Ground Hardness

[Pink Gorilla]

How do people gauge whether or not the ground is too hard to canter/jump on? I've recently moved to a yard with just a grass arena and I can never tell myself. It's sandy soil if that makes any difference

 

[IrishMilo]

I think like everything as long as it's in moderation it's OK. There's a difference between jumping a few 2'6 fences on a nice grassy field and going round a 1.20 course on a rock hard sparsely covered one. I also take into account whether the horse is shod or barefoot, how fit it is and how much you're planning to do. It's good for them to be worked on a variety of terrains. Working 7 days a week on your gallop fitness less so!

 

[Bernster]

Very rough and ready test but I just go stomp on it and see if there’s much give in the ground. And if riding, if the ground has any give under the horse’s hoof. And then how ‘thuddy’ it is when you’re actually cantering.

 

[SEL]

You kind of have to stomp around a bit like Bernster says - I've only got grass at home and its too hard at the moment (south east, clay on chalk)

I still school on it, but less trot and canter than I'd like for fitness purposes. Too 'thuddy'.

Plus there are huge cracks in the ground!

 

[Burnttoast]

Sandy ground is generally much more forgiving for more of the year, particularly if the schooling area is well maintained so it has a decent cover of grass.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

We have cracks in the ground that a horse could loose a leg down which tells me it's far too hard to do any thing other than walk!!

 

[LEC]

You trot over it and see what you can hear. I prefer not to hear anything.