Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

Shannon Chastain wrote:
> Question here on the moving out going down hill. My horse loves to go fast down the 
> hills and he is good at it. But, I was at a ride last month and Jim Baldwin was one of 
> the vets he told us Newbies (I have done 4 LD's but always stay for the first time 
> riders lecture from the vets) to go slow and walk the down the hills or we would be 
> looking as some serious injuries. So I guess my question is can you condition your 
> horse to go fast down then hills and reduce the possibilities of the injuries Jim was 
> talking about?

Remember that he was talking to new riders -- hence green horses.  His 
advice was correct for them.  We were talking here about conditioning 
and pacing to Top Ten on 50 mile and up rides, which means horses with a 
sound foundation already built.  I firmly believe that proper 
conditioning for downhills, rocks, and hard surfaces reduces the risk of 
injuries.

> This has been a issue for me since I started I competiting. My main riding buddy walks 
> down all hills when conditioning and at comptitions. Then I was riding with a 
> different friend at a ride and she told me to go fast down the hills, I was confused, 
> still am???
> Shannon and Drinks R Served
> Missouri

"Fast" down hills is a relative term.  My point is that you need to 
condition downhill at speeds at least as fast as those you are going to 
use in competition.  If you are only going to walk down in competition, 
then you can walk down when conditioning.  The same applies to rocks, 
hard surfaces, all of the other conditions you encounter at rides.

I love the fact that my pasture includes a steep, rocky ridge.  The 
horses go up and down it all the time.  If they're on top when I call 
them they'll come galloping down!



--
Joe Long
jlong@xxxxxxxxxxxxx


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