Chippers1
Well-Known Member
After posting my thread about his weight the other day i'm now convinced he has some terrible muscle wasting disease (or cushings? or ulcers?) or (the slightly more plausible scenario..) i'm not riding him correctly so his topline is lacking a lot.
Does anyone have any simple but effective exercises for building topline, particularly the neck?
At the moment I am hacking mainly - but only for around 20 mins until it gets dark - and he goes around with his head in the air as he's nosey and I also think of hacking as the 'fun' part so don't like to school too much but I can change this.
When I do get in the school (oh how I wish summer and the fields being open!) it's again for about 15/20 mins and I do transitions, within gaits too, and I've had to teach him lateral work so we do a lot of leg yielding in all gaits and i'm introducing some shoulder in steps too, plus I've been doing some shoulder fore too. I've also taught him rein back which he is now excellent at and we rein back then trot or canter. I have also recently taught him walk to canter (which he loves doing!) so we practise that too. Occasionally I have time to put out some poles but I don't tend to concentrate on his frame as I just want the forward movement and with less staring at the poles!
I have been incorporating some long and low too however he's a little spooky (our school is bordered by trees!) so I have to anticipate spookiness when having his nose near the floor!
SO does anyone have any tips or exercises I can use? Not looking for a quick fix but I need some inspiration! I have a Pelham that I show him in and he goes nicely but I feel like that's a false outline? but I could possibly school in that on the odd occasion. Thanks!
Obligatory sunny picture
Does anyone have any simple but effective exercises for building topline, particularly the neck?
At the moment I am hacking mainly - but only for around 20 mins until it gets dark - and he goes around with his head in the air as he's nosey and I also think of hacking as the 'fun' part so don't like to school too much but I can change this.
When I do get in the school (oh how I wish summer and the fields being open!) it's again for about 15/20 mins and I do transitions, within gaits too, and I've had to teach him lateral work so we do a lot of leg yielding in all gaits and i'm introducing some shoulder in steps too, plus I've been doing some shoulder fore too. I've also taught him rein back which he is now excellent at and we rein back then trot or canter. I have also recently taught him walk to canter (which he loves doing!) so we practise that too. Occasionally I have time to put out some poles but I don't tend to concentrate on his frame as I just want the forward movement and with less staring at the poles!
I have been incorporating some long and low too however he's a little spooky (our school is bordered by trees!) so I have to anticipate spookiness when having his nose near the floor!
SO does anyone have any tips or exercises I can use? Not looking for a quick fix but I need some inspiration! I have a Pelham that I show him in and he goes nicely but I feel like that's a false outline? but I could possibly school in that on the odd occasion. Thanks!
Obligatory sunny picture