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Re: [RC] Tripping (was: Gaited horses-downhll) - Dyane SmithKat said: Training a horse (and learning as a rider) to go downhill "at speed" is one of the best exercises for ensuring that a horse does not fall when it trips, and therefore dramatically DECREASES your chances of getting hurt...and not just going down hill. The trick in teaching the exercise is to develop the skill over time...AND, like any other skill, to consistently practice it. Horses (and riders) that regularly work in a balanced and controlled manner at speed downhill are the least likely to injure themselves or their riders, as they have the most experience at and have developed the best muscles for not allowing "gravity to take over." The operative words here being balanced and controlled. Doing the exercise without balance and control is totally counter-productive. As one who is no great trainer, my own method was to be very reluctant to let my horse trot downhill. He just sort of kept pushing his nose under the tent until he had me convinced he could do a safe and very fast downhill scrabble. It's not like a trot. It's very balanced and feels like gaited horses look. I don't have a picture of him doing it under saddle, but the one picture I do have of him coming down hill on his own, he looks strange. Dyane =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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