Improving strength behind

[spotty_pony]

So our Friesian is finally maturing and is going really well - he has just turned 9 and is a big boy at 17 hands and the muscle and balance are both really coming now. I have noticed he is struggling more with right canter at times. He is definitely a left handed horse, probably mirrored by the fact this is my strongest rein too.

We do not have a school yet at home so just hack and I school him around the edge of a smallish field which has been mowed around the edge.

He is up to date with teeth, physio, etc etc. He has a tendency to develop tightness behind the saddle when he is tense and spooky as his head carriage becomes very high. I do a lot of long and low work with him to get him stretching and we also have a tens machine which I use on this area as recommended by my physio. As a young horse he had a locking stifle which he has grown out of with correct work and management.

He occasionally doesn’t step through from behind ad well with the near hind as the off hind so I am wondering if this is where the problem of finding right canter hard is coming from as this leg is slightly weaker and he is struggling to push off from this leg. He tends to jump into it on the right rein but if much smoother on the left.

my question is what can I do to strengthen this nest hind further? I am riding him in the mowed field and doing lots of transitions and right rein canter work to help with this but is there anything else I can do? A bit limited without an arena.

Thanks

 

[blitznbobs]

Long rein work? Encouraging lateral work without the weight of a rider… can develop this into all,paces and even piaffe which really strengthens their bottoms up

 

[AntiPuck]

The Horses Inside Out page woul be worth a look, as she posts a lot of exercises for building horses up in different areas.

 

[AntiPuck]

Just had a look myself and found this, although she does have free content on there as well https://www.horsesinsideout.com/webinar-collect

 

[Goldenstar]

I think that all horses benefit hugely from people taking time to consider how the horse develops.
I think a considerable amount of the lameness we see in lovely and very talented horses is caused by the ease they achieve things meaning it’s easy to forget the gymnastic development of the horse .
There’s loads of content on the internet that can help you developing your system .
I love projects like the one Op is talking about physically developing the horse is so much fun the reward of seeing them change is such a high .

Of course you need to see a horse to really get what’s it needs but as this horse Is described I would be thinking about the straightness of the shoulders you can ride a horse forward from behind until the cows come home but if it’s not moving straight through the shoulders it won’t develop a stronger thoracic sling it won’t develop the ability to step under with the hind leg and a stronger hind leg .
I think this has to felt from on top but most horses like to step out sideways with one foreleg and they use this as a prop to balance themselves
We talk about the horse being on their forehand but really few horse run straight onto both forelegs they favour one .
Addressing this through the judicious use of counter bending and the leg yield in all its forms and the shoulder in and working these in conjunction with transitions within paces ( small short changes of gear are a powerful tool ) and between paces all help a lot .
You need the feeling you are working horse with its shoulders together and when you yield the whole shoulder must move the one taking the step in the direction of the movement must not feel it’s dragging the other one that’s why being able to work in small angles in the lateral work in training is so important .
I could write pages on this but that’s just a thought to think about

 

[spotty_pony]

I think that all horses benefit hugely from people taking time to consider how the horse develops.
I think a considerable amount of the lameness we see in lovely and very talented horses is caused by the ease they achieve things meaning it’s easy to forget the gymnastic development of the horse .
There’s loads of content on the internet that can help you developing your system .
I love projects like the one Op is talking about physically developing the horse is so much fun the reward of seeing them change is such a high .

Of course you need to see a horse to really get what’s it needs but as this horse Is described I would be thinking about the straightness of the shoulders you can ride a horse forward from behind until the cows come home but if it’s not moving straight through the shoulders it won’t develop a stronger thoracic sling it won’t develop the ability to step under with the hind leg and a stronger hind leg .
I think this has to felt from on top but most horses like to step out sideways with one foreleg and they use this as a prop to balance themselves
We talk about the horse being on their forehand but really few horse run straight onto both forelegs they favour one .
Addressing this through the judicious use of counter bending and the leg yield in all its forms and the shoulder in and working these in conjunction with transitions within paces ( small short changes of gear are a powerful tool ) and between paces all help a lot .
You need the feeling you are working horse with its shoulders together and when you yield the whole shoulder must move the one taking the step in the direction of the movement must not feel it’s dragging the other one that’s why being able to work in small angles in the lateral work in training is so important .
I could write pages on this but that’s just a thought to think about

Goldenstar - thank you that’s all really helpful! Yes I agree, he is getting there with straightness but it needs improvement. He finds lateral work difficult and when he is finds something difficult I have a short frame of how much I can ask before it blows his brain and he says ‘no’ but I believe this is also because I am asking him to do something which he finds difficult. Again, we do not have an arena but simple leg yield one way then the other out on quiet lanes is what we have been doing at the moment. Shoulder in he finds a little too much. I agree, I am not necessarily going to compete this horse much, if at all but I still think it’s important to make sure all of the muscles are working correctly and he is in correct balance, particularly as he is so big. I’ve discovered there’s a lot more needed to be done to keep a big horse like this feeling supple and fit for work. My other boy is like a big pony and maintains a lot of this himself - even at 23!

 

[jhoward]

Some pole work sounds like it would help him raised one side so he has to work his weaker side a little harder.

Easy enough to do in your field, doesn't need to be show jump poles just a h thing that is getting him using his muscles in a different way ( fencing posts/half cut lengths etc )

Being more technical I'd be looking at your weaknesses and trying to correct yourself a little (absolutely no offence meant) but horses are not born with one side weaker we as riders tend to create it.

So some simple exercises for yourself before even getting on may really help, have some one take some pictures of you on board from the front and back and see how your sat, I'd be thinking your not totally central.

 

[Lamehorses]

Have a look at jec ballous book, lots of useful core strengthening exercises, may help?

 

[spotty_pony]

Some pole work sounds like it would help him raised one side so he has to work his weaker side a little harder.

Easy enough to do in your field, doesn't need to be show jump poles just a h thing that is getting him using his muscles in a different way ( fencing posts/half cut lengths etc )

Being more technical I'd be looking at your weaknesses and trying to correct yourself a little (absolutely no offence meant) but horses are not born with one side weaker we as riders tend to create it.

So some simple exercises for yourself before even getting on may really help, have some one take some pictures of you on board from the front and back and see how your sat, I'd be thinking your not totally central.

Yes I agree - I am long overdue a visit to the chiropractor and am well aware he works better on the left rein due to my left rein contact not being as consistent as the right. Lots of food for thought here, thanks guys ?

 

[sbloom]

I would be working on straightness from the ground to better see what the overall movement pattern is, the compensations across the whole body. Jec Ballou is mention d above, I love the masterclass in the Balance in Movement method from Celeste-Leilani Lazari for many many reasons. Fix the compensatory movement patter, fix the weaker hind leg in the best possible way.

Bodywork for the rider is critical, you can't separate horse-saddle-rider, but most people need to do more, Rider Reboot is my favourite practitioner/programme.

 

[I'm Dun]

You can join equitopia for about £6 a month and there's lots of info on there. Well worth the money

 

[I'm Dun]

Bodywork for the rider is critical, you can't separate horse-saddle-rider, but most people need to do more, Rider Reboot is my favourite practitioner/programme.

I saw him last year and due to personal reasons haven't sat on a horse really since then. A couple of weeks ago I got back on and was utterly amazed. I could control each side of the horse independently and both sides felt the same. I spent a very happy 20mins going round the arena just moving my horse about in walk, shoulders fore, quarters in, leg yield etc. It all felt so easy!

This is all from him giving me some really simple exercises, that I did for a bit then left as I wasn't riding and had stuff going on. The difference might not sound much but it was utterly amazing to me

 

[sport horse]

If you can get to a water treadmill that helped one of mine

 

[paddi22]

I would be working on straightness from the ground to better see what the overall movement pattern is, the compensations across the whole body. Jec Ballou is mention d above, I love the masterclass in the Balance in Movement method from Celeste-Leilani Lazari for many many reasons. Fix the compensatory movement patter, fix the weaker hind leg in the best possible way.

would you have a link to find the masterclass you mention?

 

[maya2008]

Find a school you can hire - hacking distance if you don’t have transport. Makes all the difference I have found, even once a week!

 

[sbloom]

would you have a link to find the masterclass you mention?

https://www.wildmagicllc.com/master-class - she has a FB group purely for those on the master class, and her own page, all well worth following.