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Top Tips when out Hacking
Category: Guides
Published on 26/09/2010 by Helen
Published on 26/09/2010 by Helen
horse and rider (click for larger)
Hacking is great exercise for both you and your horse and can help to maintain a great bond between you. However, in today’s society hacking is not as safe at it used to be; there are more cars on the roads even in rural areas, there appears to be road works and obstacles every half mile or so and track maintenance is not a priority of every council authority. Below are some tips that HorseEvents have to try to create a safe and pleasurable hacking experience.
· Plan your route before you go. This may help you to reduce the number of obstacles that will challenge your horse, such as road works, traffic lights, and ground covered with pot holes. Your local council may also hold on their website maps of tracks in your area where you may ride quite safely; if they do not then DEFRA may.
· If you are hacking out on public footpaths or roads you must learn the highway code for horses. This will help you to communicate effectively with other road users without distracting your horse or risking them becoming spooked. HorseEvents are currently working on a quick guide for this to demonstrate the most useful and commonly used signals.
· Ensure that you at least are wearing high visibility jackets – even in the height of summer. This is especially important when it is sunny because the sun can momentarily ‘hide’ your horse from a driver’s vision. Those extra seconds of visibility could save your life.
· Ensure your horse is comfortable passing objects and moving vehicles from both left and right sides. Do not assume that because they are comfortable when a vehicle passes them on the left side that they will be comfortable with them passing on the right side. A horse’s vision is very complex and they see slightly differently out of each eye which can affect how they respond to objects.
· Take your mobile phone with you for emergencies only – do not go with the intention of speaking to a friend for a catch up or listening to your ipod. You should be completely focused on your horse and your surroundings without any distractions.
· Do you have an inexperienced or easily spooked horse? If so go hacking with a friend who has a stable, calm and experienced hacker that will help calm your horse in any exiting or unexpected situations. Much like with children and dogs, horses need to be shown how to react to things and what sort of behaviour is desirable.
· Be alert for any faults on the ground such as pot holes, rabbit holes, changes in conditions (dry to muddy, wet to icy etc) by looking ahead and planning your route carefully around these if necessary.
· Always let someone else know what route / paths you are planning to take, when you are planning to leave and expected time of return. This is especially important when hacking out alone.
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