Exercises to build up muscle in back end

[jumpingjack]

My mare has come back from loan in very poor condition, and while i need to build her up from scratch again feed wise, she also has very little muscle left either.

So i really am looking at starting an exercise plan to go with her feeding to start again from scratch to get her working correctly using her back end and building her topline back up - where as now this seems like its going to be a very difficult task i am in no rush.

Any tips - bearing in mind we live in East Anglia we have no hills to do hill work!!!
I want it to be fun for her and will do lots of hacking,so where do i start.

 

[saskia295]

Hills, hills and more hills! But don't let her 'pull' herself up. Make her push herself up using her back end.

 

[jumpingjack]

[ QUOTE ]
Hills, hills and more hills! But don't let her 'pull' herself up. Make her push herself up using her back end.

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We don't have any hills i live in the flattest part of the country

 

[itsmyparty]

My equine physio told me to lunge our lad over trotting poles twice a week.

 

[trundle]

If you've got no hills, you can't do hillwork ! Is she rideable? Lots and lots of transitions are meant to be very good for really getting the horse's hocks underneath them, and building up the back end, so you could give that a go. BTW, when i say "lots of transitions", I do mean lots - like 4 on a side, no more than 3 or 4 strides in any one pace. This is really easy to do while hacking, as well.

Lunging over trotting poles or even slightly raised poles as she gets stronger would also help, i think.

 

[jumpingjack]

Yes she is rideable still, i wouldn't want to push her too hard initially but will be hacking her quite a lot so can do transitions out and about!

 

[nikkiportia]

Lol, we've got one lovely hill (just the one!) so you should come and hack out with us

xx

 

[jumpingjack]

[ QUOTE ]
Lol, we've got one lovely hill (just the one!) so you should come and hack out with us

xx

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Really - where's that!!
That would be great - would probably need to get my sister to transport us over though as think probably a bit too far to hack over to!

 

[nikkiportia]

yeah probably a little too far to hack

The road from newmarket to woodditton has a lovely incline and decline, I think the trainers use it on occasion. It is a road but has a verge on both sides. Either that - or there's always the heath