As horse riders, we often think of hacking as our rest day or just something to do for fun. But it’s actually a super important part of our horse's training and conditioning routine.
Hacking allows us to take advantage of natural inclines and declines, uneven surfaces and gives us the opportunity to improve our horse's stamina.
So if you want to improve your horse's range of motion, stamina and muscle mass then hacking is going to be an essential part of your horse's conditioning.
SO what are the 3 BEST horse riding routes in Yorkshire?
TransPennine trail offers miles of hacking on a mixture of roads and bridle paths I recommend you use the section between Penistone and Dunford bridge as it offers gentle inclines and both a hard and soft path to give your horse's joints a break or to allow for some faster work.
There are a number of West Yorkshire bridleways that are definitely worth a visit my favourite is at Newmillerdam Country park and allows you to take advantage of the woods meaning that your horses have to negotiate the tree roots improving their proprioception and range of motion.
Beach rides are also a great opportunity to improve your horse's stamina and range of motion. If you want to stay in West Yorkshire take advantage of the water features at your local XC course or you can try lakes and rivers. Just be sure not to ride too long in deep dry sand, as this is much more stressful on your horse's tendons. I recommend you give Fraisethorpe a try I know it's not in West Yorkshire but it's pretty close.
For more free horse-riding routes in Yorkshire check out:
Horse trekking is the perfect all in one exercise for our horse's. Walking over different surfaces improves their proprioception and range of motion, this is how much each joint flexes and extends.
If we take advantage of hills on our riding routes we’re really engaging our horse's core, and strengthening our horse's limbs too.
Which riding route are you going to try first?
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