Re: Riding Downhill (Long)

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 2/7/99 5:37:49 PM Pacific Standard Time, raymondj@travel-
net.com writes:

<< However, in his very good book, Manual
 of Horsemanship, Harold Black, in discussing the rider's weight
 displacement, states, "In going down, rider is still flexed forward but all
 weight is in the heels.  Now there must be firm contact with the mouth of
 the horse to give him support as he descends and to regulate his speed.  It
 is quite all right for him to ascend at his speed but he must descend at
 yours (italics his).  At any point of his descent you should be able to halt
 him if necessary.  >>

I've got to line up with Karen on this one.  While it is true that you may not
want to lean back, you sure don't want to flex forward, either.  You want to
remain vertical with the world, balanced, just as if you were standing on your
own feet.  If your horse is going down properly, he has his rear end under
him, and his back approximates level--his weight is back, and his front just
steers.  He is easy to stop, because he is balanced.  All you have to do is
sit deeper and squeeze to get him to drive further under himself and stop.  I
use downhills as exercises to help to teach young horses to round their backs
and get their rear ends under them--some certainly do it more easily than
others, but it is a great exercise.

Heidi