Grazing on hills - good or bad??

[eatonbraynat]

Does grazing on the side of hills benefit the horse or damage it, ie legs?? Any opinions please!!!

 

[only_me]

um, my horse is turned out in a field with a pretty steep hill - and it does wonders because he is always walking/trotting/cantering up the hill = self hill work

It dosent affect his legs

This is it - it is very steep in the middle, and is better at the far side

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

I kept my old retired shire x in a field on a gently sloping hill, and even though he was no longer ridden he maintained very good muscle tone throughout his 7 year retirement. He shared his field with a slightly pushy warmblood who would keep him walking round a lot, and I think that helped too. (he wasnt bullied and they hardly ever broke into trot).
I think my old horse would have siezed up earlier if he hadn't had his mate keeping him mobile and the hill helped keep him more toned too.

I don't think I'd want to keep any of my horses on a very steep hill though.

 

[MissMincePie&Brandy]

only-me It's hard to tell in the pic, but your field looks quite similar to the one I kept my old boy in.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I've moved my horses from flat paddocks to the Welsh hills and they love it! The only change that I have had to make is to shoe my TB as she was getting chipped hooves and was footsore. The arab is fine barefoot.

We have had rain since this photo was taken and the field is now lovely and green!

 

[Jenna500]

My horses live on the side of a hill. This is probably a good example of my field:

It sure as hell keeps me fit traipsing up and down it several times a day, so it must be good for them!

 

[celia]

Our three are out 24/7 on the side of a hill and have never had any problems. I prefer it to a flat field - it keeps them fitter mooching up and down it all day and when they have mad hoons about it's great to see them balancing themselves and looking where they're putting their feet. It's definitely beneficial as they take care of themselves so much better when ridden up/down hills or over rough terrain.

 

[criso]

Grew up in South Devon and everything seemed to be on a hill unless you were in the valley bit in which case you had just come down a hill and were about to go up one - kept us and the horses fit.

The most annoying bit was walking up to the top of a hill like the one in Jenna500's picture only for your pony to gallop down to the bottom and wait for you at the gate.

Recently Frankie went off to be rehabbed barefoot in Exmoor and the hills there did wonders for his back end. It's so much more difficult getting and keeping him fit in flat Hertfordshire.

 

[eatonbraynat]

Thank you everyone, i have a cob so he is quite robust but i just wondered!!! Seems that the general thoughts are that they are a good thing!!!

 

[kirinsam]

Just one more thing to add , a hilly paddock will always have a dry bit even when the rest is boggy. Much better in my opinion

 

[eatonbraynat]

Just one more thing to add , a hilly paddock will always have a dry bit even when the rest is boggy. Much better in my opinion

Good thinking and he has feather which is a nightmare to clean if i want to compete, so at least he will be out of the wet bit a lot more!! Yay!!!

 

[silu]

I had an intermediate eventer (big SF type) and his companion pony on a steep hill in the summer months. Both acquired huge bottoms, loved the hill, sure they admired the view! They went into a fairly flat paddock for the winter and were bored stiff. I did have nightmares about them charging downhill at breakneck speed but needn't have worried they always managed to stop or veer off before they came to the fence. I was dubious of the hill when they 1st went on it but only down side was me pegging up it to catch them...gasp!

 

[Blaise]

My 2 are both in a hilly field. It's not that steep but the hill is quite long and does wonders for their fitness. Lola moved in there about 5 weeks ago now from a flat paddock at another yard and the difference in the muscle tone and size of her backside is amazing. I definitley prefer them to flat fields.

 

[miss_c]

Bad. DEFINATELY bad. If you are at the top they will be at the bottom, and if you are at the bottom they will be at the top! Lots of walking!!!

 

[eatonbraynat]

I had an intermediate eventer (big SF type) and his companion pony on a steep hill in the summer months. Both acquired huge bottoms, loved the hill, sure they admired the view! They went into a fairly flat paddock for the winter and were bored stiff. I did have nightmares about them charging downhill at breakneck speed but needn't have worried they always managed to stop or veer off before they came to the fence. I was dubious of the hill when they 1st went on it but only down side was me pegging up it to catch them...gasp!

My boy generally comes to call, but i will have a pocket of treats to tempt him down the hill just in case!!!!

 

[SKY]

its brilliant to the legs, also if foals are born low in the joints put them in a field with the steepest hill and in week to 2 weeks all straightened. i have pics of prove one of my foals this year

 

[starbar]

You have to be really careful cos if they always graze facing the same way they can end up thier legs on one side shorter than on the other....

 

[eatonbraynat]

Bad. DEFINATELY bad. If you are at the top they will be at the bottom, and if you are at the bottom they will be at the top! Lots of walking!!!

I got scared then, i actually thought it was a genuine reason!!!!! So you mean its just bad for us, not them!!!!! LOL

 

[baymareb]

My daughter's horse is incredibly fit and has a huge butt from living in a hilly pasture. And our legs have gained a lot of muscle from going out to fetch him.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

The only prob I have is my Haffie doing screeching handbrake stops at the electric fence, trashing an otherwise pristine and well drained paddock.....

But it def keeps them fitter, she can stay low level fit just hooning around in there, and its not that steep.

Just means theres nowhere to put in a blinkin school and the stables base became a major civil engineering project....

edited to add the only field thats too steep is if the poo picking is easy cos all the poo rolls down the hill to meet you....

 

[Storminateacup]

You have to be really careful cos if they always graze facing the same way they can end up thier legs on one side shorter than on the other....

Apparently their are sheep in Wales that are bred specifically to face one side or the other, with corresponding shorter legs on the operant side so as to be nutritionally efficient....

 

[L&M]

Great for horses but not so fun for maintanance!! Tried rolling our top hill paddock this Spring and didn't put handbrake on the quad fully - got off to check some fencing, and then watched the quad roll down the hill, with roller still attached, crashed through the post and rail where it fortunately ground to a halt on a flatter paddock! Lucky it stopped there or would have ended up down another bank/through another set of p and r into the menage....!