This month we will likely see some breaks in the weather from time to time. For those of us who have been itching to get back to a real riding routine it can be tempting to get all tangled up with what to do first! I propose the first thing we do is start getting your horse fit the natural way with hill work. Riding up and down hills is a great way to get your horse to use his body more fully. Even if your horse struggles with self-carriage, navigating varied terrain will help him begin building the right muscles and cardio endurance for your bigger riding aspirations.
Benefits For Your Horse
When riding downhill your horse has to tuck his pelvis and bring his hind legs deeper under himself to take controlled steps. This shift of weight to the hind end is the same movement required for collection and downward transitions. An extreme example would be a sliding stop as performed by a reining horse. In the picture below you can see how the horse must cock his hip downward.
When riding uphill your horse must extend his hind legs to propel him uphill. As seen in the horse below he also must step higher with his front legs to climb the incline and his neck will reach long. These are the actions needed for extension, “long and low” work and good upward transitions.
The horse below is often resistant to stretching his neck, even in natural movement. Hill work is helpful for encouraging him to do so. As I continued lunging him up and down this small bank, he began to get more and more comfortable extending his neck rather than just tucking his nose inward as he mostly shows in this specific picture. Because hill work is natural fitness, it also helps to correct natural tendencies that can impact our bigger goals.
Benefits For You
It is very important to learn how to find and keep your center on your horse in a wide variety of situations. Riding up hills causes you to find a secure balance in a forward position, often called a two-point position. You will feel the need to release with your arms to free your horse’s neck for bigger movement. When riding downhill you will develop a secure leg and seat to be connected and comfortable. Once you have become comfortable with both you will be more agile in the saddle and able to help your horse increasingly more in a wider range of situation.
How hard should I ride hills?
It is not necessary to gallop hills to get the benefits of hill work. In fact riding the hills alone increases the intensity of the exercise quite a bit. It’s ok to keep things on the gentler side, especially if the footing is iffy and faster work isn’t a great option. Including some basic transitions throughout is a good way to keep your horse focused. You can even add backing a few steps up or down a slope. I would be cautious of doing too much backing if your horse is older or has known hind end soundness issues, but for the able-bodied horse it’s a great challenge to add.
Both for horse and rider, having to adjust between various types of terrain is a valuable tool. It builds your horse’s physical capabilities as well as his confidence and awareness of himself while also giving you opportunities to become responsive to your horse’s needs in movement. In short the total picture of your riding will improve by regularly incorporating hill work. Try it this month and let me know how it goes!
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About The Author
Love this! Hill work is such a fun and simple way to help horses stay fit. I know the old Stan Man benefits from it, and it’s low impact on his bum knee.