trot/canter in the mud

Glenda R. Snodgrass (grs@theneteffect.com)
Fri, 14 Nov 1997 20:10:44 -0600 (CST)

Today Lakota and I went mud-slogging (our only choice for riding after two
days of pouring rain :), and I noticed that when we hit a patch of the
really deep stuff (more than 4") he would speed up from trot to canter,
then slow back down to trot when we got out of the deepest parts. This
caught my attention because Lakota rarely canters as a voluntary exercise
(it's more often a command performance delivered after a few good squeezes
and lots of verbal encouragement :). Is it physically easier for him to
slog through the deep stuff at a canter than a trot, or was this some
psychological exercise for getting out of it faster?

I've often been warned not to canter in the mud, for fear he'll slip and
fall (of course, these warnings come from the same people who say not to
canter on the trail because there are holes, and not to canter on gravel
roads because he might bruise his feet, etc. <g> )

So, is it okay to canter in the mud? Is it easier for him? Is it
dangerous? Is it really good conditioning? (seems like it would be)
It's not like he's not used to going through mud -- down here that's
normal riding conditions. He wears regular steel shoes all the time.

I'm just curious -- as always! <VBG>

Glenda & Lakota (25 down, 1000s to go!)