little bit!!!). I love seeing your pictures, you restore my faith in the whole riding thing, mainly because you make it look so easy and natural! I like that school surface too - looks great.

 

[PePo]

We've had a couple of hacks this week, despite the heat. We had our first lesson tonight with our O and needless to say, Pete worked harder than he expected Super pleased with how he's beginning to go.





We're planning to hack tomorrow, so fingers crossed it's not raining!

 

[chunky monkey]

Squeezed in a short ride and lead last night after giving the boys 3 days off. The heat was just unbearable and with me working long hours in it i was in no fit state to ride. Chunky actually seemed quite keen last night. He cantered across the field to greet me. Walked ahead of billy as i lead them into the yard.
With all the rain in the last 24 hours tracks are now really slick and billy was slipping quite a bit. Didnt risk letting chunky go until we got to the top of the hill last night. After his cheek on monday, where he was following and as i turned off onto the track to go up the hill he just stopped dead. I walked on with billy calling and went out of sight but he just stood. So i had to turn billy round and go back down, bily got a little stressy and started fidgeting and twitching his back legs as much to say my mates gone without me. I need to race down and catch him up. As chunky saw us approach he did an about turn and headed for home. Which stressed billy a bit more. Chunky got called a few names i can tell you.
He is getting cheeky like that though. Part is laziness and part is because hes finding it tough. I dont thunk its the up hill he finds difficult, i think its the down hill bits, and i think hes just in pain. Unfortunately though living in the hills makes it impossible to do flat hacks. I dont even have a short flat loop i can do.
Am going to take billy out on his own for a hack today. Hoping to do up to 4 miles then planning a long one with him tomorrow. Then im going to give chunky a drive. Its weeks since he went in the carriage.

 

[Trewsers]

Squeezed in a short ride and lead last night after giving the boys 3 days off. The heat was just unbearable and with me working long hours in it i was in no fit state to ride. Chunky actually seemed quite keen last night. He cantered across the field to greet me. Walked ahead of billy as i lead them into the yard.
With all the rain in the last 24 hours tracks are now really slick and billy was slipping quite a bit. Didnt risk letting chunky go until we got to the top of the hill last night. After his cheek on monday, where he was following and as i turned off onto the track to go up the hill he just stopped dead. I walked on with billy calling and went out of sight but he just stood. So i had to turn billy round and go back down, bily got a little stressy and started fidgeting and twitching his back legs as much to say my mates gone without me. I need to race down and catch him up. As chunky saw us approach he did an about turn and headed for home. Which stressed billy a bit more. Chunky got called a few names i can tell you.
He is getting cheeky like that though. Part is laziness and part is because hes finding it tough. I dont thunk its the up hill he finds difficult, i think its the down hill bits, and i think hes just in pain. Unfortunately though living in the hills makes it impossible to do flat hacks. I dont even have a short flat loop i can do.
Am going to take billy out on his own for a hack today. Hoping to do up to 4 miles then planning a long one with him tomorrow. Then im going to give chunky a drive. Its weeks since he went in the carriage.

yes I know what you mean with the downhill parts. Where we used to live we had lots of hills and when the vet said I should hack her out after her hock degeneration diagnosis, well, it was highly impractical as I found she struggled going down the hills. I got off but it defeated the object really as it wasn’t fun trying to get on and off all the time.

 

[Huggy]

Squeezed in a short ride and lead last night after giving the boys 3 days off. The heat was just unbearable and with me working long hours in it i was in no fit state to ride. Chunky actually seemed quite keen last night. He cantered across the field to greet me. Walked ahead of billy as i lead them into the yard.
With all the rain in the last 24 hours tracks are now really slick and billy was slipping quite a bit. Didnt risk letting chunky go until we got to the top of the hill last night. After his cheek on monday, where he was following and as i turned off onto the track to go up the hill he just stopped dead. I walked on with billy calling and went out of sight but he just stood. So i had to turn billy round and go back down, bily got a little stressy and started fidgeting and twitching his back legs as much to say my mates gone without me. I need to race down and catch him up. As chunky saw us approach he did an about turn and headed for home. Which stressed billy a bit more. Chunky got called a few names i can tell you.
He is getting cheeky like that though. Part is laziness and part is because hes finding it tough. I dont thunk its the up hill he finds difficult, i think its the down hill bits, and i think hes just in pain. Unfortunately though living in the hills makes it impossible to do flat hacks. I dont even have a short flat loop i can do.
Am going to take billy out on his own for a hack today. Hoping to do up to 4 miles then planning a long one with him tomorrow. Then im going to give chunky a drive. Its weeks since he went in the carriage.

I think you're brave, leading!

 

[PePo]

A nice almost 7 mile hack today, which was our first time exploring on this particular route. Pete was awesome, if not a little spooky in places, but that's to be expected ❤

 

[PePo]

YO also very kindly shared a snip from last night. He finds flatwork difficult - he's really not a ValegPo ? - but am super pleased he's beginning to work more softly ? Just need to work on the consistency now ...!

 

[Huggy]

I haven't ridden since Monday - very unusual for me! Went out this morning, cloudy, grey and cool - bliss! The boys went onto new grass yesterday, so I didn't expect much from Hogan, but what a lovely boy he was. Very willing to trot on, stopped and chatted with three dog walkers, and he stood beautifully, no tantrums. Cyclist skidded past on the other side of the fence, and flung his bike over the stile, right beside us, and not a flicker from good boy. Funnily enough, two of the people I met, separately, asked if he was a draught, and one in particular was fascinated when I said he was an Irish cob. He said he was going home to look it up. So, despite a HUUUGE tummy (Hogan, not me) we had a lovely time.

 

[Huggy]

Lovely and cool again this morning, but Hogan back to sloth mode. Still a nice ride though. The dog walkers are trickling back since lockdown, and I confess, I do like a chat here and there. Met OH and Alfie, so got some pics - Alfie is actually really good with Hogan - sensible distance and not intimidated at all. We did get some nice trots in too. But my life - Hogan looks WIDE!

 

[chunky monkey]

Yes he does look wide in those pics. Love that track. Looks great.
Two things, might be optical illusion but check your stirrups they look slightly different lengths, not by much and ps some hi viz.

 

[Huggy]

Yes he does look wide in those pics. Love that track. Looks great.
Two things, might be optical illusion but check your stirrups they look slightly different lengths, not by much and ps some hi viz.

I know what you mean about stirrups - they're the same length, but I have saddle slip - always to the same side - I'm saving for either an elasticated girth or non slip pad. Re hi viz - I have got it, but I'm lax about putting it on, because we're never on the road. I do put it on on darker days, and you're right - I should use it no matter what - can't hurt.

 

[Huggy]

PS in Hogans defence, we did just move the fence, and he's obviously pigged out enormously - in one day and one night! It's rubbish grass too.