HACKING l RIDING IN OPEN SPACES
Many people dream of blasting through the countryside, but feel anxious about riding in an open space. Ensuring that a horse is mentally ready for the challenge is the key to success, says equine trainer and behaviourist Michael Peace
RIDING IN AN open space means taking a horse somewhere bigger, wilder and far less enclosed than his usual environment. A horse’s horizons are only as big as you make them, so if his day-to-day regime rarely takes him outside of his yard or beyond his usual hacking route, he could reap huge rewards from expanding into new territories.
In the open, green or stay-at-home horses will encounter new questions, different sights, smells and ground conditions. In these situations, he will take his lead from his rider and if they can help him to navigate these new problems safely and confidently, the trust and respect between both will reach new heights.
That said, it is important to consider a horse’s emotional and physical fitness before embarking on a ride in a new, open environment. Just as a competitive rider would increase a horse’s workload gradually to prepare for a competition season, so an equine’s emotional resilience will need to be built up in a similar fashion to ensure his preparedness to cope with new adventures.
PROBLEM: I have never ridden my horse in an open space before and have no idea how I should begin.
FIX IT: It is important to expand your horse’s horizons gradually and grow his emotional fitness bit by bit. Horses are incredibly sensitive and while it can be tempting to bulldoze ahead, overfacing him can do a lot of damage and create a horse who is fearful of new stimuli.
Make a fair assessment of your horse’s capabilities and build up to hacking in an open space by increments. This might mean walking him in a bigger field for a few minutes during a session and, if that goes well, increasing his exposure to the space the next time, and so on.
Consider, too, how responsive he is to your aids. If your aim is to canter across the local common, but you don’t have reliable steering or brakes, work with an instructor to put these in place first.
PROBLEM: I need to travel my horse to ride in the open, but I haven’t done this before and I’m not sure how to go about it.
FIX IT: The main ingredient in a successful trip is loading and unloading safely. Ideally, your horse will be good to load, but if he isn’t consider practising at home or taking a helper with you. When parking, ensure that you are well back from any thoroughfare and have sufficient space for the ramp and your horse’s approach. If you haven’t ridden in your chosen spot before, it is worth going in advance
