buliding up the hindquarters...

[jenbleep]

.....with no hills

i hear everywhere that the best way to build up the back end is to use hills......all very well i would love some hills but where i ride its flat everywhere! what are good ways of building up the muscles in the hindquarters with no hills?

polework?

Lungeing?

anything else?

thanks in advance

 

[Equus Leather]

I build up my back end by eating biscuits....that might work?!

 

[jenbleep]

tee hee tell me about it my ass is built up on a foundation of chips

 

[OrangeEmpire]

Transitions! Ah that old friend. lengthen + shorten strides as well as going up and down the paces.

....or chocolate.

 

[jenbleep]

k well the next time i ride he is going to do 100 transitions

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

To build up the horses rear end muscle he neds to be using it correctly & he has to be trained to do this. Transitions will help but you also need to do loads of leg yieldning & shoulder fore. By doing this it encourages the horse to swing it's legs under itself & use it's hocks & rear end correctly & engage itself. Once it's doing that you will see the muscle start to build...it won't happen over night but it will happen eventually.

 

[Cop-Pop]

Transitions and poles are good. I think the pessoa lunging system is meant to help build up the back end too.

 

[0]

[ QUOTE ]
I think the pessoa lunging system is meant to help build up the back end too.

[/ QUOTE ]

If you don't mind your horse being jabbed in the mouth everytime it pushes with its hindlegs.

The Pessoa training system was designed to build the back, it's supposed to get the horse to stretch down and engage the hindlegs and sure, it does get the horse to 'go round'. But the horse is really going on the forehand and behind the bit. Not surprisingly, if you watch what its doing to the horses mouth.

There are other, better, more effective and kind ways of helping a horse to be balanced and strong with that head bent, on the bit position. Stop using 'aids' to force this position, because all they do is leave the horse flexing behind the 3rd vertebra, which has unfortunate and undesirable consequences. You want the poll to relax - between the 1st and 2nd vertebra and that means riding properly.

Bring on the flaming............ <sigh>

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

Pessoa helped a lot building my horse's muscle back after illness. Also helps him generally engage his back end rather than drag it around on the lunge. This in turn has made him more balanced in riding.

The concept of on the bit is a mystery to him and he doesnt have it tight, just enough to encourage him to not stick his head in the air and pull himself round using only his shoulders, which he had started to do once he lost the muscle. So it's useful to help break a cycle of lost muscle-reluctance to use muscle, as it can reward quicker than a rider's reactions. Agree it can bring them a bit behind the bit, but mine was so far in front of it that when ridden it just tempers it a bit, he doesnt replicate the Pessoa position or anything close.

Def should be used in moderation too only as part of a programme tho - poles good, transitions, leg yielding - he's got good at all of those now and can leg yield in trot or canter faultlessly. Also small circles could be added in once he has some muscle (eg serpentines)

good luck!

 

[0]

If you insist on using a gadget to get your horse to stretch down, use the Chambon Lunge Device. It's far kinder, and cheaper to boot. Christ, you can construct it yourself rather shelling loads out.