Working your horse over hills to release the sacrolumbar joint on the trail

We all know the importance of freeing the sacrolumbar joint – our horses’ chiropractors almost certainly mention it in a visit to the barn. But how do you keep your horses’ backs loose and supple when on the trail, rather than manipulating from the ground?

Kat Swigart at Equus magazine tells us how to use hill work to improve self carriage, by releasing the sacrolumbar joint and building strength at the same time:

To start with, find a short, steep incline with fairly soft footing. This will ensure there’s less stress on the joints and a bit of lee-way for positioning feet to keep you safe from slipping.

• Bring your horse to the edge of the hill, using leg combined with a soft yet resisting hand to bring the hind legs well underneath the body.
• When you feel you’ve achieved this, allow your horse to take his first step with the front foot down the hill, then stop again to bring the hind legs well up underneath again.
• Repeat this process of one step forward at a time and then inching the hind legs under the body to help round and raise the back and base of the neck as you continue down the incline.
• Once at the bottom, try an engaged walk back up to the top and repeat only if and as your horse becomes strong enough to remain engaged on the downhill.

As his strength builds, you’ll get more engagement on the downhill and you can work up to longer/steeper slopes and eventually work at the trot provided the hind end remains well under the body with each repetition.

[Use Hill Work to Improve a Horse's Self Carriage] Equisearch.com