Turning out on hills. Do/would you?

Energy - what is it? (No, not what it *does*, what it actually *IS*)

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corriehorse

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I have been amazed by the amount of people who have come to look round our livery yard and have taken 1 look at the fields and said no straight away. Admitadely(sp?) we have 1 hill which is VERY steep, and although i wouldnt put my cob girlie out there i would happily put my shetland. The others vary in steepness and i have found that the hills have done my girl well, (she has arthritis in hock and is stiffer on flat ground than hills now).
So im interested to hear the opinions of you HHO's!
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Yep, I would. Our field is pretty hilly, with flatter bits at the bottom. Have had young and old on it, and never had any problems. Had one horse for 14 years from age 22-36 and he would still canter up til the end.
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I think its good for fitness, and for them to learn some self preservation on their own time, so can managed better with someone on their backs
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we had a horse at our yard who took a nasty tumble on a hill in her previous home.She ended up with nasty internal injuries of which scars formed internally eventually killing her. She was a lovely mare but very grumpy and nasty with people she didn't know or trust. Once you had a bond with her she was lovely.However looking back on it now it is possible that her grumpiness was pain related. due to what happened to Solitaire I probably wouldn't keep a horse on a steep hill although I have no problem with mild slopes that provide flat plateau's on them.
 
+1 to the above, with the exceptions of the mountains of snowdonia I do feel like I am living in the hilliest place in Britain! I've actually found little ned to be much more settled where he is now - in a field with a hill. There's more breeze so there's less flies and he can't just charge round like a loon.
 
i wud do up to a certain steepness,

also as u say depends on horse!
a nutter when out, prob not, unless it stopped them charging......
im not sure really
 
My mare is out on a hill and I honestly don't think she's bothered. Judging by the way she charges down it and then skids half the way down and turns around with a cheeky look on her face. She also canters straight up it when you call her name. The only thing I don't like about it is the poo-picking! It's dawn hard work!
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If two fields were identical in every respect, except one was flat and the other on the hill, I would chose to put my horses in the hill field.

It is good for their overall fitness. You're guaranteed at least somewhere that won't get flooded and best of all, one of my oldies gets a locking patella - or at least she does get a locking patella on occasion when she's in the flat field. However I've never seen it happen during the 6 week rotation that's she's in our hill field - and I've heard elsewhere that hills can be good for this problem.
 
There is barely a flat area at all in either of the two fields I use. When I lunge I have to do that on the 'flattest' bit, which is still a slight incline! My old shettie got about quite happily on the steepest parts and there are bits that I don't even poo pick as I can't perch a wheelbarrow!

I am always cringing when the ponies are up at the top and then see 'food woman' approaching the feedroom. They frequently hurtle down there and come round the L-bend on two wheels!
 
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Living in Wales I've not got much choice in the matter, tbh
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I'm in one of the flattest parts of Wales and all our fields are hilly! Even the yard has a slight slope to it!
 
I would turn out any horse on rolling hills, but a 'silly' or 'highly strung' horse I would not turn out as I was on a yard in Wales that had steep hills and the YO's daughter had a crazy TB- one day he went off on one of his usual 'silly' epasodes and fell over on his way down the hill and landed on his neck. For a day or two afterwards he was 'not right' then started spasming- eventually died- had broken his neck....
 
I put other. Most of our fields aren't entirely flat. However at last yard one of my fields was far od vertical. My horse has never been sounder since I moved her off that field.

So in short it would depend on the hill.
 
Yes because...
-keeps em fit..not that iv seen the difference tbh but im sure it must have soem effect
-never floods
-keeps me fit pushign wheelybarrow up it
-helps the old man
-havnt got much choice here

but...
- its get very very slippy
-its hard to keep a wheelbarrow form running away from you
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-the horse slipped and has done alot of damage to himself but i guess that coudl of happened anywhere
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-had to put school in to be able to ride in winter
-bottom bit gets very muddy

X
 
I live in North Devon...flat fields are very few and far between. My horses are currently kept on a 5 acre hill..no probs. Its done my tb the world of good
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Yes of course. You get horses falling over and breaking their neck in sand schools occasionally, just damn unlucky if it happens. My girl is on a steep ish hill at the moment, she goes out with over reach boots on as she's not the most co ordinated going downhill, but she's fine.
 
Not in a million years
A steep slope at a previous livery yard cost me my brilliant SJ gelding.
Vet thought leg injury caused by steep slope and he had to be pts.
 
Thank you all for your replies. I agree that obviously there's a hill, and then there's a hill, and obviously it depends on the horse in question,but some people really have been ridiculous/petty about it!
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Yes I really dont see a problem with it at all, maybe it was the owner, to lazy to walk back 'up' the hill with the pony!!!!!???
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Exactly what i thought about a few of the people who have looked round and said no!
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I'd be thrilled to find a hilly field to turn my horses out on, would help with their fitness no end!

Saying that poo-picking could be a nightmare, would have to start at the top and have the muckheap at the bottom of the field.
 
Yes, I think horses, especially young ones, benefit from the hills. I've known horses that lived happily on the sides of mountains.
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BUT

A poorly maintained/fenced/footed, small field on a steep gradient would give me cause for thought. I want horses to be able to feel they can canter and play safely, otherwise they're not getting full benefit from being out.
 
Why would you not put your own cob out on it?
If you won't put your own out on it, why surprise that others don't want to either?
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It will do no harm to most horses, although i would rather have flat land for my own benefit, eg maintenance of the land.
 
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