Building up muscle on a non-ridden mare?

[MrsElle]

Bailey has put on heaps of weight since we got her but is severely lacking in muscle. Although you can no longer see her ribs she does look quite poor close up, due to having no muscle tone.

She is 4 next month and we don't know if she has been broken in or not. Even if she has I am much too heavy to ride her. We have no access to a school and our field is on a slope so lunging would be difficult.

Any ideas?

 

[Clava]

Long reining?

 

[Ashleigh_]

Long reining?

This ^^

My instructor, back home in Brighton, suggested I do this with my cob to get my confidence up and start the re-schooling process again. I found it better than lunging because it simulates the same sort of contact as the reins when ridden, and also because he had to walk out in front of me he relied more on my instruction and had to focus and listen, rather than just tanking off!

Try walking around a fenced off area of the field to begin with, and slowly challenge yourself by doing the same sort of exercises you do if you were riding in a school (fig.8, circles, pole work, transitionsblahblahblah) Once you feel comfortable then go for a long rein 'hack'. You could do lots of hill work and de sentisising (sp?) to different areas and situations, all good things if you decide to break her at any point and keeping her fit for the meanwhile.

I'm riding again now but still regularly long rein and Ronnie always enjoys it