Horse lifestyle change from flat to hills..at 20yr old!

[Micky]

As the title suggests, moved from flat hacking to some quite steep and long hills, hilly country basically! How long does anyone know, did it take for your horse to get used to going downhill especially and did it dramatically change the fit of your saddle, guessing using differentt muscles, building in different places...? Started off well, took it steady, even got off to lead down hill, now there’s a point where he won’t go further downhill..so did s test and led him down in a head collar, absolutely fine..with me and saddle on board, tiny steps getting tinier until a stop and refusal! I don’t lean back, trying to stay as central to him as possible, I do give him his head for his own balance...any one had this experience and can enlighten me please? I’m thinking I’ll get the saddler out to check his fit but that’s about as far as I’ve got bar maybe he’s feeling it muscle wise/arthritis..he is getting on but hasn’t had a hard life being hammered..he’s not massively fit but not a blob either! Thanks

 

[stencilface]

As well as saddle is be considering sacro iliac problems, or hind limb arthritis. Sometimes I get off mine for the steep downhill bits as I know he potters otherwise

 

[ester]

we did somerset levels to rolling wiltshire at 20/21. It was the making of him, so in your case I would wonder if it is throwing up an issue?

By way of comparison when in somerset we did used to go up the quantocks occasionally he never really struggled there either but Mum's mare has always been the worst mincer down hills always. It was the only time we'd keep up/overtake her.

 

[HashRouge]

I would be considering some sort of joint issue - could be hocks/ SI/ coffin joint...anything really! But reluctance going downhill is often a sign of something, especially in an older horse. If he's actually stopping and refusing to go any further, that would worry me! He will find it considerably easier going downhill without you on board as he won't have the extra weight, so don't read too much into him being okay to lead.

 

[ester]

Yes certainly lots of possibilities from a hoofy point of view it would be interesting to see how he lands on the flat, downhill forces them to land heel first so they struggle if they have any heel pain for instance.

 

[Micky]

There are a few people here who get off their horses to ride down the steeper routes, it probably doesn’t help me going out with a youngster who takes it all in his stride! One lady has been here donkeys years and she has done this the whole time she’s been here..

 

[Micky]

Ok I probably put that wrongly..he doesn’t point blank refuse to go down, he just wants to turn around and go back up! I have a feeling it’s the saddle pinching him, first stop saddler, farriers due out soon so will check his feet. X rays done a couple of years ago and all good down below in his feet, though I know things can change over the years, he is sound as a pound in the school and on the flat..