Building up muscle behind/under saddle...

[Maia]

What exercises etc do you do and for how long/how often?

Also how long before you start to see it developing and an improvement?

Have a lovely ex broodmare as a project, very lacking in topline and muscle but very sweet and willing, works nicely and getting the hang of an "outline" (yes I have used that term loosely!). Have had her 7 weeks, did 2 weeks gentle lunging x4 a week; then 3 weeks building up hacking x4 a week; just started 20mins of schooling x2 a week and hacking x2 a week. She's fed Winergy Equilibrium low energy and has good grazing and adlib hay at night. Wormed, back checked, teeth good, and seen both back and saddler twice (first week and 10days ago just to check on things - on both occasions everything was great!)

However, 6 weeks into work if anything she looks worse than when she started, she has no topline muscle at all but has slimmed down a little (was very slightly porky, now about perfect) so how much is her looking worse and how much is weight loss I'm not sure!

So back to the point, she has clearly got next to no abdominal and topline muscle after years of having babies and whatever I'm doing doesn't appear to be helping (I am aware these things take time!) so any suggestions welcome. Thanks.

 

[philamena]

Hi

Strengthening the abs is key to developing the top line so it's a long road! Raised pole work exercises are brilliant for this - in hand or on lunge initially until a bit more strength in the back. Walk is best pace for it as they have to physically lift rather than using the bounce they get in trot. I'd be doing a little every day rather than two bigger sessions a week... I think it's the safest for horses coming back from scratch as it relies on them creating their own movement rather than forcing an outline... so I'd be getting her a good way along with this before using an Equi-Ami or pessoa for very short periods. This mixed in with the hacking so that life's interesting and she's not spending too much time going round in circles

Others are bound to have good ideas but this is where I'd start... and take it easy as if her abs are completely strung out she will find working in a proper outline very hard work, so I'd be going for quality of work over quantity, definitely.

 

[Maia]

Ok, I have some poles so will do some ridden and lunge work using them.

I would love to do something with her daily but with work and another horse in work I just cannot fit it in - our school is a 5mjn walk down the road and the fields are not really suitable for a green, unbalanced horse and have to last the winter so can't afford to cut them up with hoof marks...

Any other suggestions?

 

[philamena]

Walking up hills

And getting into the habit of backing her up in hand for (building up to) 10 steps a few times a day. They use the abs to lift the back to rein back, and doing a nice active, marching rein back in hand, say, four times a day, helps to switch the muscles on. So on the way out to the field, in the field when you get there, once when you catch her, once more on the way in from the field...

 

[xloopylozzax]

Im a firm believer of covering miles to get horses fit and toned. Miles upon miles of roadwork, starting in walk and working up.

Keeping her engaged, working in a shape of some sort and keeping a good pace is just as effective as all these other things.

As she gets stronger and fitter (and more supple) you need to introduce lateral work (shoulder in, leg yield etc etc) and lots and lots of transitions- Keeping them round (if a little deep, shoot me now) bouncing from an active walk, into a nice collected bouncy trot, back to walk, into a working trot, back to a more collected, even joggy trot. It keeps their mind on work and engages lots of different groups of muscles.
I play around with reinback aswell, stop, back a few steps, and bounce into trot. I prefer to stay in sitting trot just because it feels more together, you can wrap your legs right round, keep squeezing forward and contain all that power your creating.

I would also change her feed ration, to develop muscle.

Just because your "hacking" doesnt mean you cant school, I show at county/national level and majority of the time dont have access to a school, they are obediant, supple and active because I dont see schooling and hacking as different entitys.

ETA- I have no hills, for miles and miles and miles and slow and steady is better that fast, but flat work