Question about trotting/cantering in a field as opposed to in a sandy arena...?

Question

My class and I (for horseback riding, of course) got to ride out in the field today, still doing our usual stuff though. Two points, sitting trots, posting trots, canters... You know, normal horseback riding stuff. ^.^

But this time it was a lot easier for me to do a sitting trot and sit while I was cantering... Why was that? It's not like someone can get better at that overnight... And I was riding the same horse as usual...

The usual arena we ride in is all sand or something like that. The field we rode in today was covered in grass that was just growing however it wanted to.

I ride English btw.

Answer 1

not an expert..

but...

grass doesn't move under the horse's feet like the fine gravel(not sand) does. that's probably why

Answer 2

From the horses viewpoint, riding out in a field is much more interesting and inviting in terms of going forward, and the footing is much more comfortable, as the grass provides purchase.  From my experience, all horses prefer grass to sand, including race horses and jumpers.

Why it was easier for you to do a sitting trot, I'm not sure, except to conjecture that as the horse was more comfortable moving, the trot and canter were not as elevated, so you weren't bouncing around as much.  Or maybe you didn't have to concentrate on keeping your horse moving forward, though, as you didn't indicate that he was not forward in the arena, this is just a guess.

Answer 3

Horses are usually happier with a change of scenery so it may be that your horse was a little more willing and behaved and more comfortable with his stride than he normally is.

From watching horse racing, I have noticed that there is a difference between how horses move on grass and dirt.  Dirt is usually "faster" than grass.  Horses can run faster on it.  That's because there's a layer of really fine dirt on the top, but then there's really packed down hard dirt right underneath.  On the grass, the surface is more firm, but horses don't run as fast on it because it's kind of squishy-er... their feet don't get down into the hard packed down earth.  If that translates over to the riding arena, it might be that your horse is a little bouncier when you're in the arena because the ground is harder.  It's the difference between you walking on concrete or on grass.  Your upper body probably bounces a lot more on the concrete and you feel the pounding shocks in your legs if you're on the concrete.  When you're on the grass, it's a little softer and squishy so some of the shock is absorbed instead of it reverberating up your body.  It would be the same for a horse.  Harder surface = more shock up the legs = bouncy horse.  Softer surface = less shock, less bouncy.

Answer 4

I know it must have been surprising to be able to learn overnight, but the grass is not the reason you learned so quick. Horses, especially school horses are used to riding in a sand ring because 1. it is safer if you fall off and 2. it won't distract them as grass would. I'm pretty sure that maybe you felt more comfortable, if it was because of a new saddle maybe or just because it was different from what you usually ride. Perhaps you just DID get better overnight. All i can say it that the grass is not the reason. Maybe it's not the ground that changed, maybe it was YOU...