Horses living on a steep hill?! *random questions!*

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EquestrianFairy

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Very random question!

My new yards turnout is on a hill, a rather steep hill but a hill nonetheless..

Now am i right in thinking that the horses will be 'working' themselves more so than if they were living on the flat?

Would i expect to see more muscle being built?

Thanks
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Yes.. My grazing at home is a very steep hill, there are currently yearling turned out in it and they are well muscled for horses in no work! My mare kept muscle on all year round when she was kept at home.. and was highly skilled at b*ggering off up (and down!) very steep hills!
 
Yip and to put it politely you'll be f**ked if your horse gets an injury that takes a while to heal. My old yard was on a constant gentle slope, no where flat to stand. MY girl hurt her back (falling over we can only assume) and was utterly crippled in the field as she could stand and rest her back anywhere. She wouldn't stay in, she was in pain out it was a total nightmare. Since then I would not consider a yard that didn't have a at least some flat standing just in case.
 
One yard I used to at had grazing like this and to make it worse, it was on slippy chalk ground.
Horse picked up a DDFT injury and had to be pts.
He was a fab sjer at Fox
I was( and still am) gutted.
I wouldn't go anywhere grazing was on a steep slope.
Hopefully my experience is in the minority.
OH's horse put three vertabrae out on same ground.
 
Our field is on a slope, and most of our horses have always managed to have a good level of base fitness. Some bits are steeper than others, and there are flatter sections, although nowhere truly level.

Never had any hill related injuries, although watching them run straight down towards you can be exciting, esp the one who doesn't appear to have control over his legs (and he's 18!!)
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Mine have been on steep hills for the last 6 years...no related injuries so far...*touches wood*

Current field is relatively flat at the top but goes quite steep down to the botom...the horses zig zag across to get up and down
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Hubby and I know a pony who has lived in the same steep field all of his life, he is at least thirty. Seems very fit and healthy.
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Merlins field isnt a steep hill but I get puffed out walking up it
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He remains fairly fit even after a winter of not being ridden. He takes no time at all from being turned away to feeling like he is up for a long ride (obviously I still take the same time to fitten him up though)
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Fly was on a steep hill as a yearling, it did wonders for her. We did have stables too though so if I had needed to bring her in because of injury I could have. And it was also flat at the top.

I used to get to the top of that hill panting though and sit down and have a fag and recover
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ETA: Yearling not yearly lol
 
when our boys were turned out on a hill they were extra fit and muscley, however 1 of the reasons we moved cos as 1 of the boys was getting older, it wasnt good for his joints etc
 
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