Canter on tarmac - do you?

Everyone is entitled to their onions.

At least the fat lady wasn't riding. We would have needed to get the "10%" Police involved too then.

:D
 
I do a lot of schooling on hacks and regularly ride round the lanes at the yard. I do practice canter transitions in a straight line on the roads and play with the canter, but I don't do it for short bursts and my lad isn't shod.
 
PS, don't canter or slam trot on tarmac though. I think joggers running on roads are nuts so, certainly wouldn't do it to the unshod horses.

I know! Tell me about it.

I heard on Sunday that loads of people went to London just to run 26 miles!!! :eek::eek: On TARMAC!!!! Crazy huh? Whatever next...

People never cease to amaze me :rolleyes:
 
Riders with shod horses are knackering their horses legs, joints and feet, simply because the shock absorbing qualities that are naturally present are destroyed by shoeing.
Argue all you like about it, it is and always will be detrimental.

Agree. And this is why Kal won't be cantering on the road (or any hard ground for that matter, if I can help it). He's already got dodgy front feet, hence the bar shoes . . . don't need to knacker him further ;).

P
 
Being a responsible and conscientious horse owner, I don't canter anywhere, so as to avoid possible injury to my horse or myself.
Falling off hurts, so I stick to walk (or preferably, halt).

Very wise. BUT, even halt might not be safe...

On Sunday, we'd just taken 7 children for a good gallumph around the lanes in the sunshine. All happy and controlled. Then, when we were standing still about to dismount my 7yo daughter's pony spotted a bucket and barged under another's head, taking her off backwards - poor thing's broken her wrist. :o(
 
Good point.

It has been that in endurance that you get slated for not following the gspel according to pony club/bhs etc by those whove not experienced things outside a narrowed mindset. Little things like it is written in stone a horse must not eat for 2 hours before work (with 25-60 minute vet gates it would be impossible to get food in to keep them going), never wash in ice water (great for fast reduction in heart rates on hot days), don't allow to drink before work (so no more watering on course then?), so to have an opposing view about this is really not surprising. IT's about knowing when it is safe to do it, & that involves taking into account the horses build, training, conditioning. One size / rule doesn't fit all. Of course you can have an absolute rule (say I never will do a dressage test because it is tough on a horses joints to do lots of repetative turning on soft surfaces), but it doesn't mean it is corrrect for every horse (of course some horses can cope with the training). That you make a personal choice is based on your own circumstances & experience (I find it hurts to fall on all hard surfaces). The way things move on/progress is by trying new ideas & not being mired in the past because it is an absolute no-questionable rule.
 
Good point.

It has been that in endurance that you get slated for not following the gspel according to pony club/bhs etc by those whove not experienced things outside a narrowed mindset. Little things like it is written in stone a horse must not eat for 2 hours before work (with 25-60 minute vet gates it would be impossible to get food in to keep them going), never wash in ice water (great for fast reduction in heart rates on hot days), don't allow to drink before work (so no more watering on course then?), so to have an opposing view about this is really not surprising. IT's about knowing when it is safe to do it, & that involves taking into account the horses build, training, conditioning. One size / rule doesn't fit all. Of course you can have an absolute rule (say I never will do a dressage test because it is tough on a horses joints to do lots of repetative turning on soft surfaces), but it doesn't mean it is corrrect for every horse (of course some horses can cope with the training). That you make a personal choice is based on your own circumstances & experience (I find it hurts to fall on all hard surfaces). The way things move on/progress is by trying new ideas & not being mired in the past because it is an absolute no-questionable rule.

:):)
 
Interestingly, to the dressage point; one of our ponies, who has hacked quite happily (and cantered) on the roads for years, is a 27yr old dartmoor who was written off as a riding school pony at 4yrs due to OCD in his hock. The only day he showed lame in the last 13 years was 3rd day of pony club following lots of work in circles in the school.
 
Top