Do you trot your horses on the road??

Yes I do, try to keep to a nice balanced and steady trot though but my mare is always trying to race on so it can be a bit of a battle.
 
Yes I do, and I have show horses! But only ever on horses who are properly prepared, and have done a good period of road walking to strengthen legs. I think a lot of problems stem from the fact that horses are pandered to, and do little/ no proper roadwork and then go to shows on hard ground and are expected to canter and gallop on it. If they had better preparation at home people would struggle a lot less with splints/ windgalls/ thoroughpins etc
 
Agree with above - as long as they have done a lot of roadwork in walk first, I will then introduce short bursts of steady trot - but not for long periods of time.
 
I trot my eventer on the roads, my instructor who's yard I keep him at does lots of roadwork with her horses and mine is eventing much sounder with the roadwork than he did when he didn't do the roadwork. They do 3.5 miles each day up and down hills and trot whenever they are going up a hill. He is 18 and currently sound at intermediate heading 2*.
 
yes i do especially in the summer when the flies are really bad on the bridleways and the ground is hard and rutted it is much nicer to ride on the roads and i have a go doer so he needs to trot to keep his weight in check.

i think it depends on the horse though, my understanding is that horses with more upright pasterns are more at risk of concussion and i would build it up gradually so they are used it.

lots of hunts canter on roads and i don't think they have any more leg problems as a type than any other discipline.
 
Yes, I have done for 7 years and it's not caused Dylan any problems (or any of the other horses at the yard, all of whom trot on the road fairly regularly, and all of whom are shod)
 
I have done in the past .....and as my horse had had a hind tendon/ligament issue previously I felt it helped to strengthen them....however I now can't unless I have to as he has also had laminitis in his front feet :eek::eek: and my vet does not recommend it due to concussion....if it weren't for that I would incorporate some trotting into my hack as long as it wasnt excessive........
 
Yes. I now only have barefoot horses but I have always trotted on roads, admittedly in a balanced and controlled manner. Unless limbs are gradually strengthened through work on all surfaces then the hard and soft tissues do not become accustomed to work. People worry far too much about working horses, it is all about balance and sensible riding.
 
ester said:
yup no school so if I worried too much about ground we would only be walking at the moment, not great for keeping weight of welshies. I have conceded to no proper fast work, only bouncy canters allowed but its all swings and roundabouts isn't it.

eta I know more horses with problems who only do drsg and rarely leave the school than those who work on a variety of surfaces.
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I believe horses should experience a whole range.
 
Only if I absolutley have to, but my horse has very upright pasterns and feels the hard surfaces so i dont go there
 
Absolutely, yes. I wonder how many of the people that have said "never" have then gone out eventing this summer and jumped on hard ground. That must have been a shock to tendons that weren't used to concussion.. I think you should trot on roads to harden the legs - as part of an organised fittening program where you have done the build up. I too have heard lots of cases of horses that are constantly in schools on deep surfaces having more probelms. As someone just said, everything in controlled moderation...
 
yep otherwise my pony wouldnt know how to trot hardly ever get a chance to ride in an arena and the paddockis always to hard or too soft etc :(
 
Yes, every time I hack (which basically equates to every time I ride!) We don't have a school, our fields are only dry enough to ride on for a few months a year and there is no-where off-road to hack round me. Murphy has got to 18 without a day's lameness **touch wood** - I have owned him 6 years, and before that he was a hunter when I am sure he trotted, and probably cantered along roads. My mare has also got to 22 without lameness and in the 13 years I have known her she has always been trotted on roads.

I usually trot on 2 big uphill inclines and never downhill. I would never hammer any horse along the roads, but I genuinely don't see the problem with short bursts of trotting, and I have no idea how any of you get your horses fit with only hacking!
 
Yes, usually only uphill though to lessen the strain on the joints.

Everything trots, slowly but infront of the leg. Never faster than a working trot.
If you build up properly the work on the roads the horses legs "harden up" in a sense and get used to it.

What about driving horses? They trot on roads...!
 
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