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- Thread starter Horsey person23
- Start date
I canter downhill but my mare isn't downhill. I would certainly avoid it while you have a tripping issue, get him as balanced as possible and working as uphill as he can before you try it. As for getting in a habit, just make sure you don't canter up every hill, don't always start at the very bottom and finish at the very top, if you keep it varied he should realize that he's only allowed to do it when you ask.
The thing that would worry me more than the conformation is the tripping, I would not want to canter downhill on a horse that was prone to doing that.
Can you only ride on site? I would have thought the obvious answer would be to take him elsewhere to canter if you can and also to have a bit more variety.
I take it this is your older lad from the descriptions in your other post? If so I would wonder if the tripping is a warning of some arthritis or stiffness developing, in which case I wouldn't want to add to the strain by cantering downhill unless it really is the slightest of inclines. If his field is on a slope does he canter downhill through choice in there, and if so how does he cope?
Can you only ride on site? I would have thought the obvious answer would be to take him elsewhere to canter if you can and also to have a bit more variety.
I take it this is your older lad from the descriptions in your other post? If so I would wonder if the tripping is a warning of some arthritis or stiffness developing, in which case I wouldn't want to add to the strain by cantering downhill unless it really is the slightest of inclines. If his field is on a slope does he canter downhill through choice in there, and if so how does he cope?
Downhill is often a difficult for a horse at any gait. The steeper the downhill the harder it is for them.
Re the tripping issue. It maybe because your horse is just lazy or riding on his front end rather than driving with his back legs as the impulsion. Have you had him checked for injuries or has he hock/lameness issue. My horse has had a hock injury and unfortunately he is not sound. But the vet says hes better to be ridden and his injury should come good with time. Because of this injury he is over compensating for the pain in his back end and trips on his fronts. His hock injury also makes it even more uncomfortable when we trot or canter downhill. His movement can be more lumpy than smooth.
Re the tripping issue. It maybe because your horse is just lazy or riding on his front end rather than driving with his back legs as the impulsion. Have you had him checked for injuries or has he hock/lameness issue. My horse has had a hock injury and unfortunately he is not sound. But the vet says hes better to be ridden and his injury should come good with time. Because of this injury he is over compensating for the pain in his back end and trips on his fronts. His hock injury also makes it even more uncomfortable when we trot or canter downhill. His movement can be more lumpy than smooth.
I would work on getting your horse in better self carriage and self balance before attempting to canter downhill. My boy is naturally on the forehand & we can canter downhill now, but it took lots of work.
I ditto chunky monkey re: tripping - I'd want a veterinary investigation before assuming he's 'just'laxy with his feet.
I ditto chunky monkey re: tripping - I'd want a veterinary investigation before assuming he's 'just'laxy with his feet.
I had to look up agistment. Here in the UK it means taking money for pasturing animals, is it the same where you are in the US?
I’m in australia. Agisting just means to keep your horse on another site, our agistment is free, it’s on a property owned by an elderly lady with no animals and she can’t mow the lawn.
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