There are so many benefits to hacking out a horse, one of which is fitness. It doesn’t matter whether hacking is your thing and you enjoy taking part in other disciplines as well. They all require a fit, healthy horse.
This is why taking them out and about by regularly going hacking is so beneficial when it comes to your horse’s level of fitness…
1. Different surfaces
There are so many places to hack — from grassy bridleways, all-weather tracks, the beach, in fields, and on roads. Such variety helps to strengthen your horse’s legs.
However, doing too much hard work on the wrong surface can result in injury, so keep this in mind when planning where to ride.
2. Hill work and inclines
Incorporating routes that take you up and downhill regularly is a really good idea for purposeful hacking. This sort of hill work is fantastic for improving fitness as it helps to strengthen muscles and improve cardiovascular fitness without having to work the horse at the same high intensity you would on the flat.
It’s a lot harder for a horse to stay balanced and move their body up or down a hill, compared to moving on level terrain.
3. Natural obstacles
Out and about on new routes you will have no idea what you might come across. If it is safe to do so, ask your horse to step over fallen logs, wade through streams, or paddle in the sea, all of which will challenge them. It will keep the ride interesting for you both too.
4. Interval training
While you can do this in an arena, interval training is much more easily tackled in a wide open space, such as a field or lengthy bridleway.
Whilst it’s often associated with racehorses or eventers, any breed of horse can benefit from interval training.
5. Mental wellbeing
Physical health is important, but so is mental health — for you and your horse. Hacking lets your horse seeing new things, hear unfamiliar sounds and experience new smells. They’ll learn to enjoy exploring new routes and paths — many horses are nosey!
Hacking adds variety to their workload and will help to keep them interested in their work and life in general, all of which will make all the difference when it comes to getting them fit.
Tracking fitness
It is important to monitor your horse’s progress when you’re getting them fit, and there are simple but effective ways you can do this out hacking.
“Pick a mile section of a hack with safe going and work out how quickly you can ride it, firstly in walk and then in trot once your horse is fit enough,” says endurance coach and rider Rachael Claridge.
“This will help you to establish your horse’s natural speed in each pace. You can then refer back to this as the weeks pass to see if you are both getting faster – and fitter. This will also give you a gauge as to when it’s time to start increasing the distance.”
For this test, choose an area with good ground. Don’t trot flat out on unsuitable surfaces that could cause injury.
If you usually ride a route in an hour, but are starting to get back to the yard in 45-50 minutes, it is time to increase the distance so that your outing lasts an hour.
Essentially you are riding a longer distance in the same amount of time. This is a really easy way to see how much your own and your horse’s fitness have improved.
Rachael Claridge is an endurance rider and UKCC Level 3 coach who has represented Great Britain in European and World Championships. She is based in Gloucestershire, and now coaches riders from Pony Club and Riding Club to Mongolian Derby competitors and international athletes. Visit rachaelclaridge.com.
