It’s that time of year when the stubble fields start to call and hacking becomes just that little bit more fun!
But it’s also that time of year when our awareness of what’s happening underneath us can greatly demonise as we opt more for social riding with friends over schooling So often I observe riders chilling on a long rein whilst hacking chatting with friends, which is lovely, don’t get me wrong, but I am left wondering how much attention is being paid to the horse and what signs are being missed that the horse is sending.... Horses rarely do anything “out of the blue” there is normally warning signs before an action but these signs can be so subtle only fully aware riders will notice them, and this is where people get caught out, whilst schooling our focus is on the horse, but whilst hacking it can easily drift to other things, and then suddenly our horse spooks, or feels like they’ve stopped listening...this is more than likely because they feel they’ve lost their partner, and so have gone back to dealing with life on their own.
So whilst it’s ana amazing time to give our horses something different in their routine keep conscious of what’s happening below as you enjoy your surroundings. Have fun with it