ridecamp@endurance.net: Re: [endurance] speed downhill

Re: [endurance] speed downhill

Truman Prevatt (prevatt@lds.loral.com)
Thu, 7 Sep 1995 08:04:04 -0400

>
>We have more serious downhills in N Georgia/ SE Tennessee than you guys do in
>Florida (but also better uphills--- YEEEEEHHAAAA!!!). I am cautious about
>injuring suspensories with fast downhill training. If I understand it
>correctly, suspensory ligaments are not readily conditioned to be stronger in
>the same way that muscles and bone are. That is why I've always heard that
>there are only so many fast downhill miles in a horse so they should not be
>wasted. The thing one would gain by working on downhills would be
>conditioning of the muscles used differently than on the flat or uphills. The
>same muscles should get exercised by walking down steep grades I think.... In
>any case, the horse does need to have done what you expect him to do in
>competition. It's just that with fast downhills, 'a little goes a long way'.
>
>

Yea and that is why I try get up there on at all opportunities and ride.
We don't have serious hills but we do have serious sand ( the Far Out
Forest is 100 miles of Garnitville's worst sand) and going fast in down
hill sand can be a killer. One interensting thing is Misty doesn't trot
(or gallop much) down hill she paces. It is almost a skating gait where
she puts two lateral feet down at a time. It can be very fast, however and
it seems much easier on her (don't know if it is or not) than either a trot
or gallop and it is her downhill gait of perference. I aggree, you need to
do only enough fast down hill so that you can do it without harm.

Truman

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The race is not always to the swift, but to those that keep running.

Truman and Mystic "The Horse from HELL" Storm

prevatt@lds.loral.com - Sarasota, Florida
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