Who doesn’t love to take a photo whilst hacking their horse? Whether you’re capturing beautiful scenery, have been on an epic adventure, or just want a new photo of your favourite ears, we love to see the pictures you take whilst out and about participating in the mighty #Hack1000Miles challenge. To celebrate this, each month from 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024, we picked our favourite photos shared in the Hack 1,000 Miles Facebook group to receive a prize from Equisafety.
If you’d like to be in with a chance of winning some of the incredible prizes we have on offer for 2024, find out more below. In the mean time, take a look through the gallery of winners and check out the incredible sights and amazing adventures some of our riders have been on in the last year…
Beautiful Ben Nevis
Sharon Dykes snapped this shot overlooking Ben Nevis from the back of her 14-year-old Anglo Arab mare, Wishes. It’s a local ride for the duo who live in Fort William.
“I’m incredibly lucky to have such beautiful countryside to ride in with the mountains and lochs,” says Sharon, 45. “Wishes loves it too. She’s never in too much of a hurry to get anywhere.”
Sharon, who works in the customer protection team at a bank, has recently made the transition to bitless with Wishes. “This photo was taken on our first ride without a bit. I found it really relieved her tension,” shares Sharon. “It was quite a remarkable day for us.”
Incredible Ullswater
The enthusiastic ears of 18-year-old Irish sport horse Clippy can be spotted in the foreground of this stunning shot captured by the mare’s owner Ann Smith. The pair are overlooking Ullswater, which was one of the destinations on their epic 12-day hacking holiday.
“I think the highlight of the trip was that I did it myself. Clippy and I trundled up the motorway, settled into the accommodation, and rode in new places not knowing anybody,” says Ann, 58. “Clippy was brilliant. She took it all in her stride; I knew she was good but she really blew me away. She’s hands down the best horse I’ve ever had.”
Amazing Aberdeenshire
This photo captures one of Aberdeenshire-based Marion Wills’ regular hacking routes. She’s riding her 22-year-old Norwegian Fjord mare Este, whom she’s owned for 10 years.
“I lived in Norway for a few years, where I got to know the breed and fell in love with them,” says Marion, 59. “When I moved back to Scotland I knew I wanted to have one.”
Marion signed up for #Hack1000Miles after learning about it from a friend, and hasn’t looked back.
“We normally hack out three or four times per week, and love riding through the forests or going to the beach,” shares Marion, who works as an art teacher. “We have some beautiful hacking here, and #Hack1000Miles really makes you want to ride more to get your miles up.”
Wonderful Wiltshire
This beautiful track was the envy of many other riders in the Hack 1,000 Miles Facebook group. Heather Emery took the snap from aboard her Irish sports horse Kit-Kat.
“It’s a route we ride regularly but it’s quite long, so we only go when we have plenty of time and the weather is kind,” says Heather, 59. “I’m retired now so I get to play ponies all day.”
Heather has owned now 16-year-old Kit-Kat since he was five years old. “We’ve been together so long that we know each other inside out, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he will do what I want him to when I want him to do it,” shares Heather, who is based in Wiltshire. “He’s mellowed a bit as he’s got older, but his favourite thing in the whole world is galloping.”
Eye-catching Exmoor
Kt English-Baillie took this photo during a fun ride on Exmoor. Her 13-year-old cob Dougal’s ears are at full attention as he watches the wild ponies.
“We kept our distance as there was a foal and a stallion there, so scooted around them,” recalls Kt, 30, who was on the fun ride with her mum. “They were really unbothered by us. I think they’re so used to people riding through.”
The mother-daughter duo ended up biting off a little more than they could chew when they got the route mixed up. “We don’t do much riding on the moors as we don’t know our way around, so fun rides are a great way to get out and not get lost,” says Kt, who is a vet. “Although we did get a little lost and we did an extra 4 miles. We were only supposed to ride 12 but actually did 16.”
Fantastic Farndale
Sheep farmer Pip Mead snapped this picture in a dale of the North York Moors while riding her Dales pony, Archie.
“It’s part of an 11-mile route that I regularly ride in summer, although in winter it sadly becomes too wet to ride,” says Pip, who signed up for #Hack1000Miles after a health scare. She has since crossed the 1,000-mile finish line and has set her sights on doing so again.
“I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer in 2020/21, and afterwards I decided it was the time to go for it,” adds Pip, 58. “Archie and I really enjoy the challenge and are very lucky to have such a wonderful area to ride in.”
Superb Shropshire
This photo was taken by Amanda Barker from the top of Mortimer Forest in Shropshire, just above Ludlow Castle.
“This ride is about six miles, and is one I do on a regular basis as the view of Ludlow the Cree and the Long Mynd are so lovely,” says Amanda, 55.
Amanda is riding 27-year-old Welsh section D gelding Ben in the picture, whom she was gifted after he retired from his job at a riding school.
“He came to me to hack in the forest so I could accompany my youngest son George when my other three children went off to university, as he had no one to ride with,” says Amanda. “I’ve owned him now since he was 19. I re-learned how to canter on him when I did BHS Take Back the Reins after years of not riding.”
Beautiful Balmedie Beach
Jackie Corsie snapped this shot on Balmedie Beach in Aberdeenshire aboard her 13-year-old Highland pony Orchid.
“I took this photo on a 10-mile ride. I live locally, so it’s right on my doorstep,” says the retired swimming coach. “I live in a beautiful part of Scotland, and signed up to #Hack1000Miles to get us out more. It’s been a great way to meet other hacking folk and see the countryside.”
Jackie, 64, has owned 13.2hh Orchid for eight years, and the duo have successfully completed the challenge by hacking 1,000 miles together. “Orchid is very forwards and brave; she loves hacking,” says Jackie.
Golden hour in Goldsithney
This stunning sunset shot was captured by Claire Harper near Goldsithney in Cornwall. “It was a lovely yet chilly short late-afternoon ride, which was much needed on the tenth anniversary of my dad passing,” says the 42-year-old rider. “Riding helps my mental health so much. I’m lucky to have horses in my life; they’ve helped me so much.”
Claire is a finance clerk and took the photo aboard her 13-year-old cob Ernie, whom she’s owned for five years.
“I love tracking how many miles I ride and seeing if I can beat my previous year’s total. I don’t have my own transport to go out to shows, so this gives me a goal to aim for each year,” says Claire.
Perfect weather in the Peak District
Sacha Furlong captured this photo in the Peak District aboard her ex-racehorse Lily on a rare clear day in January. The duo were on a seven-mile ride they regularly do as part of their endurance training, which they are taking part in for the first time this year. The Thoroughbred mare had a difficult time before coming into Sacha’s care, but is now flourishing.
“I’ve owned Lily since June 2023. She’d just lost her foal in a field accident and I took her on as a slightly thin, very depressed horse, but I saw something special in her,” says Sacha, 30. “Lily’s story was very sad, but she is doing so well now and loves life. She’s incredibly special and one-of-a-kind; I’m so lucky to have her.”
Water woes in Worcestershire
Taken by Sarah Walton, this photo captures the moment that her mare Dora (right) appears to deliberate with Ben (left) about whether their owners will ride them through the flood water.
“The ford is usually shallow enough to ride through, but on this occasion we would have had to swim — it was a good five feet deep,” recalls Sarah, a charity worker. “It’s been like that for a while due to the particularly soggy weather. It’s a fast-flowing stream so it’s not safe to go through when it’s like that, plus I like to keep dry!”
Sarah, 58, and her friend Toni, aboard Ben, regularly ride the route in Kempsey, Worcestershire. “It’s usually a lovely ride as the bells are often ringing in the church nearby,” says Sarah.
Cracking Easter egg hunts in Kent
Shauna Fowles shared this adorable snap taken on her family’s annual Easter tradition of an egg hunt on horseback. Pictured is seven-year-old Fletcher, his dad Davie, and Welsh section C Thunder Pants. Fletcher’s twin Milo, his older brother Woody, age nine, and the family’s other pony Wren are off camera.
“The egg hunts have been a tradition since Woody, my eldest son, was tiny,” says Shauna, 39. “The ponies always love a little adventure hack as they get to stop and eat a lot.”
The family often hacks out together regularly, and the two ponies are shared between Kent-based Shauna and her three sons. Thunder Pants is 22 years old and has been in the family for 19 years, whilst Shauna has owned Hackney cross Wren, aged 27, for 22 years.
“The boys usually ride once a week each with me; we do more in the holidays as we all ride and walk out together,” says the full-time mum. “I’ll ride them both, but we all swap and change. The boys have been learning on Wren, but she is just a little fast sometimes.”
#Hack1000Miles is proudly supported by Equisafety, high viz clothing for horses and riders, all of the best photo winners receive a high viz neck strap from the Equisafety range.
