Cantering on the road

[maggiestar]

I was always taught that this was a big no no. We walked and trotted but never cantered (at least not intentionally!)
Today I saw two women in a buggy trotting at speed downhill on a main road followed by a young girl on horseback who was doing a very nice controlled canter after them. It seemed so strange to see someone cantering on the road! And then I wondered why we think it's bad to canter but not to trot. After all, trotting on tarmac could hurt their legs and feet as much as cantering. Perhaps it's a road safety convention. Thoughts?

 

[MuddyMonster]

I've heard that providing the horse is well balanced, it can be less concussion & jarring than trotting.

I'm fairly certain David Marlin suggests 5 minutes maximum of trotting - so trotting can still be concussive.

I mainly just walk on roads (unless to get out of traffic's way) but I have so much off road hacking I don't need to use the sections of roadwork I do for anything other than looping a longer ride together.

 

[Peglo]

I was always told it was a big no too but I see a lot of people canter/galloping on hard dirt tracks and roads on SM and it made me cringe a bit but maybe it’s not as bad as I thought.

 

[Michen]

When I was hunting I would always pop my horse into a steady collected canter rather than a pounding trot. Felt it was better for his joints/feet.

 

[I'm Dun]

I'm fairly certain David Marlin suggests 5 minutes maximum of trotting - so trotting can still be concussive.

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

 

[Mule]

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

My farrier advises against trotting on roads too. That may be because mine is thin soled and has to be careful in general. I don't know if he advises similar for all horses.

 

[maggiestar]

It's an interesting thought isn't it? I've always felt that canter was more gentle than trot. I wonder if we're taught to abstain on the roads for safety?

 

[TheMule]

Full force of the horse down just 1 leg rather than 2 (3 beat vs diagonal pairs) but a slow canter is probably going to exert less force than a brisk trot so the difference probably isn't huge.

 

[MuddyMonster]

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

I sit on the fence too. I know people that have done lots of trotting and cantering on roads with seemingly ill effects so ... ?‍

I don't trot (or canter) mine on roads as I'm paranoid about extra concussion for him. I have plenty of off road tracks with softer surfaces for fitness & faster work so have no need to do anything other than walk on roads mainly.

 

[Mule]

Has anyone seen that Zendaya ad where she's galloping on the road and up steps? I always cringe, not because of the horses joints but because I envisage her and the horse having an horrendous accident.

 

[TheMule]

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

Really? It’s based on pretty basic, easily proven science! 'Old fashioned methods' were generally not, hence why they are outdated now and we have different, and better, ways of managing our horses.

 

[lannerch]

Really? It’s based on pretty basic, easily proven science! 'Old fashioned methods' were generally not, hence why they are outdated now and we have different, and better, ways of managing our horses.

You say this but my vet ( a top very well known vet ) recommended I did all my rehab work when my horse did his suspensories and a collateral ligament on tarmac, which meant slowly building up to 20 minutes trotting on the road .

 

[I'm Dun]

Really? It’s based on pretty basic, easily proven science! 'Old fashioned methods' were generally not, hence why they are outdated now and we have different, and better, ways of managing our horses.

Yes really. He does tend to manipulate the way he presents things to suit his own agenda. I've never bothered to look into it too deeply though. I would struggle hugely to get horses fit without trotting on the road and so far have never had any issues from it, nor seen any, so I'm obviously biased the other way.

 

[TheMule]

Yes really. He does tend to manipulate the way he presents things to suit his own agenda. I've never bothered to look into it too deeply though. I would struggle hugely to get horses fit without trotting on the road and so far have never had any issues from it, nor seen any, so I'm obviously biased the other way.

The affects of concussion are so well researched and it's really hard to see what 'agenda' he could possibly have re trotting on the roads?!

I actually did a year of equine locomotor biomechanics at university- it's simple physics. Force on a hard surface = concussion. Useful for a bit of bone strengthening as part of a fittening program, good surface for soft tissue structures to avoid twisting/ uneven forces (so long as the road isn’t cambered), indisputably bad for joints.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

It does contradict old fashioned methods but he also explains why. Bone density, tendons etc. Once you realise why ( the belief back then) you were advised years ago to trot on roads and the findings now then 5 mins seems a good thing!!

 

[Sossigpoker]

Yes really. He does tend to manipulate the way he presents things to suit his own agenda. I've never bothered to look into it too deeply though. I would struggle hugely to get horses fit without trotting on the road and so far have never had any issues from it, nor seen any, so I'm obviously biased the other way.

You might not see the damage until years later in the form of arthritic changes and "side bone".

 

[Tiddlypom]

The average hunter lasts 3 seasons here before it's knackered, as said to me by an equine professional who also hunts. The regular pounding on the slippery roads - the fast unbalanced butcher's boy trot and canter - won't help in keeping them sound.

 

[ycbm]

The average hunter lasts 3 seasons here before it's knackered, as said to me by an equine professional who also hunts. The regular pounding on the slippery roads - the fast unbalanced butcher's boy trot and canter - won't help in keeping them sound.

I think hunting is desperately straining in many ways, though. You check, stand around, in winter temperatures, and go straight back into gallop without a warmup. I always felt that was a recipe for disaster with tendons and ligaments.

The road pounding out hunting is dreadful for joints and I agree with Michen that I'd rather canter.
.

 

[Michen]

Yeh hunting used to make me cringe tbh. I don’t trot on roads with either horse unless they are unshod or booted (and I’m not even sure if boots are less concussive than shoes but in my head it makes sense). And neither do more than a few min really up a hill even in those circumstances.

I would love to do a full season hunting on Bog again but he’s so precious, I want him sound and happy for years to come so the odd bit of autumn hunting has to do for us both.

full on hunting is, IMO, a way to knacker a good horse.

 

[ycbm]

You say this but my vet ( a top very well known vet ) recommended I did all my rehab work when my horse did his suspensories and a collateral ligament on tarmac, which meant slowly building up to 20 minutes trotting on the road .

He will have wanted that for the firm surfaces and support.

I also think it's all very well for scientists to know the concussion forces from trotting on roads, but are they worse than the damage to ligaments and tendons from circling on arenas, especially if the arena surface isn't 100% (and how many are?).

And are fit horses less likely to injure themselves that unfit ones? And if so is it safer to get a horse properly fit with only arena work, or by trotting it on roads if that's all you have available as an alternative?

Anecdotally, I feel as if I'm hearing of a lot more horses of 6 and 7 written off with arthritis than in the days when it was routine to trot for very long stretches on roads.
.

 

[brighteyes]

The affects of concussion are so well researched and it's really hard to see what 'agenda' he could possibly have re trotting on the roads?!

I actually did a year of equine locomotor biomechanics at university- it's simple physics. Force on a hard surface = concussion. Useful for a bit of bone strengthening as part of a fittening program, good surface for soft tissue structures to avoid twisting/ uneven forces (so long as the road isn’t cambered), indisputably bad for joints.

Was any part of that research split or especially focusing on the difference (levels of concussion) between shod and unshod hooves?

 

[lannerch]

I think hunting is desperately straining in many ways, though. You check, stand around, in winter temperatures, and go straight back into gallop without a warmup. I always felt that was a recipe for disaster with tendons and ligaments.

The road pounding out hunting is dreadful for joints and I agree with Michen that I'd rather canter.
.

Not just the road pounding also the setting off in gallop and jumping in green but deep wet heavy going

 

[SantaVera]

it aint the 'unting on the'ills that 'urts the 'orses 'ooves but the 'ammer'ammer'ammer on the 'ard 'igh roads.

 

[I'm Dun]

And are fit horses less likely to injure themselves that unfit ones? And if so is it safer to get a horse properly fit with only arena work, or by trotting it on roads if that's all you have available as an alternative?
.

I opt for the latter every time. I think work on a surface is far more damaging than road work, done appropriately on healthy feet. I havent had a school for years so school on grass which I'm sure helps. Nothing about riding horses is without risk though. You have to mitigate that risk as best you can and then cross your fingers and hope for the best as sometimes they just break anyway!

Mine arent shod, but I think he said that didnt make much difference, but I could be wrong on that. I read it a few years back, thought about it for a while and opted to carry on as I am because it works for me and my horses.

 

[Highmileagecob]

it aint the 'unting on the'ills that 'urts the 'orses 'ooves but the 'ammer'ammer'ammer on the 'ard 'igh roads.

Nice one Jorrocks!
We also have to remember that when the advice was first mooted, tarmac hadn't been invented. Roads were paved with granite setts, or cobbled, and were incredibly slippy. Also, there was another safety aspect too. There were far more horses on the roads, and one horse breaking into canter seems to signal others to join in - think of the disrupted lessons when someone thrashes past the group and everyone else scatters! Personally, it was drummed into me from the age of four that you never ever canter on the road, so I suppose I won't be breaking ranks any time soon!

 

[Jellymoon]

I think it’s makes sense to do a bit on a variety of different surfaces, but not too much on any one type of ground, depending on what you do with your horse. I therefore do a bit of trotting on the roads, mainly uphill, but not too much. I only canter on the roads if I have no choice out hunting, but I don’t do a full season anyway, I buy tickets and pick the better going.

 

[Widgeon]

Mine prefers a steady slow canter uphill on roads - he'll choose it in preference to trotting. I've always stopped him doing this, but after reading this thread perhaps I should just go with it!

 

[TheMule]

Was any part of that research split or especially focusing on the difference (levels of concussion) between shod and unshod hooves?

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10659261/

 

[southerncomfort]

Re the concussion thing....does this refer mostly to shod horses?

I've never liked trotting a shod horse for long on a hard surface but my unshod ponies never seem to have suffered any ill effects.

I was also thinking about how running is recommended for ladies of a certain age as it can help keep osteoporosis at bay by increasing bone density.

 

[LEC]

He does which contradicts all the old fashioned methods of getting a horse fit so I'm a bit dubious.

The eventers also never went past 12-14 years old and now compete at top level to 20…. Ginny Leng was always anal about trotting on the roads and they only trotted uphill.