Why tölt downhill?

I am discussing this here, because it is so common with american riders and gaited-traditions, to train gaits uphill. But we must remember, Icelandics are not like for example Tennessee walkers, that gait with a peculiar head-bobbing. The big gaited breeds work more from the front end, pulling themselves forward, but the Icelandic works from the behind, pushing it self forward, without the head bobbing. When training tolt, both on 3, 4 and 5 gaiters, it is easier to tolt on a flat ground or on a slight down-slope. A 3-gaiter (trotter) walks better under his behind going downhill, and has much difficulties learning to tolt uphill. A 4-gaiter has also often more problems tolting uphill. And if you want to train show-quality tolt, you get more speed and more action training the horse going a bit downhill. A 5-gaiter, that is a bit pacy, learns to carry himself, free his withers, have more action and strengthen his behind going downhill. A pig-pacer going down a steep hill has to tolt or stumble, and will clean his gait. A 5-gaiter will clean the beat going uphill, but he is not getting trained in tolt, the cleaning of the gait is just happening because there is a shorter distance to the ground for the front feet, the horse is not moving in any different way. I've tried, as an experiment, to train pacy horses going uphill. The result is that the horse cleans the gait while going uphill, but is still the same, or worse, when going on flat surface or downhill (because the horse is carrying itself sloppier, it learned that going uphill). So, you can do what you want, but it is easier, with all icey's, to use slight downhills to train tolt. I am not telling you what to do, but this is easier. The idea from other gaited breeds, to gait uphill, comes from the idea that the horse is strengthening the behind while going uphill. You can do that in trot, walk and canter. Gaiting uphill might work for other breeds, I do not know about that. Keep in mind, though, that going downhill is straining for the frontlegs, so don't use it exessively, or use very steep hills, exept if you have to. BACK TO TÖLT

I am discussing this here, because it is so common with american riders and gaited-traditions, to train gaits uphill. But we must remember, Icelandics are not like for example Tennessee walkers, that gait with a peculiar head-bobbing. The big gaited breeds work more from the front end, pulling themselves forward, but the Icelandic works from the behind, pushing it self forward, without the head bobbing.

When training tolt, both on 3, 4 and 5 gaiters, it is easier to tolt on a flat ground or on a slight down-slope.

A 3-gaiter (trotter) walks better under his behind going downhill, and has much difficulties learning to tolt uphill.

A 4-gaiter has also often more problems tolting uphill. And if you want to train show-quality tolt, you get more speed and more action training the horse going a bit downhill.

A 5-gaiter, that is a bit pacy, learns to carry himself, free his withers, have more action and strengthen his behind going downhill. A pig-pacer going down a steep hill has to tolt or stumble, and will clean his gait. A 5-gaiter will clean the beat going uphill, but he is not getting trained in tolt, the cleaning of the gait is just happening because there is a shorter distance to the ground for the front feet, the horse is not moving in any different way.

I've tried, as an experiment, to train pacy horses going uphill. The result is that the horse cleans the gait while going uphill, but is still the same, or worse, when going on flat surface or downhill (because the horse is carrying itself sloppier, it learned that going uphill).

So, you can do what you want, but it is easier, with all icey's, to use slight downhills to train tolt. I am not telling you what to do, but this is easier. The idea from other gaited breeds, to gait uphill, comes from the idea that the horse is strengthening the behind while going uphill. You can do that in trot, walk and canter. Gaiting uphill might work for other breeds, I do not know about that.

Keep in mind, though, that going downhill is straining for the frontlegs, so don't use it exessively, or use very steep hills, exept if you have to.

BACK TO TÖLT