Horse Is Like A Giraffe!!

tonitot

tonitot

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A horse I've just started riding for his owner is like a giraffe. He's an ex flat racer and goes around with his head right up and out in front of him. He's got a really thin weak neck, how can I and the owner encourage him to bring his head down and round a bit?
 
i had exactly the same problem...my mare was like a girraffe and so flat...took months of having lessons where i was made to do lots of working on circles making her move out crossing her back legs over and moving in moving away from my leg..making her back legs move with the front a bit more and moving from behind, also loadsss of transitions seemed to help..sorry hope this helps a tiny bit x
 
Anything helps
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circles will be good for him as he doesnt bend well ... transitions will help too as generally the reason hes like a giraffe is because hes too busy looking into the distance and not listening
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Thanks
 
my horse used to go like a giraffe, I got him out of it by insisting on the contact mainly on a circle and riding him forward, rewarding him by allowing with the rein the moment he showed any stretch down.

It will take a long time however but slowly slowly he should improve.
 
I am currently working on this with the share horsey. He has major giraffe syndrome. If i keep my hands (and everything else) really soft and relaxed, that seems to help the most, he goes giraffe style as soon as i start to tense. Have been doing loads of bending, circles and lateral work. Shoulder in seems to be really helping.

Also if i do lots of collecting and lengthening for short periods (ie one side of arena) in all paces he really relaxes down onto a contact. Also as above, lots and lots of transitions.
 
Flexing his neck should help him bring his head down. On a 20m circle open the hand into the circle, when he drops his head reward him with your voice. If he's a real pickle, with both hands, open them wide and lean slightly down his neck, reward with your voice if he drops his head. Obviously you need to use your seat and legs as it's not all in the hand. Leg-yielding when spiralling up/down on a 20m cirle is also very good...well it worked for me.

If you have a Pessoa or something similar (John Whitakker do a similar product), they're great for working the horse in the correct shape using the back muscles.
 
first off i would get the neck/back checked. Many ex racers have back/neck problems. Once you have got the all clear from that, check teeth, then tack.

Understand that it is going to take time. A horses has to build up the muscles it needs to round its self and go forward in to a contact. The longer thehorse has gone round "hollow" the more likely it will have built muscle up in areas witch will make working round harder.

Bare in mind that a horse that is hollow will have a weaker back, and will find ridden work harder.

I would go back to basics, get the horse using him self properly before trying to get him to carry him self and a rider properly. 4 weeks lunging/longreining will make the world of difference. Lunging in a passoa will help to guide the horse, to help him use him self properly. Then with ridden work it will take time. You have to ride the horse into the bridle and not pull the horse into an outline. I have a 17 year odl horse on loan who was not ridden in an outline for years before i got him. Owner could not get him into an outline at all. he has no topline, no neck he looked really weak when i got him. Now just over 2 months on , he is developing a neck, he is tracking up, and his topline is developing. It has taken time and paitence. In the first few weeks sessions had to be short as it is tireing to build up the muschles for the horse.

Now he finds ridden work a lot easier, he is more forward going and eager. He looked and acted liek a 17 year odl horse when i got him, but now he acts and loosk like a youngster!
 
My ex racer has been out of racing for just over a year. It takes quite a long time for them to relax and build up their strength in their hindquarters and build up their topline so if yours hasn't been out of racing for long don't rush things.

I am doing a lot of steep hill work in walk (at least 5 times a week), lunging using a pessoa (about twice a week). I have only just started canter work on the lunge, as before now he lacked suppleness and balance so I did not force it) , and I do schooling 2 or 3 times a week and I use draw reins once a week in the school.
I've been doing this for 6 months and the difference it has made to his top line and whole frame is amazing. My boy gets a lot of work sometimes twice a day, which is not possible for most people to be able to do - but this is just an idea of the sorts of exercises that will help.

We are now ready to start jumping him! We are starting pole work next week. I am so excited!
 
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