Do u trot on roads??

[mushroom]

My 10 yo has never trotted on roads (unless to get out of danger) or on hard ground in all her life. I do sometimes wonder whether if I'd hammered her as a youngster she might have been less suseptible to all the damage she has acquired (splint, suspensories, spavin, laminitis .... the list goes on!).

 

[JFTDWS]

Would you mind elaborating on this? I assumed that similar principles applied to all animals in this regard.

At the molecular level, that is a reasonable assumption. I presume the poster is refering to biomechanical differences due to the quadrupedal nature of the horse. I would think that working on roads is a balance between using the stress of the work to provoke bone and ligament hardening, and the risk of joint injury from concussion.

 

[Nocturnal]

At the molecular level, that is a reasonable assumption. I presume the poster is refering to biomechanical differences due to the quadrupedal nature of the horse. I would think that working on roads is a balance between using the stress of the work to provoke bone and ligament hardening, and the risk of joint injury from concussion.

Hmm, perhaps. But given the relative weight difference between horses and humans - and consequently the load that each limb would bear, I wouldn't have thought having 4 legs would give them an advantage. But I don't know an awful lot about the subject, I'll admit.

 

[debsey1]

Would you mind elaborating on this? I assumed that similar principles applied to all animals in this regard.

Think about it Nocturnal.....I am not going to veer off this topic and start quoting what animals this relates to

 

[JFTDWS]

Hmm, perhaps. But given the relative weight difference between horses and humans - and consequently the load that each limb would bear, I wouldn't have thought having 4 legs would give them an advantage. But I don't know an awful lot about the subject, I'll admit.

Yes, each leg will bear relatively more weight - but each leg is relatively more robust as well - if you consider the structure of an equine limb. Hocks are, I think, generally considered to be more robust than knees and by bearing more weight across the hind limbs, the forces acting on the weakest point, the knees, is reduced. there are also balance and gait influences to being quadrupedal, rather than bipedal. I can't really comment with any authority, biomechanics isn't my field, but it isn't as straightforward as you might imagine at first glance.

 

[Nocturnal]

Yes, each leg will bear relatively more weight - but each leg is relatively more robust as well - if you consider the structure of an equine limb. Hocks are, I think, generally considered to be more robust than knees and by bearing more weight across the hind limbs, the forces acting on the weakest point, the knees, is reduced. there are also balance and gait influences to being quadrupedal, rather than bipedal. I can't really comment with any authority, biomechanics isn't my field, but it isn't as straightforward as you might imagine at first glance.

Very interesting, thanks. I had thought that hocks weren't considered particularly robust, and that a horse carries most of its weight on the forehand.

debsey1 - I'm afraid you've lost me .

 

[JFTDWS]

Very interesting, thanks. I had thought that hocks weren't considered particularly robust, and that a horse carries most of its weight on the forehand.

debsey1 - I'm afraid you've lost me .

I would say hocks were relatively more robust than knees - not necessarily robust in the abstract sense - and obviously because they're structurally disimilar to knees, forces are transferred across them differently so the comparison with humans becomes invalid (though not necessarily that horses are more robust than humans, I would be speculating even more wildly to claim that!). As for carrying most weight in front, I guess that is conformational, but carrying more weight behind is certainly desirable and when conformationally possible, acheivable. But as I say, this isn't my field, I'm not an expert and could have been sucking the hallucinogenic toads this morning for all anyone knows

As for debsey1, I'm confused too

 

[debsey1]

Very interesting, thanks. I had thought that hocks weren't considered particularly robust, and that a horse carries most of its weight on the forehand.

debsey1 - I'm afraid you've lost me .

Sorry, but JFTD has explained it all......I was being flippant

 

[Hippona]

We do but we make sure we're going at a steady even pace, not just clattering along flat out.

^^^^
This.

 

[Nocturnal]

I would say hocks were relatively more robust than knees - not necessarily robust in the abstract sense - and obviously because they're structurally disimilar to knees, forces are transferred across them differently so the comparison with humans becomes invalid (though not necessarily that horses are more robust than humans, I would be speculating even more wildly to claim that!). As for carrying most weight in front, I guess that is conformational, but carrying more weight behind is certainly desirable and when conformationally possible, acheivable. But as I say, this isn't my field, I'm not an expert and could have been sucking the hallucinogenic toads this morning for all anyone knows

As for debsey1, I'm confused too

Yes, I see your point re the hocks. Though I am pretty sure that studies have shown that even GP dressage horses still carry more weight on the forehand, simply due to the weight of the head and neck in addition to shoulders etc.

Either way, I trot on the roads .

 

[Elsbells]

Very little tbh.

My mare is so forward in walk that she outmatches all of the other horses on my yard. If we go out in a group I can hear them catching up behind us, enevitably they are in trot.

 

[JFTDWS]

Yes, I see your point re the hocks. Though I am pretty sure that studies have shown that even GP dressage horses still carry more weight on the forehand, simply due to the weight of the head and neck in addition to shoulders etc.

Either way, I trot on the roads .

Possibly, I can't say I've ever looked it up. Thinking about it though, the equine knee is structured differently to the human knee anyway - the anatomical equivalent of the knee is the stifle, just to complicate things further. From which I can deduce that anatomically it is difficult to draw a straight comparison between the likelihood of injury at a given joint in humans and equines without further research

 

[Nocturnal]

Possibly, I can't say I've ever looked it up. Thinking about it though, the equine knee is structured differently to the human knee anyway - the anatomical equivalent of the knee is the stifle, just to complicate things further. From which I can deduce that anatomically it is difficult to draw a straight comparison between the likelihood of injury at a given joint in humans and equines without further research

Can't argue with that!

 

[LaurenBay]

Yes, I was advised by me vet to do this to help strenghten her joints and to start using her muscles (shes just come back into work) She mostly walks, but has short bursts of a steady trot. Either on a flat or uphill surface. The trotting time will be increased as she becoms fitter.

My share Horse is used for SJ, she is kept very fit and her owner likes her to do alot of trotting work. We have a road near us, it is uphill the whole way. So we trot the whole entire thing (takes about 20 minutes) then walk back down. We have a nice steady trot. Both of her SJ's do this about once a week. Both are sound and are still wanting to go on, when we get to the top.

I can't see an issue with it, as long as it is a steady trot and the length of the trot is ok for the Horse.

 

[FionaM12]

yes, in the army we used to trot for at least 10 minutes at a time to strengthen the fetlocks. Cantering on roads is good too

Really? Anyone else agree with this?

Not what I was always taught.....

 

[Nocturnal]

Really? Anyone else agree with this?

Not what I was always taught.....

Naw, cartman's a

 

[JFTDWS]

Naw, cartman's a

Do you know that or are you just assuming from the somewhat bizarre nature of their posts

 

[Nocturnal]

Do you know that or are you just assuming from the somewhat bizarre nature of their posts

I'm just assuming it from the somewhat bizarre nature of their posts. New user, not one sensible post... isn't that a decent definition of troll?

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I do but in short burst on the flat or either on a corner to give my self space for cars coming round corner

 

[JFTDWS]

I'm just assuming it from the somewhat bizarre nature of their posts. New user, not one sensible post... isn't that a decent definition of troll?

Perhaps I'm too forgiving I suspect from the "fire instead of jump pole" comment you're probably right

 

[Nocturnal]

Perhaps I'm too forgiving I suspect from the "fire instead of jump pole" comment you're probably right

There was also a good one about a cure for thin soles... it involved golden syrup and an old tea towel .

 

[Goldenstar]

I am also interested in the reasoning behind this - it's not something I've heard either. I would have thought that, provided the horse has a biomechanically correct heel first landing, trotting on a flat surface would be best? When working uphill horses no longer land heel first - surely when on the road this would increase the concussion?

I always trot uphill because I think you get more bang for your buck ie the same amount of footfalls on the road harder work because it's up hill .

 

[JFTDWS]

There was also a good one about a cure for thin soles... it involved golden syrup and an old tea towel .

Sorry, the tartar sauce and basil for hock fusion-related swelling has my vote for best cartman post of the day

 

[Marydoll]

Nope, will walk out on roads to strengthen ligaments but only trot if a need to get out of the way and only for a short distance, i prefer to trot on farm tracks, verges, and around the perimeter of the fields

 

[maza]

Thanks everyone makes me feel a bit better as some of my friends are dead against it but I do believe it's good in moderation! ;-)

 

[shadowboy]

I'm sure I read somewhere that trotting on roads is only beneficial if the horse is moving forward purposefully but with an even stride, not dawdling and should only be built up slowly. I do very little, generally if I need to get to gateway to let cars past. Do my trotting over the common or even bridleways.

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

strangely i have been told that trotting up hill is less work for a horse than walking up hill so long ago i can't remember exactly why though

But do i trot on roads, yep, all mine are barefoot and we have no problems with slipping , only one i have to be careful with is the big mare as she dishes and doesn't like trotting close to the verge because of the camber of the road.

Yep me too.... our horses are made to walk up hill, they always want to trot as it's easier for them, so I make them walk, you can really feel their hind quarters working! X

 

[Goldenstar]

I think it's the difference between wieght bearing muscle building work and raising respiratory rate which does go higher if we trot and that's why we usually trot on the road ,hunters when it's too wet to go elsewhere and we need to give the a good puff.

 

[applecart14]

Going uphill the horse really HAS to us his hand legs, therefore there is less weight on the forelimbs, it is usually the forelimbs which suffer suspensory ligament damage.
Just think about how a human alters his centre of gravity when running uphill.
Trotting on a flat road, on a shod horse, I am more wary of slipping, therefore tend to select level ground and a good surface, but I would always do more walking than trotting.

MissLToe is right. Trotting up hill is less strain on the tendons. It also gives the horse a better work out as he is using the hind limbs more. It is more natural for horses to trot up hill and Richard Davison swears by it as he says it is beneficial for teaching a horse to start opening up in medium trot.

But there is still more concussion on the joints of a horse especially if the horse is shod by trotting on the roads than by not which is why I choose not to do it and why a lot of people in the know, especially vets, physios and modern farriers would usually advise against doing this. I also think it would depend on the horses 'type'. I would guess that big rangy young WB's would be the worst type of horse to trot on the roads because of the likelihood of joint problems, whereas a smaller cob type would be less prone to joint problems.

 

[tallyho!]

Yes, we trot and sometimes even canter on roads... we dont have shoes on so it's ok. I think trotting on roads is fine shod or barefoot...