Is hill work a good substitute for fast work?

T

Tangaroo

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 December 2005
Messages
2,534
Visit site
I just wondered about other peoples opinions.
The fields where we are are far too wet to even contemplate asking farmer if i can canter round like i normally do.
We have a bridlepath which is a long ascending hill on old turf and i have been working both boys up this in trot and canter, sometimes walking back down to canter up again.
They both start BE in 3 weeks, one at intro and the other at pre novice.
Do you think i will be able to get their fitness levels up enough doing this.?
 
Last year when I was getting my youngster fit for a 3 day event at the end of the season, I spoke to my vet (Tony Warr, did Badminton last year) about this.

He said that hill work at a slower pace is so much more beneficial than long periods of fast work as it's not so much strain on the legs, yet makes their hearts work just as much.

I did a fair bit of hill work (cantering up, walking back down a few times like you have) and her fitness was fantastic.
 
Thats good to hear. I will keep it up then.
grin.gif
 
I'm a great believer in hill work, i've always used it for fittening my horse. I have to lots of road work on hilly roads brilliant, (but never to fast!!)
 
I have been taught with pointers to keep going up and down the hill until they suddenly drop off the bridle (basically they keep a good contact then suddenly it dies) and then to stop and finish. On the hill we use this is normally twice as very steep and have to get off horse to walk back down. As they get fitter and their hearts and lungs grow stronger they will be able to sustain this for longer. Interesting Karin Donkers has no hills in Belgium so does all her endurance/fitness work in trot in a lake.
 
We always use hills for fittening work, do very little canter work with them , just mainly trotting up decent hills to get them fit. We had one advanced horse who had been off from competing for two years due to injury, so only did lots of trot work with him and the hillwork and he was fitter than those who had been on the canter work. Works a treat imo.
As before the pointers go up the hill, then back down again, usually twice too and we even do this with the event horses too sometimes.
 
Yep, what lec says is right, the difference in fitness is actually quite marked, I train my horses round the field margins, but then 2 weeks or so before they start racing, I put them at a yard with a steep uphill gallop, and they go up the hill sometimes 4 times on a 'work' day, they go up the hill until you get a big breath, the fitter they get the longer before you get the big breath (not very well explained, but someone else might be able to put it better!)
 
i think hills are a very important way of getting a horse fit. whe i am getting mine fit for hunting, i do a lot of hillwork at trot, as we dont really have any long stretches for cantering - so i mainly trot and do hillwork and they get very fit.

i would keep at what your doing - sounds fine
smile.gif
xxx
 
When we were trying to get a lame horse sound and fit for Badminton we were told it had been done with horses who'd just walked! Admittedly for 4 hours a day and with lots of hills, but still, this was still long format days!
 
we are lacking in hills but do a similar thing where we go for slow ish hack canters rather than fast work... fitens him and maintains it much better than just zooming up and down everywhere.
def. continue doiing what you are doing!
smile.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
In a recent uscta lecture (viewable online) Lucinda Green says that Nicola Wilson doesn't have gallops, but does loads of walking up and down a v steep riverbank!

[/ QUOTE ]

I can verify that! And her horses always seem to be mega fit too
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top