Building bum muscle!

[Sprat]

So newbie has arrived and I cannot wait to start getting on with working her

She doesn't have a huge amount of topline, and very little muscle in her bum, though she schools very sweetly.

I'm going to concentrate on lots of hacking, hill work, pole work (both ridden and on the lunge) and generally take things slowly. She's rising 6, so I don't just want to hammer school work into her.

Does anyone have any good exercises to try to get some topline built, and muscle up her bum a bit? She is looking on the lean side which doesn't help anyway! Currently feeding chaff and fibre beet as that's what she was fed at old yard and don't want to change routine immediately.

 

[Meredith]

I was sent this recently on Facebook but have no idea if they work.

http://www.horse-canada.com/free-rein/5-exercises-to-strengthen-your-horses-hind-end/

 

[YorksG]

Hills, hills and more hills We find if we turn out on the steeper field we get better bum muscle than if they are on the flatter field. Marching on up and down hills works well to get good movement and build the right muscle, working forward will encourage the horse to engage the back end.

 

[Sprat]

Unfortunately, we have very flat fields! We have some hills to hack up and down so (weather permitting) I will be doing lots of hacking with her asap. Though she has no shoes on until Wednesday, so I'm a little reluctant to do much work on the roads and tracks (very stony) until then.

Thanks for the article Meredith, it's an interesting read with some good ideas that I'll crack on with!

 

[Zoe67]

another one for hills! if you trot up them make sure the horse is working slow and low.. and transitions on hills are great, I was once told to develop proper bum muscle you should halt three times on every hill

 

[pennyturner]

Can you ever put a 'proper bottom' on one that has quite a weak looking behind? One of my NF's (Duke) is a bit of a cut-'n'-shut, with his front end much better than the back. Hoping that driving him a lot will help his bum develop, but not holding out too much hope.

 

[Nappy Croc]

I do think there's natural differences- one horses good back end will be another ones poor. Hills, as slowly as possible, repeated if you only have one!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Can you ever put a 'proper bottom' on one that has quite a weak looking behind? One of my NF's (Duke) is a bit of a cut-'n'-shut, with his front end much better than the back. Hoping that driving him a lot will help his bum develop, but not holding out too much hope.

I would say yes with the correct work, Topaz came very weak behind but as she matured and especially now we're doing dressage she has a bum to be proud of now . She is carriage bred so is not blessed with a naturally good behind, but with the dressage training and asking for more 'sit' it has all really helped.

Not the best pic but when we got her as a 6 year old

To the start of our dressage training 2/3 years ago.

to now

 

[pennyturner]

I would say yes with the correct work, Topaz came very weak behind but as she matured and especially now we're doing dressage she has a bum to be proud of now . She is carriage bred so is not blessed with a naturally good behind, but with the dressage training and asking for more 'sit' it has all really helped.

Wow - thanks Alex, there's hope for him yet!

 

[HufflyPuffly]

Wow - thanks Alex, there's hope for him yet!

It's funny we never really set out to improve her shape, it's just happened naturally over time and with the training we do. I will add we also make use of our hills for fitness purposes too, matching up in walk with her hind end engaged. It's a bit shocking to look at pictures of when we first got her now, I forget how scrawny she was .

 

[siennamiller]

Super slow hill work. By that I mean, walk trot and canter, but make each pace as slow as possible. This is what my physio recommended as they have to work more.
In the school, slow the pace until they are placing one foot at a time, then go forward and repeat. Also canter 10 strides on a circle, stop, change direction, straight into canter, 10 strides, repeat... Both worked very well for my mare