Re: RC: Up Hill or Down

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 1/9/00 9:02:30 AM Pacific Standard Time, Tivers@aol.com 
writes:

<< Actually, descending is harder on the horse, especially if it is done 
under 
 rider and at any kind of speed. >>

Metabolic parameters suggest otherwise (HR recoveries, CRI's, etc.), but 
going downhill properly is a learned skill for many horses.  Cliff Lewis did 
a great article many years ago called "Rocks, Downhill, and Darkness:  A Fat 
Man's Secret Weapons."  He did several trials on the same trail--long logging 
road, AIR, so that they could haul to the top some days and travel down, and 
ride up on other days--he and a runner friend would do the course with the 
runner friend leading one horse and Cliff riding the other.  On other days, 
they would switch horses.  He found recoveries when they went up to be 
markedly different with the ridden horse usually taking several minutes more 
than the led horse to recover, whereas recoveries when they went down were 
much faster and virtually the same for the ridden horse vs. the led horse.  
I've kept an eye on this with my own horses for several years, and have found 
his pattern to be pretty accurate.  Hence, my MO is to keep the speed up 
going down, passing as many horses as possible (as others get off and lead), 
and still being able to recover virtually immediately upon reaching a check.  
Granted, this takes more fitness of the musculature in the back of the thigh 
as well as an ability to round the back, so the horse MUST do this at home in 
training to get those specific muscles fit.

As to Phil's original question as to which way to run the loop--it will have 
different challenges each way, so there would likely be merit in either 
direction.  Tough choice without actually seeing the trail.  I find, though, 
that if it is REALLY steep, the riders are more apt to complain if they have 
to go down, because many of them are not skilled at going downhill or taking 
a horse downhill properly.  The excessively long backs in some of the modern 
Arabs (spinoff from the halter ring) also puts those individuals at a 
disadvantage going downhill because they have difficulty rounding--but then 
that gives an advantage to the rider who has had the smarts to select a horse 
with good conformation.  Of course, as a rider who thrives on downhill, I 
LOVE the managers that do that, because it gives those who actually TRAIN 
their horses an advantage over those who only condition.

Heidi


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