2024 Hacking Thread

[newforest]

I can't remember when I last rode, long enough ago that one again my tack needed a clean to use it.
I don't even want to know what those brown things are!!

Sunny and dry and off we went. Well after I gave her a quick brush off so she didn't look like she's been abandoned in the field she was plastered with.

I was actually nervous this ride, I had decided that since she's been wanting to trot up some of the hills since the farrier had been, I was going to let her if she wanted to.
I was hoping she was going to be sound as she hasn't been since March 2023 on hard ground. It was only a dozen strides before she came back to a keen walk but it was the best trot ever! I gave her a pat, her choice to offer and show me.

 

[Tir]

More hacking after work. No ear pics as this was his reaction to someone walking in the yard field so you can imagine how all the things on the hack looked...

 

[Huggy]

Beautiful sunshine and heavy frost this morning, plus a thick mist as the ground thawed. He was as good as gold though, apart from a bit of a falter when we were out in the sunshine we suddenly saw a wall of mist about 100 yards away. He was gobsmacked and couldn't take his eyes off it, resulting in a down on his knees trip (luckily on grass). The forest is still so muddy and therefore not much trotting which surprisingly , frustrated him.

 

[Huggy]

Flippin' lovely this morning, crisp and sunny, and the big H was back to normal (he's finished the new grass in the paddock!) Ambled out but had really nice forward trots. My only niggle was that he's still not quite right on his left hind. Going down hill he was very awkward, and I could feel that side not moving properly. He's totally fine uphill and on the level. Must keep an eye on it.

 

[newforest]

It was jolly nippy with the wind.
Took her down the moors for a brief lunge in walk. The river was brown!!
It's dried up well considering most of it looked flooded last week.
Meant wet and windy all weekend so made the most of our stroll today.

 

[Tir]

Its definately starting to feel different in the air now. Spring might be here??? Its still very soggy underfoot though so maybe not.

Lovely long hack this morning, both boys really wanted to play in the fields, but they are very much out of bounds still.

 

[newforest]

Its definately starting to feel different in the air now. Spring might be here??? Its still very soggy underfoot though so maybe not.

Lovely long hack this morning, both boys really wanted to play in the fields, but they are very much out of bounds still.View attachment 121829

Some parts here have naturally drained and dried and others parts not.
I am holding off on clipping unless it warms up like last year.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

This morning I accompanied my sharer R out on a hack. Yesterday she rode Sid after he had 10 days off and he was very fresh. They went later than usual, and the Heath was busy with cyclists, dog walkers and children, so Sid could not canter where he usually has a canter. He got very cross and frustrated and did a squeaky buck buck at one point. R's confidence is never the greatest and she held it together but was a bit shaken, so asked me to go out with her today.

Of course Sid was a complete saint. Foot perfect in walk, trot and canter. She cantered twice with no reins at all, he was so chilled, and even enjoyed what has become our usual downhill balance-test canter at the end. Then he stopped and waited for me and made his Mr Ed face which means "I've been good, give me a treat."

He looks like a warthog with his clip growing out. We are planning a glow up for him at the end of the month.

 

[newforest]

Mine has shed her coat so she looks like a train track again.
Yes clipping the coat in August does mess up the rest of it if it's not as high next time.
She will get a chase or Irish soon.

 

[GaryB]

On Thursday the water had subsided a bit so Harvey and I ventured up onto the hill On the way we saw out first lambs of the year (much to Harvey's horror). On out way back we found that they are building a house (I think) on one of our usual routes. There were 5 huge lorries with one tipping out soil and 2 excavators. Harvey was not very keen but we managed to get past.
Friday was a hack round the very wet bridleway, and Saturday a road hack.
On Sunday it rained again! I have Harvey the day off but we have a new horse at the yard on sales livery and I was asked to ride him so YO could get a different view of him (and see him being ridden). Having put the stirrups down 9(!!) holes I had fun riding for 20 minutes in the school in the drizzle

Hacking on the hill

Hacking
14 miles
4 hours

Schooling
20 minutes

Totals
Hacking
142 miles
41 hours 45

Schooling
1 hour 55

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Your hill looks lovely @GaryB

 

[Tir]

That does indeed look a lovely ride GaryB!

 

[newforest]

On Thursday the water had subsided a bit so Harvey and I ventured up onto the hill On the way we saw out first lambs of the year (much to Harvey's horror). On out way back we found that they are building a house (I think) on one of our usual routes. There were 5 huge lorries with one tipping out soil and 2 excavators. Harvey was not very keen but we managed to get past.
Friday was a hack round the very wet bridleway, and Saturday a road hack.
On Sunday it rained again! I have Harvey the day off but we have a new horse at the yard on sales livery and I was asked to ride him so YO could get a different view of him (and see him being ridden). Having put the stirrups down 9(!!) holes I had fun riding for 20 minutes in the school in the drizzle

Hacking on the hill

Hacking
14 miles
4 hours

Schooling
20 minutes

Totals
Hacking
142 miles
41 hours 45

Schooling
1 hour 55

We've got lambs around as well.

 

[newforest]

A wet walk out. Just did a mile as I forgot a boot strap but It was a leg stretch for her.
I am selling on the spare size 5 as we won't need that now the hooves are settling into being different sizes all the time.

 

[Huggy]

Got out on Wednesday for a short one - very windy! He wasn't too bad, just a little buck after a really fierce gust. Today though, was beautiful. The sun was actually warm. For some reason, I was very anxious when we set off, but Hogan was pretty settled. My tension was justified though - 3 separate riders in the inclosure! First, 2 large horses that I called to that mine was a bit funny about riders. Lovely people, but they trotted away, literally as they passed Hogan's bum. My amazing little superstar hardly reacted. Went on and cut through the trees, only to see a rider about 30 ft away, through the trees, preparing to canter up the hill. Apart from glaring at it and getting a bit bouncy and forward, he was good. Fast forward onto the main track, into trot, (bit of a buck and bounce and headshake) and lo! Rider no. 3, who thankfully turned off to another track. We faced our demons today, and lived. So proud of him. My good clever boy.

 

[newforest]

Decided to pop out for a ride.
Beautiful blue cloudless sky and I was warm enough to just use a sweater.

My new joddy had boots arrived but the dark brown is actually suede. That's a non starter right now so I set off in my walking boots.
It's Spring here, look at those newborns, okay zoom in to see the newborns.

 

[Huggy]

Should have known there would be a price to pay for his superstar moments last ride. As soon as I got on outside the yard, he went all glarey into the distance. Kept it up the whole ride. He kept stopping and looking as though there was something there, when there was nothing. Maybe something happened overnight that spooked him, I don't know, but he came in from the field quite normally. In his defence, he didn't actually do anything but stare, but it made me tense - I kept expecting a wild boar to leap out the bushes at us. Oh well, life is never predictable with Hogan below - staring at NOTHING!!!

 

[Skib]

That dark evergreen bush is not nothing

 

[carthorse]

@Huggy maybe it's a day for it, Luka was similar.

 

[newforest]

Popped out again as it was still sunny. As I rode yesterday I didn't feel like it today.
Took her to the baby beach which was completely changed after the Spring high tide. The path to get down to it was still there, great fine. The sand has now been pushed up all along the edge meaning you can just step on or off where you feel like it. Ideal.
I didn't do that though I kept going to take her up the path we usually use that is no where to be seen. So she ended up having to jump up the bank. Looking back at photos I seem to take her here in March, perhaps because everything else is flipping wet

Taking the boots home for a bucket dunking as they are due a decent scrub.