The Art of Natural Dressage

Don't know if it's the right place to post this, but here you go

I have heard different opinions about "riding on asphalt" - some say it's very unhealthy and damaging for the horse's legs.
Some (even vets, here in Denmark at least) says it's healthy for the horse's legs, and that it's useful to strengthen the legs, - done in the right way of course.

But do anyone here know something about this? It'd be great if someone knew about some research, or some specific facts about why/why not.

Best,
Emilie

I think it all comes down to the "done in a right way". I have also heard that if you gradually build it up, it can really strengthen your horse's hooves. I do think you have to be careful with trotting and especially cantering on the asphalt, but if you mostly walk with the occasional trot, and alternate between asphalt and grass, I think it is great exercise for a horse. Of course once they get used to it, you can increase the time you spend trotting, and eventually cantering.
And don't forget that wild horses in certain countries live on solid rock..they can handle it fine, it's just that our horses are used to walking on grass and mud, so they need time to 'learn' how to walk on asphalt.

Hi Emilie,
i know there is a danish site with good information, i have to search for it. I come back as soon as i found it again.

Cool - I'll look forward to that, Inge

There used to be a great little video on the Simon Earle Racing site (barefoot and holistic care and training of racehorses), taken at ground level, slo mo, of a barefoot horse cantering on asphalt, and a shod horse cantering. The difference was amazing. I don't know where that video clip has disappeared to now since the website changed.
The barefoot horses hoof flexed and absorbed shock, whereas the shod hoof leg snapped down taking all the shock, and slipping with each step.
Interesting.

Sue

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I have not sought the horse of bits, bridles, saddles and shackles,
But the horse of the wind, the horse of freedom, the horse of the dream. [Robert Vavra]

The discussion on this topic reminds me to ask myself that same old question I rely on when I'm stuck about what works for the horse.

What, if not constrained by humans, or accidents of geography, do horses normal choose to do and where do they choose to live, and flourish.

I live in an area with immense stretches of open country and yet we have everything from savannahs to harsh high desert country. The latter is cold, bitter cold in the winter, scorching hot in the summer. Water is scarce and so is forage during both extremes. Yet where do the feral horses chose to be, even though they could live on lush grass and softer ground?

The harsh rocky high desert country. It's what they evolved for, apparently. Likely because the ancient carnivores drove them out of the forests and savannahs and the had to evolved to survive.

Unless a horse is genetically predisposed to not be able to go on hard surfaces that's where they must spend some of their time to develop the sturdiness of sinew and bone, and of course, hoof.

Nearly every day Altea and Bonnie get a .7 5 mile walk on asphalt. Not only hard but in our cold winters built up with small jagged stone sticking out for tire traction. Both seem to be doing extremely well.

Last winter when Altea lived elsewhere, and before having Bonnie I took her for her first walks on asphalt. It was very hard for her, and for me to urge her on, but I knew it had to be done. Each time (and I had to start with only once a week), she could go further and further and walk more and more freely, but at first she was lame in all four.

Now that we do all this walking on this hard rough surface, very like a huge hoof rasp, both she and Bonnie have normal wear patterns. I have had Altea trimmed every 30 days for some time. I'm going to have to stop wasting the trimmer's time and go soon to six week trim intervals.

At least as long as we travel over chip-sealed roads as frequently. .

Altea, by the way, is black front and white rear on her hooves. Yet we get very similar wear rates. Frankly I can't see any difference between front and back in wear patterns.

Donald

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Love is Trust, trust is All
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So say Don, Altea, and Bonnie the Wonder Filly.

I don´t know the cantering videos, but here is one taken in trot with shoes and one without shoes.

Perhaps there are more similar videos there in the links and maybe even the cantering ones?

you have got the right one Romy, they are from a danish website, the one i ment
i was searching for them. I knew they were somewere

My thoughts are this.
if youre horse is barefoot, learn him to walk on hard ground, later on in trot. So he can used to an other kind of ground under his feet, so the hoof can harden.
Then there is no problem until your horse say no...thanks this time not....maybe later again.
Even a galop is barefoot no problem, no slippery things at all.

If a horse is shod then you can have some problems, it have much more effect on the bones etc of the horse.
but when you can see those results is depending on the horse, some you will never see and some have early problems.
In the wild, horses have differend kind of grounds during a day, soft hard, water, dry etc..so i think that is the best.

i have until now no problems at all, i walk many miles on hard surface but also on soft i change as much as posible during the rides and walks.

That´s how we do it too, except for the times when I am cycling with Summy who always wants to walk (trot, canter...) on asphalt if he can choose, but I don´t let him do it all the time - just because this takes away so much of his hoof horn and if I let him choose all the time he would not have enough horn left after one or two weeks of cycling and then we could not cycle anymore at all.

But basically I just let them decide and it´s really different for each horse. Summy prefers asphalt in all gaits, but Titum and Pia don´t want to trot or canter on hard ground. Titum does not like hard ground at all and Pia prefers hard ground in walk but refuses to trot or canter on it.

Cool - thanks a for all the answers! Many good and logical answers. It was because someone "attacked" me because she saw pictures of me riding on asphalt - and she claimed that it was a very bad thing to do..... And I said I'd come back if I found some research about it.. But it's pretty logical, so I guess she can see it.

Fáni has extremely strong hooves, and it's no problem for him to walk and trot on asphalt. Sometimes when he gets to much energy he's also taking some steps in gallop - but I'm normally holding him back for a security sake..

You can right on the asfalt without any problems, but without irons! irons stop the natural bounching and moving effect of the hoofs and all the shocks will go straight to the bones.
if you right without irons it's even good for your horse ( don't go with an untraint one the first time for long distanses)It makes the bloodcirculation of the hoofs get better and in that way the hoof soon will get stronger.

Hope it helps you,

Love, Helene

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without the bad, good would not exist

I have to agree with Helene....My EP has always told me that riding on roads and pavements (asphalt) is beneficial to barefoot horses. It helps to naturally wear their hooves and it also gets the blood circulating round the hoof better which also stimulates hoof growth and strengthens the hoof too.

If your horse is barefoot then riding over hard surfaces should not be a problem as the hoof can work naturally and properly causing less concussion to the joints than if it was wearing metal shoes. (I hope that makes sense)

Both Bo and tegan are quite happy to walk and trot (and on occasion canter) on asphalt....doesn't seem to bother them in the slightest.

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My horses will sometimes choose to GALLOP on the asphalt! Sometimes we let one of them walk loose while we ride or lead the others out on the Guei Zi Keng Road which is long and straight and bounded by canal so pretty safe. The loose one will often dawdle for a while to graze the weeds on the roadside then gallop helter skelter (in the case of the shetties ) to catch up.) The more exercise they have on the tarmac the faster and harder their hooves grow. Sometimes if we do an unusually long trip on the roads (twenty or thirty km) we use boots some of the way to protect sole. They do seem to prefer to be barefoot than booted though.
Our youngster Harlequin who has grown up with this regime and lived all his life in their hard packed paddock has the most wonderful bone in his legs and knees! The only time he's been injured is when we went to the beach once and he hurt himself galloping in soft sand.
Sue

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I have not sought the horse of bits, bridles, saddles and shackles,

But the horse of the wind, the horse of freedom, the horse of the dream. [Robert Vavra]