United States Eventing Association

Taking Your Young Event Horse on Their First Hack

An essential part to a young event horse’s career is beginning to go out on hacks or trail rides on their own. Hacking out is a great way to get a young horse fit and confident. Courtney Cooper, head trainer and owner of C Square Farm, is a big advocate of hacking young horses for the mental and physical benefit. Before thinking about taking this next step with your horse, Cooper explains that they must be going well in the ring and understand how to walk, trot, and canter properly and know how to go forward, how to stop and how to turn. If you can check those boxes, it may be time to introduce your horse to hacking.

“Before going out on a hack you’ll want to have a neck strap or breast collar strap that you can grab if you need to. You’ll also want to have a good babysitter or two if you have help. Have one cotton lead line tied up to the side of the babysitter so if you get into trouble, they can be ponied off the lead horse,” Cooper describes.

Cooper likes to begin in the ring and will have the youngster follow the babysitter out of the ring. “Be sure to keep your first hack local to his or her surroundings and to always do less rather than more. If you have a second horse, they should follow behind the young horse so they feel confident in the fact that they have plenty of company.”

A few issues that you may run into on your horse’s first hack is that they stop going forward. Cooper explains, “Before going on a hack make sure your horse is accustomed to having a crop or whip used on them. If they stop moving you’ll want to tap them with the whip to move forward. If that still doesn’t work, have the horse behind them come in front to encourage them or put them on a pony rein with your lead rope.”

If your horse becomes suddenly nervous, the babysitters should help with that. If they begin to wander and wobble not in straight line, that’s nothing to worry about as long as they continue to move forward.

After a few successful first hacks, ask your horse to be braver. Cooper explains that you can do this by going from two buddies to one and eventually going out by themselves. Ask your horse to go farther away from the barn each time and eventually, start to take them off the property.

Taking your horse on their first hack is the first step to get your horse prepared to compete. Cooper continues, “You want them to have a good first experience and come home confident because ultimately, they’re going to be hacking out by themselves and have to be brave. The idea in our sport that’s asked early on in the Young Event Horse program and then even more so as the horses progress is to go forward, and to go forward bravely without hesitation.”

Courtney Cooper is the head trainer and owner of C Square Farm where she works with her own horses, sales horses, horses in training, as well as teaching students of all levels. She is well versed in training horses of all ages and experiences including: halter breaking foals, ground driving and backing youngsters, and training horses on the flat and over fences in all disciplines and levels. Cooper has received many accolades in the eventing world including a completion at the 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event.

To learn more about Courtney and her program, please visit www.csquarefarm.com