Cantering on grass verges

[Elf On A Shelf]

I do regularly on one of the work horses. He can't keep up in trot as he is so stiff and scratchy pulling out he has learnt that so long as he is careful and stays on the verge he can canter up them. He is not spooky in the slightest and breaks into a trot 2 strides before coming back onto the road. He also knows where all of the drainage ditches are and which ones he can jump. He is a total dude!

I don't do it on any others as I have no need to. I have gone cantering sideways along some sometimes when the horse I am on is being a pillock but that doesn't count!

 

[HashRouge]

Wish I had your horses! Mine would spook at pheasant, paper bags etc

To be fair, I think most horses would spook if a concealed pheasant flew out from more or less under their hooves! It's not the sort of thing you can train for, and goodness knows it makes me jump when they wait until you're almost on top of them before flying off! Obviously some people have perfect horses, but for the rest of us mere mortals it's worth bearing in mind!

As for chinooks, I imagine that you can hear them coming from a way off so it's not quite the same

 

[soapy]

I do. On verges I know. Especially when they've been cut. Horse kind of insists on it!

 

[joosie]

I make a habit of it with my mare. Nowhere else to canter anyway!
https://youtu.be/ncjai6vcFjQ

 

[rachk89]

To be fair, I think most horses would spook if a concealed pheasant flew out from more or less under their hooves! It's not the sort of thing you can train for, and goodness knows it makes me jump when they wait until you're almost on top of them before flying off! Obviously some people have perfect horses, but for the rest of us mere mortals it's worth bearing in mind!

As for chinooks, I imagine that you can hear them coming from a way off so it's not quite the same

No it is pretty difficult to train for that. My horse even spooked when a kid went around the edge of the arena behind the fence pushing a toy pram. He couldn't see the kid all he could hear was rustling so he panicked a bit. I did manage to stop him bolting though at least and got him out of the arena while the parents went and told the kid off for doing that. They did apologise too as they had told him to stay away from the arena but he wouldn't listen.

My mum said my horse was naughty but I pointed out to her that he couldn't see the kid and he heard was rustling behind the fence. To him that's a predator. Same with the pheasant basically he doesn't know what it is when stuck in a fence or it flies out at him.

I think it's easy to forget what horses can be like when they see new things if they are older and have seen a lot already. My horse is young and hasn't experienced much but he does try to be brave. Instinct will take over though now and again which is when I wish I had glued myself to the saddle. He isn't the easiest horse to ride at the best of times going faster makes every thing bouncier. Almost slid off when he spun at the pheasant I managed to cling onto his neck.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I used to do it when I was a kid and once the pony got spooked by a lorry tanked off bucking I came off and got my foot stuck in the stirrup and got dragged for quite some time, I think back about it now and realise it could have been a terrible accident I could have been dragged into a main road, so I wouldn't do it now I don't very often ride on roads anyway and not many round here have verges.

 

[limestonelil]

I make a habit of it with my mare. Nowhere else to canter anyway!
https://youtu.be/ncjai6vcFjQ

Love the videos - she has very expressive ears!!

 

[asterope]

I make a habit of it with my mare. Nowhere else to canter anyway!
https://youtu.be/ncjai6vcFjQ

That's a really good verge to canter down - flat, clear, with good visibility and plenty of room away from the road to move into in an emergency. I really like what I can see of your horse too - lovely ears!!

 

[joosie]

Yes, big expressive donkey ears, constantly on the move! She is awesome to hack and bitless too, we hack in a scawbrig and her brakes are excellent, in fact she usually pulls up from my voice alone.

 

[Tyssandi]

Saw a lady recently cantering up a narrow grass verge alongside a road.
It looked a bit dangerous. Do people still do this?
I'd have thought that due to the danger of rubbish in the grass etc and also the danger of passing traffic and spooking out its a little irresponsible.

Yes I have done it in the past and depending on the verge I would do it again, as some of ours are very wide.

 

[debbielinder]

Yes i do with mine only on certain ones that i know well, probably my inner child coming out as i learnt to ride on the roads, a few years ago now, that's where we had to canter! Would only do it on my horses not one i didn't know.