Discussing hill work

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Chisamba
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Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:07 pm

It was a lovely fall day on saturday so i decided to work all of my students on the steep hill. We discussed how horses have to learn to bend the joints of the hind end ( going downhill) and that the uphills are very advantageous to building muscle. It was a pretty day so I snapped some photos, but thought i would share a couple to illustrate hill work. thoughts? Note i am not riding in these so please do not comment on riders, just on the value to the horses.

first, pretty shot: Image

Karma and Deneb starting descent.
Image

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:09 pm

Same horse going down in two different postures ( yes, it goes downhill both ways :)
Image

Image

what do you think?

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Sun Oct 16, 2016 5:10 pm

they show for me, i hope they show for you

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Bats79 » Mon Oct 17, 2016 10:07 am

That's a decent sort of hill. You are so lucky to have access. :D

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Moutaineer » Mon Oct 17, 2016 5:27 pm

I prefer the last approach to downhill than the second to last--looks more focused and more likely to be using those muscles for good development.

Pretty place. My hills are covered in snow this morning.

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Mon Oct 17, 2016 6:59 pm

Moutaineer wrote:I prefer the last approach to downhill than the second to last--looks more focused and more likely to be using those muscles for good development.

Pretty place. My hills are covered in snow this morning.

Interesting, i thought the higher posture allowed for much more sit and balance behind. The downhill, to me, is more about suppling and balance. Of course the uphill builds great muscle and lung capacity.

The horses were allowed to choose their own posture. We tried to just maintain tempo and sit quietly in balance.
Last edited by Chisamba on Mon Oct 17, 2016 11:28 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Mon Oct 17, 2016 7:00 pm

Bats79 wrote:That's a decent sort of hill. You are so lucky to have access. :D

It intimidated the students a little.

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby demi » Tue Oct 18, 2016 2:11 pm

Nice work. We had a very steep hill when I lived in California and I found it very intimidating with some horses. It definitely helped some of them and I could feel the difference when we'd go back into the arena.

I have a nice incline over a much longer distance now and I like that, too. It is enough incline that when I walk up it on foot I start to huff and puff a little, but not nearly so steep that I feel like I need four legs (four wheel drive) to get down without falling.

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Dresseur » Tue Oct 18, 2016 4:15 pm

I'm lucky enough to have decent hills and I also really, really feel the difference when I go back into the ring. I let Miro pick his way through by himself so that he finds the best way to carry himself. Chisamba, I also agree that a higher posture allows for more site - but I think in your particular picture, it has come at the expense of the back dropping a bit, which is why I personally prefer the second pic. Still lots of sit, but the neck is telescoping out and the back has become a bit of a drawbridge so it all looks to be one piece. Thank goodness for hills for horses AND riders, they are lucky that you get them out and about.

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Tue Oct 18, 2016 6:37 pm

Actually the posture i prefer is Deneb, because she has good sit with both elevation and engagement.

I am not actually worried about Sharons dropped back in that photo because she is not blocking the forward stride from behind. Remember this is mostly about balance.

I'll add a few more different horses for interest.

I did everyone on the hill today. Its going to be indoor only weather too soon

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby khall » Tue Oct 18, 2016 8:30 pm

I like hill work, but do you feel that the steep hill is too much? I have a "hilly" field that I ride in, it has enough roll to it that it was terraced years ago to prevent erosion, so I have some short steep bumps to go up and down on and I have long gradual slopes that I can work on. I actually ride Rip a good bit on the uneven terrain though right now I have it split from the summer (we pulled hay off half of the 10 acres). I am ready to open the pasture back up soon.

The biggest thing I like is to get the horses out of the arena. Lucky here in the south that winter=indoor (good thing!) and we can ride out year round.

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby piedmontfields » Tue Oct 18, 2016 8:57 pm

I like Deneb's posture, too. I remember hill work being incredibly useful in my first years of riding to teach me about helping the horse stay in balance (and not getting in the way).

As far as how much is too much, I do think horses and riders can adjust quite a bit to more intense hills. Certainly the hills I have available in eastern Tennessee are quite a bit more substantial (in slope and rocks) than the hills of the North Carolina "sandhills" or piedmont. I think it took moving to Tennessee for me to get really comfortable cantering on slopes and downhill--that used to really be hard for me (and consequently for my horse at the time).

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Koolkat » Tue Oct 18, 2016 11:26 pm

I like the bay (the one with only the white horse) quite a bit in the first set, the reins appear to be almost slack and the horse seems to be shaping himself. There is nothing about the rider's good seat and posture that is getting in the way. I like the 2nd of the chestnut in the bottom set. The horse in the top picture appears to have dropped his back/shoulder, whereas the horse in the second picture is not quite as "disturbed". There doesn't appear to be a lot of effort there, but it looks a little less unbalanced.

What a lovely place!

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Anne » Wed Oct 19, 2016 4:42 am

I too think that Deneb has a lovely posture (and given your past descriptions of her behaviour, it seems a huge success that she is out and about). I like the hind leg activity of the big chestnut in the first photo of her, but overall prefer the second photo - looks more connected and round.

Beautiful photos! It brings a smile to my face to look at them.

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Wed Oct 19, 2016 12:20 pm

This it the old lady, baby sitting my greenest rider. When Beccot really works from behind she always seems to draw in the abdomen. Image

On this hill there is a steep drop off, where i took the photos, but then it levels out more gradually. on the opposite hill, pictured below it is a steep more consistent descent.
Image

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Chisamba
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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Chisamba » Wed Oct 19, 2016 12:22 pm

three different horses on three different phases of the hill, you notice the saddlebred chestnut mare has a high head low back way of going even on the level. ( it is the same one pictured above)

Image

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Dresseur » Wed Oct 19, 2016 1:08 pm

I LOVE seeing pictures of the old girl. She'll always be Sneakers to me :lol: :lol: Beccot is so high-falut'n - although, she IS a diva. :lol: :lol:

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Re: Discussing hill work

Postby Flight » Thu Oct 20, 2016 12:21 am

Interesting pics to look at and I have to say those trees look amazing!


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