WELL HOWARD, I'M NOT LISA OR PHIL, BUT I LIVE IN WEST VIRGINIA. I TRAIN IN AN AREA THAT RESIDENTS REFER TO AS FOOTHILLS, BUT OUT-OF-STATE PARTICIPANTS IN THE DODDRIDGE AND MOUNTAIN STATE RIDES FROM SEVERAL YEARS AGO SWEAR OUR FOOTHILLS ARE MOUNTAINS. HERE'S MY TWO CENTS WORTH. IF THE TRAIL IS A SWITCH-BACK, I KEEP MY HORSE STRAIGHT FOLLOWING THE TRAIL AS IT ZIG ZAGS. IF THE TRAIL IS A STEEP DOWNHILL, I INSIST THE HORSE TRAVEL STRAIGHT DOWN THE TRAIL. THINK ABOUT THE MECHANICS OF THE WHOLE SITUATION. REMEMBER ALL THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SHOEING AND THE APPLICATION OF BORIUM. THE HORSE'S FOOT SHOULD NOT "GRAB" WHEN IT IMPACTS THE GROUND, BUT SHOULD HAVE A BIT OF MOVEMENT. IF THE FOOT SLIDES SOMEWHAT ON FLAT GOING, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GRAVITY IMPACTS GOING DOWN A STEEP GRADE. WHEN THE HORSE IS TRAVELING WELL BALANCED STRAIGHT DOWN THE HILL, HE MAY SLIDE A BIT MORE THAN ON THE FLAT, BUT HE'LL HAVE NO PROBLEM MAINTAINING HIS FOOTING. ON THE OTHER HAND, IF HE'S TRAVELING DOWN A STEEP HILL SIDEWAYS AND HE BEGINS TO SLIDE, IT'S REALLY EASY FOR THE REAR-END TO GET AHEAD OF THE FRONT END - ESPECIALLY IF THE TRAIL IS WET! MY INEXPERIENCED HORSES TRY TO GO DOWNHILL SIDEWAYS (MUST BE EASIER FOR UNCONDITIONED HORSES), BUT THEY SOON LEARN TO GO DOWN STRAIGHT. LATER, PEGGY (I DON'T LIKE FISH-TAILING IN CARS/TRUCKS EITHER!)
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