A Little Bit of Asphalt Never Hurt Anyone
I am the first one to admit to question the rock solid surfaces as seen [heard] during the showjumping indoor season. But the other day I stumbled across a complete army of trolls bashing a rider who posted a video of her trotting her horse on an asphalt road, give me a break!
Cause horses actually benefit variety.
Their joints, tendons, and brains need it. So a bit of trotting on asphalt won’t shatter them, it might even do them good.
Long before there were fiber-mixed arenas and all-weather gallops, horses were trained on whatever ground was there.
Fields.
Forest paths.
Village roads.
Cobblestones.
If it held up, it was good enough. Guess what, horses both survived and thrived.
Become a Sponsor
Buy Me a CoffeeFast Forward
Today we’ve reached the point where even a few steps of trot on asphalt is enough to trigger a digital stampede of trolls who quite frankly may not even recognise a sound horse even if it cantered past them.
Which in itself is a proof that both horse and common sense is out the window long time ago.
Trotting on hard ground is actually a well known tool to build up and make horses stronger. Not only does it strengthen the bones, it also encourages clean, economical movement.
When trained on different surfaces horses are normally more adaptable, and arguably safer when faced with imperfect conditions in real life, whether that’s a slick grass arena or a mud pit of a warm-up arena.
Cavalry systems knew this.
Classical trainers knew this.
Old school eventers knew this.
Horse racing trainers knows this.
Most top level eventing riders of today also knows this.
However, somewhere along the way, we got soft, and when us humans got soft, so did our horses.
But if you want a horse that lasts, take them down the lane. Find a field. Let them feel what the world is made of.
