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[RC] Tripping (was: Gaited horses-downhll) - k s swigartTim said: I don't care how balanced anyone claims their horses to be. For personal safety I have decided that I don't like to run my horses down steep descents. No matter how balanced you think your horse is, gravity can take over fast when/if your horse trips. However, a horse is less likely to fall when it trips if it has learned and has the strength to carry more of its weight on its hindquarters. Training a horse (and learning as a rider) to go downhill "at speed" is one of the best exercises for ensuring that a horse does not fall when it trips, and therefore dramatically DECREASES your chances of getting hurt...and not just going down hill. The trick in teaching the exercise is to develop the skill over time...AND, like any other skill, to consistently practice it. Horses (and riders) that regularly work in a balanced and controlled manner at speed downhill are the least likely to injure themselves or their riders, as they have the most experience at and have developed the best muscles for not allowing "gravity to take over." The operative words here being balanced and controlled. Doing the exercise without balance and control is totally counter-productive. kat Orange County, Calif. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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