Get out of the arena and enjoy a change of scenery!
Hacking is a fantastic part of riding at Smugglers Equestrian Centre, giving riders the opportunity to get out and about, enjoy some fresh air and experience riding away from the arena. Whether you fancy booking your own hack, joining one of our regular hacking groups or coming along to one of our special half-term hacks, there are plenty of opportunities to get out and explore.
Fancy a hack? You don't have to wait for a special event! Our one-hour hacks can be booked as and when you want, subject to instructor, horse and route availability. You can book a hack with any of our instructors, making it a great option if you'd like to get out of the arena as part of your regular riding.
Private Hack – £50 One rider with an instructor for one hour.
2 or More Riders – £40 per person
Grab a riding friend and head out together! The pace and route of your hack will be determined by the ability and confidence of the riders, horses, ground conditions, weather and other safety considerations on the day.
Saturdays at 11:00am
Our Kids' Hacking Club gives younger riders the chance to get out of the arena and enjoy riding as part of a group. Hacking is a brilliant way for children to develop their confidence, independence, balance and ability to ride in different environments, while having plenty of fun along the way.
Riders must meet the required grade for the session before booking.
Mondays at 12:00pm Start the week with some time in the saddle!
Our Monday Midday Hacking Group heads out every Monday at 12pm and is perfect for riders who enjoy the social side of hacking. Ride out with other suitable riders, enjoy the countryside and give yourself a much better reason to look forward to Mondays!
Spaces can be booked through our online booking system and riders must be at the appropriate grade for the session.
Keep an eye on our calendar during the school holidays because that's when even more hacking adventures tend to appear!
Throughout half terms and holidays, we regularly add additional hacks including: 🏇 Advanced Kids' Hacks For our more experienced younger riders who are confident riding out.
🐴 Beginner Kids' Hacks:
Giving less experienced children the opportunity to experience hacking at an appropriate level and pace.
🌿 Adult Hacks:
Because the kids shouldn't get all the fun! Our adult hacks are a great opportunity to escape the arena, enjoy some time with the horses and ride with other adults. Dates and availability vary throughout the year, so keep an eye on the What's On calendar in ECPro for upcoming sessions.
🍻 And Sometimes... There's a Cheeky Pub Ride!
Every now and then, we like to make hacking even more sociable...
Enter the Smugglers Pub Ride!
🐴🍻 Our occasional pub rides give suitable experienced adult riders the chance to head out for a longer social ride, with a refreshment stop along the way. These aren't part of our regular weekly timetable, so when one appears on the calendar, you'll want to grab your space!
Riding outside the arena brings different challenges, so safety is always our priority.
Riders are matched with suitable horses and ponies according to their ability, experience, confidence, height and weight.
All riders must wear:
Your instructor will determine the appropriate route and pace for the group. Riders must always follow the instructor's directions while out hacking. Routes, duration and pace may occasionally need to be changed because of weather, ground conditions, traffic, horse welfare or other circumstances outside our control.
A little Welsh weather doesn't necessarily stop the fun! Hacks will usually go ahead where it is safe and appropriate to do so. However, hacking is more dependent on external conditions than arena lessons, so routes or sessions may occasionally need to be changed for safety reasons.
Our regular hacking groups, holiday hacks and special hacking events can be found through the What's On calendar on your ECPro account.
If you'd like to arrange your own one-hour private or shared hack, get in touch with our team and we can look at suitable instructor, horse and time availability. Not sure whether your current riding grade is suitable for a particular hack? Just ask us before booking and we'll point you in the right direction.
🌳 Escape the arena • Enjoy the countryside • Build confidence • Have fun
🐴 Sometimes the best riding lessons don't need four walls!
