INSTRUCTORS HORROIBLE LESSONS TO COME

Question

ok, I have a really good pony. She is 14.2 hands high and shes very sweet about everything except cantering. ( we are still working on both of us cantering) And like my one blog said I am overweight for her so my instructor is putting me throught riding boot camp on my horse and another horse.. :( Hes a really well trained QH who does everything. just really badly out of shape. SO theirs this really steep hill that she is going to make me walk up then trot up two or three times and then canter up. My biggest fear is are the horses going to loose their footing its grass in most areas and thiers stones on like a trail type. we use this path for our four-wheeler. Also with my mare will it help her get off her fore hand because she has to use her back end to push?

Answer 1

Hill work is great.  It helps with muscling and it does help get their hind end under.  Don't worry too much about slipping.  Horses have excellent footing.  My horses and I love to gallop up and down the hills.  Its scary because he does have good footing at high speeds, I watched someone else do it on him, she didn't want to speed down the hill, but that's what he did, and it looked so dangerous.  But you have to trust your horses.

Answer 2

Seriously don't worry about horses and their footing.  For the most part they are the most surefooted animals that I know.  If she's outta condition then the exercise can only do her good.

Answer 3

Running horses uphill is much less dangerous than running them downhill... even if they stumble they don't have a lot of momentum, so it's easier for them to catch their footing.  

You'll probably find cantering up more comfortable than trotting up to be honest!  Lean forward a little bit, both to make it easier on your horse and make it less likely she'll take you off guard with any large strides forward.  Your instructor will guide you for the rest :)

Answer 4

Well, just be ready for something like that to happen. It most likely will not, because horses are used to bad footing and stuff like that if they were in a herd in the wild. But just always be ready for the unexpected.

While your going up the hill, it will help the horse and you to lean forward a little bit to get off of her back while she is trying to climb, also it will make you not fall off the back. When going down, lean back. It will get you off of her front, which would of made you fall of her front or her roll forwards because she has all the weight on her neck and front back.  

Answer 5

wow, i love how this new one adds in the edits!!!! cool!

anyway, the horse will take care of itself, you have to take care of yourself.

he will be fine but if you fall off, that can hurt so concentrate on what your being asked to do and not on the horses feet.

look at event riders, do their horses loose their feet? and im sure they deal with more chalenging stuff than cantering along grass lol so just concentrate on your riding.

gppd luck.  

Answer 6

dont worry about the horses footing. its VERY rare for a horse to loose its footing on a non-icey hill.

i dunno about your trainer, though...going up a hill with an out of shape horse and such, it doesn't sound too good for the horse....

Answer 7

My experience is that if the horse can walk up the incline without losing it's footing, it can canter it even better.  And trotting it is the worst...I always prefer cantering up, and so do the horses.  I doubt your instructor would send you up an incline that is too steep to be safe for both you and your horse.

The only concern I have is that you say you 4-wheel on the hill...are there ruts that the horse could get caught up in?  that would make it dangerous for cantering.