Hill Country

Position yourself right for riding up and down hills.

As you ride your horse on hills, you’ll need to keep your center of gravity aligned with his so that you don’t lose your balance or cause your horse to work harder and lose his balance. In simple terms, you’ll lean forward to go up a hill and lean back when going down. Here, trainer Jessica Dabkowski provides handy tips to help you get the hang of hills. Jessica runs Pony Peak Stangmanship in Laporte, Colo., focusing on natural horsemanship techniques while training Mustangs and all breeds of horses. She often works with young riders to help them prepare for Mustang Makeover competitions.

Going Uphill

A horse moving up a steep hill uses his hindquarters to push his body up, while also lengthening his neck forward and shifting his center of gravity forward. His poll drops below the height of his withers and his front legs reach out with each step. To give him some help, you’ll lean slightly forward.

Need a visual? Picture how trees grow on the side of a hill. Tree trunks grow straight toward the sky, even if they’re growing on a steep hillside. If the trees grew at any other angle, they’d fall over. When you’re riding on hills, keep your whole body parallel to the trees—picture a line through your ears, shoulders, hips and heels.