# Down hill body postition



## SkyeDawn (Mar 31, 2011)

You want your back to be parallel with the trees around you. Any more or any less will mess with your horse's balance.


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

What SkyeDawn said.


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## busysmurf (Feb 16, 2012)

Parallel with the trees & try to keep your upper body still but let your hips move along w/ their body. Think of your upper body as being a solid anchor and your hips as the joint holding your horse to the anchor
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

busysmurf said:


> Parallel with the trees & try to keep your upper body still but let your hips move along w/ their body. Think of your upper body as being a solid anchor and your hips as the joint holding your horse to the anchor
> _Posted via Mobile Device_


Yep. For that one has to keep the lower back and abdominal muscles free and supple.


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## SkyeDawn (Mar 31, 2011)

You should always have your upper body still and hips supple though, shouldn't you?


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

SkyeDawn said:


> You should always have your upper body still and hips supple though, shouldn't you?


Yes. But it is a natural reaction to stiffen up when going downhill so I figured I mention it.


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## SkyeDawn (Mar 31, 2011)

mildot said:


> Yes. But it is a natural reaction to stiffen up when going downhill so I figured I mention it.


Ahhh, ok  

I was like D: I'm doing it wrong!


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

Body parallel to the trees. same rule applies for going uphill.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

When descending the slopes in Beacons, I would always lean back to keep my body upright and transfer my weight to the stirrup bars, which I'd push forwards and then 'walk him down , left then right, then left and then right, to match when he was putting his feet down. I'd also let him lean on the bit which would invariably be a mild snaffle. It is important to keep the horse in balance and to 'save' his front legs.

I'd try to hold his speed down, so that it did not build up, being aware that if it was a soft surface he'd slide a bit. If he did get to trotting downhill, then I'd stand in the stirrups, locking my knees into the knee pads.

Going up, I'd come out of the saddle, put all my weight on the stirrups, push my inner knee to the saddle pads, give him a loose rein and make sure I kept my weight off his back. At most I'd neck rein, leaving him ample free rein to pick his course around the rocks. 

Its tricky, so much depends on the surface, so much on the fitness of the horse.
My Joe was as much goat as horse when it came to climbing slopes. He was used for sheep herding in the hills - that's a fun game. 
Going downhill on a sandy path, he'd almost slither down on his hind feet.

As for my present mare - well, she'd might well fall over on a steep slope and if I ever came up and off the saddle she'd take off and I'd have to come downhill Capt Caprilli style leaning forwards - disconcerting to say the least.

Remember that if a horse starts to canter downhill on a hard surface, even with studs it will find it hard to even slow, let alone stop, until it reaches the bottom of the slope and the ground levels out. Then the only way for you to ride is to lean right back and push the feet out forwards in the stirrup irons.

Have fun


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I rode in the foothills and we just remained upright, relaxed the hips and let the horse do his job. The worst thing a rider can do is shift in the saddle. Even if you feel you are not in the best postition, stick with it to the bottom. The horse has adjusted and a weight shift throws him off balance. The old calvary riders used to lean forward which makes one wonder about all the weight being forward of the horse' shoulders.


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## BoldComic (Feb 26, 2012)

Thanks guys. Sounds like I've got the right idea and with a few adjustments we should be down hill champs. Appreciate the quick responce!


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

*Downhill at speed,*

These are the best photos I have of downhill riding, but they are taken in Spain - I never got any photos in Wales.

The horse can cope with its weight and your weight on the slope - as long as you the rider don't interfere with the horse's neck or its balance. Going dowhnhill there's more weight on the horse's front legs than usual because of the forces of gravity and less push coming from the hind legs because of the help of gravity. 

The horse needs its full neck to balance itself and the rider must avoid exerting any leverage thru the bit. Your balance is aided by pressure from the balls of the feet on the bars of the stirrups. It is important for you to be over the horse's centre of gravity.

Here I am sitting on my fork, my legs are down straight, the length of rein gives the horse's neck to move. The horse is free to balance us both.
And we are going as fast as we can. The rider sits still!! 

That's me shouting ' Geronimo...oooo..ooooow.

But that was a 5 year old late cut Andalucian gelding, mouthed Spanish.
schooled English, wearing English tack. He was/is a very special horse

The buzz - Oh the buzz.


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## BoldComic (Feb 26, 2012)

Love those pics. That looks like a blast. I think it will be a while before Comic and I are ready to go "Man From Snowy River" style down a hill. That's quite the horse under you


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

*A Downhill Gallop*

It was on the last day of a riding holiday in Andalucia. ’The Custard Surprise.’ was listed on the programme of rides as a special event but there was no description of it. However the visitors all knew that today was to be the day.

After lunch we visitors, replete with paella, wine and brandy, were making our way back to the hacienda. We were just coming out of the woods on a narrow uphill trail when I noticed that the three guides had suddenly changed their usual stations in the line of riders. In front of us the track appeared to turn sharp left and uphill. Unusually the head trail guide had taken the lead and had put her horse into a hand canter. Instantly and without their rider's permission, all of the nine horses in the line followed suite including my own generally well mannered steed. The horses knew what was coming. 

Then I heard a call from the leader: ‘let the horses have their heads and sit in’ The lead rider then lurched from hand canter into extended canter and my own horse took off to follow. As we came out of the woods, we charged round the sharp corner and up into the sunlight. We cantered up what was left of the slope onto the narrow ridge of the hill. Instead of coming to a halt at the top of the ridge as I was expecting, the lead rider kept going and disappeared straight down the other side of the ridge. My horse followed at the charge. There was to be no stopping him. From the photos, the slope doesn’t look steep but from where I was sitting up on the horse, the slope was reminiscent of the side of Mount Everest. I knew that I daren’t do anything which might unbalance the horse, so I pushed my feet home in the stirrups and stuck them out in front of me. I leaned slightly forwards from the waist and allowed my horse full use of the reins. If my horse were to lose its footing I knew that together we would tumble over and over. All I had to do as rider was to sit in and keep still in the saddle. Anyway the horse would not be able to slow, let alone stop, until we reached the bottom of the slope.

We went down that slope like the clappers. My Boy could not possibly move his legs any faster in the sand. To me it was a tremendous rush of adrenaline I found myself calling out: 
“Ger-on -ni- moooooooo“.

When we got to the bottom of the hill, in what seemed like just a few seconds, - the track, now flat and mostly level, opened up in front of us and off we went like a rocket until eventually I caught up with the leader of the ride who by then was slowing down. The cameraman had hidden alongside the track behind the trees. I was all for going back and doing it all over again. Sadly it was not to be. Interestingly all of the riders made it safely and the ladies came home with very flushed cheeks.

Later over dinner we discussed the Custard Surprise with the trail guides. Apparently during the week we visitors had all been sized up to see if we were capable of coping the downhill ride without falling off. Galloping downhill is something one learns to do by every day riding and the technique can’t readily be taught in a riding school. On some weeks the riders weren;t up to it, so a more stately ride was substituted. 

Anyway so much depends on the horses. 
Andalucian horses are something very different from regular hacks. They feel light and sensitive to ride. They are also very handy and sure footed. Usually the local Spanish men will only ride stallions whilst the ladies will ride saddle on mares. Yet stallions and mares will gather together all dressed up in pretty traditional garb as part of the annual rural village fiestas 

In all of the riding centres I have been to, only one other in Wales has ever dared include a downhill gallop,. Mostly the centres are frightened of losing their licence. 

But what a buzz.!!!.


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## BoldComic (Feb 26, 2012)

Thank you so much for posting that story! It was a great read. How amazing for you to get to do that. It's true that not everyone could have stayed on and not unbalanced their horse during that ride. I hope I can do something like that some day because it looks amazing!


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## sumozmom (Mar 13, 2012)

good point that sounds right


SkyeDawn said:


> You should always have your upper body still and hips supple though, shouldn't you?


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## sumozmom (Mar 13, 2012)

soo much fun! scary!


Barry Godden said:


> It was on the last day of a riding holiday in Andalucia. ’The Custard Surprise.’ was listed on the programme of rides as a special event but there was no description of it. However the visitors all knew that today was to be the day.
> 
> After lunch we visitors, replete with paella, wine and brandy, were making our way back to the hacienda. We were just coming out of the woods on a narrow uphill trail when I noticed that the three guides had suddenly changed their usual stations in the line of riders. In front of us the track appeared to turn sharp left and uphill. Unusually the head trail guide had taken the lead and had put her horse into a hand canter. Instantly and without their rider's permission, all of the nine horses in the line followed suite including my own generally well mannered steed. The horses knew what was coming.
> 
> ...


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## Heelsdown (Jun 5, 2011)

Awesome photos! 

That's why I love this board. Learn something new every day. I just realized I lean back too far going down hill. I haven't done anything treacherous yet. But I know if I hadn't read this post, I probably would have leaned way too far.

Can someone look at this youtube video and tell me if they are doing it right? This isn't me, just a video I found.








And then when you're done with that video, check out the cajones on this guy! Wow! Now that's a drop.





There's one video I saw once (can't find it now) of trail riders going down a steep hill and their horses actually just slid down on their buts. Anyone know what I'm talking about? Is that something that people only do if it's really steep or is it just something people do?


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

The key thing in coming downhill is to keep in balance with the horse and to sit still and upright with the trees. The horse must be given control of its head but the rider should keep a very delicate touch with the mouth through the reins.
Keep the horse going but slowly, slowly

As for the cowboys, well I'd have looked for another spot along the trails to descend. It is the rider's responsibility not to put the horse in jeopardy of hurting itself , especially falling.


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

I tried to find some photos that showed a profile view of a rider going down hill. Not many in my collection. Guess I'm hanging on when gong down steep hills instead of taking photos.

Here is m daughter going down a hill. And I think she is in pretty good body positon.









Another steep downhill. But it is hard to see the riders psition and many are just kids hanging on.









As far as the horse going off a 10' earth bank. I ride that area a lot, and sometimes you just have to do it. It's Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch country and those rider want to taste the challenge of what the Outlaws had to do. But most times there is an alternate route around. But i a possee was chasing you, there was no time to search out alternate routes


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Oops That not the photo I selected.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Looks pretty good to me, does one get to cross that river too?


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## Heelsdown (Jun 5, 2011)

oh my goodness, I haven't done anything that steep yet. I see people really are pretty upright. As always, beautiful pictures!


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Barry, if you look across the river you can see the trail start to climb up the opposite side. So yes we cross the river after descending the hill.

This is from the other side of the river looking back at the trail she was riding down on the far bank. The above photo was taken just below the turn around in the road in the picture below. 









Sometimes even on steep hills, we have to sit up when we ride laterially across the hill. You can that non-horsey friend of my daughter on the sorrel horse leaning into the mountainside, because she is nervous


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## Allison Finch (Oct 21, 2009)

I like having my shoulders a bit more forward when going down a steep hill. I try to put a bit more weight on the front, which can regulate the speed better. They can plant and walk. Putting weight too far back will weight the hind legs which will tend to slide. In some cases where people weight too much on the haunch, I have seen hind legs slide uncontrollably. This is how I teach my cross country students. It is more commonly seen in English than leaning way back






























The bank ridden well (about the only jump ridden really well)








All my years guiding pack trips into the Colorado rockies, I always rode this way down steep hills and never had a horse slide. Weight the haunch and it is much more likely to.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

PH - Simply magnificent country to ride in - lucky man.

If one can ride a horse, there is just so much to see in this world.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Alli , a few years back, maybe an old man like me could have coped with the banks but that downhill fence would be too much for me and certainly for my horse.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

What about if you're trotting/cantering down hill? Do you still keep your back parallel to the ground with the trees? I don't have many hills to perfect my position on, and they're all small, so I never really feel like I get anywhere.


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

Barry Godden said:


> The key thing in coming downhill is to keep in balance with the horse and to sit still and upright with the trees. The horse must be given control of its head but the rider should keep a very delicate touch with the mouth through the reins.
> Keep the horse going but slowly, slowly
> 
> As for the cowboys, well I'd have looked for another spot along the trails to descend. It is the rider's responsibility not to put the horse in jeopardy of hurting itself , especially falling.


I agree, also knowing the ability and limitations of the horse your riding.
There are some I wouldn't think twice about baling off down the hillside at 9-0, and others I wouldn't cross the bar ditch in my front yard..lol


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## Painted Horse (Dec 29, 2006)

Years ago, we had a Foxtrotter judge come out to Utah to judge an event. We took him for an afteroon ride and basically scared him for life with ride up what we thought was normal hillside. 

A few years later he was judging a CTR that I was competing in, He happen to be judging a steep down hill descent. When he saw me and my daughters, He said, "Just go on. I'm not even going to watch you, I know you know how to go up and down steep hills"

I realize that not everybody has steeps to practice on like we have.


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## xxBarry Godden (Jul 17, 2009)

Maybe there is another very important point to be made at this juncture.

The prime responsibility of any rider when setting out on a trail ride or hack is to get him or herself AND the horse back to the stable yard safely.
When one takes up the reins, one assumes the overall responsibility for safety.

It is fun to test one's riding ability, but not at the expense of risk to the horse.
The human makes his/her own choice, the horse invariably has to do what it is told. 
If the rider puts the horse in a situation which is beyond the capability of the animal either for lack of fitness, lack of schooling, temperament or capability then any injury to that horse would be due to the rider's incompetence.

Down hill riding is one quite dangerous pursuit - if the slope looks too steep and if it cannot be negotiated in zig zag fashion, then that cannot be the place to descend. It is so easy for a horse to slip, thereby break its leg and fall on the rider - serious injury even death could result.

By all means start with short , gentle slopes, but don't ever assume that your horse is infallible. Remember the rider is the guide of the horse - the load falls upon the horse to carry out the manouevre safely for both equine and human.

This responsibility issue is often forgotten in competitive scenarious - never overface your horse.


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## BoldComic (Feb 26, 2012)

I agree that the horses safety is in the riders hands since the horses have been trained to do what we ask.

@ painted horse: your post made me smile because we took some friends from out of state on a ride here in the Utah mountains. It was a simple ride for my husband and I but our friends were pretty nervous several times. They were on our horses who are used to this kind of riding so no worries there. But it made hubby and I realize that "Oh yeah, everyone gets used to riding different things." There was a post on here a while back about a girl who rode her horse through a belly deep marsh (marsh=pretty solid footing / bog=sinking). That would make me and my horse pretty nervous. But it's what they were used to.


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