Well, everyone has their own definitions within the horse world. Whenever I hear someone refer to taking their horse out “hacking,” I don’t think of it in the same way as a real trail ride.
To me, “hacking” is like riding a horse down a wide, well-groomed dirt, gravel or grassy road or path. Or around the perimeter of a farm or through a field. They may just go at a relaxed walk with some trotting, or they may spend time doing flat-work exercises similar to what they’d do while riding in an arena. I think of “hacking” as a ride that lasts an hour or two.
Trail riding, to me, involves going “off the beaten path” a little more, longer time in the saddle and covering a bit more distance. The trails are more “natural” and trail-like with water crossings, natural obstacles, climbing and descending hills, navigating and picking their way through areas with tricky or slick footing.
Of course, it could all just be a matter of using different terminology, and that’s fine as well. I’m not about to get into a discussion about who the “toughest” or “best” riders are, or which discipline is the “best,” because those types of debates just go on forever and no one ever agrees anyway.:winkgrin:
