Improving neck/topline - suggestions and before/after piccies anyone?

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Crazydancer

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My new horse will arrive next week. :) I'm looking forward to working with her, she is rising 5, and although has been brought on nicely, only been doing short 20 - 30 mins in the school, 4 - 5 times a week over the winter. Her neck is still quite thin, and she hasn't really got much topline. She is a good build though, so hoping with a little work in the right areas, she will look lovely.
Plan is to just get out hacking, lots and lots, building up her fitness first, before we do any more schooling. (She seemed quite unbalanced in the school, had a problem getting into canter)
Any ideas for exercises, or things that will help? Also anyone done this and have any before/after pics to give me some inspiration??
Thanks :)
 
Can't help but will watch with interest as would be interested to know myself, except my mare could do with some muscle on her bum too!
 
Transitions, transitions and more transitions!!

I swear by them - I've no pics to post unfortunatley but by doing t5ransitions, the horses bum (so to speak) works harder and builds up nicely. This should also build muscle over the back and into the neck.

Also, baileys top line conditioner works wonders too :)
 
I would say to lots of hacking to build up her fittness is a good idea, you can introduce basic schooling while you are out, transitions will help and are always useful to teach out hacking. Hill work in general works wonders, make sure they are working forward and active thou or they end up trying to drag themsleves instead of push.
You can do a small amount of lunging which will help with her balance, the draw rein method works well and helped my lad loads, dont need to do much at first thou.
When you school the same applies, lots of transitions, changes of rein and moving round the school rather than staying on the track in walk moving onto trot over time. Keep the sessions short and productive. Good luck :)
 
At my old yard, the YO used to lunge with drawer reins attatched to the bit then through the legs and up over the shoulders then tied in a knot on top so theyre the correct length for your horse. Its worked miracles with hers and is much kinder than side reins as it has give and fredom to move around the back. It worked well on my mare but i had to retire her soon after and move yard so im afraid havent got any pictures :/

Hacking is defo good too...thats the stage im at with my new boy, trying to build him up before we start schooling (also a great excuse to go out in the sunshine everyday!!!!! :))))
 
Thanks guys! Much as I had thought.... I have brought on a youngster before, but it's been some time. We only have a grass arena too, so there is a limit to what I want to do school-wise. Lots and lots of hacking, some lunging with side-reins/pessoa etc, and a bit of schooling with plenty of transitions sounds the order of the day.... I am pretty unfit too, so we will both be getting fitter together! :D
 
When I got my 5 year old TB home she looked weedy. No neck or bum but after 6 weeks of working long and low in her flatwork (4 x 30 min sessions per wk) she was a different horse! Much stronger with excellent topline. She has turned into a lovely stamp. Good luck with yours!
 
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