Hack within the activity of

equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding (Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

commonly refers to one of two things: as a verb, it describes the act of

pleasure riding Pleasure riding is a form of equestrianism that encompasses many forms of recreational riding for personal enjoyment, absent elements of competition. In horse show competition, a wide variety of classes are labeled pleasure classes with judging st ...

for light exercise, and as a breed (Hackney/hack), it is a type of horse used for riding and pulling carriages.Belknap, p. 224 The term is sometimes used to describe certain types of exhibition or

horse show A horse show is a judged exhibition of horses and ponies. Many different horse breeds and equestrian disciplines hold competitions worldwide, from local to the international levels. Most horse shows run from one to three days, sometimes longer ...

classes where quality and good manners of the horse are particularly important.

Etymology

It is believed that word originated from Hackney,

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a historic county in southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the ceremonial county of Greater London, with small sections in neighbour ...

(now absorbed into London), an area where horses were pastured. Historically, the term dates to a time when carriage horses were used for riding. These animals were called "hacks" as a contraction of "hackney", and was originally used to describe an ordinary riding horse, particularly one for hire."Hackney" ''Oxford American Dictionaries'' (Macintosh Widget version) The term also gave a name to a specific

horse breed A horse breed is a selectively bred population of domesticated horses, often with pedigrees recorded in a breed registry. However, the term is sometimes used in a broader sense to define landrace animals of a common phenotype located within a l ...

developed in England, known as the Hackney, a lively riding horse which is noted for its trotting ability and is used today for both riding and

driving Driving is the controlled operation and movement of a vehicle, including cars, motorcycles, trucks, buses, and bicycles. Permission to drive on public highways is granted based on a set of conditions being met and drivers are required to ...

.Belknap, p. 225 The term suggests an animal of good disposition and calm manner, particularly one suitable for an inexperienced or purely recreational rider.

Uses

The verb form "to hack" or "hacking" is associated with

English riding English riding is a form of horse riding seen throughout the world. There are many variations, but all feature a flat English saddle without the deep seat, high cantle or saddle horn that are part of a Western saddle nor the knee pads seen on an ...

and used more often in eastern Canada and the eastern United States than in western North America, where the term

trail riding Trail riding is riding outdoors on trails, bridle paths, and forest roads, but not on roads regularly used by motorised traffic. A trail ride can be of any length, including a long distance, multi-day trip. It originated with horse riding, and ...

is more prevalent. In some places, organized hacks are held, where a group of riders go out together for a short, relatively easy ride, either on their own horses or on rented animals. Such rides are often geared for inexperienced riders."What is Hacking?"
''Rural Sports.'' Web page accessed February 17, 2011 Today, many

grade horse A grade horse is a horse whose parentage is unknown, unidentifiable, or of significantly mixed breeding. This differs from purebred animals of known bloodlines and also differs from deliberately crossbred animals that are produced with an intent o ...

s are suitable for recreational riding as hacks and there is also a market for non-show quality registered horses to be used for hacking. Some show horses that have been retired from competition also are suitable as hacks, as the work is generally not too physically challenging for an older horse or one with minor health issues. A "hack class" in general refers to horse show competition for hack-type horses where they are evaluated on ability to provide a comfortable ride for a person who is riding all day. In Australia, the term "hack" may be used synonymously with "show" in reference to the act of presenting or exhibiting a horse.Belknap, p. 438 In the UK, Canada and Australia, show hack classes are usually divided into different sections based upon the height of the horse or the type of rider who exhibits the horse. Classes may also be scheduled for

sidesaddle Sidesaddle riding is a form of equestrianism that uses a type of saddle which allows female riders to sit aside rather than astride an equine. Sitting aside dates back to antiquity and developed in European countries in the Middle Ages as a way f ...

, educated or pleasure hacks. In the United States, horses compete in various "hack" classes. For example, show hack describes either the horses or a type of horse show class where horses are shown on the flat in

equipment and judged on manners, quality, conformation and way of going. Open "show hack" classes may also be divided by the size of the horse and if it is ridden astride or

Hunter hack Hunter hack is a type of English pleasure class where exhibitors in Hunt seat tack and attire perform on the flat at a walk, trot, canter and hand gallop, and then jump two low fences. The desired horse in this competition is to resemble a quiet, w ...

is a class where horses are shown on the flat but also asked to

jump Jumping is a form of locomotion or movement in which an organism or non-living (e.g., robotic) mechanical system propels itself through the air along a ballistic trajectory. Jump or Jumping also may refer to: Places * Jump, Kentucky or Jump S ...

a small number of fences, usually two. A bridle path hack class is a basic hunter type

English pleasure "English pleasure" is the generic term for a number of different English riding classes seen at horse shows in the United States, where the horse is ridden in either hunt seat or saddle seat tack. In the average English pleasure class, the hor ...

class where jumping is not required.Rule HU 107, Non-rated Classes, USEF Rule Book, 2008 edition

Notes

References

* {{British horses Types of horse

Etymology

Uses

See also

Notes

References