How old, hacking alone?

nat17

nat17

Minnie, Sam and Dolly
May 30, 2002
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So, the other day I was out in the village and I saw a young girl riding her pony down the road, out of the village to the fields/woods, hacking out alone.

She must have been 10 ish at the most. She looked like she was having fun, the pony you could see was not an easy ride but was behaving.

How old were you when you were aloud to hack out alone? What would you let your daughter/son do?

We all know that even a calm, happy hacker can have a moment, just wondered what your thoughts are about it?
 
I was 8 when I was hacking out with other children and no adults.

Would I let me daughter do that (she's 8 now) even if she were a great rider? NO!
 
I was 13 before I was allowed to hack out alone, but i wouldnt let a 13yo out on the roads solo now!

My neighbours daughter has just started going out on her own, mostly around the woodland tracks so hopefully safe enough, i'd be worried sick the whole time any child of mine were out on their own though

I think the livery yards local to us have a rule that you have to be at least 16 before hacking alone
 
My daughter isn't the most confident in the world so i would say 14 before i let her go on her own and the pony would have to be a saint or something that she can handle confidently if needed.
 
My dear Mummy let me go out once on a borrowed pony all day hacking around our bridlepaths, alone and with 6d for the phone. I think I was 11. I remember it as one of my happiest days ever.

I'd let my child go now if I had one (easy to say I know).
 
I used to walk 4 miles there and back with my saddle over my arm and brush and hoof pick in my packet and ride out alone for many hours without a care in the world from a very young age.
I don't have any kids but would probably be reluctant to let them go out on busy roads like I did but would be happy to let them hack around the estate alone.
 
It's a difficult one. Our friend 14 (extremely competant rider) is often out on her own and has been for a couple of years. My daughter, 13, is on sometimes going out with other people... is way off being able to hack out alone.

Me, heading towards 48, still doesn't hack alone :unsure::wink:
 
I have told myself that when I turn the big 4-0 I will be old enough to take myself out on my own. Until then I am happy to be escorted by more sensible people!:wink:

There is a young girl about 12 who hacks all over the show on her own. She has ponies up the road from my yard and she goes up onto the Downs for hours. Wish I was that brave.
 
I hack out on the roads alone, but never yet in woodlands etc - I think there are more risks on the road, but there is more likely to be someone around in event of an accident so ambualnce etc would be faster aquired. Alone in a heap in a field would scare me senseless.
 
Skye hacks alone and in company for the last year ( on country lanes, she has to walk her pony on the main road in hand to go to the country lanes) she is 15 when she was younger I used to walk out with her.

Its not the children or the ponies that make hacking out unsafe it is the car drivers that speed everywhere.
 
I think it depends on the child -

I was hacking out alone on dealers ponies by the time i was about 12/13. Roads and bridlepaths sometimes out for the whole day. However i was on the whole fairly sensible and a confident rider even if the horses i rode were not always completely sensible, they were sane enough.

However, my 11yr old I don't like letting out on her own without a horse, let alone with one! She is autisitic which doesn't help but she just doesn't know enough/is the right sort of person to keep herself safe and to not panic in a emergency.

My 9yr old i have no qualms going out by himself almost anywhere and he is generally sensible BUT unfortunately he doesn't really have a liking for the horses and doesn't ride.

My 5yr old (nearly 6) i dread the day he will ever go anywhere on his own with or without a horse - he is a nightmare, you know that child who is always there when there's a problem/major natural disaster/anything well he is that child - not his fault but he just seems to breathe trouble. That and the fact he has a wicked sense of humour which is always funny but not always 'right'.

My 4yr old though is a completely different kettle of fish and actually i would probably take her out hacking with me next year if she carries on improving like she is. She is confident, sensible and not into finding trouble. She will probably be allowed out on her own (we live in a cul-de-sac) a lot younger then say my 5yr old will be and will probably be allowed out on a safe pony if she is still riding by then on her own by the time she is about 12.

My 2 yr old well lets not go there, it's a long time off .... :wink:

It comes down to that age old question of when do you let your children play out on their own anyway I mean in one street in my village it seems 5+ is considered ok but in my street it's more like 8/9+ so it's all relative to where you are and who you are etc
 
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