Re: RC: Up Hill or Down

["Frank Mechelhoff" <fmechelh@c-s-k.de>]

Tivers@aol.com wrote:

> All I need is a single picture of one competent
> horse/rider combo going downhill at a trot and the argument is over. Have at
> it. Talk is cheap.

Thanks for the interesting discussion again, may I click in here?

I have seen many pictures horses trotting downhill 25 degrees with backline 25
degrees downhill, too. No one was with backline 12,5 degrees, 6 degrees, or
level. So I would be interested on a photo (better: a series from a motor
camera) of that too!!!

Think about: At a trot hindlimb and diagonal frontlimb hits the ground at the
same time on a changing basis - so without interferring a more or less level
back is hard to achieve for the horse except it starts to move on the hindlimbs
like a bear, as Truman states.
There are horses who are skilfull (or experienced) going downhill at a trot, and
some are not. The first type raises its head and engage their hindquarter a bit
more, therefore gives their riders the impression of a more "level backline". I
own this type, too, but I think this is a deception. Allways be cautious to fit
phyisics to horseman's experience. Especially static physics which does no good
here.

All pay the price for the highspeed downhill, skillfull or not, sooner or later.
Some in the hindend, many in the frontend (as Barbara states). Maybe there are
some single happy one. Downhill speed is cheap short-term, therefore you see a
lot of downhill-racing on competitions, yes. I've been passed a lot riding low
degrees downhill in recent years, but I allways tried to collect the horse and
put a little bit on the brakes. I cannot remember a single horse passing me
downhill that was somewhat collected, or at the rein. The're simply blasting
down. Many of them were only able to pass me downhill. Some were lame at next
vetcheck. It can be done with short-legged nordland ponies. They are tougher,
and slower uphill or on level ground than all other breeds. From the experience
I made here, going downhill is the easiest way to recongnize some sense of
responsibility in the rider: They step on the brake a little..

As humans we have NO problems going downhill low degrees, keep our spinal column
upright. More, we have problems to visualize this kind of problem. For the
horse, this is a real one. Kept outside on steep grasslands horses very seldom
use direct ways to come down. The tracks you see after some time are winding
from one end to another. Seen a horse trotting downhill a steep pasture without
rider ? Nope. They prefer to gallop, if they want to go down fast, sometimes
full gallop. In gallop it's better to keep the backline at level for a horse. So
as far as cheap speed and "balance" is concerned, gallop downhill. no joke.

The horse is a product of its training regimen to some point. The horse sees the
decline and thinks "This is disgusting anyway, lets make a fast end of it!!" and
bolts down. cheap speed for the cardiovascular system. But the rider's
responsibility is to make a fast end of such ideas. He is the one who plan,
makes the pace, and thinks long-term, and keeps the horse long-term sound.

The temptation is immense for the rider, and I know it. I would NEVER make any
recommendations for downhill speed in public, and so far, I think Tom's answer
to Heidi is correct. Recommendations like this are dangerous. I also begin to
wonder. It needs long-years ridden experience in mountain terrain for a horse to
start with some very little downhill speed. Not only jumping around in the
pasture. As a ride-manager, I've allways designed courses in our hilly area
without going long downhill phases, especially on hard ground. This is the worst
of all.
Going downhill either very low (hardly visible) degrees, which are possible to
go for a horse without any changes in movement and harmless -- or steep, at a
natural track, which one is better, and faster, to lead than to ride.

regards
Frank Mechelhoff
Schmitten, Germany
- & the Taunus mountain "downhill ponies" (Ligeira and Nataja) -






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