Trotting on roads

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holly007

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What is everyone's opinion of trotting on roads? Some people have told me it's fine, but others have said not to. I just wanted to know how much damage it actually does. I've never experienced any problems with it but I just wanted to check. Thanks! :)
 
I never trotted mine on roads when they were shod I just think there must be a lot of jolting going up their limbs. Now that they don't wear shoes they do do some trotting on the roads but not a lot.
 
It's a topic that a lot of people have different opinions about. Personally, when I rode my unshod horse I used to trot him everywhere for miles and miles, he had great hooves, was incredibly fit and didn't ever suffer from any soundness problems - he's in his late twenties now and still moves fine, only showing occasional age-related stiffness in the winter when stabled.
With the shod horses, I am a lot more careful with them as I worry about the concussion and the jarring of their legs. I do trot on the roads (not forever - fairly short sections at a time), and make use of uphill especially as it helps with fitness, but I always make sure that it is a steady and controlled trot, I don't allow them to race along and slam their hooves down on the roads. x
 
I believe it depends on the horse, whether they are shod or not, what there way of going is like, and quality of hooves also. For example, I trot some on the roads, but I owned two that could be susceptible to impact related foot soreness especially after a visit from the farrier (we never had the same farrier). I also believe it can bring on impact related laminitis if the horse is susceptible to laminitis anyway. Be careful downhill too and if there is any old injury, be aware that trotting on the road can flare it up. Otherwise I don't have a huge problem with it, but you need to listen to your horse on this one.
 
Where did I read recently that the concussion experienced by a shod horse walking on tarmac is roughly three times the concussion experienced by an unshod horse trotting on the same surface? (Hope I got that sort of right.)
 
Hen said:
Where did I read recently that the concussion experienced by a shod horse walking on tarmac is roughly three times the concussion experienced by an unshod horse trotting on the same surface? (Hope I got that sort of right.)
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Okay thank you, I will be careful then as my horse is shod front and back. Thanks for all the help!
 
Always trotted on roads with my ponies and horses all my life. Never had a problem and they always had fit, supple and had heathly legs and tendons. All shod too. Have a friend who has a pony the same breed as mine and she just rides in the school all the time and when she does occasionally hack out it's on soft paths and her horse is all stiff and the vet has said she needs to start varying the surfaces she rides her on.

Not going to ever stop trotting on roads either, despite arguments against it - it's something I believe is good for the horse but I do also believe it's a personal preference.
 
Used it for years to harden up horses legs been advised by vets also, never had a horse lame from it shod or un shod. My unshod horse actually sounds shod now on the road it's rather satisfying :)
 
My vet advocates it, increase intensity slowly, build up strength is the key to a sound fit horse.
Far to many injuries are caused by horses only being excercised on soft going.

Wish I had realized this a few years ago , I may have prevented my horse suffering psd , now I will not risk an event season without at least a month of road work!
 
During competition my horses need to trot on the roads and hard tracks too,which are no different to roads.

A small amount of trotting on the roads is good for them. We use to go miles getting hunters fit by trotting on the roads.
 
lannerch said:
My vet advocates it, increase intensity slowly, build up strength is the key to a sound fit horse.
Far to many injuries are caused by horses only being excercised on soft going.

Wish I had realized this a few years ago , I may have prevented my horse suffering psd , now I will not risk an event season without at least a month of road work!
Click to expand...

May have done, but equally mine only does road work and hacking with minimal work on soft surfaces as we don't have a school and mine still got it.

I've never had a horse go lame from trotting shod on the roads, just need to build the work up and not batter them. Equally now my horse is unshod and it dawned on me I could probably now canter on the roads, but that's probably a whole other thread! :)
 
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