Schooling your horse is fundamental to a happy, confident relationship, whether you choose to compete or solely hack, writes Emily Bevan.Ensuring that your horse has goodfundamental training and can performbasic lateral movements such asleg-yield and shoulder-in will proveadvantageous not just in a dressagetest, but also when hacking or beingridden in a field as you work towards your #Hack1000Miles target.To be safe out hacking horses need tohave balance, be able to perform decenttransitions, listen to the leg and acceptthe contact, says international eventrider Vittoria Panizzon. If a car iscoming, you dont want your horsespinning into the road or not stoppingand ploughing through the bridle at ajunction.International showjumper YazminPinchen adds: You may need to turn intight areas or go through gates, and soyou need your horse to move away fromyour leg correctly.If any of my horses spook atsomething ahead I flex their head in theopposite direction and use my leg tokeep them looking away from whatthey are spooking at. Its helpful to beable to negotiate a situation usingdifferent flatwork aids.Flatwork is basic, and so if it is ignoredthen problems out hacking will inevitably occur in oneform or another.More pleasurable to rideTraining your horse doesnt need to becomplicated, stressful or difficult, and itdoesnt need to take place in an arena.Incorporating simple exercises when youare out hacking or riding in the field canhave a big impact on your horsesbalance, obedience and way of going,and make him more pleasurable to ride.When Im out hacking, I ensure myhorses are in free walk so they are activebut have length of neck, and I do atransition every time I get to a junction,so they have to collect and listen to theseat and leg, explains Vittoria.I am constantly teaching them togo correctly so I have better controland their brain is focused. Because Ihack constructively some horses mayonly need to school once a week in thearena or field.Hacking or riding in a field can be agood opportunity to practise schoolingmovements as the horse is thinkingforward, between the hand and leg, andgoing in a straight line. It is also a lesspressured environment than an arena.Fellow of the British Horse Society andBritish Eventing accredited coach, SamYork, advises: Use lamp posts or trees outriding as transition markers. Halt whenyou get to one, count to 10 and then moveon. Take what you have learnt in theschool outside and be creative.Further readingBored of round the block? Four ways to find new hacking routesWhy wearing the colour red could play a part in safer hacking10 tips for training your horse to open gates out hackingThe post Why schooling is fundamental to a confident relationship so you both enjoy hacking appeared first on Your Horse.