Bum high rising 5 yo

[Michen]

What do you do when they shoot up behind? My 4 and a half year old had a growth spurt before Christmas. Gave him a month off and he levelled out. Now measuring in at 15.2 (he’s a connemara). He’s now shot up behind again!! Goodness knows what he’s going to end up as. He has no real wither at the moment.

Do you give them time off? I am reluctant to do that as he’s far too well covered for this time of year with spring rapidly approaching. He’s hacking a couple of times a week and schooling the rest for 40 mins ish a time. Just started doing pole work, no jumping yet although I had planned to start soon..

 

[sbloom]

I would do as much from the ground as possible, longlining for fitness for both of you, and close in hand postural work to help with his strength. I think they really do struggle through these growth spurts and carrying a rider only adds to the potential for harm, alongside the issue of getting a saddle to sit well on them. If you can take time out of ridden work I'd highly recommend it.

 

[ihatework]

They work when they are level/uphill.
They get an easy time, be that hacking, very light schooling or turn away when they are up behind.

 

[ycbm]

I wouldn't jump or school heavily but I would continue to hack out lightly.

 

[Michen]

Thanks. I'll try and get a photo of him later just to check my eyes aren't deceiving me. Now the days are longer he can hack more, so I can just school a couple of times a week and hack four days instead.

Problem is he does need to do a bit of "fast", cardio work to get him slimmer. I'm not a fan of lunging youngsters (or any horse really) and long reining behind at a trot is, er, interesting (I have tried!!). The ground out hacking at the moment is too wet and slippery to do anything other than walk and I don't like to trot on roads much.

Sort of feels like a no win at the moment. How long generally can they take to level up? What if he never does, I've seen quite a few who always remain downhill/bum high.. when do you assume that might just be the way they are going to be?

Not fussed about the jumping or whatnot there’s no rush with him. But he’s not losing any weight and there is nothing more diet wise I can do.

 

[Squeak]

I usually go for light work and hacking for about a month when they shoot up. Hopefully the ground for hacking might dry up enough for trot work soon as tbh that would be ideal. As long as you're not doing intense work in the school you could get away with a bit of canter in there.

Otherwise walk march hacks?

 

[Michen]

I usually go for light work and hacking for about a month when they shoot up. Hopefully the ground for hacking might dry up enough for trot work soon as tbh that would be ideal. As long as you're not doing intense work in the school you could get away with a bit of canter in there.

Otherwise walk march hacks?

That makes sense. It’s probably not far off what he’s doing anyway so I’ll just scale the schooling back and put off a dressage lesson for a bit and double the hacking.

Our hacks are marching- he hacks with my pocket rocket so the poor fella really does have to keep up! I can also pony him off my other horse for some of them to reduce rider weight.

Hopefully in a month he will have levelled up and I can get the cardio in before spring properly hits.

 

[palo1]

My rising 5 year old did this a month or so ago; I thought she had stopped this 'bum high today' business!! I just eased off, did ride and lead and kept walking out gently but now she is looking level again thankfully. For us, we just tend to go easy during the growth spurts but at this age they don't seem to take long before they level up again thankfully.

 

[Michen]

Ok here he is. Sorry hard to get him to stand properly and he’s very muddy! It’s hard as some angles look worse than others. I think he’s not quite as bad as I thought the other night maybe.

What do you all think? Maybe I’m over worrying about his weight?

 

[TheMule]

He looks a fraction bum high but if he is feeling and going well I would just ease back on the schooling a fraction for 4 weeks and monitor. His weight looks spot on

 

[HashRouge]

He looks a fraction bum high but if he is feeling and going well I would just ease back on the schooling a fraction for 4 weeks and monitor. His weight looks spot on

This.
I actually think his weight looks good. I wonder if he compares unfavourably to Boggle who seems to be naturally leaner? Bear is just a bit chunkier, but he looks great at the moment. At TheMule says, maybe just ease back on the schooling a little bit for the next month just in case. I don't think he looks too bum high though

 

[ITPersonnage]

I think he looks bang on too but then I always think they're both adorable I think he's dropped a little since the last pic I saw of him. Bum high a little, handy of them to put that line of breeze blocks along his top line !

 

[Michen]

I think he looks bang on too but then I always think they're both adorable I think he's dropped a little since the last pic I saw of him. Bum high a little, handy of them to put that line of breeze blocks along his top line !

Pair of thugs is what they are!

 

[ycbm]

Problem is he does need to do a bit of "fast", cardio work to get him slimmer..

Hills! Hard work and they raise his forehand, win win

 

[GG13]

Your version of very muddy is rather different to mine ? I daren’t show you what mine look like at this time of year!

 

[Michen]

Hills! Hard work and they raise his forehand, win win

He already does plenty, there's lots around here!

 

[Michen]

Thanks all actually looking at those photo and some from a month or so ago I do think he's lost a bit of weight. I'd just prefer to have a very good doer lean rather than "just right" going into spring tis all.

I'll hold off teaching him to jump and hack more than school for a bit, then see where we are in a month.

 

[LEC]

Thanks all actually looking at those photo and some from a month or so ago I do think he's lost a bit of weight. I'd just prefer to have a very good doer lean rather than "just right" going into spring tis all.

I'll hold off teaching him to jump and hack more than school for a bit, then see where we are in a month.

I spent last year with a 5yo that had a very variable work level due to changing bum height. I think it’s hugely detrimental to them if you carry on as normal on a bum high horse. Just loads the shoulders and ruins the way they learn to balance.

I found it slightly frustrating with said horse last year doing a lot of waiting but by July she was level and got chucked in the deep end and improved very quickly from having ever done only one walk and trot test as a late 4yo.

 

[Lois Lame]

I think he looks fine, both weight-wise and bum to withers ratio.

 

[IrishMilo]

I also think he looks good!

 

[sbloom]

Lunging can actually be really beneficial, those that see "lunging is a strain on the legs" are not lunging in the same way, have a look at Manolo Mendez website and FB, he has some great stuff, and ultimately a brilliant DVD which contains a lot of work from the ground, both lunging and closer in hand work. arr.de (website) rehab horses 100% on the lunge (Herr Schoneich who runs it has rehabbed over 6000 horses in his 84 years!), I've seen the transformation of some in the flesh.

 

[Michen]

Lunging can actually be really beneficial, those that see "lunging is a strain on the legs" are not lunging in the same way, have a look at Manolo Mendez website and FB, he has some great stuff, and ultimately a brilliant DVD which contains a lot of work from the ground, both lunging and closer in hand work. arr.de (website) rehab horses 100% on the lunge (Herr Schoneich who runs it has rehabbed over 6000 horses in his 84 years!), I've seen the transformation of some in the flesh.

Thank you, but it’s a personal preference that I do not like to lunge my horses. I do occasional bits for ground work which is more about change of direction, but otherwise I prefer to long rein rather than a constant circle for 20 mins.

I know there’s lots of different views on it but it’s just my own preference, right or wrong. Appreciate the link though!

 

[sbloom]

Thank you, but it’s a personal preference that I do not like to lunge my horses. I do occasional bits for ground work which is more about change of direction, but otherwise I prefer to long rein rather than a constant circle for 20 mins.

I know there’s lots of different views on it but it’s just my own preference, right or wrong. Appreciate the link though!

Of course , though I will say Manolo Mendez in particular doesn't lunge on a constant circle, far from it.

 

[Michen]

Of course , though I will say Manolo Mendez in particular doesn't lunge on a constant circle, far from it.

We have a round pen for lunging (not allowed to lunge in school) so anything that wasn’t a circle would be pretty tricky!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

We have a round pen for lunging (not allowed to lunge in school) so anything that wasn’t a circle would be pretty tricky!

I run around the whole school when I lunge but yes it's not possible if you are having to lunge in a pen.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I don't think 10 to 15 minutes of lunging a few times a week would hurt any horse, like using it as a sort of warm up before you ride sort of thing.

 

[Michen]

I don't think 10 to 15 minutes of lunging a few times a week would hurt any horse, like using it as a sort of warm up before you ride sort of thing.

I would be wanting to warm up for about ten mins in walk. Therefore for any input into his cardio fitness/keeping him slim I’d be needing to do a further ten mins in trot/canter. On a constant circle in a round pen. I’m sure there are some very skilled lungers out there who can ensure a horse is working correctly on a circle for that length of time but I am not one of them, and I’m definitely not going to learn/test it on my baby horse.

I really don’t think it’s worth the risk for the sake of the cardio side, it would have to be a fairly decent amount of time for it to make any difference at all.

Much more preferably to long rein in straight lines around the school with odd bits of trot when I can manage to co ordinate myself well enough ?

I appreciate the lunging suggestions but I’m afraid it’s just one of those won’t do things unless there was a very good medical reason for it (perhaps if he was properly fat- in spring!)

 

[Jayzee]

Sorry nothing useful to add but wow he is looking mega! So handsome! Such a good find.

 

[Michen]

Sorry nothing useful to add but wow he is looking mega! So handsome! Such a good find.

Ah, thanks! He was a good find.. most of the time

 

[palo1]

For non-ridden 'warm-up'/cardio for where you don't have access to a school (like us here!) I find that ponying a horse around hilly hacking routes is really helpful and this is a good thing for a youngster that is growing unevenly as they still get out and about, they are potentially using energy to shed any extra weight but without a rider. It is also a good skill for them to learn to be led in all paces across varied terrain etc. We actually love taking our youngsters for ponied hacks across the hills; they can learn more in a day with little stress than from weeks of ridden work in the school/under saddle when they are weak and young. We do tend to do that early on in their education though. No idea why this image is wrong way up - sorry!! This is Alw going for a ponied hack across the fields and onto the open hill as a late 3 yo. She loved it and so did we!!