Use the navigation bar above to access articles and more discussions on this topic.
| Author |
Message |
    
Cynthia K. Roddy (Croddy)
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2001 - 11:26 am: |   |
I have three geldings that my husband and I use for trailriding. All of our riding to date has been in south Louisiana where it is very flat. We recently purchased some property in an area that is moderately hilly (elevation change from bottom of hill to top is only 30 ft or so). Does anyone have suggestions on how to (1) condition my boys for uphill/downhill riding and (2) teach them not to "rush" downhill. Also, any hints for myself as a rider? Practically all my riding experience has been on flat land. Thanks in advance!
Cindy |
Tammy Taylor (Taylor)
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2001 - 11:44 am: | |
What has helped me is, while leading my horse, I will walk up and down a hill with him. Up the hill, I will walk at a brisker pace, but once at the top, I will slow considerably and say in a quiet tone "easy". While mounted I will give him his head for balance, but still have contact with his mouth without pulling, but ready to if a rush comes on, and lean back while repeating "easy" until we reach the bottom. Although this doesn't work 100 percent of the time, it has helped me. I started this after my horse rushed a really rocky, uneven downhill and scared the heck out of me. Now, whenever I lead any of my horses downhill, no matter what the grade, I take small steps and go really slow, so they know downhill means slow and careful. This is just a theory of mine, but so far, so good. I'd be interested in hearing anyone elses techniques. Have a great day! |
Sherri L. Hueser (Tangoh)
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2001 - 1:37 pm: | |
We live in a fairly hilly area. Training the horses to walk downhill was harder than to get them to go up hills. If they start to get a little bit in a rush on the way down, "eeeeasy" and a long drawn out "walllllk" are words that work for both our horses, but in the beginning we sometimes would have to turn them and traverse (like a switchback)until they were better conditioned to walk straight down without rushing, constantly reinforcing the words "eeeeasy" and "wallllk". It didn't take long. If they rush...turn them into the hill, stop, regroup and start again, using the verbal commands again. You definitely want to let them have their heads on the way down so you must teach them to walk down without you yankin' on the reins. Remember to lean back on the way down and forward on the way up. I'd take it easy at first too, only one or two hills per session. I remember what it was like when I started on the stair climber. There was a lot of puffing in the beginning. They'll need slow, consistent conditioning to get used to hills. Big wide hills are best for practicing rather than steep paths through trees. Save that for when they know how to walk down slowly. Our horses can spend all day on hills now and wow, is it great for muscle development.
Anyway, that's what worked for us! Good luck! Hills are so much fun! We love 'em. |
Holly Edwards (Hwood)
| | Posted on Friday, Aug 3, 2001 - 7:24 pm: | |
Here in Vermont flat land is at a premium. Boy, would I like to find some!!!
If you are going to pasture your guys on a hilly area, they will do alot of the conditioning themselves just by running around the pasture.
Some hill pointers:
Go straight down the hill, not on a diagonal (if possible) as the danger of the horse slipping/tripping is less.
I don't have trouble with my guys wanting to rush down, but they usually find it easier to rush UP the hill, but for going down, DO keep a light tension on the reins and give little squeezes whenever YOU think the HORSE is thinking about rushing down.
Little squeezes on the reins (to check the horse's speed) accompanied with voice cues or very light leg cues in rhythm with the horse's walk can ask the horse to pick up his feet higher and not drag his toes. A horse that doesn't pick up his feet going down a hill puts himself and his rider in great danger because the ground surface is not a perfectly leveled slope. I'm sorry to say that I know this from personal experience. In fact, I would say that trotting down a hill is usually safer than walking since trotting usually involves a higher lift of the knees and hocks.
DO keep shoulders back behind the hips, but don't grind into the horse's back with your seat. Balance into your thighs and two seat bones.
DON'T look down, but DO look ahead at the ground out front. DO trust your horse to pick his way down the hill since it is often a nervous rider who tries to "help" the horse find the best way down that interferes with the horse's natural balance.
DO have fun  and enjoy the challenges hill riding presents as well as the physical and mental benefits to you and your equines.
Holly |
D. Hembroff (Debh)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Aug 8, 2001 - 2:49 am: | |
Howdy all
The thing I've noticed is that it takes horses awhile to learn to walk down hill with the weight of a rider on their back. It's hard to describe, they seem somewhat stiff legged and this may feel like or even progress to rushing, (to get it over with maybe?). It's easy to create a negative cycle here, horse feels a little off balance maybe nervous, rider becomes tense and nervous, making the horse more nervous...
What I would suggest is to school the horse well on half halts and halts on the flat, then quietly ask for half halts while walking straight down shallow hills. In time they will learn to use their hind end more and be more comfortable carrying your weight down hill. It's hard to describe but you will be able to feel the difference. Then try some steeper hills, it will not take long for them to figure out how to carry you, some seem to need a little help though.
Happy trails
D. |
Holly Zukowski
Member
Username: Cowgrl
Post Number: 2
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, Mar 18, 2004 - 4:22 pm: | |
Hello,
I have to disagree with Holly Edwards about going straight down hills. Weaving back and forth down the hill (and up) is easier for the horse and if you give him a loose rein to pick his way, the horse will instinctively go back and forth on his own. My horses automatically switchback going up and down hills unless the terrain is such that it would be dangerous (too sandy, large rocks to walk over, narrow trails, etc.)
Here's trail tip: When climbing a long hill, take breaks so he can catch his breath and when you do, turn him sideways in the trail. Standing mostly level to rest will help him recover faster. If you do this for all your "blow" stops, the horse will soon learn to turn sideways on his own.
Training for trail just takes lots of wet saddle blankets just give him plenty of time to get in condition. Also, when going down hills, stay over his center of gravity. Leaning back puts a lot of weight on his hindquarters and will tire him out quickly. Keeping your weight centered will keep his hindquarters free so he can easily drop them down to negotiate the downhill.
Have fun!
Cowgrl
|
Holly Wood
Member
Username: Hwood
Post Number: 477
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Friday, Mar 19, 2004 - 2:09 am: | |
Welcome, Holly Z.
As it was told to me, and as I've experienced it first hand, on STEEP HILLS, horses have less chance of tripping if they sit down and go straight down the hill. That way, they aren't on the forehand and are balancing on their haunches. On hills that aren't steep, maybe it doesn't matter as much, although I have been rolled over on a medium grade hill before.
I had an Arabian with a damaged shoulder, and always zig-zagged him down the hills as it seemed to make him more comfortable. |
Colleen Goolsby
Member
Username: Goolsby
Post Number: 151
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Sunday, Mar 21, 2004 - 10:13 pm: | |
My horses tend to go straight down a hill and seem to be comfortable doing so. I usually let them pick their course unless they do something stupid. One horse I used to ride would stop and turn around and try to back down every hill. My appy/quarter is like a goat and tries to go fast down hill. The first time we went down a steep rocky hill I was terrified. She slung her head and I lost the riens. All I could do was keep seated and talk to her to slow down. That was many years ago. Now i still have to hold her back and repeat tippy toe tippy toe to get her to slow down where I am comfortable. She has never stumbled tho. My saddle mare goes very slow downhill picking each step carefully. I think it best on rugged ground to let them decide.
As for up hill, my mares also go straight up, running if you let them. usually I dont, but sometimes for fun we race up the gas lines. There are spots that dip and I have almost come undone going air borne over these dips. We dont push them to do it. acutually have to hold them back, but they know it is the way home and suddenly they have all this new found energy.
Colleen |
Holly Z.
Member
Username: Cowgrl
Post Number: 101
Registered: 3-2004
| | Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 1:27 pm: | |
So is it also your view that going straight down is better than long easy switchbacks when negotiating a long steep hill? Have you spent a lot of time riding in the backcountry? If you have, you know that mountain trails can be very rocky and are rarely straight down. The horses have to pick their way over and around obstacles and through brush for miles sometimes. All of this while on a 30 degree angle downhill. Their whole body is working to stay balanced and I have nothing but respect for a horse that can do this day in and day out as it is extremely tiring. Of course safety is very important. I wouldn't let a horse sidehill if it wasn't safe for him to do so. Just the other day I was riding in an area of steep hills and my mustang automatically started to weave back and forth on his way down. Now if a mustang that lived a good portion of his life in the wild thinks traversing is the best way, than I'm not going to argue with him - unless it's not safe.
There's one trail that comes to mind over at Mt. Rainier that was very rocky and led straight down. I was leading a group of riders on our club's annual women's ride and were dropping down this hillside. The horses were picking their way down and doing fine but the people on their backs were basket cases. Half of them got off an led them down even though that is by far the most dangerous thing to do. This trail like I said was very rocky and the horses were sliding on the rocks on their way down. If their horse had a bad slip or tried to go fast, the horse would have landed on them or knocked them over. I told everyone to stay on their horse, it's the safest place when negotiating a steep downhill. Fortunately it was short hill so we didn't have any mishaps.
It's not my intent to be confrontational but I'm just playing devil's advocate and want to find out if more people think staight down is the way to go.
Holly |
Holly Wood
Member
Username: Hwood
Post Number: 480
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, Apr 6, 2004 - 2:54 pm: | |
Trails are trails . . . follow them.
Going straight down a steep hill, it is best to have the horse on his haunches and sit centered with shoulders back. Of course, if there is a rock, tree or other obstacle in the way, the horse will have to negotiate it and pick its way around, but anytime a horse is sideways on a hill, the risks of tripping, sliding and rolling are greater. Horses don't want to trip and fall any more than we do, and will do their darnedest to avoid it. |
