Cantering on hard ground is better than trotting - discuss!

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flyingfeet

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So my dressage instructor that has to brave the outdoor arena at 8am tomorrow when it will be frozen said:

"I read that David Tatlow believes that cantering on hard ground does less damage than trotting"

Now I've always been brought up with the theory that trotting is better than cantering on hard ground.

I'm confused, so what is the consensus?
 
When I was young and misinformed I went everywhere flat out - including cantering on the roads as I was told it was good for their tendons (bearing in mind I had no idea where the tendons even were!)

Vee was PTS about 4 years ago in her mid 30s - it was her teeth that failed her! Her legs were as clean as a whistle.

However I am older and wiser and only ever trot uphill on the roads now
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But when I brought Trooper back into work after breaking his leg my vet told me after the initial walking phase to canter uphill rather than trot on the road.
 
Always trot on the roads, however out hunting my mare will HAMMER along in trot, but sit in a nice steady hand canter and a) keep up better and b) hammer her legs less so we do tend to only walk or canter then.
 
I was led to believe that a hand canter was better than a flat out trot on roads, mostly put in to practise out hunting. Although I don't think I'd fancy either on a frozen arena
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hmmm now would happily agree a steady canter is far less damaging to the legs than a flat out trot but a controlled trot against a controlled canter I'm really not sure.

I suppose I can see the argument for canter on the presumption the horse is carrying its weight behind so off the forehand as the stride is slower and more weight(and therefore concussion) is taken behind and there are generally far less implications with concussion in the hind legs than in the front

BUT if the horse isn't worked in properly and so is heavier in the forehand especially if young/green/unbalanced so that the weight infront I can see canter being worse as would come down with more force in the canter. (I am currently imagining horse in an unbalanced trot and canter
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Cantering gives less concussion than trotting.
Horse was diagnosed with navicular years ago and was told by my vet to canter rather than trot.
Id much rather canter (slowly) on a road say out hunting than a stonking trot which most hunter do.
 
Can i ask daft question? Why does everyone's arena freeze, and yes i know it cold's
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!, technical reason.
Pesonnelly i would cancel lesson, but out in fields this am i was only trotting very collectively ,as IMO too slippy for good trot or canter.
For hard ground ; i would say cantering is less harsh, but would try for nice collective trot would be where i was aiming for. But would also depend on if doing circles in squares in arena or out in field or on road
 
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why risk knackering yourhorse with either?!

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Well I need to ride and the rubber on the arena is not frozen, but the silica sand base is pretty solid. Its actually probably no worse than turf in a hot summer (not that I can remember what a hot summer was like..)

I jumped up and down on it this morning and its still got give, just not as much as normal.
 
cantering is less concussive.
my trainer said that the Prussian army, back in the day, did lots of research into how many of their horses broke down, depending on whether they kept at a canter or trot. trotting caused more breakdowns.
but tbh i wouldn't do either on a semi-frozen school, i do walk work, tons of suppling, sideways, etc etc.
 
I think canter is not as acceptable on roads due to the (I would think) added risk of them slipping? That would bother me more than the concussion really. Also the risk from cars
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Ours do lots of steady road work and I think that is much better than lots of schooling as that imo can lead to more tendon probs.
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I do canter on hard tracks out hacking (kind of compressed gravel, not stoney though) but would never think of cantering on the roads, unlike when I was a child.......
 
Well I have done both, although only canter on hard stuff when hunting, and my horse doesn't DO steady
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To be honest, I'm a little reserved about trotting/cantering on roads doing horses massive damage. Our 28 year old has had a lifetime of hard roadwork and hunting and her legs are fine.
 
Having just ridden on my slightly frozen arena I was happy to do a very slow trot, but I didn't canter. Because a) it wouldn't have been slow, b) I thought there was more chance of her falling over as she did massive leaps around the corners than when she trotted.
 
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Can i ask daft question? Why does everyone's arena freeze

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Generally because there's water in there, mixed in amongst the sand (or whatever surface). The water freezes, and joins together the sand to make the whole lot hard. Waxed surfaces fare better, and freezing cold but very dry weather often gives workable schools as sand alone doesn't freeze.

To answer the original question, Roger Smith (RVC tendon guru) once told me that cantering puts 10 times the forces on the legs as trotting. Concussion is probably a different issue though. Personally I'd do neither, that's the safest way
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although my young age, i have been bought up that you shouldn't canter down roads EXCEPT for hunting. but if you are getting horses fit then trotting is best. i generally dont canter down roads etc. except when i am hunting as i think it puts a lot of shock into their legs, which isnt good so i would think trotting but their are so many factors that it depends on... e.g. how fast you are going, what sort of action etc.
 
I rode today at a very well known place for a uni comp (so not my horse) and the areana was frozen/freezing all day and was hard/slippy. I would not have ridden my horse in those conditions and would def not have jumped. But they always have the option to cancel the comp and its their choice if their horses are ridden etc.
 
I read somewhere that comparatively more horse break down in extended trot than in any other pace. Cannot remember where but it has always stuck with me.
 
Out hunting I canter on the road as my cob just does this huge trot, which I'm pretty sure wouldn't be good for her legs. At college we were taught that it is far less concussive to canter on roads.

Either way my cob is nearly 23 and still going strong in full hard work (touch wood)
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If out hunting I'll always canter on the road - my 13hh pony finds it difficult to keep up anyway, but my 17.2hh I make canter as he has navicular and laminatis, so cantering reduces the concussion on his legs.

I know it sounds a bit odd and the comment about "we'd all be doing it" - it's too dangerous to be doing it on everyday hacks as it's more difficult to pull up for the cars in time, but out hunting it's a different story - 100 horses forces cars to stop for us!!
 
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