# Can horses walk up and down stairs????



## HaffiesRock (20 October 2012)

Random question I know!

I have just watched something on TV and a girl had a horse in her bedroom. That sparked the conversation between me and OH whether or not horses could walk up and down stairs?

I can imagine they could get up, but can they get down? I talking a flight of stairs, not the odd step. Thanks


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## Irishbabygirl (20 October 2012)

Wouldn't have a clue, but would have thought so...? What where you watching?!


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## joeanne (20 October 2012)

House stairs....up yes....down no sure they would...so no.


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## be positive (20 October 2012)

There was a situation on one of the rescue programmes some years ago, riders got caught by a rapidly rising tide while riding on a beach, they managed to get to a building and up the steps to safety, the horses went up no problem but could not get down once the tide went out, I think the rescuers had to build some kind of ramp to get the horses down, they cannot walk down proper steps such as a staircase.


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## kaluki (20 October 2012)

your question......... I just immagened the old cowboy films where the horses and riders go up and down, what seems like mountains...... so guess the answer to your question is yes they can go up and down 'stairs' may be not as well stepped as a human, but yes!!


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## ladyt25 (20 October 2012)

Well, when we were kids there was a pony in the village that we used to ride and the owner kept it in their back garden a lot of the time (it was a small 12hh pony and gthe 'garden' was a small paddock really). The access to this was down the side of the house and down some steps and this is how we got the pony in and out. We never really thought about it really, he just did it!

Also we went to trial a pony for my sister and the stables that was at they took him (and other horses I think) up and donw some steps to get there. Whether I's want to take a horse up and down steps in a house but then I guess a dog can do it and if the pony in question is not much bigger than say a Great Dane than it wouldn't be any different?


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## flirtygerty (20 October 2012)

Perhaps the girl in question lived in a bungalow


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## Kallibear (20 October 2012)

Yes. I've taken (my admittedly very surefooted and careful) cob up and down stairs. We have to go down shallow wide steps daily and have clambered up and down a fairly steep railway-sleeper set of steps to get home before dark. Roo would have fallen over and rolled to the bottom (cos he's a clumsy oaf) but Piper tootled up and down them no problem. 

But a flight of human indoor steps?: up easily but down, only just, if the surface was grippy and I certainly wouldn't try it unless it was essential.


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## Big Ben (20 October 2012)

A mini can go down stairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dp0WQFErew

Bigger horse = bigger stairs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9QMAY6-32c


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## Queenbee (20 October 2012)

I seem to recall a debate about this years ago, can't quite remember what sparked it or what the out come was but I think there was some resolution that they could go one way but not the other, but thinking about xc and knowing about H&H threads, that may well have been about cows as they have funny knees!! I do know and am pretty sure I learnt it originally on here, that it is traditionally good luck to walk a horse through your new home


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## Irishcobs (20 October 2012)

I remember watching a behind the scenes of a film and they had to ride a horse up the stairs to the front of the castle. He went up fine but to come back down the led him very slowly. The trainer (I think it was Gerard Naprous) said it wasn't easy for them to come down as they can't see their feet.


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## FfionWinnie (20 October 2012)

I have two wide steps into my stables. I reckon they could do a staircase with practice actually. Up easier than down but dogs don't naturally understand stairs either.


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## SKY (20 October 2012)

yes we rent a field and it is down about 30 steps into field.  mares and foals all have done it, doesnt faze them at all, just let them go at there own pace.  they try to go quick 1st few steps then go slow.  happy to get in to grass.


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## Mongoose11 (20 October 2012)

At the last yard there were four big steps down into the feedroom off the yard (through a normal width door). YO had never worried about a horse getting itself down those steps as horses had been loose on the yard and never done it before........ Cue my fatty mare who bold as brass, in front of YO, stepped down into the feedroom and planted her face in a bale of haylage!


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## Dolcé (21 October 2012)

I don't know about horses but miniature shetlands certainly can!  My parents were away when I was about 14 and I thought it was hilarious to have pony with head hanging out of my bedroom window.  He went upstairs with no problem but he had to back down again 'very' carefully, looking back now it was pretty stupid really.  Parents were not happy when they returned and the neighbours grassed me up!


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## Foxhunter49 (21 October 2012)

We use to ride up and down several (8 -10) concrete steps to get up and down from one part of the beach. Thought nothing of it except on a green horse who would usually jump down the first few times.


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## MurphysMinder (21 October 2012)

Gerard Naprous used to attend Medieval banquets at a local pub on one of his horses.  He used to ride it up steep, stone stairs perform stunts around the diners and then ride it back down the stairs again!


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## Brightbay (21 October 2012)

I have ridden mine up a flght of stairs in the village. He's not shod, so plenty of grip.  He didn't think twice when asked, just headed on up.  I didn't have the nerve to ask him to come back down, as they were way too big a flight to jump down, and I wasn't sure what speed we would descent at 

Stairs are a Le Trec obstable, so I just thought I should know if it was possible.  He's 17hh and solidly built, not a handy pony by any stretch of the imagination.

My poor friend was behind on her cob (who is shod).  I think she had her eyes shut . The shod hooves did sound a bit alarmingly slidey!

ETA it was these steps... there is another way down ;-)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/re_teacher/147065559/


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## Polos Mum (21 October 2012)

There is a bridleway in Berkshire just north of reading that has 'horse stairs' the first time I rode along I thought 'what an odd sign!' then reached the stairs about 25 down then up again the other side - through an old railway cutting or something similar.  Frist time it caused some excitement but they soon got used to it - down nice and slow - up fast as you can to get energy for 25 bounces in a row - stangely you could always stop at the top! 
I think the household calivalry also go up normal people steps and into a building in one of their offical duties (sorry can't remember which one)


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## tabithakat64 (21 October 2012)

As a teenager I quite regularly rode my loan pony up and down a small flight of concrete stairs and thought nothing of it, we also used to ride up and down slopes that were easily as steep as the derby bank and jump park benches, I wasn't very safety conscious back then!
I only came a cropper once on a very green cob who got to the top of a long flight of walkers steps panicked and jumped.


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## HaffiesRock (21 October 2012)

Thanks for all your replies. Very interesting answers x


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## jeeve (21 October 2012)

we had stairs with a long flat bit at home and the horses went up and down that regularly, but if the flat bit was too short, yes they would probably struggle more on the way down than up.


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## norfolk_grump (21 October 2012)

A horse is ridden up the entrance steps to Sandhurst during the passing out parade


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