building muscle on back

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fatpony

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Hello
I am riding an older horse that has had about a year off.
We are only hacking steadily trying to get him fit but I wondered if anyone has some tips how to build more muscle along his spine as this is quite prominent though he isnt underweight. I am sure this is partly due to his age and partly due to poor muscle. I suppose just steady trotting with contact making him work (as apposed to letting him do what he wants which would be buckle end) or steady hill work? We have no facilities other than hacking.
 
i had the same problem last year. i invested in a pair of side reins and a roller and dill some lunging every other day just walk and trot with the side reins loose between his legs encouraging the horse to use their backs and stretch. i found it helped my boy.

good luck
 
fatpony said:
Hello
I am riding an older horse that has had about a year off.
We are only hacking steadily trying to get him fit but I wondered if anyone has some tips how to build more muscle along his spine as this is quite prominent though he isnt underweight. I am sure this is partly due to his age and partly due to poor muscle. I suppose just steady trotting with contact making him work (as apposed to letting him do what he wants which would be buckle end) or steady hill work? We have no facilities other than hacking.
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I think what you're doing is right! Keeping it steady, asking him to work in an outline, lots of transitions, perhaps bit of leg yielding if safe to do so is just what I would do if I didn't have access to a school and had to do my schooling out hacking. Hopefully, if you build up sensibly, you should start to see a difference. x
 
The first stage is to build up the abdominsl muscles ,these(not the back muscles) actualy hold the back up , transitions ,hill work. Lots of hacking,less school work.Then once they are strong enough you will find that back muscles and top line will just happen. Until a horse can support himself and you,he cannot carry himself well.
 
Also make sure there is enough protein in the diet to build muscle. Lots of hill work even in walk is great. so is working long and low (correctly)
 
Hill work! Absoltuly brill for muscles, collect him as well as you can at the bottom and ask him to walk up the hill with his hind quarters really working.
 
Thanks for all your replies - all good ideas. I will look into the diet aspect. He`s very lazy so a bit extra food may help this. I`ll also try to introduce a few more hills. Think he is too old to start using things like side reins though I migh try long reining him tomorrow - think he will just use it as an excuse to ignore me and put his head down to eat!!
 
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