How to work on your schooling while out hacking

If you don’t have access to an arena to school in, or the one at your yard’s always busy, don’t worry – there’s loads you can do to polish up your fave pony’s paces out hacking!

The great outdoors

Hacking’s brilliant fun and it’s really good for your fave pony, too. He’ll enjoy having a change of scene from the yard and school, and it adds variety to his work routine so he won’t get bored. It’ll help keep him fit, plus he’ll get used to loads of different sights and sounds, which can make him more chilled and less spooky. It’s also a really good opportunity to improve his schooling, too, because you can do pretty much anything outdoors that you can in an arena!

Stay on track

Only school your pony where it’s safe to do so, and never on the roads or near traffic. Also, it’s super-important you don’t leave the bridleway and stray onto land where you’re not allowed to ride.

Thinking forward

If your pony tends to switch off easily in the arena, an open space is a great place to work on encouraging him to take more active paces. In walk, cuddle his sides with your legs to encourage him to go forward with lots of energy, so he feels like he’s really covering the ground with each step. You don’t want him to rush, though, so keep a soft contact on your reins, to help him stay balanced.

You can also try practising your pony’s trot, aiming to create swinging strides in an even rhythm.

TOP TIP

If you only trot in straight lines on hacks, change your diagonal often to help work your pony evenly.

All change

Transitions are super-useful because they improve your pony’s balance and strength, and they help make him more responsive to your aids, too. Plus, they’re one of the easiest things to practise on a hack! So, try to include lots of changes of pace in each ride.

Just like you would in the school, make sure your pony responds as soon as you ask him to, and focus on keeping him balanced and forward, whether you’re making an upward or downward transition. You can either ask for one every few strides or each time you go past a tree or a fence post.

TOP TIP

To encourage your pony to march in walk, go for a hack with friends who have ponies that really
stride out.

Position perfect

Hacking’s supposed to be relaxing, but don’t fall into the habit of slouching in the saddle when you’re outside the arena. Instead, think about how you can make your riding position even better! Start by ensuring you’re sat tall, with your head up, shoulders rolled back and weight dropped into your heels. Check you have a soft bend in your arms and your elbows are tucked in neatly by your sides.

You can also practise your light seat for cross-country by bringing your bottom out of the saddle and balancing in your stirrups. Why not take the opportunity to work on your sitting trot, too?

All the right moves

There are loads of school movements that you can try while riding along bridleways, which will help boost your pony’s straightness, suppleness and balance…

• shallow loops Find a track that’s approx 5m wide, then ride a curved line that takes you from one side to the other, and back again
• serpentines If you’ve got more space you could  ride three or four serpentine loops in a row
• neck flexes Gently ask your pony to flex his head a little to the left. After one or two strides in this position ride straight, then flex him to the right. It’s great for improving suppleness
• square halts Get ready to ace your next dressage test by teaching your pony to halt square wherever you are. Line him up with a fence or hedge to help check he’s straight
• leg-yield Ask your pony to move away from your leg for one or two strides. Do this to the  left by flexing his head a little to the right, and pressing your right leg on the girth to ask him to step sideways. Then try the other way
• leg-yield zig-zags If your fave pony’s really good at stepping sideways, why not up the challenge by leg-yielding to the left for two steps, then to the right, and repeat