Hills offer indisputable conditioning potential, but their benefits rely on approaching them with a plan that is relevant to a goal. In the case of building strength, there is no guarantee of results by making your horse occasionally climb inclines that leave him winded and sweaty. When using terrain to strengthen locomotive muscles, slope angles and repeatability of efforts, plus strategic rest intervals, play an enormous role.
By itself, traipsing around steep terrain with a hope of strengthening the horse often brings cardiorespiratory improvement without intended strength. This is due to hills being too steep and encouraging poor form or overexertion, insufficient repetitions, unproductive work-to-rest ratios, or working past fatigue. Due to the sheer physical challenge, climbing steep hills often contributes to asymmetrical movement patterns and pushes the horse to an anaerobic metabolic rate that does not support the muscle fiber recruitment and adaptations sought for bettering locomotion and balance. Further, eccentric muscle loading, which happens during descents, produces more metabolic waste (acidic buildup, “burning” sensation) than other types of fitness activities, and can lead to poor function and recovery.
Take heart if you lack access to steep hills. Aside from very specific conditioning goals, steep climbs are generally not used for strength workouts targeting basic strength gains. Also, rest assured that you do not need access to miles of hilly terrain. In fact, many of the following workouts prefer mild slopes that allow for repeatable dosages. An ideal slope angle will require the horse to change his center of gravity, flex his joints more, and engage his topline and bottom-line muscle chains with greater force. Most pastures have a swale or rise that fits this description.