How to build back muscles?

[Redsara]

I have had my hirse for just over a year. In that time we have gone from a giraffe to a good head/neck with top line. However she still has very little muscles along her back and withers. Saddle and back has been checked regularly. I have been told the only thing that builds the back is lunging. Is that true? What activities will help to muscle the withers and spine?

 

[_GG_]

I have had my hirse for just over a year. In that time we have gone from a giraffe to a good head/neck with top line. However she still has very little muscles along her back and withers. Saddle and back has been checked regularly. I have been told the only thing that builds the back is lunging. Is that true? What activities will help to muscle the withers and spine?

Um...lunging can be awful as much as it can have a place to help.

Honestly, the best thing for the back IMO is hillwork, hacking and correct schooling. No short cuts, no quick fixes. Just time and correct effort. If a horse is working well and not building muscle slowly, I would be getting it checked over as it would signify a problem to me.

My first thought with lack of ability to build muscle where you say is poor saddle fit, but there can be many reasons.

 

[_GG_]

I should add...when most people say that they have had the back checked, that means a physio or chiro has been out. If there is an ongoing issue like this, I would be getting the vet out.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

No, of course it's not true!

Correct work of any kind, ridden/lunging or indeed free-schooling, will develop the correct muscles. Personally, ~I think it is easier/better to develop the correct muscles thorugh ridden work, as the rider has more control over the horse's way of going and it is easier to incorporate hill work. The withers and spine are bony structures so will never develop muscles, you want the horse to develop the muscles at either side of them.
Ride from your seat and legs to engage the hindquarters, riding transitions, incorporating hill work and polework and including lateral movements, circles and spirals, making sure that you allow the horse enough rest/relaxation for his level of fitness. As you know yourself, using under-developed muscles causes them to tire and ache.

 

[Primitive Pony]

Has the saddle been fitted to the horse's current shape? - if so you might need a wider fit to allow the muscles to grow.

 

[fawaz]

Get the saddle fitted.

Lunging can help but you need to be skilled at it. Nice forward paces, heaps of sharp forward transitions, keep the horse from falling in, 15-20 mins mostly at a trot....

If your not skilled at it and your horse is going to get around with its head up in the air, falling in and out of control then it won't achieve anything.

Also you can achieve better results with correct schooling (forward/in front of the leg/lots of transitions etc.) If you feed for muscle development. A good amino acid supplement will help with protein absorption which is what feeds your horses muscles.

 

[tallyho!]

Surely your physio has some suggestions? My physio gave me heaps of exercises in a little booklet she made tailored to my horse (go me!)...

There were lots of stretches, suggested hill work whilst long-reining or riding and lunging (my favourite subject and is an art form if anyone cared to research it properly) and polework or cavaletti.

I think if it's ongoing and your bodyworker has not helped, get the vet in case it's a spinal issue and then ask for a recommendation of a good physio or mctimoney person who will help you and give you value for money.

 

[_GG_]

Surely your physio has some suggestions? My physio gave me heaps of exercises in a little booklet she made tailored to my horse (go me!)...

There were lots of stretches, suggested hill work whilst long-reining or riding and lunging (my favourite subject and is an art form if anyone cared to research it properly) and polework or cavaletti.

I think if it's ongoing and your bodyworker has not helped, get the vet in case it's a spinal issue and then ask for a recommendation of a good physio or mctimoney person who will help you and give you value for money.

Yep...A physio that hasn't offered tangible, practical exercises to help is not worth having IMO.

As Pearlsasinger said, which I assumed the OP would know, but is good to put in black and white...the withers and spine themselves can't develop muscle, but the areas around them where I believe the OP is meaning, cannot build up muscle if a few conditions are not present.

It is no good, as PP has said, fitting a saddle to the horse as is as this will create pressure points for any growth in muscle, which will, in turn create problems, loss of muscle and a downward spiral.

It is no good trying to work a horse to build muscle where there is an underlying, undiagnosed cause. If nothing comes up from a physio exam, which should be done with the agreement of your vet if the physio is a reputable one...then it simply doesn't mean there's nothing there that is wrong. It just means that the physio couldn't identify it.

A vet can do a thorough work up and x rays. If you're insured, it really shouldn't be a problem to go down this avenue and it is the least we can do for our horses. Working a horse without getting to the bottom of it could be creating permanent, irreversible damage.

The problem doesn't necessarily have to be in the back. The horse could have issues in the feet/legs/pelvis and other areas that is the primary issue, with the symptom being an inability to build muscle.

Really, this needs further investigation.

 

[misskk88]

Um...lunging can be awful as much as it can have a place to help.

Honestly, the best thing for the back IMO is hillwork, hacking and correct schooling. No short cuts, no quick fixes. Just time and correct effort. If a horse is working well and not building muscle slowly, I would be getting it checked over as it would signify a problem to me.

My first thought with lack of ability to build muscle where you say is poor saddle fit, but there can be many reasons.

Another who backs hillwork, hacking and correct schooling. Horse in loan home has turned into a muscle machine from all the hacking and hillwork (although has also raised questions about an old injury due to the way the muscle builds unevenly, but that is another topic!).... so has been checked by physio, and soon, the vet. If a horse is working correctly but not building the muscle is should, unless you have the knowledge to know why, I would be getting it checked out by a professional.

There is no quick fix- and I hate seeing people strap heads down in order to force the outline/topline. Patience, time and quality work is key.

 

[exmoorponyprincess1]

As above posts have already said - hillwork, hacking and correct schooling...and often all 3 can be achieved in one ride!! I do most of my schooling whilst out hacking ensuring I do leg yielding, shoulder in etc on flatter, straighter bits of the ride and then don't so much bother about "long and low" when doing hills but I still make sure that all the power is still coming from the back by keeping my legs on consistently.
Also agree re other points - whoever is checking your horse's back should be giving you exercises to build/correct/maintain muscle structure...if it's a long term problem I would also be getting the vet to do a check. And how many times have we all read about or experienced saddle fitting problems after saddler has "fitted" a saddle...I always take with a pinch of salt - oh and I don't have our saddler out now without getting our back lady out at the same time so they can work together to get the best solution for the horse/pony. A good saddler will be happy with this arrangement.

 

[happybear]

My horse has been out of ridden work for most of the past year, and I've had to build his back muscles up purely from the ground to give him any chance of healing from his injury. I enlisted the help of a good physio who gave us lots of exercises to try including carrot stretches, tummy scratches to encourage them to lift up through their core and polework in-hand. However, in our case, my vet also recommended an intense course of lunging in a pessoa over a long period of time and it's done wonders for him, his back muscles have developed incredibly. We've done all sorts of other stuff, too - "hacking" in-hand, hillwork in hand (both walking and trotting - knackering for me!) and before he was allowed to lunge, straight line fitness work (again, knackering for me!) He's just started walking and trotting happily under saddle so hopefully the hard work has paid off.

I digress slightly but my point is that there are lots of ways to build up back muscle, and I think lunging certainly has its place - in combination with the other stuff. It takes time, but don't give up! I am also not suggesting that you go for a hardcore pessoa lunging programme like we did - that was a recommendation by my vet to help with his specific injury. As other posters have said, perhaps it's worth getting your vet out to look at her.

 

[Apercrumbie]

Lunging can be useful provided the horse goes well and properly when being lunged - going around like a donkey is no good. I have used a pessoa previously to help build up muscle and it worked nicely. We just did short 15min sessions in walk with it. Definitely get the saddle looked at - there has to be room for the muscle to go, so you may need to have a saddle with a bit more room and pads underneath for the timebeing. It does undoubtedly take time.