New 2026 Hacking / riding thread

Managed a little potter yesterday but we had some neighbours escaped chickens and I was a bit on edge as Zi had been giving them horsey evils and I was waiting and wondering if they would come clucking and popping out of the undergrowth (we usually ride past our pigeon barn which is where they were headed!). Anyway, she was a bit head tossy / go-on make-me and so I kept it short and sweet. Didn't see any chickens so then was cursing myself for being silly and waiting for the balloon to pop but there you go. Birds have been evicted and are now back in their own home lol 🤭 🐴 (they'd come a quarter of a mile to us!)
Clearly heard about the famous @Trewsers hospitality!
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Trewsers
Got out for a ride, short and sweet as confidence building, mine and hers probably. Not ridden on the moors for a year so we are a bit rusty.
Luckily there are loads of random bushes you can use can use to turn round and head back and she's not bothered. I have a couple of spots I could do a bit of schooling for something different to do and to have a focus.

View attachment 135174
Beaches and moors! My dream 😍
 
Finally the wind died down enough for me to hop on. Fuzzy is shedding like mad and before tacking up I had to tackle some of the loose fluffs. Jeez. The barn floor was grey and black by the time I'd finished. Shame I can't sell it hahahahahaaa. To make stage beards or something or wigs. LOL.

Anyway, lovely little ride, good girl, soon as I got off she went down to roll which wasn't a surprise. Shame the mud is back here though so she had to pick her way carefully at the field gate. 🐴
 
  • Like
Reactions: GaryB
I was hoping to ride with my friend this week, but the horsebox was (and is) poorly so I had to cancel. Another week of dodging the rain, but I did finally make it onto our local hill for the first time this year.
Harvey has been fenced off to stop him playing with the neighbours horses (they all get a bit too boisterous), but now they have moved so I took the fence down to let him onto the strip of ungrazed grass - it was all too exciting for him so he had to do a lot of rearing while he waited for me

This track used to be made of housebricks (we called it the red brick road!). Its much nicer now - they made the house at the top into a holiday home so I think they needed a better road for the visitors
i-fHGc2rZ-X2.jpg


I nearly managed a picture without trees for @Trewsers ! Its made me realise how many trees we have
i-cfd77bD-X2.jpg


The track down has dried nicely. Its actually *much* steeper than it looks here
i-XjxCPmv-X2.jpg


Hacking
16 miles
4 hours 40

Totals
Schooling
15 minutes

Hacking
120 miles
38 hours 30
 
  • Love
Reactions: Trewsers
I was hoping to ride with my friend this week, but the horsebox was (and is) poorly so I had to cancel. Another week of dodging the rain, but I did finally make it onto our local hill for the first time this year.
Harvey has been fenced off to stop him playing with the neighbours horses (they all get a bit too boisterous), but now they have moved so I took the fence down to let him onto the strip of ungrazed grass - it was all too exciting for him so he had to do a lot of rearing while he waited for me

This track used to be made of housebricks (we called it the red brick road!). Its much nicer now - they made the house at the top into a holiday home so I think they needed a better road for the visitors
i-fHGc2rZ-X2.jpg


I nearly managed a picture without trees for @Trewsers ! Its made me realise how many trees we have
i-cfd77bD-X2.jpg


The track down has dried nicely. Its actually *much* steeper than it looks here
i-XjxCPmv-X2.jpg


Hacking
16 miles
4 hours 40

Totals
Schooling
15 minutes

Hacking
120 miles
38 hours 30
Your hacking looks beautiful, never take the trees for granted lol I didn't realise how much I would miss them. (But that's really the only downside to being up here).
 
  • Like
Reactions: GaryB
No riding for me. After being cancelled as neighbour wasn't feeling well last week. I then had a message to say horse has gone lame. Farrier has been and thinks it's just soft feet as the field is damp and muddy. They are treating it with something and farrier hopes it will be sound in a week. So that counts out any riding over the bank holiday weekend. Shame really as I have actually taken Fri and Mon off. Oh well I'm sure I can find plenty to do instead with 4 days off.
 
  • Sad
Reactions: GaryB
A little potter for me today, I think it might be the last over the bank hols as there's bad weather coming (again). There was mention of a storm Dave on the news - (ridiculous names that they give them !). But not sure if we are getting that but it doesn't look that conducive to riding much. Oh well, there will be things to do instead. I have an indoor project I might turn to.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GaryB and Jessey
Took her inhand down to the barn for a leg stretch and standing on the flat brush. Active walk with some jogging.
A swear she's sprouting black spots 😂
Taken the martingale hiviz to the field and put on the saddle as I keep forgetting to alter her yellow band thing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GaryB and Trewsers
New routine worked really well this morning, hoorah.
Okay she's in season so we weren't riding but that didn't matter, it was about getting her out for a decent two mile walk. She sets off these days with a nice forward active walk.
Tomorrow we will do the same, but choose a different route.

The riding area is set up in the field now and I have the trotting poles down ready, I just need to think of other things to put in that space. I haven't had that area set up like that before, so I might start a thread to pick your brains on what you would do with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: GaryB and Trewsers
New routine worked really well this morning, hoorah.
Okay she's in season so we weren't riding but that didn't matter, it was about getting her out for a decent two mile walk. She sets off these days with a nice forward active walk.
Tomorrow we will do the same, but choose a different route.

The riding area is set up in the field now and I have the trotting poles down ready, I just need to think of other things to put in that space. I haven't had that area set up like that before, so I might start a thread to pick your brains on what you would do with it.
I put electric fence posts up in my field to practice bending round. They actually were useful for other stuff too - using as a marker when trotting/cantering circles, ie aiming to pass between two posts on my circle. Also backing up round the posts, turn on the haunches or forehand around a post, stopping next to each post and touching it (WE gate preparation). I had far more fun with them than I anticipated 😂

I've now got some giant pool noodles with connectors that I can lay down as rather bendy poles or join together to make a shape to step in and out of. Only trouble is they're susceptible to the wind. I got them to try and help AJ with his phobia of stepping over poles - the theory being that if he touched one it wouldn't 'clunk' and it would feel soft. However so far he has declined to touch one - still insisting on taking a running jump and quick exit - and if they move in the breeze it doesn't help!
 
  • Like
Reactions: Jessey and GaryB
IMG_3734.jpg
Gorgeous day here, as you can see Mrs Mackeral didn't think our little pootle was worth following - she was too busy dreaming in the sun at the gate there. Hehehee. Everyone loves a bit of sun don't they. And look - no jacket today! Spring has finally arrived.
 
  • Love
Reactions: GaryB
I put electric fence posts up in my field to practice bending round. They actually were useful for other stuff too - using as a marker when trotting/cantering circles, ie aiming to pass between two posts on my circle. Also backing up round the posts, turn on the haunches or forehand around a post, stopping next to each post and touching it (WE gate preparation). I had far more fun with them than I anticipated 😂

I've now got some giant pool noodles with connectors that I can lay down as rather bendy poles or join together to make a shape to step in and out of. Only trouble is they're susceptible to the wind. I got them to try and help AJ with his phobia of stepping over poles - the theory being that if he touched one it wouldn't 'clunk' and it would feel soft. However so far he has declined to touch one - still insisting on taking a running jump and quick exit - and if they move in the breeze it doesn't help!
I got some pool noodles, Monkey ate them! Much fun was had destroying them!
 
  • Wow
Reactions: Bodshi
Harvey and I went for a nice canter on Thursday, but sadly that was the end of my riding for the weekend. Out neighbours decided to have their field harrowed without letting us know and Harvey managed to run around and pull a shoe.
I did manage to have a quick ride on a sales livery we have at the yard on Friday - sorry no photos as I don't have permission

i-fWpxHqC-L.jpg


As I couldn't ride the big grey mower was deployed to mow the track to the paddocks
i-zNPsjQb-XL.jpg


Hacking
1 hour
4 miles

Schooling
10 minutes

Totals
Schooling
25 minutes

Hacking
124 miles
39 hours 30
 
  • Like
Reactions: Trewsers
newrider.com