Hacking lessons!

[greyhorse]

Wouldn't it be great if you could ride out with your trainer, and have a lesson whilst hacking? I hack a lot, and it would be fantastic for instruction to take place while we were hacking, how to school on the go, get through sticky situations, get the best out of your horse. Anybody heard of anyone doing anything like that?

[hessy]

Thats a good idea - im sure if you suggested it to your RI they would be happy to do it. I suppose its just the norm to have it in an arena but really you can have a lesson anywhere, people just dont think to do that, inc me!

[pukkapony]

A riding school local to me take each lesson group out once a month on a group hack as a treat, they do some schooling (well more correction) but I suppose its the same sort of thing.

That is a fantastic idea tho, something to consider for the riding school project in 2010!

[BellaII]

I think hacking lessons is a fantastic idea! I love my hacking :)

[alison hanmer]

I think hacking lessons are a fantastic idea! Trouble is, most trainers come in their cars, without a horse, so you'd need to provide them with one unless they can run really fast. What about co-operating up with a friend, and having a hacking lesson on your horse while your trainer rides hers one week, then swapping the next? NB I don't have hacking lessons but I get my trainer to hack my horse when I'm on holiday - I come back to to a fabulously schooled, sane horse who will actually walk out properly for a while - that is, until I let us both fall into bad habits again!

[jinglejoys]

I know this is an old thread but thought I'd let you know there are several Hacking/confidence coaches
http://www.effectivehorsemanship.com/ here's one I have used

[H&R_Editor]

I think that's a great idea and actually, very recently I was lucky enough to have a hacking lesson with Michael Peace. We were doing a hacking feature, so I thought what better way to do it than to take the man out hacking and see what he does. We borrowed two horses from a friend, and went off around the common. What I soon realised was that Michael wasn't going to let anything stand in his way! He jumped logs, rode up and down banks, through trees and other narrow spaces, through water. We had a great time and if there was one thing I learnt, the best way to build a horse's confidence is to challenge him with new situations. It's all too easy to ride around undulating areas, but next time why not ride straight over them if it is safe to do so?

[Soraya_H&R_AssistEd]

When I first got Reggie, my first horse, he was VERY green. I used to have 'hacking lessons' with a woman who ran the yard one day a week, but was there most days, and they were invaluable. She was a very experienced rider and had worked with young horses for many years. Her horse was also the most sensible, biddable horse going. All the other girls my age at the yard had had their ponies for years and were galloping around all over the place – I was terrified and it wasn't doing my horse any good either!

She took me under her wing, and although they weren't called lessons, and I didn't pay, I definitely learnt a lot. Maybe you could find an experienced confident hacker to go out with, you might be surprised what you learn just from doing that.