Riding in walk only – friend or foe?
While long rides in walk might seem like a good idea, they can also have negative effects. Here’s something to keep in mind.
Dismounting every now and then on long rides in walk can be beneficial to the back.
This week's subject was inspired by a conversation I had with a dear friend and colleague, an amazing horse trainer Alja Kisilak. In our work we have both encountered horses that are ridden only in walk, in an effort to »save their backs«. But is riding a horse in walk only really beneficial to their backs?
Many horses will show better posture at the walk than in other gaits. And by better, I mean – more relaxed. An untrained horse ridden in walk will often lower their head and walk without overly contracting their back muscles. When the same horse is asked to trot, he might lift the head up, lower the base of the neck and tense up his back muscles. In addition to this he will rarely be straight – he will fall on one of his shoulders and become crooked. Obviously, the way to fix this is to properly train the horse, strengthen his musculature and teach him how to carry himself in a healthy way. Some riders are of the opinion that if they only work the horse in the walk, this training is unnecessary. But that might not be the case.
There are two problems with riding in walk only. The first one is the action of the saddle. Even if the saddle fits properly, constant pressure on the back muscle will limit circulation. In the long run, this can inhibit muscle development and cause back pain. Interspersing periods of walk with work in trot, gets the back and saddle moving a bit more, increasing the circulation in the back muscles. It's kind of like when your leg goes numb after sitting in a weird way and you then rub it to return it to normal. The second problem with working in walk only is that the horse doesn't really use his core muscles all that much when he's sauntering through the forest. The core muscles and the stabilizing muscles around the spine are the ones protecting the back from pain and damage, so in the long run a lack of core strength can be very problematic.
Now, I'm not saying you should trot and cater your horse every time you ride them. And I am not saying you need to trot and cater your horse if they are not ready for it – or if they have a chronic issue that might make walking the only option. I am just saying that we need to be aware that long rides in walk can do some harm to the back in the long run. We can mitigate this by keeping the rides short, by dismounting every now and then and by supplementing any riding with good quality groundwork and core strengthening exercises.