Have/do/would you ever canter on the road?

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MizElz

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I wouldnt, and once got in big trouble out hunting for my refusal to do so (aged 9, when accompanying the whipper in)!
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Out hunting yes - much better than doing a slamming trot. And accidently out hacking when my horse has spooked.
 
On the odd occasion when we dismount the verge. Agree with Amymay probably less concussion on their joints than a slamming trot or cantering/jumping on uneven hard ground, so not worried when we do have the odd oopsa daisy moment.
 
Not intentionally although my horse doesn't understand this when we got hunting. Although I won't choose to do it can't see that it has any worse impact then a fast trot
 
never have out hunting, did last year to catch my mare that had just bucked my friend off and was heading for the main road, as the mare i was on was going absolutely crackers and it was actually safer to let her canter slowly than to risk getting dumped as well...
 
I have done out hunting when we ran out of verge, and it always feels less jarring than that hammering trot they all do. I growl at my OH when we're hunting to get on the verge, so much so that he almost does it automatically now.
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Not on purpose but I have done a few times on my friends pony who is the strongest little bugger I know and will not trot on the road even if everyone else is no matter how much you try and pull him back! He gets his legs right underneath him. I wouldn't do it on purpose though.
 
Erm.....

Confession time
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when I was about 10 I used to canter my pony along the road quite a bit as my friend and I thought it would harden their tendons!

We obviously knew what we were talking about as Vee was PTS aged 37 about three years ago (her legs were fine till the day she died
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) and Maestro last I heard was still going strong at 31!

Diva is lucky if I let her jog these days and that is usually only when she is suited and booted
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Yes up a steep road as the pony I was hacking behind is elderly and finds it easier to canter than trot up a steep bank. I tried to do rising trot behind but the big lad just got into a silly gait to keep up so I sat and he cantered instead but both he and I were ok for it.
 
I have only done by accident but I know people from other countries ie. lithuania, slovenia etc. think nothing of it...and it would be normal practice.
I have always been worried about the concussion but also the chance of slipping as much as anything else.
 
Not usually by choice, I worry about them slipping, but have had a few tank off along the road over the years, which hasn't worried me too much as long as I have control over steering
 
Yep out hunting, and unfortunately (blooming hunt!) have also jumped onto a road before. however, the person I used to hunt with did on a regular basis and his main horse is over 20 now and going strong after hunting atleast twice a week since he was 6!!
 
I never have and never would. I am weary enough about cantering on even slightly hard ground. I do have the occasional up hill trot on the roads but always nice and stready in short bursts of maybe about 30 strides.

Personal preferance I suppose & I wouldnt look down on anyone for doing it, but I would not do it on my horse.
 
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Out hunting yes - much better than doing a slamming trot.

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I agree with Amy May on this one. Can and will out hunting, preferably in a light seat. My boy is a proper gypsy cob, bred to drive, and has a fast trot but a relatively sedate canter, so it puts less strain on his legs to canter for a short while. Sometimes out hunting you have no choice, lol, but I would try not to do it for too long or too fast.
Normally I wouldn't canter on the roads, though some of the bridlepaths around me are almost has hard in the summer, so I try not to canter too much on them when the ground is hard. I do trot on the roads (not banging along), always have and have never had a problem (probably cursed myself now!).
 
I did once when I was bolted with as a child and was unable to pull up - the horse was lame afterwards. I wouldn't do it out of choice and in the summer when the ground is like rock I only canter on the grass if there is a good covering on it. My mare is unshod tho so have to protect her feet as well as her legs.
 
When hunting I have. As one of the old ladies who was still hunting in her 70s said, far better than a fast trot on hard ground to do a slow canter - and her horse was still hunting in its 20s.

As said above, steady canter is less jarring that a hammering trot.
 
yes...regularly..especially up hill...on our very narrow lanes...

My youngster finds it easier to amble up at a hack canter than trot if we are getting out the way of milk tankers/tractors etc...

no different than hard ground IMO...
 
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